How to Download an App: A Step-by-Step Guide for Any Device

This wikiHow guide teaches you how to install apps on your phone, tablet, computer, or smart TV using your device's official app store or marketplace. Although many phones, tablets, and computers let you install apps from various websites, it's safest to use your device's official app store. Sometimes rogue apps do appear on official app stores, so before you start downloading an app, do some research to make sure it's trustworthy and meets your needs.

Downloading Apps: A Quick Overview

First, open your device's app store, such as the Play Store (Android), App Store (iPhone, iPad, & Mac), or Microsoft Store (Windows). Search for an app or browse by category. Check the app's description, reviews, ratings, and screenshots before downloading. Click Get, Install, Download, or similar to install the app.

Method 1

Method 1 of 7:

How to Download Android Apps

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1
Open the Play Store
. This app has an icon of a sideways triangle that's light blue, red, and yellow. You will find it in your app list, and possibly on your home screen.^{[1]
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- To open your app list, swipe up from the bottom of the home screen.
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Browse or search for an app. There are many ways to find apps to download on your Android:^{[2]
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- To search for a specific app, tap the search bar at the top of the Play Store, enter the name or type of app you want to find, and tap the search key on your keyboard.
- To browse by category, tap the Categories tab at the top of the Play Store (you may have to swipe left across the menu bar to see it), select a category, and then scroll through the apps. You can also try the Top charts tab to see what's popular and trending.
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Tap an app to learn more about it. When you tap an app's name, you'll find its star rating, the number of downloads, the app's age rating, the app's price (if it's not free), a series of screenshots, and information about the app and developer.
- Scroll down and check out reviews before downloading an app. It can help you avoid installing an app that isn't what you're looking for.
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Tap Install or the app's price to install it. It's the green button in the upper-right area of the app's page. If the app costs money, you'll be prompted to select or enter a payment method. “Install” or directly on the app’s price, then follow the on-screen prompts to download the app. If you choose to install a paid app, the Play Store will prompt you to select a payment method.
- You may have to confirm your password to install the app.
- If the app is already installed, the button will say Open instead.
Once the app is finished installing, the "Install" button will change to "Open." Tapping this button will launch the app for the first time. In the future, you can open the app by tapping its icon on your home screen or in the app drawer. The icon on your screen will match the one you see at the top-left corner of the Play Store page.

Method 2

Method 2 of 7:

How to Download iPhone or iPad Apps

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It's the icon containing an "A" that looks to be made of popsicle sticks. You will usually find it right on your home screen. If you don't see it, swipe left on the home screen until you get to the App Library page, type app into the search bar at the top, and then tap App Store in the search results.^{[3]
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Browse for or search for an app. You can find apps in a few different ways:
- If you know which app you want to download, tap the magnifying glass at the bottom-right corner, then start typing the app's name. As you type, search results will appear. If you see the app you're looking for, tap its name. If not, tap the magnifying glass on the keyboard to do a larger search.
- If you don't know what kind of app you want to download, tap the Today tab to see which apps are trending, or tap Apps at the bottom of the screen (or Games if you just want to see games), and scroll down to check out the categories.
  - To see all of the apps in a particular category, tap the category's name.
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Tap an app to learn more about it. The App Store provides many details about the app that you can use to decide whether you're interested in downloading or purchasing.
- Scroll down to check out screenshots of the app in action, ratings and reviews, a detailed description, and information about the app's privacy and data tracking policies.
- Tap Ratings & Reviews to see how others feel about the app. If an app gets a lot of bad reviews, you probably should avoid it.
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Tap GET or the app's price to download it. It's the blue button in the upper-right area of the page.
- If the app is already installed, the button will say Open instead.
- If you've downloaded the app in the past but don't have it installed now, you'll see a cloud icon with a down-arrow in this location rather than a button. Tapping that will redownload the app.
- If you haven't yet signed in with your Apple account, you will be prompted to log in now.
You'll usually be prompted to enter your password, PIN, or use Touch ID or Face ID to confirm your download. If the app costs money and you haven't provided payment information, you'll be prompted to do so.
When the download is complete, the "GET" or price button will change to "OPEN." In the future, you can open the app by tapping its icon on the home screen or in your app library.

Method 3

Method 3 of 7:

How to Download Windows Apps

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1
Open the Microsoft Store app. You will find this app in the Start menu—look for a white briefcase icon containing 4 red, yellow, green, and blue squares. You can also open it by typing "Store" into the Windows search bar and clicking Microsoft Store in the results.^{[4]
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Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

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- If you're using Windows 10 S mode, you can only download apps from the Microsoft Store. Other Windows versions also have the option to download apps from other websites.
You can scroll down the main page to check out the top free and trending apps and games, or click the Apps tag on the left to view more categories to browse (Photo & Video, Productivity, etc.). If you'd prefer to search for an app by name or type, type your search terms into the search bar at the top, then press Enter to run your search.^{[5]
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Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

