BlackBerry 10, all jokes aside, has an impressive feature of being able to run
Android apps. Initially, however, the process of getting Android apps up and running on a
BlackBerry 10 device was anything but simple.
The process required users download the Android app (APK), convert it
to a BlackBerry 10 compatible file format (BAR) and then install it
through the command line, or as Brian Bennett walked us through, using a Chrome extension.
Just this week BlackBerry released an update to BB10, bringing the
ability to install Android apps directly on the device, with no
conversion or fancy networking skills required.
In order for any of this to work your BB10 device will need to be
running BlackBerry 10 version 10.2.1 or above. Some carriers have
already released the update, while others have plans to release it at a
later date.
Once you have 10.2.1 on your device, the easiest way to install
Android apps going forward will be by installing the Amazon Appstore.
Hat tip to CrackBerry for originally posting this tip.
Since the only devices Amazon's app store comes preinstalled on are
Kindles, the company also makes it possible to sideload the app on other
Android devices. And with BlackBerry 10 capable of running Android
apps, it only makes sense that someone tried this.
To install Amazon Appstore on your BB10 device, visit http://www.amazon.com/getappstore
on your BB10 device. Tap on the button to download. At this point you
may be prompted to enable the installation of apps outside of BlackBerry
World; just follow the prompts.
After the app is downloaded, follow the prompts to install it. Once
installation is complete, sign into your Amazon account and begin
browsing the Appstore as if you were on an Android device.
Keep in mind not all apps you download are going to work perfectly on
BlackBerry 10. I was able to get apps like Slacker and Facebook
Messenger working (although FB Messenger never alerted me to new
messages), but the app 1Password Reader doesn't work because it relies
on the Dropbox URL scheme.
Your experience will undoubtedly vary.
http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57618026-285/the-easiest-way-to-install-android-apps-on-bb10/
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