Since the official store is closed, you must rely on third-party archives and direct download tools. 1. Trusted Community Archives (Best Source)
How to Download and Install Windows Phone Apps (.XAP & .APPX) to Your PC in 2026
With the official store gone, downloading app packages to a computer offers several significant advantages:
How to Download Windows Phone Apps (XAP & APPX Files) to Your PC
Click and wait for the "Deployment complete" notification. Method 3: Direct File Transfer Sideloading
For Windows Phone 8.1 devices, the bootloader may need to be unlocked or the device "interop-unlocked" using tools like CMD Injector to allow for deeper system access and app installation. How to Install XAP in W10M (With & Without-PC)
Downloading and installing or .APPX files to a Windows Phone from a PC is often necessary because the official Microsoft Store for Windows Phone 8.1 closed in 2019 . This process—known as sideloading —allows you to install apps manually using a computer. 1. Finding XAP/APPX Files
Since you can no longer rely on the official Store, enthusiasts have built several archives to preserve these apps.
Are you a Windows Phone enthusiast looking to download and save your favorite apps to your PC? Perhaps you want to keep a backup of your apps or install them on multiple devices without relying on the Microsoft Store. Whatever your reason, you're in luck! In this post, we'll walk you through the process of downloading Windows Phone apps, including XAP and APPX files, directly to your PC.
Once you've obtained an APPX file, you can sideload it onto your PC:
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