Mobile game loading help?

[jAsske]

Hello,

I was wondering if there is a faq or guide on how mobile games work? When someone downloads an android game from here(or rather Mega) does the game open like on the PC? Is the apk file like the exe file on a pc or mac? Do you have to have any special os files on your smartphone to run the apk?

Thanks!

 

[mickydoo]

You need to go into settings, security and tick a box for Unknown sources, or something like that. I already have for my phone so I can't follow it exactly. Best thing is google apk files on your particular device as they all differ a little. It then will be in files somewhere, once you install it, it should show up on your screen.

 

[Rich]

I was wondering if there is a faq or guide on how mobile games work? When someone downloads an android game from here(or rather Mega) does the game open like on the PC? Is the apk file like the exe file on a pc or mac? Do you have to have any special os files on your smartphone to run the apk?

Essentially, there are several steps:

1. As mentioned by mickydoo , by default most Android devices are set up so that they'll only load and run applications that come from one of the app stores - Google Play, Amazon, etc. Thus, if you want to "side load" the game (which is what it's typically called, if you want to go Googling) you have to flip the switch that allows installing apps from unknown sources. Note that this does technically open you up to malware, so be sure you trust the source. How you do this has changed a couple of times in Android's history - there's a decent article
   You must be registered to see the links
   that covers this on various Android versions.
2. The APK file is the android equivalent of a Windows EXE file or a Mac .app file. If you download the APK file directly onto your phone (through, say, Chrome), and if you've made the appropriate setting changes mentioned above, then it should end up getting installed directly on your phone. Another option is to download the APK file onto your PC or Mac, connect the Android device to your PC or Mac via USB, and then copy the file onto your device from there. There's an article
   You must be registered to see the links
   that describes methods for doing this. Then you open the APK file - possibly via a file manager app for Android, and it will install. Generally, the "download direct to phone" approach is easier. Either way, however, you end up with an icon on your phone to launch the game, just like for any other Android app.

Nothing else is required - there isn't anything you need to add to the phone to make it support APK files - every one of the apps you download from Google Play (or elsewhere) is implemented as an APK file.