other ways to install android apps than google market? - android

i have an old backup Android phone (i can't say it's name cause it's marked as bad grammar for some stupid reason) that only has android platform 2.1 (Eclair) and only got market than play (google), but i can't log in to the market since it always says that my password is wrong. So i have find other ways to install them.
So how can i install the apps without market?
I have already tried to factory reset the phone, but it still says that the google mail password is wrong. so i have to find other ways to install the apps.

I had done this earlier on my phone. Not sure if will work on Android 2.1. The easiest way I found was download the apk file. Store it on your SD card. Check the box that says unknown sources in your Application settings. This will allow you to install non Market Applications . Go to your SD card and click on the apk file in your SD card. Make sure the apk you download is compatible with your device.

Well you can install applications from the Amazon App Store. You might also search the application you want online, and tons of sites will come up. You just download the apk file from there and add to your SD card. Then install the application. Ensure that it is compatible with your device.

You can download the apk's directly from other websites.
One is AppLounge

Related

Custom Android App Store?

I have a question. How can I make an Android app installation to work similar as works installation from the official App Store for Android? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_software_distribution_platforms) Do I need to have Root access? Or should it be a special version of Android where App Store will work as Google Play? Currently, I’m only able to install applications as “Unknown Sources”, where my application downloads the apk File and calls a system installation window where user confirms the installation. The problem here is that the file to be installed can be copied (even just a brief moment). It may be ok for free applications or the ones with server authentication (log/pas) but for paid apps it could be a problem.
Even if you install the app and delete the APK, it's still very easy to recover the APK of an installed application. The only way you can really protect your app is by using in-app licensing checks or locking the app to a certain device by using the device's id.
Further, on unrooted devices, you can not install apps outside of the Google Play store, unless you enable installation from unknown sources. To get around that restriction -- and to allow auto-updating or silent installation -- you will need to root and install a modified package manager.

Android: How to Install Apk like Android Market does

I am new to android. I could install an APK pro-grammatically which is present in the SD card ..It will prompt the user to install the APK. But i need to install without prompting, as we do in Android Market (Google Play), where we click INSTALL and automatically the app gets installed without prompting.
Note:* I found some links on stackoverflow, but all those mechanism will prompt the user.
How to do this? Plz help
There is some information here :
Install apps silently, with granted INSTALL_PACKAGES permission
and here :
How does AppBrain's installation app work?
I don't think is a really good idea to install something without telling it to the user and/or without showing him the permissions you're asking for. In the second link, CommonsWare give a really good comment about this idea.
You can take a look on the Android's Developer Distribution Agreement, article 4.5, if you want to publish your app on the Play Store.
I'm pretty sure you can't.
I suppose Play Store has access to APIs that you can't use because it is signed with the Google key.
Your apps needs to be signed with platform signature to install apps directly from your app.
Could you please make it clear what exactly do you mean by "I could install an APK pro-grammatically which is present in the SD card " & "need to install without prompting".
But according to my guess of what you actually mean, if you want the install APKs which are not from the market, then check the option 'Unknown Sources' in the security tab of settings.
AFAIK only then you would be able to install unsigned APKs

Can't install third-party APK file

I am a new programmer for Android, but I have been using eclipse for a year and a half now. I am developing an Android Application for my school's health department to allow students to track certain health behaviors overtime.
I have completed the coding of the app and have successfully tested it on a virtual device. The applications runs fine on the AVD.
However, the problem arises when I export the project as an Android application through eclipse. I create the apk file using the debug.keystore and the androiddebugkey. I create the apk file (which is about 115 kilobytes). Next, I connect by phone (an LG Thrill) and open it via My Computer. I drag and drop the apk file into the "downloads" folder in the phone.
I use a Market App called ASTRO to access the apk file in the downloads folder. However, when I try to install it, I get the dreaded "There is a problem parsing the package" error. I have had this problem for weeks now.
I have tried all sorts of solutions. I have developed the app for the same Android level as the phone. I have tried making my own keystore and exporting. I have also tried making smaller apps (ie: HelloWorld) and installing them. I keep getting the same error.
One thing that I noticed was that whenever I go to the apk file in the ASTRO Market app and click on the apk file and then "Open App Manager", I see that none of the apk file's settings (ie: Name, Size, details) are shown. All the Marketplace apps I have in the folder have visible settings by my apps don't.
What might I be doing wrong? Is it something with building the apk file? Or am I uploading it onto my phone incorrectly? Whatever it is, please let me know.
Go to: Settings->Security->Device Administration and make sure you have Unknown Sources enabled.
Have you checked your manifest file? What is the required minimum version of Android that you need, and what is the version on the device you are installing it on? Everytime I have run into this problem, it is because the device has less than the minimum required version of the operating system on it.
Home-->Settings-->Application Settings-->Unknown Sources Click Checkbox on
I know it's kinda old topic but it has just happened to me (Android 4.1.1).
Solution: If you have wifi turned on, make sure you have internet access. I dealt with this problem and multiply requests to install application appeared.

Can I have the market update an app that was installed from else where?

I'm writing an app and would like users to be able to download the apk and install it from my website. However, I would like the app to still be able to update through the market, is this possible?
I don't believe that it is possible.
You are better off to link them to the market from your website rather than hosting the APK file.
market://search?q=pname:your.package.name
That will open the market on the users phone. It is safer and easier than plugging in the phone and installing over USB.
As far as I know and tested, applications installed using .apk files, will be recognized from the android market. Some games though like Angry Birds, do not appear on my list of installed applications and unfortunately I can't find out why.
But for what is worth the following link will help you more.
http://androidforums.com/application-development/65282-can-you-keep-your-paid-app-updating-illegally-installed-apk.html
This is not possible without apps like Titanium Backup. Titanium Backup can link apps to their market counter-parts but you cannot do it without an app like that (which requires Root).
As i know - it's not possible.
Even if you'll use the same package names and signing certificates.

How do I distribute Android app to beta tester without using Market

I have an early version of my app that I want some testers to take a look at. But I am not ready to put it on Market. How do I distribute it to my testers and how do they install it on their phones. One of the beta testers has a Asus eeePC with Android 2.0 installed and I would like him to try it too. How does this work?
They can just download it from any URL (go to the URL using the device browser) and install it.
They'll need to go to Settings->Applications and check the "Unknown Sources" checkbox.
You can just package the app up as a .apk from eclipse and host it anywhere. Then just have anyone you want visit the URL from their android an it will be installed. But as mentioned they will need to have the Settings->Applications and check the "Unknown Sources" checkbox checked first.
URL, ftp or any another manual distribution is good until you have a couple testers and less than 10 devices. Actually, there are many services for that. The biggest one was Testflightapps.com. But now it's Apple's service and they stoped support android. There are another though. Testfairy.com, Crashlitics(to collect and analize crashes from devices), etc. Just google it ;)
as mentioned in first answer you can download from unknown source by rendering to that URL
Apart from that, just make sure that your app hosting server supports MIME type downloading.(very basic but important)
On a device:
In Settings-> applications, check "unknown sources. Now by putting the apk on the devices sd card you can navigate to its directory with a file manager such as Astro and install it.
On a simulator:
While running an emulator, navigate to the /tools directory of the android SDK if you haven't added it to your PATH. Now execute "adb install path/to/your_application.apk".

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