We have seen details stating that BlackBerry 10 would be launching with 28,000 repackaged Android apps. And while that may sound like a good start, it seems that many more will be available for those willing to do some sideloading. This process is not necessarily as simple as grabbing an APK file and installing it, however thanks to the work of others — the process should be able to be done by just about anyone that can follow some directions.

The process of sideloading Android apps on the BlackBerry Z10 has been detailed by the folks at Good e-Reader who not only offered some text based directions, but a video as well. The sideloading of apps will help those looking for goodies such as the Amazon Kindle app, which is available for Android but not natively available for BlackBerry 10. On the flip side, it is said that apps made in Java or Adobe Air will work and apps that use a proprietary framework, such as those from Rovio or Gameloft will never work.

We are getting ahead of ourselves though, to begin the process you will need a BlackBerry Z10 that has Developer Mode turned on. From this point you will have to connect the Z10 to a PC using the microUSB cable and begin looking for Android apps that have been converted from the standard APK format to a BAR file. Those feeling confused by those terms, you can rest easy because there is already a list of converted apps available. You can find that right here.

You will also need to download and install a program called DDPB — this needs to be installed on your PC. Once theses steps are completed you will be able to pick the apps you want and begin the installation process. The installation time will depend on the size of the app and is said to range anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes for each. All said and done, the ability to sideload Android apps on a BlackBerry Z10 sounds like an appealing prospect. But on the flipside, there is some work involved and we suspect that work will be a turn off for the average user.

[via Good eReader]