# Can you download the app file directly to a phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions about Thunkable X\ **Created:** [January 16, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906 "2019-01-16T20:21:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Les\_Osborne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Les\_Osborne](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Les_Osborne)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/1 "2019-01-16T20:21:47Z")
I created a test app and downloaded it to my phone. I went to downloads and tried to install and it failed, can’t open. I allowed unknown services. Can you download and install outside the PlayStore? ---
**Author:** ![Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/cian_o_sullivan/32/34494_2.png) [@Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Cian_O_Sullivan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/2 "2019-01-16T20:36:31Z")
Yes you can. (Android) Step 1 – Go to Settings. Step 2 – Go to Security. Step 3 – Scroll down and check “Unknown sources” box. Step 4 – Tap ‘OK” when it show the warning. When installing Google Play may give a warning, and you can select install anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Osborne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Les\_Osborne](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Les_Osborne)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 9:08pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/3 "2019-01-16T21:08:53Z")
Once it’s downloaded, how do you install? I tapped open and it couldn’t. I allowed unknown installs. ---
**Author:** ![Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/cian_o_sullivan/32/34494_2.png) [@Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Cian_O_Sullivan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/4 "2019-01-16T21:19:01Z")
Are you sure it is an APK and not an AIA? Has to be an APK ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Osborne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Les\_Osborne](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Les_Osborne)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 9:50pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/5 "2019-01-16T21:50:09Z")
Yes it is an apk file. Normally when I have done this with another program, when you click on open, it installs. I’ve downloaded it a couple times just to make sure it’s not corrupted. ---
**Author:** ![Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/cian_o_sullivan/32/34494_2.png) [@Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Cian_O_Sullivan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/6 "2019-01-16T21:54:34Z")
I suggest you save it as a new name, ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/thunkable/original/3X/c/0/c0845ce8a3036cd6fe47d4695dde21216560a3ab.jpeg) Then export again as an APK. You may have inadvertently told it not to install. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Osborne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Les\_Osborne](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Les_Osborne)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/7 "2019-01-16T22:01:01Z")
Thank you, I am on the Android design screen and I don’t see a save as option, not even a save option on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/cian_o_sullivan/32/34494_2.png) [@Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Cian_O_Sullivan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 10:06pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/8 "2019-01-16T22:06:15Z")
Sorry, My bad!. You are on X. I was on Classic. Here is what you do. Make a copy, rename it, and then download APK again. My apologies. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/thunkable/original/3X/d/b/db909126273f9a14087d12d09529beccbbb3852f.png) ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Osborne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Les\_Osborne](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Les_Osborne)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/9 "2019-01-16T22:12:20Z")
o problem, thank you for the help. I must be missing something simple. When I tap Make Copy, nothing happens. I then changed the name in the app name field and then downloaded but it downloaded the original file name. I can try the Classic version but I was hoping to make an app compatible with Android and IOS. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Osborne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Les\_Osborne](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Les_Osborne)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 11:05pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/10 "2019-01-16T23:05:36Z")
I just tried the classic and the file was much smaller. Couldn’t email the apk file through Gmail because it was a “Security” Risk. Finally got it to my phone after downloading from my web site and on the open option it still says “Can’t Open”. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Osborne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Les\_Osborne](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Les_Osborne)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/11 "2019-01-17T00:03:45Z")
Update: I was finally able to load the app through a file manager program. When I clicked the apk file it gave me an install option. When I just went to downloads and clicked the apk file, it only said “Open” and open would never work. I don’t know how difficult this is going to be for most people who are used to jst getting the app from the PlayStore. My app is for our church so I don’t really want it to be available for everyone. I used to email the app to someone and then it had the load option but APK files are considered Security Risks now. Appreciate any input to make this easier. ---
**Author:** ![Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/cian_o_sullivan/32/34494_2.png) [@Cian\_O\_Sullivan](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Cian_O_Sullivan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:51am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/12 "2019-01-17T00:51:12Z")
Another tip. Use a QR scanner and then have it generate a QR code. That way you can download it from your device direct. Thunkable stores it in an obfuscated URL for 2 hours, accessible by the QR code. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Osborne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Les\_Osborne](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Les_Osborne)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/13 "2019-01-17T04:04:00Z")
Thanks Cian, I was able to add this to my website as a download file and that worked fine with a special WordPress plugin. My outstanding challenge is o make it easy to install from that down load. Once I got the first one to install, both X and Classic installed correctly. Thanks again for your help. ---
**Author:** ![ioannis](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/ioannis/32/146956_2.png) [@ioannis](https://community.thunkable.com/u/ioannis)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 12:16pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/can-you-download-the-app-file-directly-to-a-phone/64906/14 "2024-11-08T12:16:29Z")