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Download folder FULL of Apk's

On my sdcard I have a download folder which my browser (DolphinHD) uses and I assume the market. Well its full of apk's some of which are months old. Is it safe to delete all of these? Is this in fact a temp dir. for the market and other apps?
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CyborgNM156 said:
On my sdcard I have a download folder which my browser (DolphinHD) uses and I assume the market. Well its full of apk's some of which are months old. Is it safe to delete all of these? Is this in fact a temp dir. for the market and other apps?
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
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Should be fine to delete whatever in there. The apk files are just the installers, so if you delete them the app will still work, but if you uninstall an app you'll have to re-download the apk to install it again.
Also the Market shouldnt be using the download folder, just the browser.

Where does the market save the .apk files?

Where does the market save the .apk files I download?In which folder?
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

On HTC desire, I find market apk's in /sdcard/download/. Usually after a failed install, so I am guessing those files get deleted after install. Should be the same on HD2.

They used to be there in /sdcard/downloads, none of the latests builds I've used leave the APKs there tho, I used to be able to search this folder and install any apps stuck at 100% download or failed, but they dont go there anymore.
So dunno where they gioing now.

I cannot find em anywhere...I use the mdjs desire hd version 4.4 and i cannot find those files...
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nkos719 said:
Where does the market save the .apk files I download?In which folder?
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id love to know where they are!!!
i hate redownloading them each time i start a new build from scratch. UGH!! i have to find all those downloads again and updates.

use root explorer. open it up and you should be at the first dir, their is a folder called "data", tap it, now tap on a folder called "app". this should be all your market apps. tap and hold whatever app you want, choose copy and navagate back to first page and scrole down to your "sdcard", tap it and paste your app where-ever you want to copy it to. this is where i found my apps. hope that helps yall.

Let me see...
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Cannot find the .apk installation file.
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The apps mite be in a different location on your Android build, but on my build BlueTopia HD Beta 2 by cmylxgo, this is where they are, and they are the install program. Copy one to where-ever you want it then tap on it while still in root explorer, it should ask if you want to install, view or cancel. I've found that there is one thing bad about doing this, Market don't see them as being installed and won't tell you if there is an update for that program if there is one.

Hmmmm....I use the jdms 1.6.2 and the mdeejays revolution hd 1.2 but still cannot locate them anywhere...
Sent from my HTC bravo using XDA App

They are saved in /data/system/app or /data/app

Use root explorer, it should be under /data/app. If you use ES file explorer, you will see an empty /data directory.

I'Ve installed JDMS 1.6.2 and found them in the same place as i said, they have the little green Android guy next to them. Those are the whole app. Tap on one and youll see, it'll ask if you want to install view or cancle. You have to use root explorer!

Another option is to use Titanium Backup from Market. It is free. You can back up your installation to your SD card and install again later or for a different Android build.

data/app/
data/app-private/
system/app/
if you have apps 2 sd, i dont recall the name of the folder.
what file browser are you useing? some wont show protected files.

All "apk" user installed end up in /data/app. system/app is just all the Android installed apk's for that build. data/app-private is normally empty. If you are just looking to save all the apps you have downloaded and installed, then you need to backup the "app" folder in the data folder. But remember this will not be visible unless you have root access.

Good work guys...thank you so much.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

Copy my paid aps to my wife
Now I can copy my apps that I paid for and copy them to my wifes phone and now she has them too. Great way to make apps cheaper.
montecarlo5 said:
use root explorer. open it up and you should be at the first dir, their is a folder called "data", tap it, now tap on a folder called "app". this should be all your market apps. tap and hold whatever app you want, choose copy and navagate back to first page and scrole down to your "sdcard", tap it and paste your app where-ever you want to copy it to. this is where i found my apps. hope that helps yall.
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Click to collapse

a good app you might want to look at then would be appmonster or appmonster pro. the free version will backup apps to SD card, restore apps from SD card, quick uninstall where as the pro version does multiple version backups, gives access to extended options like APP2SD, cache, permissions, scan SD card for install-files, batch install (i believe) & even shares app-links via Facebook, Twitter, eMail. i have created a little stock pile of about 1200 or so apk's in the past year or 2.
I know there are a ton of applications that do the same but i personally like this program & suggest it to a lot of ppl who own a android phone.

nkos719 said:
Cannot find the .apk installation file.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
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I'd advise you to download "appmonster".
This makes a backup of all ur apps as .apk files! (folder:appmonster)
Works great!

