XAP is a file format for Silverlight applications that is also used to install application software on Windows Phone 7 and 8 phones. With Windows Phone 8.1 Microsoft has replaced XAP by APPX to bring unity in app development of Windows Phone and Windows Store apps.
Anyone who wants to download a Windows Phone app that is not available in the Windows Phone Store can download a XAP file onto the SD card and install them manually.
If you have a link to a XAP file, here’s how you install it on your Windows Phone:
- 1. Download the XAP file onto your computer.
- 2. Connect your Windows Phone to your PC using a USB cable.
- 3. Transfer the XAP file to your phone SD card. I suggest you create a separate folder calls Apps and transfer the file to that folder just to keep things more organized.
- Note: You can also transfer the file to the Phone internal storage.
- 4. Disconnect the phone from the PC.
- 5. On your Windows Phone, tap the Store icon to open it.
- 6. Tap the 3 horizontal dots icon at the bottom of the screen to bring up the menu.
- 7. Tap Install local apps.
- 8. Select the app or apps you want to install and then tap Install.
Note: You must have an active internet connection to install XAP apps as they need to be verified in the Windows Store.
