GTA San Andreas APK: Install the Mobile Game for Free

For Millenials' sake, GTA San Andreas, the PlayStation 2 blockbuster, came to mobile in 2013. Even in 2004, the game attracted many by its immersion in a realistic storyline. GTA San Andreas offered a legendary game experience for its time. It gained a lot of modified versions and a legion of loyal fans. It was the best-selling videogame of 2004 and still holds its position among the best-selling games of all time. You can check the list here. In this post, we will break down everything about the GTA San Andreas for Mobile. We will tell you how to use cheats, how popular features work on mobile, and how to safely download and install version 2.09 of the Apk Mod on your device. Keep reading so you do not miss anything!

Why is San Andreas so Amazingly Good?

Certainly, San Andreas was one of the most successful editions of Gran Theft Auto, the amazing franchise from Rockstar Games. It is almost impossible to find a millennial who has not played this game in his or her youth. GTA San Andreas was the first game on the PlayStation 2 platform to make an insanely huge audience of fans. This fandom has not ended as of today, which is proved by the current adaptations, remastering, and recent releases of the game. GTA San Andreas also got a lot of Mod versions along its more than 15 years of existence. Nowadays, the most common are the PC Mods and Mobile Mods.

In the Apple Store, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas made the Editor's Choice seal. This is justified by the following emphatic and resolute review, that resumes a lot about the game success:

A hugely ambitious action blockbuster, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is filled with sharp satire, fascinatingly flawed characters, and a huge variety of ways to play. Explore the cities and countryside of a vividly realized fictional version of the southwestern United States. You can tackle story-driven quests, gorge on fast food, outrun the police, or obey every traffic light—it’s up to you. This enormous game deftly displays Rockstar’s unique mastery of open-world design, and it never fails to entertain.

Certainly, the most important reason behind GTA being so good is the fact that you can play it whichever way you want to. Of course, to get any progress you have to follow mission guidelines and preestablished goals, but you can do it at your own time and pace. If you feel like just causing mayhem on the streets, you are capable of it. And, as the editor so precisely points out, if you want to respect every red light, you can do so. Despite the freedom we can enjoy in the game, the missions and the complexity of characters (often humourous), make the experience of following the storyline incredibly satisfying for game players. The realism, the explicitness, and the action, often taking absurd levels, are all great ingredients for our entertainment.

And to top the sundae, GTA San Andreas also got a fine 1990's soundtrack and insane cheat codes to make the game more enjoyable. A lot of gamers will agree: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is a true work of art in the game world.

Is GTA San Andreas Mobile Free?

To download the game from the Google Play Store or Apple Store, the user has to pay $7. So, officially, the game is not free. However, modified Apk versions of the game are available to download and to install on mobile devices. Happily, in this post, we will discuss every point so our readers can profit from the free Apk Mod of GTA San Andreas! Below, we will explain how to download GTA San Andreas APK for free. Do not stop reading then!

How to Download Grand Theft Auto San Andreas on your Mobile

Below, we will break down the steps to download the Apk file, to handle the Obb directory, and to install the GTA San Andreas APK on your mobile phone. In a nutshell, the process is shown below:

• Check the game requirements;
• Download GTA San Andreas' Apk from a safe source (we will break down this step in the next subtopic);
• Replace the Obb file in the obb directory (if you do not know what is an obb file, check the respective subtopic below);
• Run the Apk until it is installed;
• Open the game and enjoy it!

  If you never installed a game from an Apk file on your mobile device, read each topic below carefully so nothing goes wrong. If you have any doubt about any steps, we invite you also to read the respective subtopic. In any case, we will be happy to receive your comments and provide you with further assistance!

1. Requirements

The first thing you have to pay attention to is the game requirements. If you are using an Android device, GTA San Andreas APK v2.09 needs Android 3.0 or higher. If you are using iOS, your device must be an iPhone 4s or newer. The game also runs at iPod Touch 6th Gen and iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. The file takes more than 2GB of space, so mind that before start the download. Finally, make sure you have 1GB of RAM available to run the game.

2. Download the Apk file

Find a trustable source to download the GTA San Andreas Apk Mod. The most recent version released in 2020 was the v2.09, so mind that before downloading.

3. What is an Obb file and How to Use it?

When downloading the game, you noticed that not only an Apk file landed on your device, but also a zip file. It is an Obb file, which appears in a directory. Obb files are common for the largest games for Android like GTA San Andreas and others we discuss in this blog, such as Call of Duty Mobile or Bloons TD 6. Obb files come as zip files, containing the offline data of the largest games. It stores the whole gameplay data (your level, your progress, etc). It always comes when you download an Apk in Android from third party sources (the ones which are not from the standards stores like Google Play or Samsung), but the standard stores automatically place it in the obb directory. If you download an Apk from another source (as you must do to install the Apk Mod of GTA San Andreas), you have to do it manually. So the game can run, place the Obb file (the zip directory) in the following address: Intermal memory > Android > obb Only after placing the zip there, you can run the Apk to install the game. If you ever delete the Obb file from the obb directory, the game will stop running. It must be placed in this directory so the game can run properly.

