by olga
quick tutorial on how to get android apps on kindle fire without rooting, plus all essential installation tips & instructions.
Can android apps be used on kindle fire? how to get android apps on kindle fire? can you use your favorite android apps on your fireplace?
These are some of the most popular questions I get from Kindle Fire owners. Android apps are, after all, the most popular type of apps out there.
I have very good news. You can download, install and use android apps on your fire from other sources, and it’s a pretty simple task that anyone can easily do.
do all android apps work on kindle fire?
Before we get started, there are a few things to learn about android apps and their compatibility with kindle fire tablets.
kindle fire tablets run fire os (operating system) which is an operating system based on android, but has been modified by amazon. Since Kindle Fire tablets are Amazon’s flagship product, the default app store for Kindle Fire tablets is obviously the Amazon app store.
Amazon App Store is the second largest android app repository after Google Play. however, not all android apps that are on google play are available on the amazon app store.
Fortunately, thanks to the fact that fire os is based on android, most android apps are compatible with amazon tablets and you can install them on your kindle fire with a few easy steps that i will show you.
what android apps are available for kindle fire? can kindle fire get all android apps
all the apps you’ll find on google play (there are over 2.8 million apps there) can be installed on your kindle fire. There are only two restrictions in this regard:
- google apps on kindle fire. as i mentioned earlier, some google apps that require you to sign in may not work properly unless you install a couple of extra files (along with play store).
- download apps from google play to kindle fire. google play does not allow you to download apps as apk files (the file format of android apps) which you can then transfer to your fire that is why you need to download the desired android app apk file from a different app source and manually transfer it to your kindle fire. Alternatively, you can just install Play Store on your Kindle Fire and install apps directly from there.
installing android apps on kindle fire (step by step)
I divided this tutorial into three easy steps: preparing the apk files to install on your kindle fire, preparing your kindle fire to install apps outside of amazon, and actually installing android apps on kindle fire.
#1: prepare & copying apk files to kindle fire
I assume you already know which android apps you want to install on your kindle fire. If you don’t know which apps you want to install, please search for new apps on google play and then follow the instructions below.
The first thing you need to do is get the android app you want to install in the apk file format so you can transfer it to your kindle fire.
You can get/download android apps in apk format (as apk files) in two simple ways described below.
use an alternative android app store that allows downloading apk files
Let’s say I want to install the Cortana app on my Kindle Fire. This app is not available on the amazon app store so I can’t install it directly on my kindle fire.
luckily i can use an alternative app store and just download this app on my kindle fire as an apk file.
This is what you need to do to download apk files directly to your computer:
1. go to apkmirror and use the search bar to find the android app you are looking for.
2. choose possibly the latest version and download it to your computer by clicking download apk.
3. the app will download to the default downloads folder on your computer. for windows users, they are downloads.
copy android apps (as apk files) from your android device
one of the ways to “overlook” the fact that google play does not allow direct download of apk files is to simply install the applications you want on your android device (phone or tablet), make a backup of the apk files and transfer them. to its burning fire.
This is how you can do it:
- On your android device (not your kindle fire), open google play and install the app you want to transfer to your kindle fire. Obviously you don’t need to take that step if you already installed this app on your android phone or tablet.
- Install the file explorer on your android device and open it.
- tap the app icon and select the apps you want in your kindle file. just long press (touch and hold) the app you want to select. tap backup at the bottom of the screen. Apps will be backed up to the folder named “backups” as apk files on the internal memory of your android device.
#3: prepare your kindle fire to install android apps
By default, Kindle Fire will not allow you to install apps outside of the Amazon App Store. this is obviously for security reasons. this is what you need to do to change that setting:
- Go to settings (just swipe down from the top of the screen to access quick settings and notifications) then choose apps. .
- at the top you will see applications from unknown sources. use the toggle button to allow installation from unknown sources. click ok to dismiss the warning.
your kindle fire is now ready to install android apps.
#4: transfer & install android apps on kindle fire
We’re almost there. There are just few simple steps you need to follow now to install android apps on your kindle fire.
- connect your kindle fire device to your computer with the usb cable. create a folder and name it apk (you can of course name it something else if you want). you can also transfer the files via cloud storage, but in this tutorial i will only show you how to do it with usb cable.
- transfer the apk files you prepared earlier to this folder on your kindle fire.
- install file explorer is on your kindle fire. this is the same app you were installing on your android phone.
- open the file explorer is. tap the button in the upper left corner (the three horizontal lines, one below the other) to open the left panel and see more settings.
- tap internal storage and navigate to the folder you just created. in my case it is apk.
- touch the app you want to install. press install, see the permissions and press install one more time.
- The app will install quickly and notify you when it’s done. that’s all!
congratulations! you have managed to transfer android apps to your kindle fire. you can repeat the above process with almost any android app you want.
Did you find this article useful? did you successfully install android apps on your kindle fire? if you did, please share this article with your friends. thanks!
find more great tutorials on tips & cheat page.
i ♥ my fire!
-olga