Blink Wallet Using Obtainium

Download and Manage Open-Source APKs Like Blink Wallet Safely Without App Store Restrictions

In today’s digital landscape, many Android users struggle to access certain apps due to app store restrictions, ISP censorship, and growing digital regulations.

While the Google Play Store offers convenience, it often blocks apps that don’t meet its terms, especially open-source, privacy-focused, or censorship-resistant tools.

But there’s good news: you don’t need the Play Store to take control of your apps.

With a free, open-source tool called Obtainium, you can safely install and update apps like Blink Wallet directly from trusted sources like GitHub, F-Droid, and more. 

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how it works, even if you’re completely new to the world of open-source apps. Let’s dive in.

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Accessing Open-Source Apps Without Borders: How to Bypass App Store Restrictions Safely

Take Blink Wallet, for example, (formerly Bitcoin Beach Wallet) is a free and open‑source custodial Bitcoin Lightning wallet, built on Galoy’s infrastructure. It is available on Android (not iOS via APKs) and can be installed via GitHub releases. 

Open-source apps like Blink offer greater transparency, user control, and freedom from app store restrictions or potential spyware. But tracking updates manually can be inconvenient, that’s where Obtainium helps by automating update checks.

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If Blink is unavailable in your region, GitHub usually isn’t affected by app store rules, making it a reliable way to install the APK. Just ensure you:

• Download only from the official GitHub source
• Enable “Install from unknown sources” in your settings
• Use Obtainium to stay updated automatically

This way, you maintain secure, unrestricted access to open-source apps; no borders, no app store gatekeepers.

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What is Obtainium?

Obtainium is a free and open-source Android app (licensed under GPL‑3.0) that lets you install and update apps directly from their official release pages including GitHub, GitLab, F‑Droid, Codeberg (Forgejo), APKMirror, APKPure, Aptoide, Uptodown, Huawei AppGallery, and more supported sources.

It supports structured APIs and falls back to HTML scraping when necessary, ensuring broad compatibility across platforms. Obtainium also provides automatic update checks and release notifications, so you no longer need to manually monitor websites or rely on a Google account to keep your apps up to date.

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Choose the Right APK for Your Device

Before downloading Obtinium, it’s important to know which of its APK release versions matches your device architecture. This ensures compatibility and smooth installation.

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Obtainium offers different APK builds:

• arm64-v8a – For most modern Android phones (64-bit ARM)
• armeabi-v7a (armv7) – For older Android phones (32-bit ARM)
• x86_64 (x64) – For some tablets and Android emulators (64-bit x86)
• Universal APK – Compatible with most devices; ideal if you're unsure, though it may be slightly larger in size

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Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Blink Wallet (or other Open-Source APKs) Using Obtainium

Before you begin, remember that installing apps from outside the Play Store requires a specific setting change on your Android device.

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Step 1: Enable "Install Unknown Apps"

You will likely be prompted to enable "Allow from this source" in your device's settings if you haven't already. This is a standard security measure for apps downloaded from sources other than official app stores. Obtainium itself will also ask for permission to install apps; this is a one-time permission.

Step 2: Download and Install Obtainium

Use the APK matching your device architecture (e.g., arm64-v8a for most modern Android phones, or universal for broader compatibility across devices).

Obtainium can be downloaded from any of the following official sources:

• GitHub – This is the primary source. Scroll down to the Releases section, then under Assets, download the latest .apk file (e.g., Obtainium-universal.apk or Obtainium-arm64-v8a.apk).
  
  
• F-Droid – A privacy-focused app store. As of July 6, 2025, the latest version available is v1.2.0, which is also reproducibly built for additional trust.
  
  
• Obtainium Official Website – This site offers information and a direct download link to the latest version, though it ultimately redirects to GitHub.

For this guide, we'll walk you through both GitHub and Website download methods.

Option A: Downloading from GitHub 

1. Open your browser and go to the official Obtainium GitHub release page
   
   
2. Scroll down to the "Assets" section under the latest release.
   
   
3. Choose the correct .apk file based on your device:
   
   1. Obtainium-universal.apk – Recommended for most users and widest compatibility.
   2. Obtainium-arm64-v8a.apk – For modern ARM64 Android phones (common in devices from 2018 onward). Smaller size but not supported on all devices.
      
      
4. Tap the APK link to download. Your browser might warn you about installing apps from unknown sources. This is normal for sideloading.
   
