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Best APKs you won't find in the Play Store

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© nextpit

The vast majority of Android users only ever install applications from Google Play. However, the potential of Android goes way beyond the Play Store and Google services. There’s a plethora of APKs that Google doesn’t offer, and we've prepared a list of the best Android APKs and apps you can't find in the Play Store.

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Best Game outside the Play Store: Fortnite

Fortnite, the battle royale game that became a veritable cultural phenomenon in 2018, is so popular that creator Epic Games decided that they didn't need to pay Google's 30% cut for the Play Store, choosing instead to host it themselves. Fortnite is free to play and well worth a try - though you might find it quite addictive! To help you get started, we've got a great guide of useful tips and tricks.

AndroidPIT Fortnite Review 1
Fortnite is famous enough not to need Google to promote it. / © NextPit

But be warned, there are still plenty of fake, malware-laden APKs out there claiming to be Fortnite. To be safe, only use the official link from Epic Games below:

Download Fortnite

Best for gaming: Humble Bundle

The legendary Humble Bundle recently received a few updates, meaning it's no longer available in the Play Store (maybe Google now sees it as a competitor?). For the uninitiated, Humble Bundle lets you pay whatever you want to download bundles of high-end games for your Android device (and PC).

The money you pay gets divvied up between charities, the developers and the website. Using this app, you can manage your Android Humble Bundle games library easily, and receive updates on when the next Humble Bundle is available.

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Pay what you want for fantastic game bundles with Humble Bundle. / © NextPit

Download Humble Bundle

Best for streaming: VideoMix

This app is a fantastic resource for streaming your favorite TV shows and movies online. Be aware of your country's laws regarding streaming copyrighted content, though, if you don't want to land yourself in trouble. 

Once you've found the show or movie you want to watch, just tap it, pick a site to stream it from, then you'll get an option to choose which video player app you want to play it in. In addition, there's a button that integrates IMDB into the app so you can view the cast and find related torrents. 

  • The best video player apps for Android
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VideoMix lets you stream TV shows and movies, both new and old. / © NextPit

Download VideoMix

Best for YouTube ripping: Videoder

Videoder is probably the most functional YouTube ripper around. You search for the YouTube video you want, and the app displays a variety of formats you can download it in, including 1,080p and MP3 (although both of these are in beta, so may occasionally mess up). You simply set a download directory and get ripping. TubeMate is another app that has similar functionality.

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Videoder is the ultimate way to download YouTube videos. © NextPit

Download Videoder

Best for downloaders: Transdroid

For all the keen torrenters out there, Transdroid provides a great way to manage your torrents remotely. It supports home servers and seedboxes. From within the client, you can, among many other things, add torrents, start and stop them, and set priorities. 

It supports all the big torrent clients out there, including uTorrent, Deluge and Vuze. You can download a cut-down version from the Play Store, called Transdrone, but, to get the full experience, including integrated torrent search and RSS feeds, make sure to grab the Transdroid APK. Again, be aware of the laws surrounding torrenting in your country.

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With a quick bit of setting up, Transdroid lets you manage your torrents remotely. / © NextPit

Download Transdroid

Best alternative to YouTube: NewPipe

NewPipe is a great free YouTube frontend from the alternative app store, F-Droid, which hosts open-source APKs and also takes care of automatic updates of the apps installed.

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NewPipe's background playback setting continues with the screen off. / © NextPit

NewPipe benefits from a nice clean ad-free interface, and is able to keep playing videos in the background while you do other tasks, or even when the screen is off.

The downsides are that it doesn't support your Google account, so you can't see your subscriptions. Video quality options are also limited on NewPipe—it doesn't support playback of 1080p or better.

Download NewPipe

What's your favorite APK? How do you feel about downloading apps from outside the Play Store? Let us know in the comments.

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Nicholas Montegriffo

Nicholas Montegriffo
Editor

A cyberpunk and actual punk, Nicholas is the Androidpit team's hardcore gamer, writing with a focus on future tech, VR/AR, AI & robotics. Out of office, he can be found hanging around in goth clubs, eating too many chillies, or at home telling an unlucky nerd that their 8th level wizard died from a poisoned spike trap.

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79 comments
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  • 25
    Deactivated Account Dec 28, 2018 Link to comment

    Also check out Terranium TV and Fildo.

    SorinDwarfer66


    • christian yuhas 2
      christian yuhas Mar 25, 2019 Link to comment

      Terranium TV does not work anymore but you can get the same thing with Cyberflix TV, and definitely recommend Fildo.

      Deactivated Account


      • 25
        Deactivated Account Mar 25, 2019 Link to comment

        Thank you friend. I didn't know about Cyberflix TV.


