Hi, newbie here.

Recently an app I used was delisted from the Play Store (I use Aurora), and now only shady APK mirror databases are available for me to install it again.

Going forward, is there any trustworthy way for me to retrieve and save the .apk files of certain apps I download, in order to reinstall them again if need be? As I understand, just the .apk would be necessary, not even an internet connection would be required for installation, right?

Thanks!

    You can try this from Aurora:

    • find the app
    • the three dots in the upper-right corner - Manual Download
    • confirm the last version (suggested) with Check
    • Wait for the download to complete and cancel the installation if you don't want it installed
    • Go to Downloads (the icon is in the upper-right corner)
    • Press and hold on the app and select Save App Bundle and it saves a Zip archive usually in your Downloads

    But not sure how the manual installation will be in case the app is not in a single .APK.

      unplugmaverick apkmirror.com and apkpure.net host the original APKs for a ton of apps, including older versions. Both have strong reputations as being safe and secure and are highly recommended in piracy communities, and you know those guys are big about safe downloads. Lol.

          Oggyo Thank you, tried but the .apk's were split. I'll see how that works.

          Jojojo I did some digging on both and I've seen very mixed stuff, both on AlternativeTo and TrustPilot. I don't know if you're being sarcastic with the piracy community being big on "safe downloads" comment (lol).

          Edit: did some digging and both websites make very unrealistic security claims (100% safe guaranteed bro). I'd rather download it from Aurora, which I find more trustworthy, and then use something like SAI to merge the APK's if need be.

                unplugmaverick No, I am not being sarcastic. Haha. The piracy and privacy communities have a lot of overlap, so there's a large focus on security and safety. A majority of patchers and modders such as the popular Revanced project recommend either of the two, and I can tell you from my own personal experience that I've never had issues with APKs downloaded from them, which I've verified with both Hypatia and Virus Total.
                I do understand your concerns though, so in this situation it's not a bad idea to stick to what your gut tells you for peace of mind.
                Whatever you decide on, I wish you success with solving your problem. 👍

                    unplugmaverick

                    is there any trustworthy way for me to retrieve and save the .apk files of certain apps I download, in order to reinstall them again if need be?

                    I think the technique in the post linking here works for both owner and secondary profiles where an app is installed:

                    https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/12070-how-to-extract-the-apk-of-a-package-installed-in-a-secondary-profile/6

                    tornsail My intention was to make a copy of an older app (free but commercial=Garmin), that was no longer available from the PlayStore, and install it on a second device and avoid using an apk mirror.

                    • apk-extractor (from f-droid) did NOT work for me
                    • Install Amaze file manager on device A (or may be Kanade or APK Explorer & Editor will work too, but I've not tested yet)
                    • Use Amaze to backup the app to external USB storage
                      (there's some hokey-pokey with storage permissions, but Amaze leads you through it)
                    • On this occasion, the app was 4 apks (known as a split apk I think)
                      I did not find a way to install the split apks using Amaze or the default filemanager
                    • On device B install APK Explorer & Editor
                    • Using APK Explorer & Editor select all the split apks for the app (four in this instance) on the external USB storage and then you will find the install option

                    There might be something else here of interest to some people. I read in the forum quite frequently that some GrapheneOS users don't want to use the sandboxed PlayStore and head off to the Aurora Store despite the risks. Maybe people in that situation could use a secondary device to obtain their apps/apks direct from the PlayStore and then use this app backup technique to move the app to their primary device. Catch would be no easy updates of course.

                        unplugmaverick Little more detail here too:

                        tornsail UndercoverBozo Thank you for the pointer - and I have Amaze file manager installed now. It has an App Manager with a 'backup' option which seems to extract the selected app's apks into an Amaze/APK folder.

                        In this case I get four apks - the main big one ...garmin.apps.explore.apk + ...garmin.apps.explore_arm64_v8.apk + two small _en.apk + _xxhdpi.apk

                        I think this is called split apks and I guess I require some sort of split apk installer. I've not yet found a way to use Amaze to do this. Just installing the largest apk doesn't give a functioning app - whether using Amaze or the default filemanager.

                              Jojojo Thanks for the clarification, I get it now. I don't know, I've had mixed experiences with the piracy community, thus my concern. Thank you anyways!

                              soul-adrift Nice catch, looks slightly inconvinient but very much appreciated if it works. Thank you!

                                    unplugmaverick Nice catch, looks slightly inconvinient

                                    The step to do the app.apk backup is actually very quick and convenient:

                                    Amaze file manager installed now. It has an App Manager with a 'backup' option which seems to extract the selected app's apks into an Amaze/APK folder.