4. Install the Apk

There are only some little differences between installing a Mod Apk and installing a regular app from the standard store. The main difference is that you need to provide certain permissions before installing the Apk. Do as follows:

• Download the Apk file;
• After the download is done, open the Apk;
• If you have never installed a third-party Apk on your device, then the operating system will send a notification about the permission you have to grant before the game can be installed from outside the standard app store;
• Click in "Permission" or whatever option appears in the pop-up to be taken to the right window;
• Grant the permission and go back to the installation process;
• Wait for the installation to finish;
• Open the app and you are done! Enjoy GTA San Andreas on your mobile device!

  Remember: if anything went wrong with your installation, post a comment below and maybe us or some other reader will help you!

Do I need a Social Club Account to play?

No, you do not need a Social Club account to play GTA San Andreas on Mobile. The first time you run the installed game, the Social Club landing page appears on the screen. Just click on offline, in the bottom-right corner, and the game will run normally.

Is it Worth playing San Andreas on Mobile?

Our answer to the above question is "Totally! Absolutely! Of course! Yes!". To experience the game in its mobile version is amazing due to the quicker responsiveness we have using the screen controllers. You will probably take some time to get a grip of it, but soon you will enjoy it. The graphics are a little enhanced due to the remastering. However, we know that this particular aspect was never one of GTA San Andreas’ great strengths. Frankly, the improved graphics do not offer any benefits in a game whose focus always was the main storyline, the characters, and the gameplay experience. Those are unchanged, with the only difference being the screen controller. In our opinion, the screen controller was well designed and it holds a lot of serious advantages from analogical controllers. The advantages of the screen controllers are the enhanced responsiveness during the game and the fact that the buttons are always in the user's line of sight. Since the controllers feature meaningful icons, their usability is a lot more intuitive than analogical joysticks. The disadvantage, as we are forced to acknowledge, is mostly the loss of screen space to fit the controllers. However, since the controls vary depending on what you are doing (in a car or a plane, you have a lot more options than in a bike or by foot), this problem is not constant.

The mobile version has some new features and updates, like new car models and new accessories to customize CJ's appearance. It is worth to check it out. In the words of the official developers, the main extra features of GTA San Andreas for mobile are the following:

• Remastered, high-resolution graphics built specifically for mobile including lighting enhancements, an enriched color palette, and improved character models.
• Dual analog stick controls for full camera and movement control.
• Three different control schemes and customizable controls with contextual options to display buttons only when you need them.
• Languages Supported: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese.

  Those are the features exclusive for iOS:

• Enhanced for the iPhone 5 series and iPad 4th Gen and above with dynamic detailed shadows and real-time environmental reflections.
• Physical controller support for all Made for iOS controllers.
• Cloud save support for playing across all your iOS devices for Rockstar Social Club Members.

  And those are the ones exclusive for Android:

• Cloud save support for playing across all your mobile devices for Rockstar Social Club Members.
• Compatible with the MoGa Wireless Game Controllers and select Bluetooth and USB gamepads.
• Integrated with Immersion tactile effects.
• Tailor your visual experience with adjustable graphic settings.

  Sadly, not every cheat available in the PS2 version is still available in the mobile version. Beyond that, it is not the same thing as pressing a random series of buttons. We will describe in the subtopic below how to set you GTA San Andreas to use the cheats. Hope you agree with us and download GTA San Andreas APK on your mobile device! We will love to hear about your experience with the game aftward. If you have any doubts, we will list and answer the most common questions about the mobile game below. Keep reading!

How to use Grand Theft Auto San Andreas' Cheats on Mobile?

Perhaps the way cheats are done in the mobile version will disappoint you. Instead of being triggered on the game, the user has to download a third-party Apk file and install it to manage the active cheats on GTA San Andreas. So, cheating the game is a lot different from the PS2 version: you will not be able to activate and deactivate them with the same commands you spend so much time of your youth learning. The game will still be enjoyable, and perhaps you will learn that leaving cheats activated beforehand will be more practical than having to activate them every time you load the game again. Well, if you have something to say about that, leave a comment! In the meanwhile, let us show the steps to download the cheater Apk and use all the popular cheats in GTA Sans Andreas.

