Database Users

Amazon Appstore FireOS only apps - any work arounds?

My son has a Fire HD 8 tablet that thanks to you all, I have installed LineageOS 7.1.2 on. It runs great now, but we'd like to install an application that is only available in the Amazon App store and designed to run only on stock FireOS. I think the app would run perfectly fine on the tablet with Lineage installed, but unfortunately the Amazon App store no longer recognizes the tablet as a Fire tablet and therefore blocks our ability to download the app.
Is there some sort of workaround that could be tried here? I've read about people modifying build.prop to spoof the device type and run "unsupported" apps, so perhaps that is the route we'd take here? I'm just sort of stumped here and really don't want to go buy another fire tablet just so we can run stock fire os for his game.
The apps in question are the Osmo kids learning series. Any help would be very much appreciated.
*edit - i have searched for .apks of the app online that would allow me to manually install, but i have been unable to turn any up.

ChrisULM said:
My son has a Fire HD 8 tablet that thanks to you all, I have installed LineageOS 7.1.2 on. It runs great now, but we'd like to install an application that is only available in the Amazon App store and designed to run only on stock FireOS. I think the app would run perfectly fine on the tablet with Lineage installed, but unfortunately the Amazon App store no longer recognizes the tablet as a Fire tablet and therefore blocks our ability to download the app.
Is there some sort of workaround that could be tried here? I've read about people modifying build.prop to spoof the device type and run "unsupported" apps, so perhaps that is the route we'd take here? I'm just sort of stumped here and really don't want to go buy another fire tablet just so we can run stock fire os for his game.
The apps in question are the Osmo kids learning series. Any help would be very much appreciated.
*edit - i have searched for .apks of the app online that would allow me to manually install, but i have been unable to turn any up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get Amazon Appstore for Android on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/get/amazonapp

Isolating HD 8 2018 2020 from everything Amazon - especially updates.

Hello everyone.
I have both a Kindle Fire 8 HD 2018 and a new 2020 available for this specific use.
I want to dedicate one tablet for one use only which needs to be kept secure. The only internet connection would be to banks etc - no other web use at all.
The question is how do I set this up. I am not looking to use any of the Amazon installed apps but I am happy just to put the icons in a folder & then ignore them.
I am looking at installing Libre Office, Firefox, a file manager, password encryption and document encryption both for security on the tablet and to enable back up.
My concern is about things going on of which I am not aware - in particular related to all the unwanted Amazon installed bits including the operating system.
I am not going to use an Amazon nor Google account nor will I ever open an Amazon web page but I suspect that this will not stop updates unless it also stops the tablet ringing home (???)
How do I isolate my tablet from everything Amazon whilst it is connected to the internet for other things?
If you see any other problems I would be pleased to know about them before I commit.
I am aware of the Fire Toolbox but I am not sure if it meets my needs.

xz6 said:
Hello everyone.
I have both a Kindle Fire 8 HD 2018 and a new 2020 available for this specific use.
I want to dedicate one tablet for one use only which needs to be kept secure. The only internet connection would be to banks etc - no other web use at all.
The question is how do I set this up. I am not looking to use any of the Amazon installed apps but I am happy just to put the icons in a folder & then ignore them.
I am looking at installing Libre Office, Firefox, a file manager, password encryption and document encryption both for security on the tablet and to enable back up.
My concern is about things going on of which I am not aware - in particular related to all the unwanted Amazon installed bits including the operating system.
I am not going to use an Amazon nor Google account nor will I ever open an Amazon web page but I suspect that this will not stop updates unless it also stops the tablet ringing home (???)
How do I isolate my tablet from everything Amazon whilst it is connected to the internet for other things?
If you see any other problems I would be pleased to know about them before I commit.
I am aware of the Fire Toolbox but I am not sure if it meets my needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to use a VPN firewall app such as NoRoot Firewall to block Amazon updates.

updated to fire os version 7.3.2.2...what did they do?

ok, thread title says it all..what'd they do to Fire Os this time?
...and while I'm thinking about it...anyone know where I can find patch/release notes for the fireos?

so far all i've noticed is that they removed paginated scrolling from folders

I noticed that SD cards formatted as extended storage (to install apps) are not working fine under kids profile. When you try to install an app that goes on the extended storage (SD) instead of the internal storage, it gives a warning saying that it is running low of storage space; yet I can proceed with the install.
If I restart the tablet, however, the app(s) installed in the SD card, under a kids profile, are gone.
The issue happens in two different Amazon Fire HD tablets: One 9th gen, and one 11th gen
Each tablet has a different SD card: 9th Gen a Samsung EVO 256GB, the 11th gen a SanDisk Ultra 256GB.
The issue ONLY happens under a kids profile. Any app installed in the extended storage (SD) under an adult profile does not give a warning of low disk space, and they persist just fine after a reboot .

