[Q] Getting an app from Market onto PC - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I'd like to try out an app from the Market but I don't like the list of permissions it has. Specifically the ability to modify global system settings and change my wifi settings. I'd like to try removing those permissions by decompiling it with APKTOOL and removing those permissions from the manifest file.
The only way I can see of getting the file onto my computer to edit it, is to install from the Market first and then pull it off the phone with 'adb pull'. If I download it, but don't run it, am I right to assume the app will be totally dormant while I pull it to the computer so I can then uninstall it from the phone straight away?

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[Q] File manager problem

I've been making an android rom for my chacha, All Is going well apart from adding a file manager. I've tried with 3 different apps but none of them will install. In the log.txt from CWM its the first thing that gets installed but it just doesnt show up anywhere. What could I be doing wrong?
Get the file manager you like the best and pull the apk using adb or find an apk backup app on the market. Once you have the apk add it to the /system/app folder inside your rom.

[Q] Where does launcher looks to find user's apps?

Hi all. I was removing stock apps from my /system/app folder, and deleted Launcher2.apk by mistake. The phone couldn't boot properly, so I managed to get the apk from the emulator and install it using adb booting the phone on recovery mode.
Now, my problem is, that Launcher only shows shorcuts to the apps from my /system/app folder. Every apk I put or install on /data/app doesn't apear on the apps view. So there is no way to launch any app unles I manualy move it to system.
I think launcher must read a config file to get the installed apps, and it's failing for some reason. What do you think?
thanks in advance
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Well just in case someone is interested in this. I'm creating symlinks from my /data/app and sdcard mounts to /system/app to workaround my problem.

Is there a way to pull an apk for an app than came preloaded

There is an app that came with my phone Samsung Galaxy s2 (t989D) running 4.04. I'd like to pull this app and use it on a custom rom. Is there any way to pull the APK off the phone? I know there's ways to pull apks for apps you've downloaded from the market. Would these methods apply for preloaded apps?
Those apps are usually in /system/app.
You can pull them if you're rooted. Using adb pull:
Code:
adb pull /system/app/app.apk
You can also use any file explorer, go to /system/app and copy it.
Root is required, of course.
GermainZ said:
Those apps are usually in /system/app.
You can pull them if you're rooted. Using adb pull:
Code:
adb pull /system/app/app.apk
You can also use any file explorer, go to /system/app and copy it.
Root is required, of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool thanks. After messing around a bit I did figure it out using root explorer. One thing I found along the way is an app called app extractor which can pull individual apks and settings from nandroid back ups . While different than the topic at hand, pretty cool little app!

Files App Showing 0 Byte APK in Downloads Folder

Hi guys,
I was checking my download folder today using the default Files app and saw this .apk file that I didn't download. Naturally, I wanted to remove the .apk but when I tried to remove it, the function failed.
I tried to get more information but there's nothing I can do to the .apk. I can't open it, copy it, rename it, etc.
Next step, I plugged my phone into my computer and looked at the internal Downloads folder via USB file transfer. I could not see that specific .apk, even with view hidden objects on.
So, I went into my file manager app (Amaze with root access) and went to the emulated Downloads folder, same thing. The folder did not show the .apk at all.
I opened up SD Maid and see if they can find and remove the file, but nope, didn't work.
Now, I'm thinking it's probably just a bug with the Files app so I deleted user data and cache, restarted my phone and all that but still, that .apk persists.
I'm at my wit's end and I have no clue how to remove this file. Any help will be appreciated.
I'm using Google Pixel 3, Android 10.
SeraphChaos said:
Hi guys,
I was checking my download folder today using the default Files app and saw this .apk file that I didn't download. Naturally, I wanted to remove the .apk but when I tried to remove it, the function failed.
I tried to get more information but there's nothing I can do to the .apk. I can't open it, copy it, rename it, etc.
Next step, I plugged my phone into my computer and looked at the internal Downloads folder via USB file transfer. I could not see that specific .apk, even with view hidden objects on.
So, I went into my file manager app (Amaze with root access) and went to the emulated Downloads folder, same thing. The folder did not show the .apk at all.
I opened up SD Maid and see if they can find and remove the file, but nope, didn't work.
Now, I'm thinking it's probably just a bug with the Files app so I deleted user data and cache, restarted my phone and all that but still, that .apk persists.
I'm at my wit's end and I have no clue how to remove this file. Any help will be appreciated.
I'm using Google Pixel 3, Android 10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same is happening with me right now
Using Oneplus 5 Android 10

App that doesn't back up data etc.

There is an app I have that wont backup to the Google cloud... I have many that do just fine. This app also creates a basically useless .ab file when using adb backup.
I pulled the apk file from google play, used apktool to unpack it and examined the manifest... and there it was... allow Backup set to "true". I have the most up to date version of the app... but I then pulled the apk off my phone and did the same thing and the manifest had allowbackup set to false!
Can someone help me understand this? I can't get the data off of my old phone because of this... and I'd really like to get that data transferred to my newer phone. (This app data did not transfer during the upgrade process either)
I'm not looking to solve the issue... only the app developer can do that. I simply want to understand what might be going on.
So in the just a little knowledge is dangerous departement:
After unpacking the apk (apktool d app.apk), I modified the android manifest which had backups:false to backups:true. I then just did:
apktool b app
I took the apk so produced in the dist folder and put it on my pixel 6, after first uninstalling the original app. I then tried to install the app and got:
"you cant install the app on your device".
I don't want to reverse engineer the app... I just want to force it to do backups... I can only assume the approach I took is far too simple-minded. Like I said, I would like to modify the behavior of the app not the function. what else must I do?

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