Many people are now asking whether to install the WhatsApp APK file other than from the PlayStore. Yes, it is unsafe to download and install not only WhatsApp but any APK from unknown sources. However, if you are sure the source is safe and trustable, you can download and install it from other websites. You can check how you can install the APK file on your mobile.
When WhatsApp releases a new update each time, the beta users receive the update earlier. However, the beta user slots are limited. So not all the users can join them or even get the update. In that case, the best option available to receive the updates earlier is by using the APK file. You can download the latest APK file from the official WhatsApp website or other trusted source like APKMirror.
Download & Install WhatsApp APK
Like we said before, downloading and installing the APK file from the official or trusted source is entirely safe. But avoid downloading any files from the website that you don’t know or looks unsafe.
When you download the APK file from the trusted source, the only difference is that you will get the latest updated version from the website compared to the play store. This is how the users activated the WhatsApp sticker feature before officially it gets released to the PlayStore version of the application.
WhatsApp APK file on Official Website
Here what happens is, WhatsApp regularly updates its application with bug fixes and feature updates. It may happen mostly every 2 or 3 days or a maximum of once a week. Once they update the application, they will upload the latest APK file to make it available for public users. At the same time, they will upload the updates in the Play Store also.
There is some difference, and After uploading the application to the PlayStore, it will be delivered to the users on a queue basis by the PlayStore. Since the user base of WhatsApp is huge, it will take some time to get the updated version delivered to all the users. Some people will get the update very quickly, whereas some others very late. In this case, to make it available as early as possible, WhatsApp is uploading the exact copy of the application on their website. Any user can instantly download the application from there.
The same signature key is signing the one on the website and one in the play store for both applications. So no need to worry about the security problem. So that it will get updated via the play store later too if one new version is available in the play store.
So in the case of WhatsApp, installing the application from the official website is safe, and you can do it at any time. But do not download any application from any other source than the official website since we cannot guarantee the application is official or modified. So in the case of installing the APK file, only download from the trusted source, not from any available link.
Once you download and install the latest APK file, you don’t need to uninstall the previous version. Since you are downloading a higher version than the one already on your phone while installing it, it will automatically update the existing one without deleting any data. So click in the APK after download and install it.
Download APK File From Third-party Website
Not all third-party websites are safe, and it is not recommended to download any APK files from an unknown website. Some websites offer modified APK files in which it is difficult for normal users to identify whether it is safe or not. So remember to download the APK files from a trusted source like APK Mirror.
Note: You cannot update with a lower version compared to the one on your mobile. In this case, you are downgrading the application, so you may need to uninstall the existing application and reinstall it.
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