I have an 11th gen still running 7.3.1.9 and second adult profile cannot write to SD card acting as portable storage. I was wondering if an update would help, but sounds like these tabs still have issues with SD cards vs non-primary profile.

so..it just updated AGAIN...what did they do to it?

I'm not hallucinating! split screen apps! yatta!
https://www.reddit.com/r/kindlefire/comments/t08w8r

Is fire hd 8 have dolby atmos ? I can't find that icon to access it

SUPPOSEDLY they do, but I cant find any settings for it either.

i noticed another thing too, the keyboard now has a speech to text option.

it...can kind of be..hit or miss on accuracy.
lets just say I tried to voice type a comment about grocery shopping to my sister and it ended up with words I wouldn't repeat to my own worst enemy, forget family ^^;

now there's a recent apps section and the home screen is completley different now, and somehow worse. and the imdb tv app can be uninstalled from google play... yay

how do I access the recent apps section?

it doesn't seem like every device has it, its at the top of the home screen.

heres a screenshot of it

how interesting..it looks like its part of the 'recommended widget'

looking at it some more they also added a unified search option in settings which allows you to turn on bing (lol) and use it for the searchbar search engine, i think it also effects silk

they also revamped the help app, it's actually useful now!

You can always just install Google play store/framework/account manager/services the install a new launcher and disable com.amazom.firelauncher it will be identical to a tablet without fire Os and the home button will make the launcher home once the Amazon app is disabled with ADB

I set bing as my preferred search provider...thanks for the tip there ^^

Just bought HD10 11th (2021) 7.3.2.1. How to block updates and what to do?

Hello
Bought HD 2021, no ads version
In short:
1. Need to block the updates. How do I go about it? I have a router, so blocking the traffic to Amazon maybe?
2. I'd love to completely disconnect the tablet from Amazon. I wish to gain maximum intrussion on my privacy, so I'd love to get rid of Alexa etc. But if there's something which improves the chances of increasing compability with older apps installed from a pre-downloaded files, not from Google Play etc. I'd like that too. Basically "what would you do in the first place". Aside from the looks. I don't really care how my icons arrangement looks like or if I can get somewhere in 2 clicks instead of 3. Not sure if the launcher swap is for me then.
After spending some time googling, I found that there's no way to install LineageOS on this one. And people talk about bad 7.3.2.2 update. (I have 7.3.2.1)
So, please help a noob with some simple step-by-step advise on what should I do (no need to tell me the actual steps of each procedure, I can google, but keep in mind I'm a total noob to Android and PC-Android apps, so please don't use shortcuts which prelong my future googling by 1000x, thanks )
I just powered it on, checked the firmware version, and didn't connect the internet to it yet.

OK, so I needlessly worried after finding a 5 method list of removing the auto updates and comments about none working, and thought Toolbox is mainly for changing launchers.
To answer most of my questions:
- Toobox allows to disable the updates, has ALL the options nicely explained and you can just read through all the menu items to learn what to do and what's what. It allows to remove the spying Amazon crap (Alexa), allows to sideload apps without using any stores (not even google account required, I guess ), restores Google Play access and gives direct access to the filesysem for easy file transfer. Among other.
Awesome thing. I didn't finish using the Toolbox yet, but seems like I'll be able to use the tablet now.
I have a new question though. If my OS version is from 2021, and I don't want the new updates, what about security vulnerabilities? Am I now an easy target?
edit: Still have Alexa
Amazon Alexa is one service
and
Alexa - is the name of second service
Also, how do I disable the Google Assistant after replacing Alexa with it?
Lastly. I have only 1.3GB of 3GB RAM free? Or is this under developer settings in Android settings menu, not properly displayed?

Welcome here! I hope you'll take this discussion over to the Toolbox thread to benefit more readers:
[WINDOWS][TOOL]Fire Toolbox V30.2
Fire Toolbox V30.2 All-In-One Toolbox for Fire Tablets! The Fire Toolbox is a collection of useful ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tweaks that can be applied to Amazon's Fire Tablets. The Toolbox project aims to help users fully customize and...
forum.xda-developers.com

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021) with Google Services installed - Offline navigation with Google Maps

Hi
A friend gave me a Amazon HD Fire 10 (2021) tablet and asked me to "Put Google on it."
With a little luck and a bit of Google-ing, I managed to get Chrome, Youtube, Gmail, etc. working but I have an issue with Google Maps in that it works fine while online connected via Wi-Fi - It finds my location and lets me navigate, I can even download maps for offline use....but as soon as I turn off Wi-Fi, Maps looses my location and I can only view the "steps" needed to get from "Point A" to "Point B".
Any help would be much appreciated.
PS: Fire OS version is 7.3.2.4

So as it turns out, Amazon Fire tablets doesn't have built in GPS, or not according to gsmarena.
There is an article somewhere on XDA that mentions the contrary but to my understanding, the built-in GPS isn't activated out of the factory. (I just can't find the article right at this moment.)
I ended up using this app from the Google Play store to share my phone's GPS location to the tablet via Bluetooth.
Obviously, you need to mod the tablet and install Google Play for this to work. I found that the Fire Toolbox method didn't work for me spesifically...so I used this guide instead.
Well, I hope someone finds this useful!
Cheers.

