Thursday, November 6, 2008

Howto: Install Non-Market (.apk) Apps on your Android G1

Steps:

1. Download and install the Google Android SDK. The tool you need is adb.exe. Just typing adb in a command shell will display all the options. I'm not going to cover adb in detail, it's the SDK tool you use to install applications and interface with the device.

http://code.google.com/android/intro/installing.html

2. Download the USB driver for Windows. You need it for adb to inteface with an actual device using the included USB cable. Install it later after connecting the G1 to your computer using the USB cable.

http://dl.google.com/android/android_usb_windows.zip

3. Go to Settings/SD card & phone storage and disable Use for USB storage. You can enable it again later after you installed your third-party application.

4. Go to Settings/Application settings and enable Unknown sources.

5. Connect the G1 to your computer using the USB cable and install the driver you downloaded in step 2. After installing the driver you should see ADB Inteface in Windows Device Manager.

6. If you made it this far, download the APK file to a local folder on your computer, something like C:\MyAPKs will work fine and install it using ADB. The command would be adb install c:\myapks\ and that's about it.

7 comments:

  1. You also need to turn on USB debugging in Settings - Application settings - Development.

    Ray.

    ReplyDelete
  2. hi

    i can see ADB Inteface in Windows Device Manager.

    BUT

    i got a message "$ ./adb shell
    error: device not found"

    i can not pass the google setting so i can not find Settings Menu in G1.

    so i can not do anything that you said ....

    But my device was detected as ADB Interface(HTC Dream). So i think it is not a mass devices.

    how can i do ?

    i want to connect with G1 and pass google wizard screen and want get a home screen.

    please...

    ReplyDelete
  3. hi
    i have done everything and reached the adb install but the command shell displays can't find c:\myapks\ to install. How to solve this problem?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've seen this Post at another site that informed about 'android dev 1 phone'. so I wonder this method is useful for Regular G1 phone? If not. Could you left another way to unlock the G1 phone with out PIN Number.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There's no "disable Use for USB storage" menu in T-Mobile G1. So it doesn't work :(

    ReplyDelete
  6. Installing APK files through Desktop using Windows Vista

    After an intense search on how to install apk files through Vista, I have finally found a way to install APK files through your desktop runnning Vista. I'm not a computer guru and don't know diddly-squat about programming so if there is a better and faster way to install apk files through your desktop, please revise:

    1) Disconnect your G1 mobile from your computer
    2) Create a folder in your Documents folder for both files you will need to download
    3) Download Google Android SDk for Windows http://code.google.com/android/intro/installing.html and save to the folder you created.
    4) Download the USB Driver http://dl.google.com/android/android_usb_windows.zip and save to the folder you created.
    5) Unzip both files into the folder and install the android program.
    6) Open the "Androids-sdk-windows" that was unpacked, open the "tools" folder, and on your windows explorer, first left click on the address then right click and copy the full address.
    7) Click on "start" menu, right click on "Computer", click on "Properties". Click on "Advanced system settings"
    8) On the "Advanced" tab, click on "Environmental Variables...". Under "user variable..." click "New".
    9) For variable name type: sdk_root
    10) For variable value: just right click and paste. click ok
    11) On your G1, go to "settings", "applications", and check "unknown sources"
    11) Connect your G1 mobile and update your usb driver with the file you downloaded in step 4. If your usb driver will not update, use your device manager ("start" menu, right click "computer", click on "properties", "device manager") to update driver.
    12) Be sure to mount your phone.
    13) Move your .apk files to the "tools" folder you located in step 6
    14) On the tools folder, mouse over a blank spot, hit "shift+right click" and click "Open command Windows here".
    15) On the command screen, type :adb install filename.apk
    Enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. here are the Steps to install non-market applications on G1 using sdk interface:

    1. Download and install the Google Android SDK. The tool you need is adb.exe.

    2. Download the USB driver for Windows. You need it for adb to inteface with an actual device using the included USB cable. Install it later after connecting the G1 to your computer using the USB cable.

    http://dl.google.com/android/android_usb_windows.zip

    3. Go to Settings/Application settings and enable Unknown sources.

    4. Connect the G1 to your computer using the USB cable and install the driver you downloaded in step 2. After installing the driver you should see ADB Inteface in Windows Device Manager.

    5.now u have to turn on debugging mode from application settings.
    here is path.
    settings->appplications-> development->usb debugging

    6. If you made it this far, download the APK file to a local folder on your computer, something like C:\MyAPKs will work fine and install it using ADB. The command would be adb install c:\myapks\ and that's about it.

    ReplyDelete