How to detect if an android app is a game? - android

In an app I am developing I need to iterate through the installed apps and detect which ones are games. Is there any way to do this?
I was thinking to a Play Store API that can search for package name and returns its category even if it's only limited to apps on the store. Does something similar exist? Would it be possible?
Is there any alternative way to do it?

This answer is deprecated!
Correct and backwards compatible way to do this is here!
Since Android API version 21, there's finally a way to check if an application is a game.
PackageManager pm = mContext.getPackageManager();
ApplicationInfo ai = pm.getApplicationInfo(mPackageName,0);
if((ai.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_IS_GAME) == ApplicationInfo.FLAG_IS_GAME)
return true;
return false;

There is no automatical way to detect if an app is a game. You just could compaire the package name of the common part of the package name. My solution was to index the google store pages and hash the package names.
I could optimize my hashes by building common prefixes. I handled the package name as a domain and grep the public suffix. I use the list from http://publicsuffix.org/.
A "public suffix" is one under which Internet users can directly register names. Some examples of public suffixes are .com, .co.uk and pvt.k12.ma.us. The Public Suffix List is a list of all known public suffixes.
The Public Suffix List is an initiative of Mozilla, but is maintained as a community resource. It is available for use in any software, but was originally created to meet the needs of browser manufacturers.
With this list you can detect part of a packagename is a common prefix.

For me the above answer didn't work, the ApplicationInfo.FLAG_IS_GAME is now deprecated, with API 28+ (in my case), you can do something like this:
_pm = _context.PackageManager;
List<string> packageList = new List<string>();
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ActionMain);
intent.AddCategory(Intent.CategoryLeanbackLauncher); // or add any category you want
var list = _pm.QueryIntentActivities(intent, PackageInfoFlags.MetaData);
foreach (var app in list)
{
ApplicationInfo ai = _pm.GetApplicationInfo(app.ActivityInfo.PackageName, 0);
var allFlags = ai.Flags;
if (allFlags.HasFlag(ApplicationInfoFlags.IsGame))
{
packageList.Add(app.ActivityInfo.PackageName);
}
}

Related

Get all Twitter clients from installed Applications

I'm wondering if it's feasible to list out all Twitter clients that are installed into a phone. At first, I thought this could be done by matching the package name with "Twitter". But most of the Twitter clients on Android don't have 'Twitter' name in their package name.
We can fetch application list with specific permissions but that doesn't going to help me. Fetching applications with certain custom intents probably not going to help as well, and I still have to find a way to get a list of applications that handle a custom Intent.
It doesn't seem feasible but there must be some way that could at least put me close to want I want. Anyone would like to shed some light on it?
I don't know if there is some kind of method to get "twitter client" (how we define Twitter client?).
You can fetch a list of names (the twitter clients you know) on the packages installed on devices.
final List<PackageInfo> apps = context.getPackageManager().getInstalledPackages(0);
final String separator = ";";
final String separatorVersion = "-";
//Log.i("Package list", "num:+"+apps.size());
for (PackageInfo infoApp : apps) {
for (TwitterClient tr : mapTwitterClient.values()) {
if (infoApp.packageName.contains(tr.getPackageName()) ) { //it's a Twitter client this package?
if (!twitterClients.equals("")) {
twittersClients += separator;
}
twitterClients += tr.getCommonName()+separatorVersion+infoApp.versionName;
}
}
}
You need to create the class TwitterClient which just have 2 properties(packageName and commonName) and his getters/setters.
And fill map with all TwitterClient you know (Ex: new TwitterClient("com.twitter.android","Twitter official") );
private static final HashMap<String, TwitterClient> mapTwitterClient
This method it's hard process so use smartly.

