Quick overview of targeted SDK version for all installed apps? - Nexus 6P Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Is there a good app to get a quick overview of all installed apps, their targeted SDK and if they use the new 6.x backup feature?
The app should at least be able to show a list of all installed apps and sort them by "Target SDK". It would be even better, if it could check, if the developer opted out from the new backup feature of Android 6.x.
I did a search on the GooglePlay and found App Detective. It allows to sort apps by "Target SDK", but it hasn't been updates for two years, so it mixes SDK versions and Android version names and there is no feature to check for the new backup feature.
Do you know other apps, that are better and/or still in active development?

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Tracking Application Updates for Non-Market Apps

I was curious to see that apps i installed outside of Market (most recently beta swype) do not show up in the my downloads list of Market.
So I doubt the system will be able to automatically determine if there are any updates available for these apps.
Are there any applications out there that scan through the entire system and determine all installed apps and look for updates?
yes, tried googling, looking for a quick answer and perhaps recommendations for experienced folks.
thanks in advance.

Forward-Locked Apps?

I have a question that is purely out of curiosity. I'm not a developer, nor do I have any desire to become one... at this time.
In the process of answering questions for my father about his new Android phone, I came across the Android Developers website. Being the infinity curious person that I am, I started to browse through it and came across something that I was particularly curious about, the "Forward-Locked Application" market filter. It states that an application in the market can be set to not be visible to developer devices and unreleased devices. What I'm curious about is why would a developer not want their app to not be visible to said devices? Wouldn't it be to their advantage to allow their app to be visible, installed, and possibly tested if the owner of the developer phone or new unreleased phone so chose to do, after all, this is potentially new hardware that the app developer may not have support for in their app. Now not being a developer myself, I'm sure there are valid reasons for the filter and I am just curious as to what they may be.
Because you haven't tested your app on a new OS build, and want ensure compatibility before offering it for sale. Other reason is that the new OS build either obsoletes, duplicates, or just plain breaks your app. An example would be the updates to the calendar API's in Android 2.2. Every calendar widget in the market that tied into the built-in calendar app ceased to function because the way it interacted with outside apps had changed.
So the lock is not in reference to developer or unreleased hardware, it pertains to developer or unreleased software or OS?
They would check build/version number in the build.prop or whatever they use... It's just like how FroYo builds couldn't see protected apps while it was in pre-release.
garfnodie said:
So the lock is not in reference to developer or unreleased hardware, it pertains to developer or unreleased software or OS?
Click to expand...
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yes this is correct. The developer phones have different software that allow native root access and this would be defined in the build.prop . That would also allow people to rip applications and pirate them.
That switch is mainly a quality assurance/anti-piracy measure.
ATnTdude said:
Because you haven't tested your app on a new OS build, and want ensure compatibility before offering it for sale. Other reason is that the new OS build either obsoletes, duplicates, or just plain breaks your app. An example would be the updates to the calendar API's in Android 2.2. Every calendar widget in the market that tied into the built-in calendar app ceased to function because the way it interacted with outside apps had changed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, those apps that broke, broke because they were using private APIs. As explained, if you stick to public APIs your app should not break when updating OS iterations because ALL APIs are frozen as soon as a release is cut.
Here's another question then, are app's allowed to do automatic bug reporting back to a developer with out the user consent, or even with the users consent. It seems to me that say Google is testing Android 3.0, and one of their in house testers decides to install your app, but your app does not support 3.0 for whatever reason, if there is automatic bug reporting, you could be made aware of a potential incompatibility with a new API and have time to fix it long before the new OS is ever released. This all could never happen though if you have the market filter set.
garfnodie said:
Here's another question then, are app's allowed to do automatic bug reporting back to a developer with out the user consent, or even with the users consent. It seems to me that say Google is testing Android 3.0, and one of their in house testers decides to install your app, but your app does not support 3.0 for whatever reason, if there is automatic bug reporting, you could be made aware of a potential incompatibility with a new API and have time to fix it long before the new OS is ever released. This all could never happen though if you have the market filter set.
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bug reporting is going to be a new feature of 3.0. I dont think many if any apps have their own built in bug reporting. Also it really is on the developers side if their app doesnt work with new OS revisions. They should program their apps in such a way that they wont have to make drastic changes for updates. Google also give plenty of time for developers to make fixes before the first iterations of the new update goes out (almost 1 month in the case of froyo)
however some developers just dont care (e.g Co-Pilot)

