Android P’s Markup was a small Google screenshot editor for drawing on and cropping screenshots. You can still try the archived com.google.android.markup APK on some older phones, but it is not a current Google Play app or a Google-supported installation method. Compatibility, signing, and the screenshot share workflow can fail on modern or heavily customized firmware.
What Android P Markup does
Android P was the preview-era name for Android 9 Pie. During that preview, Google included Markup as a lightweight editor for screenshots. It can:
- Draw freehand annotations.
- Choose basic drawing colors.
- Crop the screenshot.
- Save an edited copy.
It is not a general photo editor, PDF annotation tool, or feature-rich redaction app. The original Android P workflow is documented in contemporary coverage from Droid Life and DroidViews.
Should you install this old APK?
Markup is most relevant when an older Android phone has no built-in screenshot editor and you specifically want the Android P-style share workflow. It is usually unnecessary on newer phones, which commonly provide editing immediately after capture. A maintained editor is a better choice if you need text recognition, arrows, blur or redaction, filters, PDF tools, or reliable support.
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An archived APKMirror listing identifies the package as com.google.android.markup, “Markup 9,” with an Android 5.0+ minimum and an Android 8.0 target. That metadata does not guarantee that it will work on every Android 5–15 device. Firmware, architecture, signing, permissions, and the manufacturer’s screenshot implementation all matter. The listing also notes that more than one valid signature exists, so files with the same name are not automatically interchangeable.
Before downloading
- Check Settings → About phone for the Android version.
- Confirm that the phone does not already offer screenshot editing.
- Use an unmodified APK from a reputable archive, not a “modded,” “premium,” or repacked build.
- Verify that the download is a single
.apk, not a split package that requires a bundle installer. - Keep enough free storage for the download and installation.
- Understand that sideloading software outside Google Play carries additional security risk.
The historical article linked an XDA-hosted file; that is not the same as a current official Google distribution. An archived listing is available at APKMirror’s Markup 9 page, with another archived listing at this Markup 9 page. Check the package name, version, file details, and signature information before installing; no archive page makes an unverified file universally safe.
Install Markup
Android 8.0 and newer
Android Oreo changed unknown-app installation from one global switch to a permission assigned to the particular app that opens the APK. Google describes this model in its Android Developers documentation and its Android O security explanation.
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- Download the Markup APK with Chrome or another browser.
- Open the downloaded file from the browser’s Downloads list or a file manager.
- If Android blocks the installer, tap Settings.
- Enable Allow from this source (sometimes shown under Install unknown apps) for the browser or file manager you used.
- Return to the installer and tap Install.
- Afterward, turn off that source’s permission unless you still need to sideload applications.
Menu names vary by manufacturer. Allowing Chrome does not automatically allow a separate file manager.
Android 7.1.1 and earlier
- Open Settings → Security.
- Enable Unknown sources.
- Install the downloaded APK.
- Disable Unknown sources again when finished.
Do not look for this exact global switch on Android 8.0 or later; those versions use the per-source permission above.
Open and use Markup
- Take a screenshot using the phone’s normal hardware-button or system shortcut.
- Pull down the notification shade.
- On the screenshot notification, tap Share.
- Select Markup. It may be under More in the share sheet.
- Use the drawing controls or crop handles.
- Save the edited image.
Markup may not provide a normal app-drawer icon because its intended entry point is an image-sharing intent. You can also open a screenshot in a gallery and use that app’s Share command. If the screenshot notification has expired, sharing the image file from the gallery is the practical alternative.
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Where the edited screenshot is saved
There is no universal folder. A Droid Life report observed edited images in a separate Pictures folder in Google Photos on a Pixel 2 XL, rather than the usual Camera album. On another phone, check:
- Google Photos → Library → device folders.
- A Pictures directory.
- A screenshots-related folder.
- The image directories shown by the phone’s file manager.
Troubleshooting
“App not installed”
Confirm that the download completed and that you have an ordinary APK. Check Settings → Apps for an existing Markup package; a conflicting package or different signature can prevent installation. An old system component may require special care before removal, so do not delete it blindly. If the device rejects the package, use its native editor or a maintained alternative rather than installing a modified build to bypass the error.
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Re-download the file and confirm that it ends in .apk. A damaged download, unsupported Android version, malformed file, or split package presented as a standalone APK can all produce this message. If the source provides no trustworthy file metadata, stop rather than experimenting with renamed packages.
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Markup installed but is missing from the app drawer
This can be normal. Use a screenshot notification’s Share action or share an image from your gallery; Markup was primarily designed as a share target.
Markup is missing from the share sheet
- Tap More and look for the target there.
- Restart the phone.
- Share an actual image, not text or a web link.
- Open the screenshot in a gallery and share it from there.
- Use the built-in editor if the firmware does not expose a compatible image-sharing intent.
The app crashes or saves unusable images
That usually indicates incompatibility with the phone’s Android release or vendor software. Stop using the old APK and switch to the native editor or a maintained image-editing app.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Security and compatibility limits
“Android 5.0+” on an archive page is a minimum metadata value, not a promise of practical support. Newer Android releases may reject the package, show a parsing error, or install it without supplying a usable share target. Enterprise-managed devices may prohibit unknown-app installation, and Play Protect or the manufacturer’s security layer may warn about sideloading.
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Use a reputable archive, verify the package and version, scan the file with available security tools, and revoke Allow from this source after installation. Uninstall the app if it behaves unexpectedly. Never assume that a file claiming to be Markup is authentic merely because it uses the Google package name.
Is Markup still worth installing?
Install it only when an older device lacks screenshot editing, you can obtain a verifiable historical APK, and you accept that the share workflow may not work. On Android P/9 and later devices with integrated screenshot editing, the APK adds little. If installation fails, the app is absent from the share sheet, or security provenance is unclear, the phone’s built-in editor or a maintained alternative is the safer answer.
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