List of android applications that connect to internet

I want to implement a listview showing android applications with their internet usage. Fir this, first i have to list all the apps, i have done this using PackageManager, like this:
packageManager = getPackageManager();
List<PackageInfo> packageList = packageManager
.getInstalledPackages(PackageManager.GET_META_DATA);
apkList = (ListView) findViewById(R.id.applist);
apkList.setAdapter(new ApkAdapter(this, packageList, packageManager));
But this code lists all system apps as well like : Android Sytem, Calculator,Calender, Status Bar, Live Wallpapers etc. which doesnt look appropriate. I tried to filter system apps using:
/*To filter out System apps*/
for(PackageInfo pi : packageList) {
boolean b = isSystemPackage(pi);
if(!b) {
packageList1.add(pi);
}
}
But then the code displays only installed apps, like whatsapp, tango, foursquare etc. It does not show apps like gmail, facebook, browser,maps.
Can anybody suggest how should i write the code that only displays list of application that actually use the internet. Thanks in advance!
I want to implement a listview showing android applications with their
internet usage.
An anybody suggest how should i write the code that only displays list
of application that actually use the internet
One solution (maybe only one that works best and came to my head) is to use TrafficStats class that calculating data (TCP, UDP) transferred through network. Exactly in your case, you need to get data for each UID (each application has own UID).
All what you need to know if application trasfered more that zero bytes through network and when you know that, you can tell that "this application uses network".
Here is pseudo-code you could use:
List<Application> collection = new ArrayList<Application>();
Application app = null; // some custom object is good approach
PackageManager pm = getActivity().getPackageManager();
for (ApplicationInfo info: pm.getInstalledApplications(
PackageManager.GET_META_DATA)) {
// received data by application
long downloaded = TrafficStats.getUidRxBytes(info.uid);
// transmitted data by application
long uploaded = TrafficStats.getUidTxBytes(info.uid);
// filter system applications only
if ((info.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM) != 0) {
// check if application has network usage
if (downloaded > 0 || uploaded > 0) {
// it's application you want
}
}
// non-system application
else {
if (downloaded > 0 || uploaded > 0) {
// it's application you want
}
}
}
It's important to say that TrafficStats is available from API 8 and also Before JELLY_BEAN_MR2, this may return unsupported on devices where statistics aren't available. I used this approach and never had a problems.
Note: Also I want to mention that maybe there are another possible approach(es) for example reading from some system files but this is (at least for me) hardcoded approach and i don't recommend to use it (also in various devices files can be on different places, have different content and different filename).
I hope it will help you solve your problem.
Application use internet will need Internet Permission
You can filter out those app by checked PackageInfo.permission

how do I know where my application comes from?

I need your help. I have two questions !
1) How can I know where an application I download comes from? Google Play or others.
I use something like that to get some informations about installed packages; but I didn't found the way to get where a package come from ! http://myandroidStore.com/myNewGame.apk for exemple.
List<PackageInfo> packages = getActivity() .getPackageManager()
.getInstalledPackages(0);
for (int i=0; i<packages.size(); i++) {
PackageInfo packageInfo = packages.get(i);
AppList tmpList = new AppList();
tmpList.applicationName = packageInfo.applicationInfo.loadLabel(getActivity()
.getPackageManager()).toString();
tmpList.packageName = packageInfo.packageName;
tmpList.versionName = packageInfo.versionName;
tmpList.versionCode = packageInfo.versionCode;
tmpList.provider = packageInfo.providers;
tmpList.firstInstallTime = packageInfo.firstInstallTime;
tmpList.lastUpdateTime = packageInfo.lastUpdateTime;
tmpList.signatures = packageInfo.signatures;
}
2) When "Unknown Sources" isn't selected I can't download application beyond Google Play.
Do you have an idea how Android check this verification?
1) How can I know where an application I download comes from? Google Play or others.
AFAIK the system provides no means for you to get this information. If you are interested in obtaining it you'd have to make seperate apk files with something unique embedded in them, that way you'd know based on that unique string where the apk came from at runtime.
2) When "Unknown Sources" isn't selected I can't download application beyond Google Play. Do you have an idea how Android check this verification?
I assume that the PackageManager is what is making the check for this. Not certain though.

How can I do an Amazon App Store search using an Intent and filter it by developer name?

