You’re not limited to getting apps from the Android Market—you can download them from the Web as well. You can either visit the app developer’s website to download the app, or instead head to one of the many web libraries that house and rate hundreds or thousands of apps.
Note
Be aware that when you install apps from the Web, they don’t go through the same kind of vetting procedure that they do in the Android Market. So be careful about what you download. It’s a good idea to download apps only from well-known developers or well-known, trusted download libraries.
Downloading from the Web takes a bit more work than from the Android Market. It’s a several-step process, rather than being straightforward and all-in-one as from the Android Market:
Go to a website using your Droid 2 and search for an app, or go directly to a developer’s site.
Download a file to your Droid 2’s built-in SD card.
Install the app using the downloaded file.
Note
You can also download the file to your PC or Mac and then transfer it to your Droid 2. For details about transferring files between computers and your Droid 2, see Transferring Music, Videos, and Pictures from a PC Using Windows Media Player.
Unless you know a specific app you want to download and the URL of the developer’s website, your best place to start is one of the many Android download libraries. The Android Freeware site—www.freewarelovers.com/android—is one good place, as is the Android download library run by PC World. To get to the PC World Android library, go to www.pcworld.com/downloads/downloads.html, follow the Smart Phone link, and then follow the Android link. You can find other good download libraries as well. The download library www.download.com also has an Android area. Find it in the Mobile area of the site. And www.appbrain.com is good, too.
Once you find a file you want to download, tap the link to download it. A file will then start downloading to your SD card, and you’ll see the progress on a downloads screen. You’ll notice an odd file name—Astro_File_Manager_2.5.2.apk, for example. (Android apps end in the extension .apk.)
Note
If your SD card doesn’t have enough space to download the app, you’ll get a warning, and the download won’t complete.
After the file downloads, tap it. A screen appears, like the one you’ve seen in the Android Market, that tells you what kinds of features and information the app will need access to. Tap Install to install the app, or Cancel to cancel the installation. When the app is installed, you can immediately run it by tapping Open, or tap Done and run it later. You’ll be able to run the app anytime from the Application Tray.
When you’re done installing the app, you won’t need the original download file any longer.
Tip
For security reasons, your Droid 2 may block installing any apps found outside the Android Market. If that’s the case, you’ll have to change the settings so you can install your downloaded apps. When you’re on the Home screen or an application pane, press the Menu key, and select Settings→Applications. Tap the checkbox next to “Unknown sources”. You can now install apps from outside the Android Market.