Vibrant STOCK apps UPDATED 1/25/11

These are the STOCK FROYO apps from OFFICIAL 2.2
IF you want to request a app, please Post telling me the correct app name, if theres a specific firmware you want it from, and i'll try my best to look for it.
..................................................
If someone wants to make this better, please i'm all for suggestions.
The maximum its letting me upload on here is 8, so i'll upload more on the below post.
HOW TO INSTALL THESE APPS.
Put these apps on the sd card, or download them directly from phone.
when you click it it will say application not installed.
You must get a file manager, such as ASTRO, or ROOT EXPLORER
and move these .apk files to system/app/...
ALL APK FILES FROM POST 1, AND 2 ARE IN THIS ZIP.
APPS THAT ARE NOT ON POST 1 OR 2 ARE IN POSTS ARE IN NORMAL POSTS, AND THESE ARE THE ONES ADDED SO FAR.
think free or thinkdroid.apk
The Sim's LIMITED Edition (WORKS ON VIBRANT ONLY) - all downloads are on post.

Continued....
If you download swype.apk
you may need this swypelib core file.
put it in SYSTEM/LIB/...

You should remove avatar.
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mr.orange303 said:
You should remove avatar.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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its just the .apk, so people on custom roms, but have avatar on sd card, they can use that .apk with the sd card movie.

Awesome. Will add to the stickies soon.
Should be in the App Section though. Hopefully a mod can move it.

Reread thread, never mind.

OP could you post samsung apps like feeds and updates, daily briefing, memo, allshare etc.

rakeshchn said:
OP could you post samsung apps like feeds and updates, daily briefing, memo, allshare etc.
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Yes, unfortunately im unable to get to a computer right now. Ill do it first thing tomorrow.

xriderx66 said:
its just the .apk, so people on custom roms, but have avatar on sd card, they can use that .apk with the sd card movie.
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Ok cool. My bad. Touchy stuff you know
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

you are missing the sims and think free office.
otherwise, good thread.

funeralthirst said:
you are missing the sims and think free office.
otherwise, good thread.
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Click to collapse
The Sims is a problem because it is two APKs. One is the launcher and does nothing without the actual game. The game is too HUGE to post, and might be considered warez, even though it has been confirmed it will only run on a true T959. So if you want that one the best solution at the moment it to get it from the market since EA recently released it.

what version of swype is that?

xriderx66 said:
HOW TO INSTALL THESE APPS.
Put these apps on the sd card, or download them directly from phone.
when you click it it will say application not installed.
You must get a file manager, such as ASTRO, or ROOT EXPLORER
and move these .apk files to system/app/...
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Click to collapse
xriderx, where is system/app located? I don't think my astro is able to see it.

Oniyuri said:
xriderx, where is system/app located? I don't think my astro is able to see it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On astro click back until it says back 1 more time to exit.
That's where u find system then find app or apps, then paste or move it in there.
To the version of swype question, this is from the latest official froyo.
Edit : I will add thinkfree AND sims if a mod tells me its okay.
Ill add sins by giving sd card data

Not to self advertise BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTT http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=894794 has this ability to add all the stock apps you want and it will package them in a pretty flashable zip for you, too

xriderx66 said:
On astro click back until it says back 1 more time to exit.
That's where u find system then find app or apps, then paste or move it in there.
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Okay, I did manage to find my way by pressing up once I got to that point. After that do I just reboot or do I try to install?
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Awesome, I was needing the memo app
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need help
Can someone tell me what i'm doing wrong. I've downloaded the memo apk used astro to move it to system/app rebooted and I still don't have the memo app. I've even tried to install it using open app manager in astro and it says "there is a problem parsing the package". I'm using Nero 5 w touchwiz. Any ideas?????????????????

khulsey said:
Can someone tell me what i'm doing wrong. I've downloaded the memo apk used astro to move it to system/app rebooted and I still don't have the memo app. I've even tried to install it using open app manager in astro and it says "there is a problem parsing the package". I'm using Nero 5 w touchwiz. Any ideas?????????????????
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Have you confirmed that the apk is in fact in /system/app and that it was not a failed copy?
I have noticed that when using DroidExplorer to do pushes, if the permissions are not correct it acts the same as if it copied ok. I usually end up having to verify using a on phone file manager like Astro or Root Explorer that the file is actually there.

after rebooting again i checked astro and it is in the system/app folder. i did notice that the rest of the files in system apps have the size, date, and something that says -r- (dont really know too much about astro so i have no idea what that means). but i did notice that the memo apk has the size, date, and instead of -r- is has -rw. anyone know what that means?

