Google Play is considered the ultimate hub for Android apps—but it’s not the only place software can come from. Apps can be available through alternative stores, developers can offer APKs directly or there might not even be an app to download at all. Some services work perfectly well in a mobile browser, and some are web versions that can simply be added to your home screen to feel like an app.
While Android users aren’t limited to the confines of Google Play’s marketplace, the many ways to access software beyond the standard app-store model also come with considerations around updates, permissions and trust. Let’s go over the main options and what changes for you as the user.
Method 1: Install Apps From Other Sources
Although Google recommends that users get apps from Google Play, you’re also permitted to get them from other sources. One of these is the APK, a file directly distributed by developers, which are files used to install an Android application. Users can also source apps through alternative app stores like F-Droid and the Galaxy Store. There’s even a term for installing an app through a route other than Google Play called sideloading.
While these methods can feel less official than heading to the main Google Play marketplace, they don’t automatically deem the apps outside of the marketplace unsafe. When vetting an app, the better question is where the app came from and who created it. For example, downloading an APK from a completely unknown website will be different from a direct download from a legitimate developer.
Google does have several protection measures in place to protect you too. Google Play Protect can still scan apps installed outside Google Play and warn you against potentially harmful software regardless of where the software comes from. As well, the new Android developer verification requires participating stores like GetApps and HONOR App Market to be registered by a verified developer to be installed. As of September 2026, this applies to certified Android devices in Thailand, Singapore, Brazil and Indonesia so far.
While this method gives you more choice over where to get your apps, you are still responsible for checking the source, despite Google’s safeguards.
Method 2: Use a Service Through Your Browser
In some cases, an app doesn’t exist for what you want to do. Many services stick to having mobile-friendly websites that work directly in your mobile browser. The site is often built to fit your phone screen and let you do things like manage your account, browse and shop without downloading a single thing. It’s a method that removes the installation step entirely, which is useful if you don’t want to have to download new app versions or don’t have the space to accommodate numerous apps.
Businesses often use mobile websites to reach Android users without distributing a conventional app through an app store. The issue is that browsers may not offer the features or level of phone integration that a native app does.
Method 3: Add a Web Experience to Your Home Screen
Websites don’t always have to stay in a browser tab, either. Some sites can be added to your Android home screen, giving the impression of an app through an icon without the need to install one. These experiences are sometimes referred to as progressive web apps (PWAs). From the user’s perspective, it looks a lot like launching an app, especially when there are features that make the experience look and feel like a conventional app. While native apps can still have advantages when they need background functionality or deeper access to the phone, PWAs effectively blur the distinction between opening a website and launching an app.
Why Businesses Choose Different Ways to Reach Android Users
Businesses have numerous ways to reach Android users, all of which can be matched to what the service needs to do. A single service can even use several options at the same time. We can take how casino sites run on a phone as an example—a player might be able to access it through a mobile browser, a dedicated app or an app-like experience through the home screen depending on the region, operator and device.
Meanwhile, a mobile game might rely on a native app to access the phone’s graphics hardware, notifications or other device features. A retailer might offer both an app and a mobile website, so frequent shoppers have the option to shop through a dedicated platform. Cloud software could work mainly through a browser because so much of the processing happens online.
But what determines which route a business takes? Here are a few factors:
– App store policies: Do store rules affect operation?
– Updates: How often does the service need new features or changes?
– Regional availability: Is the same option available in every country?
– Customer habits: Do people use the service enough for an app to make sense?
– Development costs: Can the business justify building and maintaining an app?
– Functionality: Does the service need features that work optimally through a native app?
– Payments: If customers make payments, does the way they pay affect the distribution model?
Whether or not a native app or browser makes sense ultimately depends on the service and the user base.
Why Some Companies Don’t Use Google Play
If Google Play is touted as the official app store for Android, why wouldn’t a business want to be there? Well, for many reasons. Services that work smoothly in browsers may not have much of a reason to build a distinct app. Or, a web-based service that’s available across different devices may want to avoid asking users to download a specific version for each platform. Some categories face additional app store requirements, while certain companies operate in markets where alternative distribution methods are more common.
Then there’s the work involved in creating an app in the first place, along with the development, testing and updates that come with every new version. For users, what you gain and what you give up changes with each option. Google Play handles much of the process for you, with security checks built in, while downloading an APK offers more choice but requires more due diligence. Each route has its own balance of convenience, functionality and reach.
Android’s Multiple Distribution Models
Two icons can exist on an Android home screen and look identical until you tap on them. When you use your phone in an everyday scenario, those distinctions can be easy to forget, especially when the experiences themselves aren’t overly different. But when it comes to updating software, troubleshooting a problem or considering your level of trust, questions can surface. Android gives businesses multiple ways to reach users, and users often move between those options without giving much thought to the technology powering them.
Each approach has its own trade-offs. Google Play may once have seemed like the only real option, but today there’s no single “right” way to get software onto a phone.
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