Overview

Installing an APK generated by Median App Studio on your Android device is a straightforward process. However, you may encounter security prompts and a Google Play Protect scan during installation. Follow the guide below to ensure a smooth installation experience.

Steps to Install an APK on Android

1. Download the APK - Retrieve the APK file from Median App Studio.
2. Enable Unknown Sources - If this is your first time installing an APK outside the Google Play Store, navigate to:
   1. Settings > Security > Install unknown apps
   2. Select the file manager or browser you used to download the APK.
   3. Enable "Allow from this source."
3. Open the APK File - Tap the downloaded APK file to begin installation.
4. Confirm Installation - Follow on-screen prompts and approve any security warnings.
5. Complete Installation - Wait for the installation to finish and tap "Open" to launch the app.

Video Guide

For a visual walkthrough, watch our tutorial below:

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Am I Seeing the "App Not Installed" Error?

This installation error message can sometimes occur when testing your pre-release Android app on a physical device. Importantly, once your app is uploaded and distributed through Google Play Store, this will no longer be an issue. But, how can you fix it for testing?

For each Android package name, i.e. com.example.app, in order to install it onto your device, it must have a higher "version code" than any previously installed version. This is the case even if you uninstall the app completely.

If you generate your APK through the Median.co website, we automatically increment the "version code" each time your app builds. This is fine, because it's never visible to your end users, and is a number that's only used internally. The version that your users see is something different, called "version name".

So how can this occur?

1. We've seen this occur if you install your APK from the Median.co website with version code #7, then uninstall it from device, then try to re-install the same APK.
2. If you are building from source code locally, and you do not increment versionCode in your app's build.gradle file.
3. Some other odd reason we are still unsure of!

If it does occur, and rebuilding via our website or changing the version code does not seem to help, then we've heard some clients have success with temporarily disabling Google Play Protect. We've not tested this method ourselves, so please use it at your own discretion. More info about that at https://support.mobile-tracker-free.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005346953-How-to-disable-Google-Play-Protect