Hi. I would like to ask about .apk files.
I have had the eternal issue of certain apps and games on the Google Play store not being compatible with my device.
Had a Kindle Fire HD. Tried downloading apps thru a 3rd-party source (like 1Mobile) but got frustrated because apps are sometimes "in conflict" with the Kindle App Store-downloaded apps.
For example this game called The King of Fighters-A 2012. If i buy the new Nexus 7 and its not compatible i have to endure the hassle of returning my device to the store, wait for my refund then buy another device. There seem to be no info on device compatibility on certain apps or games nowadays.
So, this leads me to my question:
1. To avoid the frustration of having a device (Kindle Fire, Nexus 7, Galaxy Tab 3, etc) that's incompatible with the app...what is the best way to download an app?
2. Will downloading an .apk file be "sufficient" i.e. dealing with issues such as updates, etc.?
3. What or where would be a good source of .apk files on the net?
Please advice.Thanks.
Related
I am relatively new to Android, via a Dell Streak.
I have just bought an Advent Vega, and I am trying (without any success!) to understand how app licencing works when I have 2 or more devices.
It's obviously not a problem for free apps, but what is the position for the apps that I have paid for (e.g., NDrive, VCOrganizer Pro, Bloat Freezer)? Can I run these on multiple devices, or do I need to buy a separate licence for each device? If it's the latter, how do I do this, given that they are all tied into one Google account, so whichever device I use to connect to the Android Market, Google always thinks that the app has been paid for.
Or does it depend on the application (in which case, how do I find out what the position is for each app? The web sites don't tell me).
Confused!
You can use the softwares on more than one device as long as you have the same google account on them. I have a Desire and considering this fact buying this tablet was a better deal than an Ipad.
Sent from my CorvusVegaRom_0.5 using Tapatalk
Any app you download in the android market, paid or not can be run on any android device linked to the same google account.
If you buy apps from alternative sources e.g. gameloft then they usually link the apps to your specific device
Hello everyone,
I just got a Nook Tablet I have never had any smart phone or tablet before, and I have never purchased an app. My question is about DRM on apps.
If I buy an app from the B&N store, will I only be able to use it on my Nook Tablet? For example, if I get an Android phone in the future, will I be able to use my Nook Tablet apps on it?
I know that there are other marketplaces such as the Android marketplace and the Amazon app store. Are there similar issues with those as well?
Where is the best place to buy an app to ensure I won't have to buy it a second time?
fr3dw0rth said:
Hello everyone,
I just got a Nook Tablet I have never had any smart phone or tablet before, and I have never purchased an app. My question is about DRM on apps.
If I buy an app from the B&N store, will I only be able to use it on my Nook Tablet? For example, if I get an Android phone in the future, will I be able to use my Nook Tablet apps on it?
I know that there are other marketplaces such as the Android marketplace and the Amazon app store. Are there similar issues with those as well?
Where is the best place to buy an app to ensure I won't have to buy it a second time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy from the google market if you want to use it in the future for android phone/tablet.
Does that mean that if I buy from the Google market, I can copy the app to a new device and install it again? Would the new device also have to have the Google market installed?
What it is about buying an app from B&N that would restrict me from transferring and installing my app on a new device?
* bump *
fr3dw0rth said:
Does that mean that if I buy from the Google market, I can copy the app to a new device and install it again? Would the new device also have to have the Google market installed?
What it is about buying an app from B&N that would restrict me from transferring and installing my app on a new device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can copy it and install it anywhere regardless where you buy the app - manually copy it or use a backup program like Titanium backup. If you want to tie the program to the market, so you can get updates for it, you can redownload it from the android market, or use a program to tie it to the market so it recognizes it (but your account will have to have purchased the program if it's not a free one).
The android market is tied to devices - you cannot use it without a device registered to the account, which is different than the other markets/stores where an account is enough (currently). There is no issue installing the Amazon market, the B&N Market, etc on different devices and regrabbing programs. (But the external B&N market app doesn't run on nook tablets, only odd part.) Since the android market is by far the biggest one, it's probably the best place to buy things, but no you shouldnt' have issues with the other markets and transferring stuff around.
Anything you purchase through Google Market or Amazon App Store can be used and downloaded on any device as long as you use the same account (gmail for google, login for Amazon). I have three devices that all share the same apps. When you login to either for the first time, it will list all your purchased apps under "my apps" and you can download directly from there. I have no experience with the B&N market yet.
I keep a second family gmail account and make purchases through that on Google market so my family can all share the same purchased apps and our own seperate gmail accounts for email, calendar, etc.
There's no definitive answer, since a) it depends on the vendor's permission, b) the "app store" scheme is still in a state of flux, both conceptually and in implementation.
In theory, whatever "app store" you buy an app from will allow authorization for any devices linked to that store. Since Google's uses Gmail, then any device linked to a particular Gmail acct should be authorized.
