diff --git a/lib/android-helpers.js b/lib/android-helpers.js
index 1bd8e06e..02b5316e 100644
--- a/lib/android-helpers.js
+++ b/lib/android-helpers.js
@@ -309,8 +309,10 @@ helpers.installApk = async function (adb, opts = {}) {
  * @param {Object} opts Opts defined in driver.js
  */
 helpers.installOtherApks = async function (otherApps, adb, opts) {
-  let {androidInstallTimeout = PACKAGE_INSTALL_TIMEOUT,
-    autoGrantPermissions} = opts;
+  let {
+    androidInstallTimeout = PACKAGE_INSTALL_TIMEOUT,
+    autoGrantPermissions
+  } = opts;
 
   // Install all of the APK's asynchronously
   await B.all(otherApps.map((otherApp) => {
@@ -318,7 +320,7 @@ helpers.installOtherApks = async function (otherApps, adb, opts) {
     return adb.install(otherApp, {
       grantPermissions: autoGrantPermissions,
       timeout: androidInstallTimeout,
-      "-r": true,
+      replace: true,
     });
   }));
 };
@@ -584,21 +586,22 @@ helpers.removeAllSessionWebSocketHandlers = async function (server, sessionId) {
   }
 };
 
-helpers.parseArray =  function (cap) {
-  // If it's a string, try parsing as an object/array
-  if (_.isString(cap)) {
-    let parsedCaps;
-    try {
-      parsedCaps = JSON.parse(cap);
-    } catch (ign) { }
+/**
+ * Takes a desired capability and tries to JSON.parse it as an array,
+ * and either returns the parsed array or a singleton array.
+ *
+ * @param {any} cap A desired capability
+ */
+helpers.parseArray = function (cap) {
+  let parsedCaps;
+  try {
+    parsedCaps = JSON.parse(cap);
+  } catch (ign) { }
 
-    if (_.isArray(parsedCaps)) {
-      return parsedCaps;
-    } else if (_.isPlainObject(parsedCaps)) {
-      throw new Error(`must provide a string or JSON array; received ${cap}`);
-    } else {
-      return [cap];
-    }
+  if (_.isArray(parsedCaps)) {
+    return parsedCaps;
+  } else if (_.isString(cap)) {
+    return [cap];
   }
 
   throw new Error(`must provide a string or JSON Array; received ${cap}`);
diff --git a/test/unit/android-helper-specs.js b/test/unit/android-helper-specs.js
index 588a1a21..cdd7e4a6 100644
--- a/test/unit/android-helper-specs.js
+++ b/test/unit/android-helper-specs.js
@@ -394,9 +394,9 @@ describe('Android Helpers', function () {
   }));
   describe('installOtherApks', withMocks({adb, fs, helpers}, function (mocks) {
     const opts = {
-      app : 'local',
-      appPackage : 'pkg',
-      androidInstallTimeout : 90000
+      app: 'local',
+      appPackage: 'pkg',
+      androidInstallTimeout: 90000
     };
 
     const fakeApk = '/path/to/fake/app.apk';
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ describe('Android Helpers', function () {
     const expectedADBInstallOpts = {
       grantPermissions: undefined,
       timeout: opts.androidInstallTimeout,
-      "-r": true,
+      replace: true,
     };
 
     it('should not call adb.install if otherApps is empty', async function () {
@@ -695,9 +695,5 @@ describe('Android Helpers', function () {
     it('should parse a simple string to one item array', function () {
       helpers.parseArray('abc').should.eql(['abc']);
     });
-    it('should reject if an Object is provided', function () {
-      (() => helpers.parseArray('{"hello": "world"}')).should.throw(/s/);
-      //(() => helpers.parseArray('{"hello": "world"}'))().should.throw(/must provide a/);
-    });
   });
 });