Download & Install Android 4.4 KitKat Apps On Any Jelly Bean Device

So, you haven’t been able to sleep properly since yesterday after hearing about the launch of the Nexus 5, along with Android 4.4 KitKat, and can’t wait to get your hands on Google’s latest OS and device? Well, how about getting the goodies of KitKat and Nexus 5 on your existing device, while you wait for yours to get shipped (or spend your time envying those who have managed to order one)? Thanks to several community sources out there who managed to get their hands on the Nexus 5 system dump, we now have the APK files for all KitKat apps that shipped with the Neuxs 5, and what’s great is that many of them run just fine on any Android 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3 Jelly Bean device. In what follows, we’ll be taking a look at many of these apps, complete with the download links for their APK files, and installation instructions.

Google Experience Launcher

The new Launcher in Android 4.4 KitKat comes with a major interface overhaul, new wallpapers, and deeper Google Now integration. We have already covered the new Launcher in detail, complete with several screenshots, so head over to our post for more details, download links and installation instructions
Install Android 4.4 KitKat Launcher on any Jelly Bean Device

Hangouts

The new Hangouts 2.0 app finally comes with the long-awaited SMS integration. You will be prompted to turn it on after installation, and once enabled, SMS messages will start showing up with your Hangouts. You will also find a new section in Settings for configuring several options related to SMS.
  
Download Hangouts 2.0

Email & Calendar

After getting mostly neglected for quite a while, the Email app in KitKat finally gets an updated interface similar to that of the Gmail app. The Calendar app has also been updated, without any major changes.
 
Download KitKat Email
Download KitKat Calendar

Camera & Gallery

In all previous versions of Android, Camera and Gallery were shipped as one app. With KitKat, Google has finally separated them into two apps. Other than an updated icon for the Camera, both apps look the same, though the Camera comes with some feature enhancements.
 
Download KitKat Camera
Download KitKat Gallery

Maps & Street View

Android 4.4 also comes with updated versions of both these apps, though there don’t seem to be any major changes to the interface of either.
 

Download Google Maps
Download Street View

Quickoffice & Keep

Quickoffice will ship as a part of stock Android now, (at least for Nexus devices), and comes with some improvements on how you can browse and open files. Google Keep has also been updated to a newer version, though no changes seem to be visible in it.
 
Download Quickoffice
Download Google Keep

Clock & Keyboard

The new Clock app comes with an interface revamp that takes away all those bold colors that we saw in Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The Keyboard has also been improved, and now ships with TONS of emoji for pretty much anything you can think of.
 
Download KitKat Desk Clock
Download KitKat Keyboard

Play Books & Play Games

While not strictly considered an integral part of Android, Google Play branded apps have always had a home on Nexus devices, on which they have been shipping officially. With the 4.4 release, Google Play Books and Play Games have both been updated to newer versions, though the changes – if any – may not be too visible.
 
Download Google Play Books
Download Google Play Games

Installation

There is no complex procedure involved in installing any of these apps – just make sure APK sideloading is enabled on your device by heading over to Settings > Security and enabling ‘Unknown Sources’. Next, simply transfer the desired APK to your phone and install it via any file manager of your choice. If you prefer to use the command line, you can also install them via ADB using the adb install command. (Note that Google Keep requires the latest version of Google Play Services to be installed, which is also a requirement of the Launcher and can be found in the Launcher post linked above.)

Nexus 5 Default Wallpaper

Click the image below to view or save the full-sized version.

Android 4.4 KitKat Wallpapers From Nexus 5

Click each wallpaper to view or save its full-sized version.
 
[App links via Phandroid and Droid Life]