Currently a team of developers is working on Android application and during the development process testers already have to test the current state and report issues.
So far I have simply installed the application by connecting the tester's device on my pc and hit run in the IDE. This way we waste a lot of time if an application has to be installed on multiple devices multiple times daily.
What I would like is to send the testing team the .apk file and let them install and run the application by themselves.
Does anyone know what's the best way to do it?
Thank you!
You can allow untrusted applications in the settings.
Settings / Applications / Unknown sources
with that setting on, you can just point your phone to the url of an .apk and install it IIRC.
It is also possible to install apks using debug mode and adb-commands over USB-cable.
Here is what I do for that, simple:
Build in debug mode, no need to sign with a special key.
Mail them the application by regular email to their computers. Then have them connect their USB cables (comes with the phone) and copy to sd card. Access the sd card from the within the phone using any available file browser, and they can install it from the SD card.
Regards
There is also software called Installapk that allows you to install APKs on your device very easily, though it is only available for Microsoft Windows, and is currently in beta.
Installapk
Related
I am trying my hands on the android app development and need your suggestions to mitigate my current situation.
My organization has disabled USB for the desktop and I wouldn't be able to connect my phone through USB to test my application as I code.
I have installed genymotion but since it is behind proxy, in all the ways I could configure it, it gives proxy authentication error.
The avd is comparitively slower and the app which am trying needs internet connectivity at every step. I have tried these too and my impression is that we can make
the avd work for connecting to internet through its webbrowser but it cannot connect to internet within the apps. I might be wrong here. Please let me know if it is not the case.
Is there any other way where we can install the app in the phone as and when we code to test it..?
One option can be to export an apk file everytime and install them on the phone by sending this apk through a mail. But this will be a cumbersome activity if we have to test as and when we code.
Any suggestions on this..?
PS: I do not want to hack the desktop to enable the USB.Also using an external laptop with USB enabled is out of option in my case.
Many thanks.
Another way is using AirDroïd. You just need to install it on your test device, and you can manage it with a webapp :
your.static.ip.xx:8888
You can install your app with that way, it's really easy, you don't need any account in a local network.
For testing... no idea without usb, or without the emulator. Maybe you can log everything in a text file & get it (with airdroid for example).
EDIT
I think if you create an account you can use it external of you network.
http://web.airdroid.com/
Just create an account, & log on web & on the app, you could use it on the external way.
Why are you even bothering to use the desktop PC when your organization has made it unsuitable for development.
It will be hard work, but you could do all your development on the Android device itself, using AIDE
(Actually AIDE is pretty practical as a IDE if you have a large screen tablet, and pair it with a full size bluetooth keyboard).
Quote: "Inside your project bin folder there is an apk file. If you copy that file to a device you can then install the app from it.
When I am in your situation I throw my apk into dropbox and send out links for people to download it."
from this link
I doubt that if your company has disabled USB they still allow Bluetooth, but because you did not state it specifically:
If you can use Bluetooth, the best way would be to use it for running and debugging your App.
There are some Tutorials on the web.
For Example: http://zcourts.com/2013/07/19/android-debugging-over-bluetooth-without-root/
I'm trying to copy my app to an Android phone without an SD card. I've tried bluetooth and I've tried email attachment, but both of them seem to require an SD card for the download to take place. Is there any other way to do this without having an SD card at hand?
I frequently deploy to my phone using the eclipse IDE. Assuming the drivers for your phone are installed on your PC you can connect your phone with a USB cable and simply run the application in debug mode and it will deploy to your phone.
I've also emailed an app to my phone and then install it from my email. Are you certain you have allowed apps to be installed from unknown sources? If you have not you will need to do so.
Here is a procedure if this is from eclipse.
In your project>Bin>file.apk assuming eclipse
send the file.apk file to your phone.
Use an app installer to install the file.apk to your phone.
There you go a copy of your program
In my experience neither the mail client app or anything that imply a download from a website from the browser have being able to install the APKs without compying it on an SDCard before.
The only solution I got working so far would be to open the APK from the Google Drive app.
I suppose other network drive services could works as well but never had occasion to try them out.
I have one requirement of installing the apk without user intervention.
I know there is very straight forward way to install the apk programmatically but that requires the user action. I want the way where user action is not required and that will happen in background.
It is required because the user will have mandatory to install the apk.
I think there is no easy way to do this and it may require to write the own apk installer or some firmware.
Please share if you have some pointers on how to start with this.
Thanks in advance.
If you want to install apk without user Interaction than plug Your Mobile Cable with the computer & than run your code in the sdk AS & when the project install on the emmulator it will automatically install on the Devise also Try this.
Your only realistic option to actually do this on the device is to become your own android device distributor and flash devices with a custom(ized) system image where the "mandatory" apk is installed on the system partition - the way carriers do with their assorted non-removable built-in apps.
I want to install an app/idea i have developed int a demo on my phone (HTC Hero). I have read several posts some from as far back as '08 on different options. I was hoping I could install this using the debug bridge and eclipse, but can't seem to find a way.
Is there an easy way for me to get this on my phone?
Thanks in advance,
Pat
Yea it's easy, provided you don't have AT&T. If you don't, just go to Settings->Applications->Development and check USB debugging.
From there, you plug your phone into your computer using the USB cord, and when you launch your app like you normally would with the virtual console, it ought to detect your device. Specify that you want to launch on your device, and it will install it no problem.
If you are on an AT&T phone, you will have to root it to allow non-market apks to be installed.
Other way of installing application on your device is that you can upload your apk file on the web server and download it by opening the link in your web browser. But insure that you must have enabled the option Unknown Sources in your Settings>>Application on your device.
I am looking generally in to Android development.
I keep seeing information on root however I am unclear how this relates to general android app development.
I understand that there is an emulator however when I get to actually test the software on a phone does that phone have to be a rooted device or is this only required if you wish to edit the core features of the os?
Finally are there are any development disadvantages to rooting the device such as that is no longer behaves like other android phones I may deploy too?
Thank you
You don't need root to develop for Android.
The easiest setup is to run Eclipse with the Android Development Tools installed. Then, you can debug your application in the emulator, or register your phone with the SDK and debug directly on your phone. The only thing you need to do on your phone is check the development mode under Settings -> Applications
I can understand the allure of having a rooted device, but I can't really see a reason for changing the bootloader or os binaries. You can, however, change most of the default applications (including the Home application) with other applications available on the Market. For instance, OpenHome is about $5 and allows you to replace the home app, add themes, and replace many of the core apps (e.g. clock).
Rooting is only required, if you want to play around with advanced features or update your firmware, etc.
If you develop your software using the Android SDK you will be able to use it on your phone regularly (as long as you have the corresponding version). No rooting needed.
I have never heard of any problems according to your concerns. But I cannot deny that there are none. Though I personally don't expect that there are any problems with rooted phones.
On the Nexus S running Android 2.3, the /data folder is not visible in the DDMS File Explorer or the ADB shell, but it is visible in the emulator. This occurred with debug turned on in both the manifest and on the phone. I confirmed that debug mode was properly enabled by successfully stepping through the app using breakpoints and also by receiving messages from logcat.
Not being able to see the /data folder means that you will not be able to get your application's private data.