[Q] What's the simplest way to fool the store into letting my N5 install an app? - Nexus 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I'm using a modified APK of Hearthstone on my N5 w/ 5.0.1 that runs well, but in-app purchases aren't working due to sideloading it. So I'd like to install it "properly". The game officially requires a 6"+ screen to install, though I don't know if spoofing the screen size/DPI is all that's needed to install it properly. Not sure if I have to make the store think I have a different device entirely. If that is the case, is editing build.prop the best solution? Info about spoofing the device with build.prop is a bit sketchy, not sure about keys etc.
I was recommended something called Market Helper but it seems that has been retired.

Sideload the market helper apk.

Is there any besides this one? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2146216 Comments said it's no longer being maintained and doesn't work on Android 5.

Related

Amazon FireTV apps - Ripped for your pleasure

I've extracted the following apps from the Amazon FireTV for anyone who wants to tinker around and try porting them to other devices.
Bloomberg TV
Crackle
Hulu Plus
iHeartRadio
Netflix
Pandora
Showtime Anytime
TuneIn Radio
Vevo
Vimeo
ESPN
All the interfaces are pretty good, so we really get these working with other Android boxes (especially Netflix).
Get the whole 140MB pack here.
Thanks for the apps! thought I would try so I could make Netflix more remote friendly. First they failed due to no amazon app store, then fails because the app store says i don't own the app and I can't download the Fire TV netflix from there. I wish I could just spoof the check or disable it.
multiuse said:
I wish I could just spoof the check or disable it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. I'm sure it can be done. All dl'ed Amazon Apps associate with the app store...it's just a matter of decompiling the .apks and removing or altering some lines I assume. (Which lines? IDK...here I come google.)
EDIT: Last night I tried to change a couple setting in the build.prop to spoof as a Fire TV, no joy. The Amazon App store wouldn't even open. (Unfortunately, AppStore has closed) Also, it should be noted that this is on the latest nightly CM11 build.
Fire TV was shipped with the purchasers info already entered into the box. (Purchaser info in APpStore) My concern is that there is a tertiary check...like a serial number check in the build.prop, idk... I think that simply removing the checks from the .apks will do the trick...hopefully.
Mod edit: Please do not discuss Lucky Patcher or apps that rhyme with it
Can you tell me how to modify the build.prop? I want to try modifying it to try and fake GPS and location services by doing the following:
gps.enable=true
&
hw.nolocation=false
link
Hey DaveTo - I think we're after the same thing, location services on the fire tv. I sent you a message on reddit the other day about modifying the settings.db file, but that didn't work. Here's how to edit the build.prop. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1948558 Let me know if you get it working!
This is funny. I was just replying to your reddit message on how you should try what I'm asking above. Not sure this technique will help, I think its more suited for getting past Google Store restrictions, but give it a go if you want to try. I end up spending more time trying to figure this out than actually watching hockey games. Plus, it is truly frustrating that others with FireTVs have gotten this to work and you and I can't. I would love to get to the bottom of this, but I can't even get the checkboxes to enable.
Were you planning on adding these two lines into the build prop file? They don't appears anywhere in the file so I'm asking.
gps.enable=true
&
hw.nolocation=false

Google Play store says my phone is incompatible, could someone please send me .apk?

I bought a breathalyzer that requires an app to use. The app requires android 4.3, so I rooted my Photon Q 4G and installed cm-10.2.1-xt897. However, the google play store still thinks my device is incompatible, even after messing around with Market Helper. I even tried playing around with build.prop manually, which was almost a disaster when it broke my keyboard and I had no way of typing back in the settings I had changed. I changed ro.product.model, ro.product.brand, and ro.product.manufacturer to imitate a Galaxy S3 and S4, neither worked. Anyway, I'd like to try side loading the app on my device to see if it works because I'm pretty sure the google play store is just being stubborn (I've seen other installation issues reported by people with non-rooted phones for this app). Could someone with a compatible phone (stock Android 4.3+) please download this app and send me the .apk file? I'm not asking anyone to steal since it's a free app anyway. Alternatively, could someone explain which settings I should be changing in build.prop to fool the google play store (preferably without breaking my phone)?
DRH48 said:
I bought a breathalyzer that requires an app to use. The app requires android 4.3, so I rooted my Photon Q 4G and installed cm-10.2.1-xt897. However, the google play store still thinks my device is incompatible, even after messing around with Market Helper. I even tried playing around with build.prop manually, which was almost a disaster when it broke my keyboard and I had no way of typing back in the settings I had changed. I changed ro.product.model, ro.product.brand, and ro.product.manufacturer to imitate a Galaxy S3 and S4, neither worked. Anyway, I'd like to try side loading the app on my device to see if it works because I'm pretty sure the google play store is just being stubborn (I've seen other installation issues reported by people with non-rooted phones for this app). Could someone with a compatible phone (stock Android 4.3+) please download this app and send me the .apk file? I'm not asking anyone to steal since it's a free app anyway. Alternatively, could someone explain which settings I should be changing in build.prop to fool the google play store (preferably without breaking my phone)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go the apk is attached
Editing build.prop to look like other phones is not a good idea.
And to unlock the play store there is an xposed module available. So install xposed and find the module.:good:
HIT THANX IF I HELPED:laugh:
also there are apk download sites that will allow u to download apps to your pc from your web browser
http://download.freeapk.ru/en.php
http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader
Tangodown78 said:
also there are apk download sites that will allow u to download apps to your pc from your web browser
http://download.freeapk.ru/en.php
http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This^^^ or go here too! http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2392504
there is also a Chrome plugin that allows you to download directly from play store but is tricky as you need a fake IME and google account (Fake) lots of ways to get what you need

