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Download and install latest APK #65
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Hi! In the general case, however, I think it is a bad idea to automatically fetch updated APKs on Evozi. |
Good to know, that implicates you're a programmer who has been thinking a lot about his app! ;-)
For unknown sources, I'm sure that is really the case. But fetching directly from Google via HTTPS?
In my eyes, that is only partially right. Running your app now makes me feel like "Oh hey, new update! But WTF, how to get it if not available on Aptoide or F-Droid?" Preferred suggestion: Add download and installation as an advanced user option within the settings as well as a warning prompt before enabling? |
If I knew Google's URL scheme, I would definitely provide a direct link to their APKs inside the app, as it is done for WhatsApp, Nine Mail, etc. who provide official, HTTPS links. That being said, I really don't want to perform automatic background downloads, this involves some file-system management (detecting that the app has been installed, remove downloaded APKs, etc.). As I said, a direct link to the latest APKs is provided whenever possible (but not for F-Droid yet), I think this is a good compromise. |
Doesn't the source of the ApkDownloader and maybe apk-php-parser by @evozi provide some clues?
Ok, I understand that. How about adding a button to manually initiate the download of the APK? |
I haven't had the time to look into Evozi's source yet :) |
Don't worry, I'll be patient until you did. Also, these projects might be useful, too:
Oh, didn't know that. Thanks for making me aware of it! |
I also thought about it and already looked in some sources. The issue for downloading APKs from Google Play is, that you need an Google-Account for it, I don't know another solution. |
@DJaeger, have you had a look at the projects I listed in my previous answer? I don't see any hardcoded accounts in these projects, but maybe I've just not looked thoroughly enough. Please verify.
Do I misunderstand this, or is F-Droid able to grab APKs from GooglePlay? Would be new to me.. |
Yes I had a look on these projects and much more. So for all the first it has to be in sources that F-Droid can build the app. As no one want to write credentials in source codes the only possible solutions are to deploy a webservice, where credentials are configured but not in sources or to require the user to configure them himself. The first solution has the disadventage that no paid apps can be downloaded and the latter, that it requires the user to register and accept Googles terms of use. That the user can choose to use a webservice (or how it is today oftern called "the cloud" ;-) ) or configure his own credentials. But if a webservice is deployed for this app it should offer some more solutions than this. Yes you misunderstood this. |
I think I will try to develope a webservice for this app, which supplies an api at some time |
That would be very nice to have! |
No, sorry. |
Hi @timofonic. My position on the topic has slightly evolved following very interesting conversations I had with an android hacker at the latest Hack in the Box conference. However, this is obviously a lot of work and it may be a while before I begin working on this (months, maybe a whole year). |
If ApkTrack had this feature, it would be for sure the number one app fetching APKs and updates! ;-) |
The latest beta version can now do this wherever direct links to APKs can be found (so for F-Droid and Xposed apps). |
Awesome! I guess an update of |
F-Droid does not build beta releases. Right now, it's only available in the APKs I distribute, but if things go well (i.e. no bugs are reported), I'll make a stable release in a week or so. |
Perfect, just take your time, I'll be patient. 👍 |
@JusticeRage what about just exporting a list of apks that need updating? Or automatically creating this file on sdcard? It could be a csv, a xml, a yaml, a json file, the simplest thing you can get. At least this way you can help people that want to automate upgrades: having this list, I can send it to my owncloud instance, and set a bash script that iterates through all apks that need upgrading and download using a 3rd party script. So, if I installed "Meme Generator Free" from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zombodroid.MemeGenerator&hl=pt_BR, your file would contain "com.zombodroid.MemeGenerator" in a line and it would be easier to download the apks. What do you think? At least this is easier than reverse-engineering google play. :) |
I may work on this in the future, but this will not be top priority! |
That's not a CLI https://codingteam.net/project/googleplaydownloader/download But some of it's dependencies are. The idea is to use them somehow in the future, or something like this one https://github.com/yan12125/google-play-downloader (haven't tested it). I think this is feasible and not so complicated as reverse engineering google play itself. But as you said, not top priority, that's fine. |
The AppBrain proxy has been updated to retrieve APKs from APKMirror when possible. |
While I have no knowledge about the specifics of the build process at F-Droid, software authors do release beta versions there. I am mentioning this, as releasing beta versions on F-Droid will likely provide many more testers, resulting in much more test coverage on various Android versions etc. |
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This supposedly addresses this Python program: https://github.com/matlink/gplaycli |
Thanks for all of your work with this. Any chance that an automated background install via system privileges (or root privileges) could become part of ApkTrack in the future? |
It could in theory, but this isn't something I can work on as I don't own a phone I can root... Contributions are welcome on this issue. |
Hi @JusticeRage! First of all: Thanks for publishing your great app on my beloved F-Droid store! 👍 Since I am a privacy geek with a rooted phone digging into Android development myself (see my account here), I also enjoy having freed my phone from anything Google and already use Aptoide and of course F-Droid. Your app now enables me to check multiple stores for updates of all APKs, but I wonder why it cannot fetch and install the latest updates of free APKs yet? If it can't for legal reasons, please recommend me another open source app that can accomplish this task. Thank you for developing this!
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