How to set the correct Android *.apk MIME Type for Apache Webserver

Android application uses *.apk file as its installation package. It is a variant of the Java JAR file format (which in turn a Zip 2.0 file). Usually the *.apk file is obtained from Android Marketplace, the official channel for getting Android application. However there are some vendors or carriers that allow *.apk file to be downloaded from 3rd-party websites.

Those who elect to upload the *.apk files on their own webserver can add the official Android APK MIME Type to their Apache Web server config file:

Option 1: edit mime.types (for those who have root access)
1. First edit the mime.types file – sudo nano /etc/apache2/mime.types
2. Then add this at the end of the file – application/vnd.android.package-archive
3. Reload the server configuration – “sudo service apache2 reload”
Option 2: edit .htaccess file (for shared server or user who do not have root access)
1. Edit .htaccess
2. Add this line – AddType application/vnd.android.package-archive

This will register the appropriate MIME type for the *.apk file so that both the server and mobile application can handle.

One Reply to “How to set the correct Android *.apk MIME Type for Apache Webserver”

  1. Actually you are forgetting an important step. You need to actually list the extension as well, i.e. “AddType application/vnd.android.package-archive apk”. Also with Linux-based systems a linebreak may be needed at the end of the file.

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