  • Dean L. 34
    Dean L. Dec 28, 2018 Link to comment

    Thanks for sharing this list. Up to now I have only downloaded from the Google play store because of the warning of third party apps possibly being malware. Would like to hear others experience.

    Sorin


  • 1
    lamesheep The Sep 8, 2018 Link to comment

    Yes , vedioder is most used app to dowbload youtube video. But on other hand tubemate play a vital role. But tubmate is not available in play store. We have to find any apk sites.
    Why? Play store will not ready to allow tubemate in it.???


  • 1
    lovefreeapps Jul 24, 2018 Link to comment

    Thanks for your list. I am interested in LMT Launcher and don't think Videoder is the best for me as I hate video list flow to run my data. It is not the best for me so that I choose an alternative (InsTube video downloader) which has not video list on its homepage.


  • 26
    Andrew Burgin Jul 10, 2018 Link to comment

    There is nothing wrong with using Aptoide or Uptodown,to download applications you do not get offered on the Google Play Store,there are some good and bad ones on these sites,and they do offer updates sometimes before google offer them,so i check them now and again,Snaptube is the best one i use to download videos of youtube,plus you can also download the video as a mp3 song if you want to,tubemate is good as well but no mp3 downloads using this application

    SorinDean L.


  • 12
    harshatecordeon Jul 10, 2018 Link to comment

    useful information


  • Rusty H. 33
    Rusty H. Jul 10, 2018 Link to comment

    I use to side load, root, flash, mod...but the older I get the less I jack with the phone, since it is tied to how I work during the day, by 5pm, I sit it down and don't touch it til the next morning.

    Sorin


  • Albin Foro 30
    Albin Foro Jul 10, 2018 Link to comment

    My main use of APKs is to purchase paid apps direct from developers or from reliable sources without giving any "real me" credit card info to Google (using the Play Store with a nonsense Gmail address.) The one free app Google refuses to let in the Play Store is a system-wide ad blocker (Google does allow some ad-blocking browsers, but not system-wide blockers that stop the moronic cartoons and pop-ups that ruin many apps. I've almost forgotten what those stupid little cartoon boxes at the bottom look like.)

    I suggest the article should add, that anybody who sideloads apps should install a decent third-party security app that scans all installations for malware. All the major security threats for Android have been from malware-bearing apps outside the Play Store, and good security software basically replicates Google's own malware scanning to block installing bad actors.

    SorinDwarfer66


  • Wiz Malik 2
    Wiz Malik Jun 24, 2018 Link to comment

    best for watching movies & tv series- terrarium tv , you can download the adfree
    premium version from xdapirates.com

    SorinDwarfer66


  • news tops 1
    news tops May 5, 2018 Link to comment

    Free Android Apps and Games . Paid Android Apps and Games and unlimited moded Apps
    www .apksecured. com


  • 27
    Sorin Apr 11, 2018 Link to comment

    I did not even know about VideoMix, I find the description very interesting.
    I will test it.

    Dean L.


    • Dean L. 34
      Dean L. Dec 28, 2018 Link to comment

      Have you tested videomix? How do you like it?


      • 27
        Sorin Dec 28, 2018 Link to comment

        I downloaded the VideoMix application and saw that it can display a list of movies according to several criteria (movie genre, year, country, etc.). Being particularly interested in SF movies I searched for a few, and saw that it offers trailer. I've clicked on the links list and I've been able to watch a few more lengthy movies, but I do not think it was a complete version, but in any case more than a trailer. I liked the most that she offers a series of films by gender, although it's more convenient to search for information on a big screen of a PC.
        Personally, I recommend VideoMix for those passionate about movies, who can find additional information using that application.


  • 27
    Sorin Dec 15, 2017 Link to comment

    LMT Launcher is a very interesting app for me.


  • 20
    Reg Joo Dec 13, 2017 Link to comment

    Xposed installer(even though it ask to be updated to latest version sometimes, when it’s already updated), to install awesome video player to bring some Oreo goodness to nougat phones. Root is needed for avp, but that’s the only reason I sway from the play store, for root apps.

    Sorin


  • Mohammad Shahpari 2
    Mohammad Shahpari Apr 22, 2017 Link to comment

    thanks for list
    here some site i use
    android-apk.org
    apk.black
    dlapkandroid.org
    apkforandroid.org
    apkapk.org

    Sorin


  • Stephen Geoghan 1
    Stephen Geoghan Feb 5, 2017 Link to comment

    Why is AIO not working properly anymore.it won't show any apps and keeps saying "click to reload"" still nothing


  • catch me outside haw bought that 1
    catch me outside haw bought that Jan 29, 2017 Link to comment

    My Fav
    Aptoide
    showbox
    spotify premium apk
    peggo
    king root

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