Presently, buying from Google allows the widest reach, assuming all your devices are linked to Gmail. Buying from B&N, in theory, would allow any B&N-linked devices (NC and NT for now) to be authorized. Ditto for Amazon's.
This is a problem, assuming you buy apps from different app stores. This will be addressed over time, by user demands of vendors to establish a commonal authorization system. Realize that we're still in the beta testing stage, not only of mobile devices and OS'es, but also their ecosystems.
Over time, one'd expect more vendors to eschew "per user" for a more granular "per device" or "per X devices." For one, it avoids the abuse of having a "communal" Gmail account--mentioned in the previous post--to share between different users. Since the latter requires additional infrastructural work, you only see this from a few large, established vendors for now. But all vendors are loathe to let a third-party control their vendor-client relationship, and will have their own proprietary authorization at some point.
I am a Windows Phone developer who writes apps for wearable devices like the Pebble that are not supported or poorly supported on Windows Phone. In order to understand the Bluetooth protocol for the device I normally download the manufacturers apk for their device and decompile it to understand the Bluetooth packet requirements.
I have been using a Nexus 7 which has worked well but the last couple of devices I have purchased, Google Play will not allow me to download the apk because my Nexus 7 is not a phone. So the question is what would be the recommended pre-owned device I should get that will still allow me to download apps meant for an Android phone but still allow me to get to Google Play and the apk when downloaded.
If it makes a difference, I use Verizon but if a suitable phone was not available or too expensive, I would be willing to go with a phone I could not use on Verizon but still use Google Play on.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Like many on here, I'm trying to get Google Play / Play Games to run. I'm not totally dead set against rooting, etc. if absolutely necessary. However, unlike many/most posting here, I'm not keeping my Kindle - I'm migrating to a different tablet. So, I don't need long-term functionality of GP store, apps, etc. - I only need GP Games to work just long enough to get a code from a game site that will then allow me to transfer that game to the new tablet.
Using info from this and other sites, I have tried several combinations of versions for GP Store, Services, and Games. At present, GP Games goes far enough to pull my acct info (from Store?) but is not (or thinks it's not) connected to the internet, and that's as far as she goes.
From the Kindle "settings" pages:
Device Model - Kindle Fire HDX (3rd Generation)
Firmware - Fire OS 4.5.5.2, installed 09/02/16
Help appreciated, go easy on the n00b please. Thanks.
TennesseeTimmy said:
Like many on here, I'm trying to get Google Play / Play Games to run. I'm not totally dead set against rooting, etc. if absolutely necessary. However, unlike many/most posting here, I'm not keeping my Kindle - I'm migrating to a different tablet. So, I don't need long-term functionality of GP store, apps, etc. - I only need GP Games to work just long enough to get a code from a game site that will then allow me to transfer that game to the new tablet.
Using info from this and other sites, I have tried several combinations of versions for GP Store, Services, and Games. At present, GP Games goes far enough to pull my acct info (from Store?) but is not (or thinks it's not) connected to the internet, and that's as far as she goes.
From the Kindle "settings" pages:
Device Model - Kindle Fire HDX (3rd Generation)
Firmware - Fire OS 4.5.5.2, installed 09/02/16
Help appreciated, go easy on the n00b please. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Play Services and especially GP Games does not integrate well with FireOS v4, even if rooted. You should consider a custom ROM for the future recipient if Google games/services/store is part of the picture.
I recently received a new matepad in the UK and have been struggling for days to get anything up and running so far.
Successful so far is YouTube Vance, it's the only Google related app that I've managed to get working.
Any third party app I've tried is either outdated or outright doesn't run on the device. Examples are Lzplay chatapp and insalling everything manually.
Nothing has worked so far. I was also wondering why there isn't a development channel for this device as it has such big potential but just suffering from the lack of a play store.
Any advice / help would be greatly appreciated. I've tried all the usual stuff but it's hard to find anything online about this tablet.
Bumping for visibility
@gog3219
Youtube Vanced isn't a Google authored app.
Due to an order of the madman in the White House, Huawei since almost a year is no longer allowed to pre-install Google Play Store and/or GMS on their devices.
You have to install Google Play Store ( consists of 4 APKs ) and/or GMS manually by yourself.
jwoegerbauer said:
@gog3219
Youtube Vanced isn't a Google authored app.
Due to an order of the madman in the White House, Huawei since almost a year is no longer allowed to pre-install Google Play Store and/or GMS on their devices.
You have to install Google Play Store ( consists of 4 APKs ) and/or GMS manually by yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi thank you for your reply. I'm aware of the reasoning behind the idiotic decision, I was just wondering for my device specifically speaking as its so new and has a lot of problems with the preexisting methods. I've found no way to load GSM onto the device as of yet and made this thread to explore if there were any potential way whatsoever. So any help would be greatly appreciated.
@gog3219
Look here: https://huaweiadvices.com/download-google-installer-3-0-apk-for-android/