Noob1994 said:
So as it turns out, Amazon Fire tablets doesn't have built in GPS, or not according to gsmarena.
There is an article somewhere on XDA that mentions the contrary but to my understanding, the built-in GPS isn't activated out of the factory. (I just can't find the article right at this moment.)
I ended up using this app from the Google Play store to share my phone's GPS location to the tablet via Bluetooth.
Obviously, you need to mod the tablet and install Google Play for this to work. I found that the Fire Toolbox method didn't work for me spesifically...so I used this guide instead.
Well, I hope someone finds this useful!
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you explain it to me in further detail, how to do this? i have fire hd 10 plus, I installed your apps, but it doesn't work. How do I do it? do I need to also install the same apps on my tablet / client side or only from the smartphone / server side?

randomguyy said:
can you explain it to me in further detail, how to do this? i have fire hd 10 plus, I installed your apps, but it doesn't work. How do I do it? do I need to also install the same apps on my tablet / client side or only from the smartphone / server side?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
I don't have the tablet with me anymore but I will make a guide with screenshots using 2 android phones as soon as I get a chance.... I might be able to do it a little later today but don't hold me to a promise.
Regards

Noob1994 said:
Hi
I don't have the tablet with me anymore but I will make a guide with screenshots using 2 android phones as soon as I get a chance.... I might be able to do it a little later today but don't hold me to a promise.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks bro... I spent like 12 hours researching to no avail, also i am kinda new on this forum but looking for this specific information makes me want to kill myself in videogames. Googling doesn't help either because 99.9% informations out there are just trash and they don't exactly deal with this specific issue. I am just getting frustrated almost wanting to throw this tablet to the trashcan already because literally that's all i want to have and I can't do it.
There's some guys on youtube that succeed having their fire tablet doing gps navigation but it is either the old version or they just gloated they managed to do it without telling us anything how to do it.
This is just mind boggling to me, why the hell amazon not implementing gps system on tablet? sorry I am ranting cause I am truly desperate and don't know what to do anymore.

randomguyy said:
thanks bro... I spent like 12 hours researching to no avail, also i am kinda new on this forum but looking for this specific information makes me want to kill myself in videogames. Googling doesn't help either because 99.9% informations out there are just trash and they don't exactly deal with this specific issue. I am just getting frustrated almost wanting to throw this tablet to the trashcan already because literally that's all i want to have and I can't do it.
There's some guys on youtube that succeed having their fire tablet doing gps navigation but it is either the old version or they just gloated they managed to do it without telling us anything how to do it.
This is just mind boggling to me, why the hell amazon not implementing gps system on tablet? sorry I am ranting cause I am truly desperate and don't know what to do anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know how you feel. I also battled with this for a while.
I promised you a guide with screenshots....the problem is I cannot replicate the results using 2 android phones that have built-in GPS
The best I can do is guide you through download / setup of the app from memory:
1) Open Google Maps on the Fire HD 10 while it is connected to Wi-Fi and download an offline map of your area. Turn off Wi-Fi afterwards.
2) Download the GPS Connector app to the Fire HD 10
3) Enable "Developer Options" on the Fire HD 10 and set "Mock Location App" to the "GPS Connector" app (This step is pretty much the same on all Android phones or tablets -
Open Settings
Open Device Options
Tap the Serial number seven times
Swipe to the bottom of the Device Options menu
Developer Options should be the last item​
...from here, open "Developer Options" and scroll down a ways until you see something along the lines of "Select mock location app.)
4) Pair your phone** (the device that will be sending the GPS signal) to your Fire HD 10 via Bluetooth
5) Open the "GPS Connector" app on the Fire HD 10 and click the "Settings" cog-icon
6) Click on "GNSS Device" and then click "Bluetooth"
7) On the next screen, select "Paired device" and then select your phone's ** Bluetooth name
8) Backtrack one screen and turn on "Set GPS Mock Location"
9) Now, turn on your phone's** location
10) Go back to the main screen of "GPS Connector" and you should see the time as well as Latitude and Longitude coordinates on the screen
11) Minimize the "GPS Connector" app into your "Recent Apps" and open Google Maps
12) If you don't have location right away, click the small circular button with the red "?" inside, this should prompt you to turn on "Location Services".
If all goes well, you should now be able to navigate offline within the area of the map that you downloaded. For example, from your house to the local grocery store.
If you have an unlimited data plan on your phone, you could also setup your android phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot and tether it to the Fire HD 10.
Let me know if you manage, if not I will try and find another app to do the GPS sharing.
Good luck