Sideloading

Sideloading is a term used mostly on the Internet, similar to "upload" and "download", but in reference to the process of transferring data between two local devices, in particular between a computer and a mobile device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet, portable media player or e-reader.

Sideloading typically refers to media file transfer to a mobile device via USB, Bluetooth, WiFi or by writing to a memory card for insertion into the mobile device. The term is also used to refer to the practice of alcohol consumption in between visits to licensed venues while on a night out.

When referring to Android apps, "sideloading" typically means installing an application package in APK format onto an Android device. Such packages are usually downloaded from websites other than Google Play, usually through a computer. Sideloading of apps is only possible if the user has allowed "Unknown Sources" in their Security Settings.

The term "sideload" was coined in the late 1990s by online storage service xdrive.com as an alternative means of transferring and storing computer files. In 2000 idrive.com applied for a trademark on the term. Rather than initiating a traditional file "download" from a website or FTP site to their computer, a user could perform a "sideload" and have the file transferred directly into their personal storage area on the service. Usage of this feature began to decline as newer hard drives became cheaper and the space on them grew each year into the gigabytes.

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