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Click an app to learn more about it. This takes you to a page that gives you information about the app. If the app is free, you'll see "Free" or "Free+" (meaning it has premium features) at the top, and a "Get" button. If it costs money, you'll see the app's price and a "Buy" button.
- If you've downloaded the app in the past, the button will say "Install" if it's not currently installed, or "Launch" if it is installed.
- Read through the info page before downloading an app. The app's description appears at the top, and you'll see Overview, System Requirements, Reviews, and Related tabs below.
- Click the photos in the "Screenshots" section to see what the app will look like in action.
If you haven't signed in to the store before (or a payment is required), you'll be prompted to sign in to confirm your identity.^{[6]
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Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

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Click Install to download the app. The "Get" or "Buy" button will change to "Install" once the download is ready. Click the app to start the download—once the download is complete, the app will be added to your Windows Start menu's list of apps.
- You can also click Launch once the app is installed to run it for the first time.

Method 4

Method 4 of 7:

How to Download Mac Apps

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1
Open the App Store on your Mac. You'll find the App Store icon on the Dock, or you can click the magnifying glass at the top-right corner to open Spotlight, type app store, and click App Store in the search results.^{[7]
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- If you don't see the App Store, click the Apple menu at the top-left corner and select App Store.^{[8]
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- You can also download Mac apps from other websites, but using the App Store is a great way to avoid rogue apps.
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Locate the app you want to download. There are a couple ways to do this:^{[9]
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- To search for a specific app, click the Search bar in the upper-left area of the App Store, type a name or type of app, and then press Return to run the search.
- To browse by category, click the category names in the left panel. You can also check the Discover area (also in the left panel) to check out what's new and recommended.
This will display helpful information about the app, including screenshots, its star rating, the number of reviews, the age range, and more. If the app is not free, its price will appear on a button at the top of the page (right next to the app's icon).
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Click the GET button or price to download the app. This blue button will appear at the top of the page.
- If the app is already installed, the button will say OPEN or Update instead.
- If you've downloaded the app in the past but don't have it installed now, you'll see a cloud icon with a down-arrow in this location rather than a button. Clicking it will redownload the app.
If the app costs money, you'll be prompted to select or enter a payment method. Depending on your settings, you may also be asked to verify your password or identity to download a free app. Once verified, the app will start to download.
The "GET" or price button will change to "OPEN" when the download is complete. You can also launch the app by clicking its icon on the Launchpad (the rocket icon on the Dock) or in the Applications folder.

Method 5

Method 5 of 7:

How to Download Chromebook Apps

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1
Open the Chrome Web Store. You can use the Chrome Web Store to install apps on any Chromebook. To get there, open Chrome, click the + to open a new tab, then click the briefcase icon with a Chrome symbol inside. You can also go to chrome.google.com/webstore in Chrome.^{[10]
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- Some Chromebooks also allow you to install Android apps. If you have an app on your Chromebook called Play Store, you can open it and follow the Android instructions to install Android apps on your Chromebook.^{[11]
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You will see this in the left column of the Chrome Web Store.^{[12]
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To search for a specific app, type the app's name into the search bar at the top, then press Enter. If you just want to see which apps are available, click through the category names to check out your options.
Here, you'll find app reviews, screenshots, ratings, and other helpful tips to help you decide whether it's worth downloading.
Alternatively, if you're installing an app that costs money, click the price instead.
Before the app starts downloading, you'll see a pop-up explaining what type of data it collects and what sort of permissions it needs to run on your Chromebook. Clicking Confirm will start the download.^{[13]
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Once the app is installed, click the circle at the bottom-left corner of the screen to open the Launcher, then click the app's name to open it.^{[14]
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Method 6

Method 6 of 7:

How to Download Kindle Fire Apps

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If you don't see this tab, tap the circle at the bottom of the screen first.^{[15]
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It's the white icon that says "apps" above a yellow curved arrow.^{[16]
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To search for an app by name or type, enter your search terms into the "Search" area at the top. To browse, scroll down to see some recommendations, or Categories to browse by category.
This displays information about the app on the About tab. Tap the DETAILS tab at the top-center to learn more about the app and see its ratings and reviews.^{[17]
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Tap the DOWNLOAD button to download the app. Depending on your version and the app, you may see Get App, Buy, Free, or Install instead. The app will begin to download to your tablet.^{[18]
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- If the app is free, it will begin to download.
- If the app costs money, you'll be asked to use Amazon Coins or 1-Click to complete the purchase.
This launches the app for the first time.

Method 7

Method 7 of 7:

How to Download Samsung Smart TV Apps

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This takes you to your TV's home screen.
This opens Samsung's app store.^{[19]
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To search for a specific app, select the Search icon (the magnifying glass at the top-right) and enter the app's name or type. To browse, simply scroll through the recommended apps and categories until you find something that interests you.
This displays more information about the app that can help you decide whether you want to download it.
This downloads the app and adds it to your Home screen. To launch the app, simply return to the Home screen and select it from the menu.^{[20]
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Can I install the Weight Watchers app on my laptop, or is there an alternative way to access it?

Community Answer

No, mobile apps are generally not available for desktops, but you can likely access similar functions through the Weight Watchers website.

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