Sideloading is nothing but loading and installing applications on the device from the external sources, rather than from the default app store provided in it. The Nokia X, as we all know, does not come with the Google Play Store and any of the Play services. Thus, you won’t be able to use that for downloading the apps in the smartphone. But given that this is a forked version of Android, and having the core structure what an Android OS has, the phone can install apps from external sources which are sideloaded by one of the several sources.
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The sideload of apps can be done in different ways. It could be either by sending the apk installer files via bluetooth, by transferring into the SD card from the computer, or downloading the apk files from the web directly in the smartphone. We tried doing that when we were at the Nokia X launch, just to confirm whether the Nokia X is supporting the apk file installation or is it using something else to install the applications.
It was unsurprisingly the .apk installer files which would install the apps, and thus we could install the app with the file which we sent via Bluetooth from another smartphone. But before you do that, there is something you need to accept in the Settings, and this is similar to what you do on the other Android smartphones.
Android App being transferred to Nokia X via Bluetooth. APK installer file is what would install the files.
Go to Settings > Security and then under the Device Administration options, you would be able to see the option: Unknown sources (Allow installation of apps from unknown sources). You need to check that and it would then allow the installation of apps from any other external sources.
Once you have enabled it, you would be welcomed by a warning – Your phone and personal data are more vulnerable to attack by apps from unknown sources. You agree that you are solely responsible for any damage to your phone or loss of data that may result from using these apps. Something you should agree if you wanted to sideload and install the apps.
Once set, you can now transfer the apk files and then it’s the normal installation as it is on any of the Android smartphone. Do comment below if you are finding any issue in sideloading or installing any standard Android application from here. Although there are several app stores which you can install and download apps from there, the Google Play Store won’t get installed until you get the root access to the file system of Nokia X.
