How To Install Apps on Windows Phone 8 From A Memory Card

Installing apps on smartphones can be a pain sometimes. If you run out of mobile data or don’t have access to WiFi, you won’t be able to get that new game or app everyone’s been talking about. Enter, the process of sideloading. Sideloading is a way to install apps on your smartphone without downloading it from the app store/marketplace on the device. Unknown to most, even Windows Phone 8 devices allow users to sideload apps, but only on devices that have expandable storage.  Here’s how to sideload apps on Windows Phone 8 devices:

Recommended: Must Have Windows Phone 8 Apps – Part 1 & Part 2

Installing apps from memory card onto your Windows Phone 8 device

Requirements:

• A Windows Phone 8 device with SD card support
• PC with internet connection
• Memory card

Step 1 – Go to the Windows Phone App Store and select the app of your choice.

Step 2 – Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select “Download and install manually”.

Step 3 – Save the .XAP file in a location of your choice and copy it to the SD card (or) save it to the SD card directly.

Step 4 – Insert the SD card into your phone and restart it or wait for a few minutes.

Step 5 – Navigate to the Store app on your device and tap “SD Card”.

Step 6 – You should see a list of compatible and incompatible apps, select what compatible apps you want to install and tap “Install”.

Unfortunately, it’s not so easy on Windows Phone 7.7/7.8 devices unless you possess a Windows Developer account. That process is fairly longer and requires more effort. There’s also the option of using a third party tool to do so, but the apps installed this way can’t be updated like others installed through the store. Windows Phone 8 users, however, have it easy. Do let us know if you faced any problems and if you have anything to say about our guide on how to install apps on Windows Phone 8 from a memory card!