How to download games WITHOUT Play Store, WITHOUT internet (and applications)

July 8, 2020, by Santiago Comment

Until December 2019, the Play Store registered 2.9 million apps and games available, only behind the Apple App Store, which had about 4 million. It is probably the largest content store for Android devices. Nevertheless, is not the only one. There are other game and app stores that the manufacturers themselves incorporate by default on their devices, as well as online stores from which to download APKs.

If your device has the Play Store, you also have something for you in this article: games without internet. No, I’m not talking about downloading without Internet as they do in Cuba, but a hidden section in the store that allows you to download free games and apps that work without the need for mobile data or WiFi.

Download games WITHOUT Play Store

In addition to the Play Store, or as a replacement, some device brands incorporate their own store, from where you can also download free games, as well as applications. For example, the Samsung brand brings its store Galaxy Store. In the case of Huawei it is AppGallery. Chinese versions of Xiaomi devices come pre-installed Mi Market.

Another option is online tools and programs like APK Downloader. You just have to enter the URL of the Google Play app and this site will extract its installable APK that you can download and install like any other APK on your device, previously enabling the installation of unknown sources.

Since APK Downloader only works with certain free games and apps, your other option is to search for its APK file on the Internet. But you must be careful about the site you download to avoid getting infected with viruses. Two recommended sources of download are F-droid Y APKmirrorThe latter is very interesting because it offers the latest versions of apps that do not even reach Google Play yet, or install Beta versions to which Google Play no longer gives you access because they are at the limit of users, as is the case with WhatsApp.

Apart from those mentioned there are also other online game stores and famous apps such as APKPure, O Uptodown, which I personally don’t trust very much, so if you use them I recommend doing an analysis of the APKs you get from them with virustotal.com. Definitely do not recommend Aptoide, for distributing apps illegally.

Games that work WITHOUT Internet

Currently, many Android games that are on Google Play need an internet connection to be able to play them. If you don’t have internet, when you open them you may see a connection error message and then you will have to leave. This is unfortunate if you’re on the road, ran out of mobile data, or don’t have WiFi somewhere.

If your device has the Play Store, the store has a category of games and applications that can work without the Internet. Games like Plants vs. Zombies, 2048, Candy Crush or Minecraft allow you to play without the need for a connection. On the other hand, apps like Wikipedia, Pocket or Spotify allow you to download the content so that you can watch it offline at any time.

This games section is not visible in the Play Store. One option is to use the search box, where you will have to type something like games “offline”, “offline”, “without internet”, and so on. In the same way for apps. The other is to access using the following link.

If you want to explore other categories of apps and games in the Play Store, use the top “Categories” bar. You can also enter this on google: site: play.google.com/store/apps/collection/ to discover sections of the store that you may not have known about.

References: Statista: 1, 2, Reddit

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