• Download the Apk file;
• Install (Remind that installing Apk requires to give special permissions, but you will probably already have given while installing the GTA Apk);
• Open the cheater;
• Close the ad and skip the warning (You will note that the cheater alerts you about applying only cheats on less important saves. You can use on the most important save, just do not go crazy so you do not hinder your recorded progress);
• Chose the save you want to modify. It will take just some time to load;
• Mark the desired cheats options;
• Click on save and wait for the data to load;
• Open the GTA San Andreas;
• Go to the game map and click on the Load Game option;
• Chose the modified save and wait for the game to load again;
• Finally, after reloading the game, all the cheats will have been applied and you will hold special advantages to enjoy the game!

After taking a look at the cheats contained in the cheater Apk, you will note that the most popular ones from the PS2 game made the list. There are still the Hydra jet, the taxis with NOS, and the possibility to control CJ's attributes such as respect, stamina, and sex appeal.

The bad news is that one of the most popular cheats did not make the list: the Jetpack. Still, you can get it in regular places across the game. You can follow this link to GTA Fandom to consult in which locations Jetpacks can be found across San Andreas. However, there are only two locations on the list. Check them out:

• At Verdant Meadows Airfield following completion of Green Goo.
• At the lowermost section of Area 69 after completing Black Project, in the launch bay where it was found during Black Project, although exploits are needed to access it. The only way to get out is to use a Blue Hell glitch.

  If you can not find your way into those locations, visit GTA Fandom to get more information. Here is the full list of cheats available in GTA San Andreas for mobile:

• Infinite Health
• Infinite Armor
• Max Money
• infinite Sprint
• Never Wanted (the wanted level will never rise)
• Up to 6 Stars wanted level
• Taxis have NOS
• Riots On
• Riots Off
• Respect (you can set the level)
• Stamina (same as above)
• Muscle
• Body Fat
• Attractiveness
• 3 different equipment sets
• Minigun (replaces heavy weapon)
• Parachute
• Rhino (army tank)
• Hydra (fighter jet)
• Hunter (army helicopter)
• Bullet (GT40 Supercar)
• Monster Truck

  The vehicle cheated in the game will spawn in front of CJ's house by default, but you can set the location it will appear among the safe houses you already own. If there is any cheat you miss in the mobile that we did not mention, talk about it in the comments and how you compensate for its absence.

The True Stories behind San Andreas

Carl Johnson, our hero and avatar, returns to San Andreas after 5 years of absence to bury his mother. He is then taken into several missions to ensure his survival, to gain respect for himself and his group, the Groove Street Families, and to grow his power on the streets. The storyline takes place in the 1990s, in the fictional state of San Andreas (mainly based on California), a city suffering from all modern urban problems. The game's realism was certainly one of the causes for its incredible success in 2004. This realism, though, is not accidental. Not everybody knows, but San Andreas’s storyline is based on some real-life events that occurred in 1990's Los Angeles. According to Wikipedia,

The game features references to many real-life elements of the world, such as its cities, regions, and landmarks, with its plot heavily based on several real-life events in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, including the rivalry between real-life street gangs, the 1980s–early 1990s epidemic, the LAPD Rampart scandal, and the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

  The "epidemy" was not restricted to Los Angeles, though. In the early 1990s, several cities across the US suffered from a rise in cocaine consumption. That led to tougher security policies and many negative social consequences such as increased urban violence. The 1992 Los Angeles Riot, or Uprising as it is also known, was a people's reaction to police's abuse of power and brutality. The uprising started after policemen beat to death the author and activist Rodney Glen King. The incident was filmed and was shown on the local TV, unleashing the people's reaction. The riots took place in many different locations across Los Angeles. Groups of people were expressing their rage against police brutality by looting, arson, and assaulting. The uprising was only settled after the US Military forces intervened in the city. The LAPD Rampart scandal was an episode of a corruption investigation that shed light on a scheme inside the anti-gang forces of the LA Police Department. Several police officers were judged in the case. The list of offenses was long, including "unprovoked shootings and beatings, planting of false evidence, stealing and dealing narcotics, bank robbery, perjury, and the covering up of evidence of these activities." The gang rivalry that Wikipedia alludes to was a very common problem in Los Angeles County in the 1990s. In this link, you can read a press release of Los Angeles Times from 1992 about gang-related statistics. The numbers are very scary, but we can not determine if one or more gangs, in particular, had the most influence over the game producers. As one may note, the universe of San Andreas covers a lot of those elements, especially gang rivalry and police corruption. GTA San Andreas' success was not accidental, and the violence shown was not free. It reflected a real urban scenario of the 1990s, which continues to this very day. Well, the audience enjoys realism. And GTA San Andreas got its place among the most successful game of all time by being consistently true to reality.   We hope you liked the post. If you face any problem with the download or the installation, post a comment below and we will answer! If you know anyone who might enjoy GTA San Andreas for mobile, feel free to share our article! See you next time!