Apps from the Play Store

Anyone with the ADT-1, do you have full access to the play store or is it a curated list of apps?
For my uses I'm really going to want to have access to a VPN application like Anyconnect or OpenConnect, is that a possibility with the Player?
Right now, since it's only a preview with a preview of the Play Store, the app base is very limited to choose from. Like 20-30. So far though, I have been able to sideload many APKs just fine (root explorer, XBMC, XBMC Updater, etc.). I still haven't gotten the OTA that was released yesterday though, so I don't know if the experience will change; however, I'm willing to bet there will be some kind of curated experience.
Update: Found the OTA package for Molly to LPX13D. Updating now (after master resetting by mistake - lol). Will follow up with what the updated experience looks like.
Update 2: So, I'm on the new build. The overall experience is pretty much the same, with some minor UI/UX changes. The Play Store no longer says preview on it; however, I still only have the small list of apps. More specifically: 4 Android TV apps; 3 TV Remote Games; and about 15-20 Gamepad Games.
Mi|enko said:
Right now, since it's only a preview with a preview of the Play Store, the app base is very limited to choose from. Like 20-30. So far though, I have been able to sideload many APKs just fine (root explorer, XBMC, XBMC Updater, etc.). I still haven't gotten the OTA that was released yesterday though, so I don't know if the experience will change; however, I'm willing to bet there will be some kind of curated experience.
Update: Found the OTA package for Molly to LPX13D. Updating now (after master resetting by mistake - lol). Will follow up with what the updated experience looks like.
Update 2: So, I'm on the new build. The overall experience is pretty much the same, with some minor UI/UX changes. The Play Store no longer says preview on it; however, I still only have the small list of apps. More specifically: 4 Android TV apps; 3 TV Remote Games; and about 15-20 Gamepad Games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where can I find the LPX13D build for ADT-1?
jimmyjamesbob said:
Where can I find the LPX13D build for ADT-1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The link to the OTA is http://android.clients.google.com/p...a.signed-molly-LPX13D-from-LPW39.92b93576.zip
If you have rooted the device you will have to fix the update-script to remove checks of install-recovery.sh and build.prop as well as installing a custom recovery for the modified build to install.
Two questions related to apps from the Play Store...
a) Do I need to root in order to sideload apps? Or can I do it similar to a phone/tablet where I just have to allow "unknown sources"?
b) The three apps that will be my "killer apps" will be the DirecTV app, Amazon Prime, and HockeyStreams (HSDroid in the play store). Any reason to believe any/all of these will not work if side loaded?
Thanks in advance... this will likely drive my decision to buy a Nexus Player!
sloheim said:
Two questions related to apps from the Play Store...
a) Do I need to root in order to sideload apps? Or can I do it similar to a phone/tablet where I just have to allow "unknown sources"?
b) The three apps that will be my "killer apps" will be the DirecTV app, Amazon Prime, and HockeyStreams (HSDroid in the play store). Any reason to believe any/all of these will not work if side loaded?
Thanks in advance... this will likely drive my decision to buy a Nexus Player!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As of right now you can adb install any application (or at least on the ADT-1).
sloheim said:
Two questions related to apps from the Play Store...
a) Do I need to root in order to sideload apps? Or can I do it similar to a phone/tablet where I just have to allow "unknown sources"?
b) The three apps that will be my "killer apps" will be the DirecTV app, Amazon Prime, and HockeyStreams (HSDroid in the play store). Any reason to believe any/all of these will not work if side loaded?
Thanks in advance... this will likely drive my decision to buy a Nexus Player!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some apps have compatibility issues with ADT-1. I've tried the Comcast VOD app and HBO Go. They load, but are missing elements for navigation and don't function properly.
smiley2billion said:
For my uses I'm really going to want to have access to a VPN application like Anyconnect or OpenConnect, is that a possibility with the Player?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering this as well. I know that Android has native support for PPTP and L2TP/IPsec protocols and that I can set up a VPN on my Nexus 5 with no additional software. Does the Nexus Player / ADT-1 have this functionality, or has it (as I suspect) been removed?
Thanks.

Downloading APKs on-device from the store without using Google's API

I just got a tablet that uses a de-Googled Android (Amazon Kindle Fire HDX). I'm aware you can install the Play Store and turn it into a useable tablet, but I wonder if this couldn't be achieved in a simpler way - or rather, a way that didn't require installing the Google framework.
I'm thinking of the Chrome/Chromium plugin that lets you spoof the Play Store and download the APKs straight to your computer. I'd like something similar, but that could run on the device itself, so you could install stuff without needing a computer nearby. Unfortunately Chrome for Android doesn't support the same extensions as the desktop version, so that option is a no-go. I've checked a few apps that claim to download APKs, but they all use the Google API and won't work if the PlayStore isn't already installed.
Any ideas?
head over apkleecher.com, put the package name there and download the apk from g0ogle play, in any browser

Build.prop edits to install incompatible apps

After changing everything I can in build.prop, well everything any source on net suggests needing to, google store still sees my s4 as an s4. Everything else seems to see it as a shield tablet though.
Does this still work to trick googleplay to downloading apps it deems as incompatible? If not is there another way?
Want to download war thunder and a few others only available to shields.

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