Apk Files

I was just clearing out my SD card when I noticed in a folder called "download" on the root of the card there was a lot of apk files called "downloadfile-1.apk" with different numbers in place of the 1. Does anyone know where these come from and if I'm ok to delete them? Thanks.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

These are Android packages for the apps you have downloaded probably through some application.
These are safe to delete as your actual apps installed will live elsewhere. It is safe to say if your not noticing anything not installed and you don't know what they are, these can be deleted. If you need them again and you have paid for them, the market should have these information stored with your google account and can be downloaded again if needed.
If you really want to, you can transfer them to your home pc for backup. You can find out what they are using the android software development kit if you so wish, using a program called aapt.

Thanks for the advice. Very helpful.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

[Q] apk file issue!!

I have a confusion regarding android. this is very general query.
In Computer, first we have to have exe file to install anything and then we click on it to install the app on windows computer generally. when the app is installed on computer, we have installed app files in program files and then a dump (that is exe file) which we keep to install this app on any other computer.
Now, please let me know if this is applicable in android phones also?
I know that in android, there is .apk file instead of .exe file in computer. I observed that after installation apk file disappears. Is this true?

Not sure if in understood well, did you mean if instal anything from SD card? If you are asking that the answer is yes, i install everything from SD card and the apk file stay there after installation.

What if u install any app from Market?

vijay.gupta said:
I have a confusion regarding android. this is very general query.
In Computer, first we have to have exe file to install anything and then we click on it to install the app on windows computer generally. when the app is installed on computer, we have installed app files in program files and then a dump (that is exe file) which we keep to install this app on any other computer.
Now, please let me know if this is applicable in android phones also?
I know that in android, there is .apk file instead of .exe file in computer. I observed that after installation apk file disappears. Is this true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even in Android you can see the .apk files under /system/app. Also applications installed by you can be backed up & later restored using software available on market.

"Normally" these apks dissapear when you download from.market, but all of.your apks are stored in your phone, the thing is that you have to hav permission to do that, when you download an apk (the single file) and store it in sd card to install it, the apk is copied to the phone.
Sent from my GT-I5801 using XDA App

But if u back up ur apps as .apk and install them later using softwares (with exception of Titanium backup) u will loose connection between the app and android market (that means no updates)
the best option is to backup ur apps with titanium backup along with user data and restore it using the same

how do i access /system/app? Do I need to root the phone in order to see this directory?

vijay.gupta said:
how do i access /system/app? Do I need to root the phone in order to see this directory?
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Download Terminal emulator from market & you are ready to go to /system/app !!!!

You can also download Root Explorer and so the same

Thank all. Can you please confirm what I am writing below:
Suppose I buy a android phone (with android 2.1 so you cannot install apps from SD card) in which I installed an application named XYZ from Market. Now, there is a apk file for XYZ which gets downloaded somewhere in the phone memory and then it gets installed automatically.
Now, I just want to know, where does this apk file go after XYZ is installed? Does it stay in phone memory with the installed files of XYZ.
If it goes to phone memory and not deleted from there, then phone memory

if u install .apk from market it will be stored and installed in /data/app in phone memory. i do not think it is stored twice in the phone.

Do u mean to say that only the installed file gets stored and. apk. File got deleted automatically after getting installed?

vijay.gupta said:
Do u mean to say that only the installed file gets stored and. apk. File got deleted automatically after getting installed?
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Remember that an .apk file its a variant of the .jar files when you install an .apk this file gets stored inside the phone along with its necesary dependencies when the app starts, the os reads this file line by line while the app is executed.
In short terms the .apk file its the application itself that need a proper interpreter to run, in that way when you install and app to the phone, it copies this file and links the dependencies, so the .apks downloaded from makret are stored directly inside the app folder, in that way you can extract them from this folder and use it in another android phone.

