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IF you are talking about downloading .apk's to a computer, it's not usually the way it's done. Many places that offer alternate sources for apps that are readily available in the Play Store, Amazon or other legitimate sources can be laced with malware or modified in a way that poses a risk you probably shouldn't be taking.

Unless you are absolutely certain about the source, I wouldn't.
 
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Is downloading Apks illegal?
well, to some extents, yes it's illegal but we all know China product is banned from accessing Play Store, we have to use third-party APK provider, But I think you should be careful about APK provider.
There are many risks depriving from that like unwanted garbage installation or perhaps some information injection.
We should look it up carefully if we intend to use APK files modification.
 
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No, downloading apks is not illegal. There is no "to some extent".

There are sites that host illegal downloads, where they do not have the developers' agreement to distribute the apps (required even for free apps) or where they are distributing cracked versions of paid apps. But to say that downloading apks is in any way illegal because these sites exist is like saying that it's somewhat illegal to buy a watch because there are people who sell stolen goods.
 
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