[Q] Question about android plarform and app developing

Hi,
I'm using Motorola Milestone. A lot of times I have to update a new version of an app which has several bug fixes for Nexus One. As I know that the Milestone and Nexus One are running the same Android OS version (2.1). I just wonder why a normal application (such as Calendar or Note) must be dependent on hardware? I mean the same application version that works on Milestone but some of its features don't work in the Nexus. Let's take an example of Windows OS. We can install Firefox, Winamp or even some low level interacting program like anti virus in any computer (Lenovo, Acer,...) as long as they're running the same Windows version (like Vista). Is it a down side of Android platform?
I think I have a similar question. On my work the have a winmo databas app that work like an workordersystem. Can this program run in Android by any chance or has it to be rewritten to work on a Android platform?
I managed to install my application on the SD card by using to apkInstaller.
I thus wanted to test the installation from Android Market... My application does'nt settle down on the SD card but on the telephone... Why ? Nevertheless I added in the manifest the option android:installLocation="preferExternal" !
Needs to make other thing ?
Thank for your answers !
It's mostly localization.
Either developers ask google to make their app available only for certain devices, or certain manufacturers ask google to make only certain apps available.
If an app is built against the SDK, then it's compatible with all devices that share that SDK version.

knwo the market category of an installed app

Hi,
In an app of my own, I plan to let the user select installed apps. However, instead of listing installed apps alphabetically, which will be confusing for "normal" users, I plan to list them by category.
The question is : is there any way to know the market category of an installed app ?
So far, I found no way to do it.
Thanks.
P.

Minimal Android OS for Note 4 Audio & Video?

Am thinking about using a Note 4 for Audio and Video only (no phone or Internet).
Hope someone else has tried this and has some suggestions concerning reducing Android OS to minimum.
Also instead of reducing the Android OS if it would be better to use a 3rd party ROM?
Open to all comments
KermitJ said:
Am thinking about using a Note 4 for Audio and Video only (no phone or Internet).
Hope someone else has tried this and has some suggestions concerning reducing Android OS to minimum.
Also instead of reducing the Android OS if it would be better to use a 3rd party ROM?
Open to all comments
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're not interested in internet, yet want reliable audio and video, maybe try old kk roms that are optimized or some lollipop aosp roms. That way the software is at its lightest.
QuoPrimum Thanks for the tips!
Forgot to add that I am new to Android but have been using Windows for a while.
For Windows there are a number of ways to remove unnecessary parts
1. preformed like Micro XP v0.82
2. make your own using nLite
Anything like this for Android?
Also have been searching for a description what each Android file does like Black Viper does for Windows. Windows Services Information http://www.blackviper.com/windows-services/
Hope someone knows about an Android (or even Linux) info similar to this.
KermitJ said:
QuoPrimum Thanks for the tips!
Forgot to add that I am new to Android but have been using Windows for a while.
For Windows there are a number of ways to remove unnecessary parts
1. preformed like Micro XP v0.82
2. make your own using nLite
Anything like this for Android?
Also have been searching for a description what each Android file does like Black Viper does for Windows. Windows Services Information http://www.blackviper.com/windows-services/
Hope someone knows about an Android (or even Linux) info similar to this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could disable/freeze apps with titanium backup or using adb.
QuoPrimum Thanks for the suggestion "You could disable/freeze apps with titanium backup or using adb."
Checked "Titanium Backup User’s Guide" https://www.titaniumtrack.com/kb/titanium-backup-kb/titanium-backup-user-guide.html Was especially interested in 7. Manage Applications List of apps Tapping the “Backup/Restore” button brings you to the application list – or rather the list of available “items”. Here you can see which applications and settings are available on your phone, and what has already been backed up (the symbols to the right tell you the latter – hit your phones menu button and select “Legend” for details on what they mean). Tapping an application brings up a popup from which you can select actions to be taken with the selected item: You can e.g. run an application, back it up, restore it (or its settings). You also may also decide to un-install the application – even if it is a system app! But with the latter, you should be very careful: Remove the wrong thing, and your phone may start malfunctioning. Which is why you should first try whether it’s safe to remove that system application. This can be done by “freezing” it.
Clarification: What type of information is available when select legend.
Also do you know of a beginners guide for Android OS services?
KermitJ said:
QuoPrimum Thanks for the suggestion "You could disable/freeze apps with titanium backup or using adb."
Checked "Titanium Backup User’s Guide" https://www.titaniumtrack.com/kb/titanium-backup-kb/titanium-backup-user-guide.html Was especially interested in 7. Manage Applications List of apps Tapping the “Backup/Restore” button brings you to the application list – or rather the list of available “items”. Here you can see which applications and settings are available on your phone, and what has already been backed up (the symbols to the right tell you the latter – hit your phones menu button and select “Legend” for details on what they mean). Tapping an application brings up a popup from which you can select actions to be taken with the selected item: You can e.g. run an application, back it up, restore it (or its settings). You also may also decide to un-install the application – even if it is a system app! But with the latter, you should be very careful: Remove the wrong thing, and your phone may start malfunctioning. Which is why you should first try whether it’s safe to remove that system application. This can be done by “freezing” it.
Clarification: What type of information is available when select legend.
Also do you know of a beginners guide for Android OS services?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know of any specific guides, but if you look around xda, there should be a few debloating guides for roms.

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