You are relying too much on the windows ways of things. You see an exe file installion in windows essentially unpacking everything (other things aside) where it is needed and you then often see a bunch of files and folders. This is not what happens in android, the apk file is conserved when installed and can be found in the root part of your phone. Its data/app/ if installed on your phone, mnt/asec. (or something like asec) if installed on your sd card. You can copy that file to your sd card or send it to another device and install it again. I did just that today (I sent an apk to a friend)

anyway i dont think its same if i delete .apk + odex files from /data/app as i uninstall it with titanium backup. i think TB will be delete also data stored by the app inside the database (its the place where the apps are saving data, settings, etc...)

In case you are installing from Android Market:
1. When you are at market, it doesn't ask you to download. You will only get option either to install or update the existing app.
2. If you are a normal user, after installing, you won't be able to see the apk file anywhere on your memory card. But if you are a root user or with the help of special file managers and specific apps like root explorer and terminal emulators, you can locate those spk files in the phone's hidden memory.
3. If you are a root user, or with the help above mentioned type of apps, you can locate the apk files in phone memory and copy it on your memory card and distribute it to your wish.
4. If you are worried for paid apps and losing your phone or apps because of resetting or any other reason then stop worrying. A record of your paid apps is stored in google servers. So, even if you reset your phone or lose your phone, once you log in to a your new android device with the same google account, it will automatically show your paid apps. You don't have to pay for it again. Just need to install it again. This is applicable only if you are paying for the app through android market and you are logging into your android device with the same google account you had before losing your apps.
In case of installing via your SD card:
1. apk files are just like java files (.jad or .jar). You can download it on your PC from various sources and transfer it to your SD card or any of your friends' via USB, bluetooth or any other way.
2. After transfering the apk file to your SD card, it doesn't get automatically installed. You have to click it or open it to install, just like how we double click the exe file in windows.
3. Whether installed or not installed, the apk file you transfer to your SD card will always remain there unless and untill you or someone else delete it or you format your memory card.
4. Once installed, a copy of the same apk file would also be there in your phone's hidden memory, which you can access using special apps.
If you worried about losing your apps, try searching for other apps which backups apk... you can do so at android market. Moreover, also search on the net about having root access on your android device.. it'll let you access files in your phone's memory.
I hope, this would solve down all your queries !!!

Thanks next2 devil. Very gud explanation. It cleared almost all confusions. I have some more confusions that i want to clear out.
1) just a general query that just like exe file got unpacked after double clicking on it and install its files in c: genrally, does the same happen with apk, jad and jar files?
2) just want to clear out that phone memory which is hidden for normal users contains the copy of only those apk files that are currently installed on the phone and not the ones that are uninstalled or not installed at all?

vijay.gupta said:
Thanks next2 devil. Very gud explanation. It cleared almost all confusions. I have some more confusions that i want to clear out.
1) just a general query that just like exe file got unpacked after double clicking on it and install its files in c: genrally, does the same happen with apk, jad and jar files?
2) just want to clear out that phone memory which is hidden for normal users contains the copy of only those apk files that are currently installed on the phone and not the ones that are uninstalled or not installed at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I am not sure about JAD and JAR files, but yes, APK files unpack itself to get installed. You can come to know the exact size/space that would be taken by the app directly from the android market. Details would be given there.
2. Yes, the phone memory would be having copy of files only which is installed. There would be no copy of any apk file which in not installed.

Thanks next2devil. Your response give rise to one more query.
if i compare unpacking logic from windows, there is no need for original exe file to remain in existence after it has been installed and user can delete exe file after installing it. Deleting exe file has no negative impact on the working of installed app. Please let me know if this is also the case with apk files? If yes, then what is the need of apk file to remain in phone memory after it has been installed?

vijay.gupta said:
Thanks next2devil. Your response give rise to one more query.
if i compare unpacking logic from windows, there is no need for original exe file to remain in existence after it has been installed and user can delete exe file after installing it. Deleting exe file has no negative impact on the working of installed app. Please let me know if this is also the case with apk files? If yes, then what is the need of apk file to remain in phone memory after it has been installed?
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Click to collapse
Short and simple. Deleting the apk file from /data/app removes the app.
Sent from my Lestatious v1.4.5.5 Galaxy 3 FROYO