Android is an operating system that has many qualities despite the fact that it shares many aspects with most systems, even with the competition. But if there is something that has always been key in Android, that was freedom since you can download applications and games from sites other than the Google Play Store, yes, be very careful with those applications since some may be unofficial APK.
Why it is not recommended to install APK from unofficial sites
For security reasons, it is not recommended to install applications from pages other than the official Android store. However, services such as Amazon have their own apps that have been stored in the official Google store, and they offer you the possibility of downloading their full version from their official website, which means that sometimes it can be useful.
All Android applications are signed by the developer. This implies that each app and game that is distributed through the Google Play Store includes a signature or certificate that makes it recognizable in the event of any question of authenticity. At the moment in which the application is modified to introduce malware, adware or to alter its operation, said application cannot be signed with the original certificate, it loses its identity code. This can be the best way to identify if an app is trustworthy or not and the best way to protect our devices.
Before you install any Apk file that you have downloaded from an unofficial page it is recommended that you check its authenticity, especially if the site you downloaded it from is not 100% reliable to avoid future problems such as malware, spyware, etc.
You can also download tools that exist precisely to analyze the files you have downloaded and not only this, just like antivirus that protect your device from all network threats and the most important thing is your criteria, never trust the web all precaution is essential.
Related reads:
How to know if an APK is safe and avoid viruses
What kind of spyware does Android face
