Android Question How does one install an app I have built on an other android device and what package is installed?

[John Woodsmall]

I want to test my app on another computer in another county. So what do I send to the other person and how do they install it?

 

[udg]

Hi John,

please find the .apk file in the Objects sub directory under your project dir. This is the file to send out for testing.
Be adviced that the receiving party should have the security option "accept unknown sources" active on his/her own device.

Umberto

 

[eps]

I use Dropbox to send out new versions of Apps for pre-release testing. If you have an account you can share a folder with other Users. If it's not too large you can email it and they can install from the email. The 'accept unknown sources' part still applies, obviously.

 

[John Woodsmall]

I looked in the objects folder and could not find the *.apk file.
Is there some compile method that I need to use to create this?

thanks

 

[John Woodsmall]

There was a :temp.ap_ file, is that the one and it needs to be changed to temp.apk???

 

[NJDude]

To get an APK you MUST compile your app in RELEASE mode.

 

[John Woodsmall]

I found the *.apk file now I just email it to someone and they download it to Where? and then they can just run it?
Seems to simple.

 

[Tom Christman]

Are you familiar with using adb (android debug bridge) and its use to install apk on your android device? If not, here is a link for the source, location and use of adb (http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html).

 

[John Woodsmall]

thanks for this, but:
1.) If i or anyone goes to the google play site they can
a.) click on an app and download it to their device.
b.) it installs itself to the device.
2.) my question is how does someone outside of the google play site
do this. I have someone in the U.S. that I want to have the *.apk and download it their
device and beable to test my program. This person is totally non-techincal
and therefore it must be easy and painless and error free to do.

Am I correct that this can be done without going thru the google play site?
If so how do you do it?
what are the steps?
thanks

 

[stevel05]

If they have already downloaded the apk, they will need to use a File Manager app to click on (run) it. Depending on the device they may already have one installed, or they could install something like Astro from the Google play store. The file will probably end up in a Download folder on the SDCard. You can test the process and let them know exactly where to find the file if you have the same device.

 

[Tom Christman]

Steve is right(as usual), the simplest technique would be to copy your program to an sd card (if your device has an accessible one and your friend has a slot for an sd card). Then install something like Astro File manager on both devices. Locate the .apk file you want to transfer in the Objects Folder (after the app has been compiled). Copy that file to an sd card (or email your client the .apk file and have him/her copy that file onto an sd card). Install the sd card on his device (if accessible), and then use Astro to find the file. Double click on the file (and Astro will ask if you want to install it). Install and open. The nice part about this procedure is that you can test this before transferring to your client. It works for me.

 

[udg]

Hi all,

to distribute my apps out of the Google Play store, I simply uploaded those apps to a public dir on my website.
That way, even an absolutely non-tech person could simply download the wanted app directly to his/her own device and installs it from Andoid's download manager.
On first attempt I used an FTP program to access my website, create a folder, upload my .apk file in it and then upload in the site root dir an html page, containing just a link to that apk file.

Umberto

 

[John Woodsmall]

great...good stuff...however.
I did that; I created a html page:http://www.astrocye.com/AstroMatch/Astro_Match.html
where there is:http://www.astrocye.com/AstroMatch/AstroMatch.apk
when I open it in IE it says page not found(I know it is there).
then on the android device I opened it with "es...something" to download.
it seemed to try to download it to the sd card.(it went very quickly(175k)
but I could not find it on the sdcard (under download).
I thought it might be the 'signing" thing...so I checked and I have got the signing done
as directed.
So I am lost on the "How to download as apk file to an android outside of google".

thanks for all your helps.

 

[udg]

Hi John,

never worked with IIS servers before, but I suspect that your difficulty about .apk downloading may relate to something called "Known Extensions".

If this is the case, maybe you coul find useful this link.

Umberto

 

[ardhuru]

HI John,

The simplest way is to send the other party an email, with your apk attached. When he opens the mail on his android, and taps on the attachment, it will install itself.

Best Regards,

Anand Dhuru

 

[John Woodsmall]

hello again.
I have my app further along, but when I download it to an android samsung phone. it goes to the download program and once there if i click on it it says "can not open program". I thought that when you downloaded the *.apk under crome it automatcly installed it on the device?

 

[Erel]

Have you enabled installation from unknown sources?