Where did “Allow Installation from Unknown Sources” go in Android?

If you have upgraded to Android Oreo, you may have noticed that the option to “Allow Installation from Unknown Sources” is gone. The option is often used if you wish to install an app from an APK file you have obtained from outside of the Google Play Store.

You can still install APK files, you just have to provide permission to the exact app you are using to install the APK file.

1. Open “Settings“.
2. Select “Menu”  at the upper-right corner, then choose “Special access“.
3. Select “Install unknown apps“.
4. Choose the application you are installing the APK file from. For example, if you are downloading the APK file in Chrome on your Android device, then attempting to open it, select “Chrome“. If you are simply browsing to the file using a File manager like “My Files“, select “My Files“.
5. Toggle the “Allow from this source” option to “On“.