download – PSafe Blog https://www.psafe.com/en/blog Articles and news about Mobile Security, Android, Apps, Social Media and Technology in general. Thu, 19 Jan 2023 14:49:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://www.psafe.com/en/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cropped-psafe_blog_purple-shield-32x32.png download – PSafe Blog https://www.psafe.com/en/blog 32 32 <![CDATA[Is it Safe to Download Apps Outside of Google Play?]]> https://www.psafe.com/en/blog/safe-download-apps-outside-google-play/ Sat, 27 May 2017 16:00:42 +0000 https://www.psafe.com/en/blog/?p=11451 Your Android is set-up to only download its apps from the Google Play store. There are several reasons for this. Google does get 30% from every app sold, but their motivations go beyond financial profit. Downloading an app outside the Google Play store opens you up to security risks, such as ransomware and other nasty viruses. Google Play’s system of vetting apps before they go public is designed to help keep your phone safe from these threats. Still, malware can infect apps in the Play store. Click here to check your device for threats:

run-security-scan
By using Full Virus Scan, you can scan every file on your Android and SD card for corrupted apps. After doing a sweep with Full Virus Scan, you might be wondering if downloading an app outside of Google Play is really such a risky idea. So, is it safe to download apps from third-party stores?

Read More: 6 Tips to Get Rid of Google Play Store Errors

The Short Answer is: No, It’s Not Safe

Android users should know that downloading an app from outside Google Play is inherently unsafe. In late 2016, an estimated 1.3 million Android phones were attacked by a malware called “Gooligan.” How did Gooligan find its way onto these users’ phones, you ask? Through an app! More specifically, it was an app that wasn’t downloaded through the Google Play store.

Before a new app becomes available in the Google Play store, Google checks the app for malware and any other threats to Android users. If you download an app from elsewhere, these protective measures don’t exist.

If You Insist on Straying from Google Play

From a safety point of view, it’s unwise to encourage an Android user to download apps outside of Google Play. However, if you still insist on downloading unvetted apps, here are some safety measures you should follow:

  • Know the download source. For instance, there is an option to download WhatsApp directly from the app’s official website. This is probably a safe source since WhatsApp is a well-known, trustworthy creator of apps.
  • Read user reviews of the app before downloading. If you’re unsure of an app’s source, do your research. A few simple Google searches should lead you to other Android users’ reviews of the app.
  • Remove the app immediately if you encounter suspicious activity. Any inkling of faulty or destructive behavior from the app? Delete it immediately! You don’t want to take more unnecessary risks with your phone’s security.
]]> <![CDATA[The Best Music Downloading Apps for Android]]> https://www.psafe.com/en/blog/best-music-downloading-apps-android/ Sat, 29 Apr 2017 19:00:18 +0000 https://www.psafe.com/en/blog/?p=10547 It can be hard to choose your favorite music streaming app, but once you do, you’re hooked — at least for a while, anyway, until you’re onto the next best app. Sometimes, though, you want to download music to your phone. Luckily, there are quite a few alternatives to downloading music from the Play store.

If you want to download your favorite songs — legally and often for free — check out one of these music downloading apps below. One of these apps may just become your new favorite music app. At the very least, you won’t have to worry about a strong Wi-Fi connection for streaming when you’re downloading music to your device.

Read More: Which Music Streaming Service is Right for You?

Pure Volume

If musicians want to gain more publicity for their music, they can offer free downloads of their songs on PureVolume. Pure Volume helps you discover these under-the-radar artists by featuring songs, displaying top downloads, and noting popular and new albums. Plus, you can download MP3 songs without even creating a Pure Volume account.

SoundClick

SoundClick is a popular website because it gives users a directory of free music downloads from artists’ personal websites. These are artists who are giving away their music for free, but without SoundClick, you might not know all the artists who offer these free tracks. SoundClick also lets you search through music charts and genres for free downloads. You can also create custom radio stations of your music or download paid songs, too.

Jamendo

The free downloads on Jamendo are legal because the songs are available through Creative Commons. That means that the musicians themselves release their music. Jamendo helps you find unknown musicians whose music you might like through their radio channels. If you like a song, you can then download it. You can also search for new music by browsing through Jamendo’s popular downloads, new releases, and popular songs.

ARTISTdirect

Not every song available through ARTISTdirect is free, but you can find plenty of free music to download. However, the app does have pages of free music in multiple genres. Otherwise, ARTISTdirect also has streaming music to listen to, as well.

NoiseTrade

If you want to download an artist’s whole album, NoiseTrade is the place to do it. Again, artists provide their albums here, so they’re free and legal to download. NoiseTrade is an appealing place for them since users who download their music can tip the artists or promote their favorite new musicians to their friends.

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