[14 Methods] Fix “App Not Installed” Error On Android

Many Android users are reporting that they are receiving the error message “App not installed” while downloading apk from another source.

Users install apps from another source when they don’t find the same app on the Google Play Store or when the app is restricted in their region.

If you are also trying to download the .apk file and receiving the error prompt “Application not Installed” or “Installed apps not showing on the home screen”  then this guide will help you.

Here you will learn 14 effective methods on how to fix “app not installed” error on Android and why this error occurs on your Android device.

Reasons for Error “App not installed” On Android

Your phone may not be installing apps due to many causes some of the common ones are as follows.

Corrupted App File: When you download an app from an unknown source then there is a chance the .apk file can be corrupted and cause this error message. Hence, you should always check the source of the website from where you are going to download an app.

Insufficient Storage Space on the Device: If your Android device does not have enough storage in your phone’s internal memory then it may not let the app download and send this error.

SD Memory Card Not Mounted: If your SD card is not mounted in your device then you will encounter an app not installed error as the app cannot find the SD card.

Corrupted Storage: If your phone’s internal storage is clogged or the SD memory card is corrupted, you will also face this issue.

App Permission: While installing any app on your phone, you need to accept particular permissions and if you do not accept them then you will get this error.

Storage Location: Some apps need to be installed only on the phone’s internal storage and when it doesn’t find storage space in internal memory then you receive an “App not installed” error message.

Also Read: Fix “There Was A Problem Parsing the Package Error” On Android

How To Fix “App Not Installed” Error On Android

We can understand that this error message makes you worried but you will be happy if know that you can solve this error prompt by following the below-discussed methods. Yes, you heard it right.

So, let’s discuss them…

Solution 1: Allow Chrome App To Install Unknown Apps

Step 1: On your Android device open the Chrome app.

Step 2: Then go to Apps & notifications option (you may get different options as it depends on the Android phone model).

Step 3: Next, choose the Chrome app.

Step 4: Hit on Install unknown apps option and enable Allow from this source option.

Solution 2: Restart Your Android Device

The second method to fix the app not installed APK error is by restarting an Android device.

Though it is a very easy process but, it is very powerful in solving Android issues.

To restart an Android device, you need to press and hold the Power key until the options appear on the screen. From there tap on the Restart option.

Solution 3: Mount SD Memory Card

If your external SD memory card is inserted into your mobile but still can’t be accessible. Then you are suggested to mount your SD card.

Doing this will make your SD memory card accessible. Below, learn how to do this:

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your phone.

Step 2: Then hit on Storage > RAM and storage space.

Step 3: Next, on the Storage info screen hit on Mount SD card.

After this, restart your smartphone and check whether you can install APK on your device or not.

Also Read: Top 3 Solutions To Fix “Encryption Unsuccessful” Error On Android

Solution 4: Clear Google Play Store, Package Installer, & Google Play Service Cache

Steps to clear the cache of Google Play Store:

• On your phone, open the Settings app.
• Next, go to Apps & notifications > see all apps.
• Select, Google Play Store from there.
• Hit on Storage and then on Clear Cache.

Steps To Clear Cache Of Package Installer:

• Go to Settings > Apps & notifications.
• Hit on See all apps and then on 3 dots.
• Next, select the Show system option and hit on Package Installer.
• Now, hit on Storage and then on Clear cache.

Steps To Clear Cache Of Google Play Services:

• From your phone’s home screen, hit on Settings.
• Then hit on Apps/App Management/Apps & notifications.
• From the list of apps, find the Google Play Store app and tap on it.
• Next, hit on Storage and then on Clear cache.

Solution 5: Make Space On Your Phone

If your phone’s room is full of other items like photos, music, videos, apps, and other data then it will not let the Android app install on your phone and show you this error.

Hence, to fix it you need to make sure that you have enough storage space on your phone. If the storage is full then delete some unwanted data and applications.

Solution 6: Check App Location

Generally, the app you installed on your phone is stored on your internal memory but if you have changed the location to an SD card and getting this error then you need to change the location.