   
5. Once downloaded, open the APK from your browser's download or use a file manager (e.g., Files).
   
   
6. If prompted, grant permission to install apps from this source (typically your browser or file manager).
   
   
7. Tap Install and wait for it to complete.
   
   

Option B: Download from the Official Website

1. Open your browser and go to the Obtainium Website
   
   
2. Scroll down the page until you see the "Download Universal APK" button.
   
   
3. Tap the Download Universal APK button. This will redirect you to a direct download link hosted on GitHub. The APK file should begin downloading automatically.
   
   
4. From here, follow steps E–G from the GitHub method above to complete installation.
   
   

Tip: If you'd rather install from an app store, Obtainium is also available on F-Droid, a trusted open-source app repository that builds apps from source.

Step 3:  Add Blink Wallet (or your desired app) to Obtainium

Once Obtainium is installed and opened, follow these steps to add Blink Wallet or any other open-source app:

1. Tap the “Add App” tab located at the bottom of the screen.
   
   
2. You have two ways to add an app:

Option A: App source URL (Mostly Recommended)

1. In the top field, paste the direct GitHub releases URL (https://github.com/GaloyMoney/blink-mobile/releases/latest)
   
   
2. This URL points Obtainium to the most recent release of Blink Wallet.
   
   

Option B: Search (some sources only)

1. In the search bar, type the app's name, e.g., "Blink Wallet".
   
   
2. This method only works if the app is available on a supported and searchable source such as GitHub, GitLab, or F-Droid.
   
   
3. If multiple results appear, carefully browse and select the correct one.
   
   Note: Since Blink Wallet is open-source, many similar or forked versions may show up. For more reliable results, we recommend using Option A instead.
   
   

3. After following the steps from either method, tap the “Add” button.
   
   
4. Obtainium will then fetch the app’s release information and display the available APK file,  ready for you to download and install.

By following these steps, you can access and download open-source apps from around the world,  even those not available in your region  as long as the source is public and not blocked by your network.

Step 4: Select the Correct APK Release (if prompted)

Some releases, like Brave Browser, might have multiple APKs. In such cases, Obtainium may not know which one you want, requiring you to select it manually or apply a filter.

• For Blink Wallet or any other FOSS, you'll typically want the app-universal-release.apk for best compatibility. The app-arm64-v8a-release.apk is smaller but might not work on older devices.
  
  
• If you see multiple options, look for keywords like "universal" or "release" in the file name or use the "APK filter" option to automatically select the correct one (e.g., type "universal" in the APK filter field).
  
  

Step 5: Install the App and Grant Permissions

Once Obtainium has finished processing the app, it will display the version details and available APK.

1. Tap the “Install” button.
   
   
2. If prompted, allow Obtainium permission to install apps. This is a standard Android security prompt the first time an app attempts to install another app.
   
   
3. The app will then download and install automatically.
   
   
4. Once the installation is complete, you can tap “Open” to launch the app, or find it later in your app drawer.

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Step 6: Optional – Enable Automatic Updates

Obtainium can check for and install app updates automatically. To set it up:

1. Open Obtainium and go to the “Settings” tab.
   
   
2. Under Update Settings, configure:
   
   
   
   • Background update checking interval – Set how often updates are checked (e.g., 6 hours, 15 minutes, or daily).
   • Enable Background updates.
   • (Optional) Enable:
     
     
     
     • Check for updates on startup
     • Check for updates when opening an app detail page
       
       

With these options enabled, Obtainium will check for new versions and notify you. On supported devices, updates can be installed silently in the background.

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Tip: Avoid GitHub Rate Limits

If you're tracking many GitHub apps (50+), you might hit API rate limits. To avoid this:

• Create a free account at github.com
• Generate a Personal Access Token (PAT)
• Paste it into the GitHub token section in Obtainium settings

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Generalizing for Other Apps

The steps for Blink Wallet apply to most open-source Android apps, including VPNs, privacy tools, cryptocurrency wallets, and utilities from platforms like GitHub, GitLab, F-Droid, or APKMirror.

Obtainium also supports direct APK links from websites using its HTML fallback feature. For apps with complex release structures, the Obtainium Crowdsourced Configuration page offers community-contributed filters you can apply with a few taps.

Obtainium doesn’t verify APK signatures or scan for malware. Always use trusted sources. For extra protection, consider tools like AppVerifier or AppManager to check APK integrity and scan with VirusTotal.

Take Control of Your Apps

Open-source tools offer greater freedom and transparency in a world of growing software restrictions. With Obtainium, you can stay updated and independent — without relying on centralized app stores.

Explore trusted FOSS apps, follow their official pages, and use Obtainium to manage updates — no account needed.