Mobile devices are a primary source of entertainment in Australia, and that includes casino apps.. Sometimes, you’ll find them through official app stores, and other times, you may need to download them manually. That manual method is called sideloading, and it is not automatically bad or dangerous. It only implies that you’re taking on more responsibility to check what you’re installing.
If you’re not very used to sideloading, this guide will come in handy. Here, you’ll learn how to verify an APK source and review permissions for your downloaded app.
APK Files and Sideloading
An APK refers to the package file that Android uses to install an app. Basically, when you download an app from the Google Play Store, it does the safety checks and update work in the background.
With sideloading, you’re also installing the same type of app, but without the store acting as the middleman. What that implies is that you’re ready to handle things manually. And that is why you must know the right things to do.
To start with, the file comes from the right place, and you have to pay closer attention to permissions. Subsequently, you also need a plan for updates so as not to end up installing new versions from unverified sources.
Installing APK Files the Right Way
If an app is available through an official store, that method is usually the simplest. With it, updates and basic scanning happen automatically, so why stress yourself?
But sometimes, using stores isn’t an option at all. As in the case of Dolly Casino Australia; just because it isn’t available in the stores doesn’t mean you can’t get a mobile web version. So, in such cases, the next best route is through the official publisher’s website.
If you’re finding it difficult to verify the authenticity of a website, here are some things to look out for:
- The website must be encrypted and you can always confirm this with the padlock icon next to the address on your browser.
- All pages on the website must maintain a clean and consistent domain name.
- Pages that push multiple installers are a red flag; the official sites will make it as straightforward as possible.
In Android, your safety net should be Google Play Protect, which can scan apps and periodically check your device for harmful apps. The best part is that it even scans apps installed outside Google Play.
How to Go About Permission Checks
Permissions are where a lot of people either overthink things or ignore them entirely. As a rule of thumb, the permissions to allow are those that match the feature you’re trying to use.
For example, notification requests make sense if it is an application that gives alerts. Likewise, camera access can make sense if the app uses it for identity checks or scanning something you initiate. Or storage access can make sense if there’s a clear download or file feature.
You can always deny first and then grant when necessary when you are unsure. If an app asks for a sensitive permission, refuse it and check to see if it continues to function appropriately. Subsequently, as you need certain features, it’ll prompt you to grant the permission. That is a safe approach you can take to allowing access.
Apk Integrity and Version Checks
Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t have to know so much about tech to do integrity checks on your mobile apps. All you need is consistency with the basics.
To start with, a proper update should come from the same source, with a sensible version numbering, and a clear update history. If the source can’t provide proper documentation for you to track these things, then look for another one.
How to Keep Up With Updates
Keeping up with updates is usually a problem for most people with sideloaded apps. Once they install an APK once, they only think of updating it when the app becomes buggy and starts pestering them for updates. And most times, they end up downloading unverified versions in the name of updating.
For starters, app updates usually falls into one of these three categories:
- In-app updater: The app prompts you and handles the process within itself.
- Re-download updates: In this case, you have to return to the official download page you used originally.
- Store updates: If you downloaded it through a store, the update will also come through the store.
Irrespective of the category, what you want to do is maintain one app and one update channel. So, don’t rotate between multiple APK sites, even if they promise “faster” downloads.
And in any case where you need to switch sources for a legitimate reason, uninstall the old one completely first. Then reinstall from the one source you’ve chosen.
