Recently, we launched HERE for Android on Samsung Galaxy smartphones. And now, due to popular demand, we’re making HERE for Android immediately available for everyone with a compatible smartphone.

Help us improve HERE for Android

HERE for Android initially made an appearance on the Samsung Galaxy Apps Store, but even if you don’t have a Galaxy smartphone, you’ll still be able to enjoy the full benefits of HERE – simply download the app from http://www.here.com/beta/android.

Since launching HERE for Android, we’ve had some brilliant feedback from smartphone owners, critics and websites. We’re also grateful for constructive criticism, helping us to make HERE for Android even better. We’re taking your comments seriously, and are already working on changes, fixes and additions. Thanks to you, we’ve discovered that some ‘cache cleaner’ apps accidentally delete the navigation voices in the HERE app. We’re very close to a fix, which will be released in the next weeks, but in the meantime we’d ask you not to use such apps if you want to use voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation.

Once you’ve downloaded the app for your smartphone, you can get in touch with us and let us know your thoughts by providing your evaluation directly in the app.

As always, you can also leave a comment on HERE Three Sixty – we’d love to know how you’ve been getting on with the app – or get in touch with us on Twitter @HERE.

How to install HERE for Android

While we’re collecting your feedback and squashing the last bugs, we’re making the app available to download from our website. It's easy to ‘side-load’ HERE for Android on your phone; just go to www.here.com/beta/android and follow the steps below:

Download using your Android smartphone:

Tap on ‘Get the app now’. Confirm the download and choose the directory on your smartphone in which you’d like to store the apk file (e.g. “Downloads”). Open a file manager on your smartphone and tap the directory to which you downloaded HERE_beta_175.apk. If you do not yet have a file manager installed, you can go to the Google Play Store and install e.g. ES file explorer, Astro file manager or File Expert. Tap HERE_beta_175.apk to start the installation. Your phone will ask you to allow the installation. To do that, go to Settings in your phone, then Security (which could also be under Settings > More Options). Then tick the “Unknown sources” box. This allows apps from sources other than the official app store to be installed on your phone. When the installation is finished, you can open the HERE app from the app drawer.

OR

Download using your PC:

Download the HERE_beta_175.apk file to a folder on your PC (e.g. “Downloads”) Connect your Android phone to your PC (e.g. via USB cable or Bluetooth). Remember to unlock the screen, if it’s locked. Open the file explorer on your PC and copy the HERE_beta_175.apk from the directory where you downloaded it to a directory on your phone. Disconnect your phone from your PC. Open a file manager on your phone and tap the directory to which you downloaded HERE_beta_175.apk. If you do not yet have a file manager installed, you can go to the Google Play Store on your phone and install e.g. ES file explorer, Astro file manager or File Expert. Tap HERE_beta_175.apk to start the installation. Your phone will ask you to allow the installation. To do that, go to Settings in your phone, then Security (which could also be under Settings > More Options). Then tick the “Unknown sources” box. This allows apps from sources other than the Google Play Store to be installed on your phone. When the installation is finished, you can open the HERE app from the app drawer.

If you need more help, a very well-done video guide on how to ‘side-load’ Android apps on your smartphone is available at Phandroid.com.

Is my Android phone compatible?

We’re testing HERE for Android with as many devices as possible. The general rule for compatibility is a device with Android 4.1 (‘Jelly Bean’) or greater. However, if you want to get the best results, we recommend smartphones with 1GB of RAM or more and a screen size between four and six inches.

By ‘side-loading’ the app onto your Android smartphone, please be aware that the app will not automatically update if newer versions are available, so stay tuned to HERE Three Sixty for any updates.

Get the most out of HERE for Android

HERE for Android is easy to use, but if you want to make the most out of it, follow the tips & tricks we’re regularly sharing on HERE Three Sixty. We’ve already explained how to get a HERE account and sync your favourite places with the web, how to set up HERE for Android for the first time, how to use it in the car. Update: we now have also a guide how to get transit routes and walk navigation.