APKMirror Installer is a versatile tool designed to streamline the installation of APK files, including .apkm, .xapk, and .apks app bundles, which are becoming increasingly common in the Android ecosystem. If you encounter issues while sideloading a regular APK file, APKMirror Installer offers a valuable feature: it displays the specific reason for any installation failures, helping you troubleshoot effectively.
Understanding Split APKs
In 2018, Google introduced App Bundles at Google I/O, a dynamic app delivery system. To grasp this concept more easily, consider reading the detailed post on AndroidPolice, which includes helpful illustrations. Essentially, before App Bundles, developers had to choose between creating a single, large APK with all necessary libraries and resources or manually managing multiple APK variants tailored to different device specifications.
With App Bundles, the responsibility for handling these variants shifts to Google, which then divides the app into multiple components, or split APKs. A typical release might include a base APK and several splits, such as base.apk, arm64.split.apk, 320dpi.split.apk, en-us.lang.split.apk, and es-es.lang.split.apk. Directly installing these splits on your device is not possible, as only the base APK can be installed, resulting in crashes due to missing resources. This is where APKMirror Installer proves invaluable.
What Are .apkm Files?
As more apps transition to the split APK format, sharing and installing them without a dedicated app becomes challenging. APKMirror has responded by developing the .apkm format, which packages a base APK with its necessary splits. After downloading an .apkm file and using APKMirror Installer, you can view and selectively install the splits, optimizing storage on your device.
The development of APKMirror Installer and its supporting infrastructure required significant time and resources. As a result, the app and website are ad-supported, though users can opt for ad-free subscriptions that also unlock additional features.
Issues and Bugs
For users of Xiaomi, Redmi, or Poco devices running MIUI, there may be issues due to modifications in the MIUI system that affect APKMirror Installer's functionality. A potential workaround involves disabling MIUI optimizations in the developer settings, which should enable successful installations. More details on this issue are available on the APKMirror public GitHub page.
If you encounter other issues or bugs, APKMirror encourages you to report them through their GitHub bug tracker. It's important to note that APKMirror Installer functions as a file manager utility and does not include app store features like web browsing or direct app updates, which would violate the Play Store's Terms of Service.
