Google Play Store and Apple App Store are two of the biggest app marketplaces for their respective platforms – Android and iOS. Many of the popular apps are available on both platforms to cater to a larger audience.
But still, there are plenty of useful apps and games in each yet to be available on the other. So did you find an app available only for iOS but want to use it on your Android phone? Then we at Insiderbits will show you how you can do so.
Beware of These Things First
Apple apps are designed exclusively for iOS devices. So, attempting to install these apps on an Android phone may pose some challenges for you. Here are they:
Terms of service violations
Apple’s terms of service have a strict outline for the scope of use for the apps in the App Store. So, attempting to access Apple apps on any other operating system such as Android may violate these terms to lead you to face legal consequences or penalties.
Intellectual property concerns
Developers invest a lot of time and resources to develop an app for a platform. So you will need to assume that they also have worked hard to protect it from any copyright violation. Thus, unauthorized usage of an app may constitute a violation of copyright and intellectual property laws.
Security risks
Apple is known for the high standards it has set for the security in its ecosystem. So, bypassing Apple’s security scans and downloading Apple apps from unknown sources for an Android device might expose you to some serious security risks.
Inconsistent user experience
The App Store has guidelines and policies different from the Google Play Store which the iOS app developers have to adhere to. These policies are there to maintain the level of quality, security, and user experience Apple promises.
So, using Apple apps anywhere else can give you a below-par user experience as they won’t be following Android’s policies.
Technological Barriers Between Android and iOS
Just when we were done mentioning some of the legal issues, you will also have to look at the technological differences and limitations of downloading Apple apps on an Android phone.
- iOS is a closed and proprietary system used by Apple only whereas Android is an open-source platform used by many phone manufacturers.
- iOS apps are usually developed by Swift or Objective-C whereas Android apps are built using Java or Kotlin.
- Apple follows the Human Interface Guidelines and Android follows Material Design principles for user interface design. These separate design philosophies impact not only the visuals but also the user interactions.
- iOS is exclusively designed for Apple’s hardware. On the other hand, Android is available to use across phones and tablets from various manufacturers, each having its own hardware specifications.
So do you think, with all these differences, an Apple app meant to be used on iOS will work equally well on Android? Most probably not.
How to Download Apple Apps on an Android Phone
If you are still stuck with the idea of having Apple apps on your Android phone, here are the best and legal things you can do:
1. Find the official Android version of an iOS app
There is a high chance that if a popular app is available on iOS, it is also available on Android. This is the best case scenario as you won’t have to go sideways into the dangerous territory of using non-permitted apps illegally.
2. Find similar apps on Android
Just in case the specific app in Apple is not available on the Google Play Store, you can always find an app similar to it. There are over 3.5 million apps in the Play Store. So, most probably, there will always be alternatives available in Android.
3. See if there are web-based services available
Many of the apps’ services are also available to use on the web. So look out for the app’s web-based services to use in your browser. For example, Evernote. You can use it on iOS, Android, and the web.
4. Use Appetize.io
Apptetize.io is a web service that helps you use mobile apps in your browser for support and testing. Do you see what we are getting to?
Yes, Appetize.io can also be used for accessing Apple apps but in your browser and not Android phone. For general purposes, it has a free plan available.
Related: Generate Images With AI Using These 3 Apps
Conclusion
Since Insiderbits cares for your online safety, we highly recommend you not do anything malicious to use the Apple app on your Android phone. Doing so may only turn out to be costly for you. So, it is better to use the legal ways we just mentioned here.
