“Side-loading” or “Manual Install” Instructions for Android

This is an old article but the general idea still works not just for Kindle, but for installing PocketBible for Android onto any Android device from our website instead of from Google Play.

If you have the option of using Google Play on your device – even if it didn’t come with it already installed – that is the easiest way to install PocketBible. But if you must do a manual installation of PocketBible, this is how you do it.


You need to make sure you’ve enabled “third party apps” on your Kindle. Go to Settings and look for “Device” (it may be in the “More…” menu). Look for “Allow Installation of Applications” and turn it on. On the HDX, this option is under Applications in Settings. You’ll get a warning message but that’s OK – they’re just trying to scare you into only buying software from Amazon. 🙂

For newer Kindle devices, swipe down from the top and select Settings. Under Personal select the option for Security. Under Advanced select the option to enable Apps from Unknown Sources and accept the security warning.

Once you’ve done that, just go to the Web browser on the Kindle and type in this:

https://LPB.cc/pbsideload

PocketBible should automatically download. On some devices, you’ll be prompted to install the app but on the Kindle devices, you’ll have a few more steps

Original Kindle Fire and HD: You may have to tap the notification number next to your name in the upper left corner of the screen. You will then see a list of notifications. One of them should say something like com.laridian.pocketbible or pocketbible.apk and “download complete”. Select that one. You’ll be asked if you want to install PocketBible and it will ask if you want to allow PocketBible to use network communications and some other things. Choose the “install” button and when it’s done choose “open”.

Kindle Fire HDX: After you download from the Silk Browser, tap on the menu icon in the top left corner. Choose the Downloads option and you should see PocketBible.apk listed there. Tap on it and choose the install option to finish the process. If you prefer, you can watch of video of this.

On newer Kindle devices we have found that you may not be able to just tap on the downloaded file after it is downloaded, but rather you need to go to the File Explorer (or Kindle equivalent thereof), locate your Downloads folder, then locate the downloaded apk file for PocketBible and select it there to run it.

Once PocketBible is installed you can choose it from the carousel like any other program. The PocketBible icon may look “blurry” but that’s OK — Amazon uses low-resolution icons for third-party apps because they’re upset that you didn’t give them any money to run the software on their device, so they want to make you think there’s something less than professional about our app.  🙂

Once again, if you have the option to install Google Play on your Kindle or other Android device, that is the easiest way to install PocketBible. We can’t help you do this because of the large variety of Android devices out there, but if you google it you should find instructions for installing Google Play on your particular device.