Is there a way to start an Intent on the Kindle Fire that will cause the AppStore app to open and display all the apps for a certain developer? For instance, on a phone/tablet with the Android Market installed, I can do this:
Intent otherApps = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW,Uri.parse("market://search?q=pub:\"" + developerName + "\""));
activity.startActivity(otherApps);
And show all my apps in the Android Market. Can I do that with the Amazon App Store? If so, how? I've tried that Intent with other seemingly valid names (such as "ZeptoLab") and I don't get any filtering. It just drops me in the full unfiltered App Store. Looking up a specific app with "market://details?id=package.name" does seem to work.
From https://developer.amazon.com/help/faq.html#Marketing:
To point to your app for marketing purposes use the URL http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=packagename (where packagename is your app package name).
If you want to link to the list of all your applications on the Amazon Appstore use the URL http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=packagename&showAll=1.
e.g. http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.rovio.angrybirds&showAll=1
All this can be seen here: https://developer.amazon.com/sdk/in-app-purchasing/sample-code/deeplink.html
Update(deep linking):
amzn://apps/android?p=
Best way is to look at their website (or here), which currently states this :
search: amzn://apps/android?s=amazon%20mp3 or http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?s=amazon%20mp3
detail page using package name: amzn://apps/android?p=com.amazon.mp3 or http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.amazon.mp3
detail page using unique ID ("asin") : amzn://apps/android?asin=B004FRX0MY or http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?asin=B004FRX0MY
show all apps of the developer who made the app: amzn://apps/android?p=com.amazon.mp3&showAll=1 or http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.amazon.mp3&showAll=1
Amazon supports their own deep links now: https://developer.amazon.com/appsandservices/apis/earn/in-app-purchasing/docs/deeplink
E.g. you can start an intent with uri amzn://apps/android?p=my.package.name.
From - https://developer.amazon.com/help/tuabg.html
For in-app advertising or mobile browser based linking, please:
Use this link structure: http:// www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.example.package/ref=mas_pm_app_name
For a link that directs to a list of all of your apps within our U.S. store, please:
Use this link structure: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.example.package&showAll=1
Now, you think amazon would have this correct on their own website, but the first part that I put in bold is wrong. This is what it should actually be:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.example.package&ref=mas_pm_app_name
Notice the & instead of the / between the package name and ref. Hopefully this helps some other people since this little detail wasted some of my time...
Here's the solution I came up with using the advice below from chiuki:
I added a boolean to one of my resource files that indicates whether or not the app is published in the Amazon AppStore or Android Market. Yeah, you have to change it whenever you publish your app, but think of it sort of like remembering to set debuggable to "false" when you publish. Put it on a check list. It goes like this:
In resource file:
<bool name="app_is_in_amazon_app_store">true< /bool>
In code:
public class SomeUtil
{
private static Boolean isInAmazonAppStore;
public static boolean isInAmazonAppStore(Activity activity)
{
if (isInAmazonAppStore == null)
{
isInAmazonAppStore = activity.getResources().getBoolean(R.bool.app_is_in_amazon_app_store) ;
}
return isInAmazonAppStore;
}
public static void startOtherMarketAppsActivity(Activity activity)
{
try
{
Intent otherApps = null;
if (isInAmazonAppStore(activity))
{
otherApps = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW,Uri.parse("http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=" + getPackageNameInAmazonAppStore(activity) + "&showAll=1"));
}
else
{
otherApps = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW,Uri.parse("market://search?q=pub:\"" + getAndroidDeveloperName(activity) + "\""));
}
activity.startActivity(otherApps);
}
catch(Exception ex){ /* error handling */}
}

Get list of installed android applications

Hi I want to get a list of all of the installed applications on the users device I have been googling for the longest time but can't find what i want this link was the closest though and works fine except me being new don't understand how to use the method getPackages(); and create a list with it
http://www.androidsnippets.com/get-installed-applications-with-name-package-name-version-and-icon
Any help on how to create the actual list would be a major help i have all that code already in just can't get the list to actually show thanks for any help
I was working on something like this recently. One thing I'll say up front is to be sure and perform this in a separate thread -- querying the application information is SLOW. The following will get you a list of ALL the installed applications. This will include a lot of system apps that you probably aren't interested in.
PackageManager pm = getPackageManager();
List<ApplicationInfo> apps = pm.getInstalledApplications(0);
To limit it to just the user-installed or updated system apps (e.g. Maps, GMail, etc), I used the following logic:
List<ApplicationInfo> installedApps = new ArrayList<ApplicationInfo>();
for(ApplicationInfo app : apps) {
//checks for flags; if flagged, check if updated system app
if((app.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_UPDATED_SYSTEM_APP) != 0) {
installedApps.add(app);
//it's a system app, not interested
} else if ((app.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM) != 0) {
//Discard this one
//in this case, it should be a user-installed app
} else {
installedApps.add(app);
}
}
EDIT: Also, to get the name and icon for the app (which is probably what takes the longest -- I haven't done any real deep inspection on it -- use this:
String label = (String)pm.getApplicationLabel(app);
Drawable icon = pm.getApplicationIcon(app);
installedApps should have a full list of the apps you need, now. Hope this helps, but you may have to modify the logic a bit depending on what apps you need to have returned. Again, it is SLOW, but it's just something you have to work around. You might want to build a data cache in a database if it's something you'll be accessing frequently.

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