If you like playing games on your phone, you might have heard about an APK file, which is just a neat little package that includes everything a game or app needs to work on your Android phone. But sometimes, you also come across something called an OBB file, and they're important too. Let's get into what these OBB files are about and how you can get them onto your phone.
What is an OBB APK?
An OBB file is like an extra suitcase for a game or app that is too packed to fit everything into one carry-on bag (the APK). Imagine you're going on a big trip—the APK is your carry-on luggage with all the essentials, and the OBB is the extra suitcase you check because you need more things like clothes, or in this case, game levels, extra features, or videos. This suitcase is necessary because the creator of your app can't squish everything into the APK without making it too big and bulky.
You usually bump into these OBB files when downloading big, fancy games that have a lot of graphics and sounds. By separating the big stuff from the basic app, it makes it easier to handle updates because only the carry-on needs to be shuffled around instead of the whole load.
How to Install OBB on Your Phone
So, now that you've got a fancy game or app you want to install along with this big OBB suitcase of extras, what do you do?
Step 1: Grab the APK and the OBB files
First off, you need the APK file—which is the app itself—and the OBB file, which is the extra stuff. It's crucial to download these from places that are safe and won't harm your phone.
Step 2: Put the APK on your phone
Your Android phone is usually wary of stuff that doesn't come from its established app store. To get past this:
1. Open your phone settings.
2. Look for 'Security'.
3. Find the option to allow 'Unknown Sources,' and switch it on.
Once done, just tap on the APK file you downloaded and follow the steps you see on your phone to install it, but don't open it yet!
Step 3: Move the OBB
Now that your app is installed, you need to show it where that extra suitcase of stuff is—the OBB file. This is like telling your game, "Hey, go pick up your luggage at the carousel!" For that:
1. Use a file manager app (some phones come with one, or you can get one from the app store).
2. With your file manager, find the OBB file on your phone's storage.
3. Move or copy that file into a folder called 'Android', and inside that, you need another folder named 'obb'.
4. Inside 'obb', create or find a folder with your game's name, and put the OBB file there.
You've gotta be sure to keep the OBB file's name the same—it needs to match exactly what the game is looking for.
Step 4: Start the app
Once everything is in the right place, just go ahead and start your game or app. It should now know where the extra data is, and the game can run with all the cool, additional stuff in the OBB file.
For some games, it might be good to make sure you're connected to the internet the first time you start it up, just in case it needs to check the OBB file or finish setting up.
And that's it! Now you not only know what APK and OBB files are but how to get both onto your phone for those super cool games and apps that need a little extra space. Enjoy your enhanced app experience!