Here are the steps that you need to follow for this:

Step 1: Open the Settings app and tap on Storage.

Step 2: Here you will find internal and external SD card storage. Check the app location and if SD memory is selected then change the location to internal storage or vice versa.

Solution 7: Only Use Google Play Store

Google Play Store is the recommended and safest app to install any Android app. But, sometimes users don’t find the specific app here and they need to move to third-party sources.

When you download and install apps (apk) from unknown sources then these APK files can contain viruses that can cause many issues including the “Application not installed” error.

So, if you are downloading apps from other sources then you must find and install the alternative app from Google Play Store.

Also Read: 14 Effective Methods To Fix “Invalid SIM Card” Error On Android

Solution 8: Reset App Preferences

You can also solve this issue by resetting the app preferences/permissions. Doing this will let the 3^rd party app get installed on your device.

Below are the steps to do the same:

Step 1: Open the Settings application on your phone.

Step 2: Then hit on Apps (you may get a different option).

Step 3: Tap on 3 dots in the upper right corner.

Step 4: Choose Reset App Preferences.

Step 5: You will get the warning message, confirm your choice by tapping on Reset Apps.

Solution 9: Format SD Card

If you are still getting this error prompt then there is a higher chance that your external SD card has been corrupted. In this case, you can format your SD card.

You can do this in 2 ways, one is when it is inserted on your phone and another is externally.

We will go with the first one which is to format the SD card when it is inserted on your phone.

For this, navigate to Settings > Storage. Hit on Format SD card and then mount it again.

Solution 10: Clear Cache & Data Of Package Installer

Step 1: Move to the Settings app.

Step 2: Hit on Apps.

Step 3: Next, tap on Package Installer.

Step 4: Now, tap on Clear Cache and Clear Data.

After this, restart your phone and check whether the error is occurring or not.

Solution 11: Disable Google Play Protect

Step 1: On your mobile, open the Google Play Store app.

Step 2: Hit on your profile icon and then tap on the Play Protect option.

Step 3: There you need to tap on the Settings icon.

Step 4: This will open the Play Protect Settings, here toggle off the “Scan apps with Play Protect” option.

Step 5: Now, you can easily install apps without getting the same error.

Also Read: How To Fix Relink Account Error On Xbox Discord

Solution 12: Change App Codes

Step 1: Download and install APK Editor on your phone from Google Play Store.

Step 2: Open the APK editor and hit on “Select an APK file” or “Select APK from App”.

Step 3: Now, find the app and hit the common edit option.

Step 4: Next, change the app version to older one that will be compatible with your smartphone.

Step 5: Apply these changes in the app and then uninstall any similar pre-installed app and install the modified application.

Solution 13: Sign APK Files Via Apk-Signer

APK-Signer app can help you to sign in APK files on your Android smartphone easily. It also supports a V2 signing scheme that increases overall verification speed as well as strengthens integrity.

Below are the steps that you can use for this:

Step 1: Download and install apk-signer application from the Play Store.

Step 2: Then open this app and go to its dashboard, here you will get the Signing option.

Step 3: Scroll down and tap on the pencil icon. This will open the file manager.

Step 4: Choose the app from the list and tap on Save button.

Step 5: Hit on Signed app option to install it on your phone.

Solution 14: Factory Reset Android Device

When nothing works in fixing app not installed error then lastly you can factory reset your Android device.

But before doing this, don’t forget to create a backup of your phone because this will erase all your data from your smartphone.

Below are the instructions to factory reset your Android device:

• Open the Settings app and move to the Backup & Reset option.
• Then hit on “Factory data reset”.
• Next, tap on reset phone and then on Erase everything/Erase all data.

• If asked then enter the password and proceed.

Sum Up

It is a very unpleasant feeling when you need an app but you are unable to install it as you are getting the error message “Application not installed”.

But you don’t need to panic as the above-listed 14 solutions will help you to fix “App not installed” error on Android.

If this guide helped you then don’t forget to share it with others.

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