Sideloading trouble on Mac

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I am eager to sideload a few essential apps but I am having a very hard time downloading and opening anything .apk on my Mac. I also don’t know how to use adb. The rest of the steps seem fine, but kind of at a loss with these two. Any ideas welcome, thank you

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Hey, I’m not quite sure how to help but someone gave me this resource in another thread that helped me a lot with ADB on windows, this is the list of commands you can use to with ADB https://teamandroid.com/adb-commands-list/

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You are not supposed to open the .apk-files on your computer. I am attaching a guide on how to sideload, written by an AI.
Tips: download AuroraStore apk, install it and then download the apps you want.

Sideloading apps on an Android device using Homebrew, ADB (Android Debug Bridge), and APK files involves several steps. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you through the process on a Mac.

Step 1: Install Homebrew

If you haven’t installed Homebrew yet, open your Terminal and run the following command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Step 2: Install ADB

Once Homebrew is installed, you can install ADB by running:

brew install android-platform-tools

Step 3: Enable Developer Options on Your Android Device

  1. Go to Settings on your Android device.
  2. Scroll down and select About phone.
  3. Find Build number and tap it seven times to enable Developer Options.
  4. Go back to Settings and select Developer options.
  5. Enable USB debugging.

Step 4: Connect Your Android Device to Your Mac

Use a USB cable to connect your Android device to your Mac. Make sure to allow USB debugging on your device when prompted.

Step 5: Verify ADB Connection

In the Terminal, run the following command to check if your device is recognized:

adb devices

You should see your device listed. If it’s not listed, ensure that USB debugging is enabled and that your device is properly connected.

Step 6: Download the APK File

Download the APK file you want to install. You can place it in a directory that is easy to access, such as your Downloads folder.

Step 7: Sideload the APK

Navigate to the directory where the APK file is located. For example, if it’s in your Downloads folder, run:

cd ~/Downloads

Now, use the following command to install the APK:

adb install your-app.apk

Replace your-app.apk with the actual name of the APK file.

Step 8: Verify Installation

Once the installation is complete, you should see a success message in the Terminal. You can now find the app on your Android device.

Additional Tips

  • If you encounter issues with installation, you can use the -r flag to replace an existing app:

    adb install -r your-app.apk

  • To uninstall an app, use:

    adb uninstall package.name

    Replace package.name with the actual package name of the app.

Conclusion

You have successfully sideloaded an app onto your Android device using Homebrew, ADB, and an APK file.

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