Database Users

Where does the market save the .apk files?

Where does the market save the .apk files I download?In which folder?
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

On HTC desire, I find market apk's in /sdcard/download/. Usually after a failed install, so I am guessing those files get deleted after install. Should be the same on HD2.

They used to be there in /sdcard/downloads, none of the latests builds I've used leave the APKs there tho, I used to be able to search this folder and install any apps stuck at 100% download or failed, but they dont go there anymore.
So dunno where they gioing now.

I cannot find em anywhere...I use the mdjs desire hd version 4.4 and i cannot find those files...
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

nkos719 said:
Where does the market save the .apk files I download?In which folder?
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
id love to know where they are!!!
i hate redownloading them each time i start a new build from scratch. UGH!! i have to find all those downloads again and updates.

use root explorer. open it up and you should be at the first dir, their is a folder called "data", tap it, now tap on a folder called "app". this should be all your market apps. tap and hold whatever app you want, choose copy and navagate back to first page and scrole down to your "sdcard", tap it and paste your app where-ever you want to copy it to. this is where i found my apps. hope that helps yall.

Let me see...
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

Cannot find the .apk installation file.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

The apps mite be in a different location on your Android build, but on my build BlueTopia HD Beta 2 by cmylxgo, this is where they are, and they are the install program. Copy one to where-ever you want it then tap on it while still in root explorer, it should ask if you want to install, view or cancel. I've found that there is one thing bad about doing this, Market don't see them as being installed and won't tell you if there is an update for that program if there is one.

Hmmmm....I use the jdms 1.6.2 and the mdeejays revolution hd 1.2 but still cannot locate them anywhere...
Sent from my HTC bravo using XDA App

They are saved in /data/system/app or /data/app

Use root explorer, it should be under /data/app. If you use ES file explorer, you will see an empty /data directory.

I'Ve installed JDMS 1.6.2 and found them in the same place as i said, they have the little green Android guy next to them. Those are the whole app. Tap on one and youll see, it'll ask if you want to install view or cancle. You have to use root explorer!

Another option is to use Titanium Backup from Market. It is free. You can back up your installation to your SD card and install again later or for a different Android build.

data/app/
data/app-private/
system/app/
if you have apps 2 sd, i dont recall the name of the folder.
what file browser are you useing? some wont show protected files.

All "apk" user installed end up in /data/app. system/app is just all the Android installed apk's for that build. data/app-private is normally empty. If you are just looking to save all the apps you have downloaded and installed, then you need to backup the "app" folder in the data folder. But remember this will not be visible unless you have root access.

Good work guys...thank you so much.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

Copy my paid aps to my wife
Now I can copy my apps that I paid for and copy them to my wifes phone and now she has them too. Great way to make apps cheaper.
montecarlo5 said:
use root explorer. open it up and you should be at the first dir, their is a folder called "data", tap it, now tap on a folder called "app". this should be all your market apps. tap and hold whatever app you want, choose copy and navagate back to first page and scrole down to your "sdcard", tap it and paste your app where-ever you want to copy it to. this is where i found my apps. hope that helps yall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

a good app you might want to look at then would be appmonster or appmonster pro. the free version will backup apps to SD card, restore apps from SD card, quick uninstall where as the pro version does multiple version backups, gives access to extended options like APP2SD, cache, permissions, scan SD card for install-files, batch install (i believe) & even shares app-links via Facebook, Twitter, eMail. i have created a little stock pile of about 1200 or so apk's in the past year or 2.
I know there are a ton of applications that do the same but i personally like this program & suggest it to a lot of ppl who own a android phone.

nkos719 said:
Cannot find the .apk installation file.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
I'd advise you to download "appmonster".
This makes a backup of all ur apps as .apk files! (folder:appmonster)
Works great!

Application not installed error (root explorer)

I am trying to install APK's that I deleted. I moved the copied APK's from the SD card to the system/App file and tried to install through root explorer but I keep getting error (application not installed)? I have reset permissions and tried again but same error, any help?

For future reference?

If u want to change for example the camera app /apk you have to place the new apk where the old one was instead of installing ...if thats your problem ^^
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App

System APK's or APK's in use (loaded at startup) cannot be installed, you would have to copy and paste, or push the file to the location which would overwrite the old one if the file name is the same.

I accidentally deleted the Gingerbread music player....help.

I accidentally deleted the Gingerbread (.605) music player yesterday. I did the libjumper.so trick to put the Honeycomb 3.0 player on there and I accidentally overwrote the music.apk for gingerbread without making a copy. I supposedly found a copy if the apk and odex, but when I tried to install it....nothing showed up in the menu. I used root explorer to copy the apk and odex to system/app and I changed the permissions to rw-r-r then I rebooted the phone. That always seems to work when restoring system apps in the past but it isn't working this time. What am I doing wrong? And if I have the wrong apk and odex does anyone else have a link to the correct ones?
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

No idea what you might be doing incorrectly, but here...
http://www.chadhaney.com/droidXDefault/4.5.602/

When I clicked on that link I scrolled down to the music apk and odex. I clicked on them and it had a message on the page that they were downloading, but they weren't actually downloading. There was no download indicator at the top. Do you have another link?
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Deleted Google Talk.

So I was reading on how to change my name on Google Talk and someone suggested removing the app and installing it again.
After I used a ROM Toolbox Pro to uninstall talk, downloaded an apk to install it again and its not working !
Sorry for being a noob, but how do I get it back?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

download es file ex file explorer and move it with root to /system/app, then it should install itself....
Maybe you could attach it on your post here (the apk) cause u need it
Greets
Sent from my Xperia X10 using xda app-developers app

One additional step, when you move the APK to /system/app make sure that you set the permissions properly. System apps need to be rw-r--r-- (644).

And reboot after setting the permissions. The app should be there.

can't acces the gtalk
after all process
can't login

How to correctly move app into /system/priv-app

I'm trying to find a way to move an app from /data/app to /system/priv-app correctly. I'm on Oreo 8.1.0 with January 5, 2018 security patches. I'm rooted with Magisk v16.0.
I've tried using ES File Explorer to move it manually and apply correct permissions. I've tried using Lucky Patcher and Titanium Backup Pro to move it. With the manual move and Lucky Patcher, the app disappears (icon/shortcut is shaded out and doesn't work). With Titanium Backup, it starts the processing and sits with "Processing" forever.
Does anyone know of a way to move the app to system correctly?

What app are you trying to do it for? The most efficient way that I've found is to...
1. Install the app normally.
2. Find the app within /data/app/ and copy the folder to your internal storage
3. Uninstall the app
4. Copy and paste the folder either into /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/
5. Reboot and see if it works
---------- Post added at 05:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:32 PM ----------
What app are you trying to do it for? The most efficient way that I've found is to...
1. Install the app normally.
2. Find the app within /data/app/ and copy the folder to your internal storage
3. Uninstall the app
4. Copy and paste the folder either into /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/
5. Reboot and see if it works
Edit: It would seem that XDA is lagging for me. Excuse the double post, lol.

jvnat said:
I'm trying to find a way to move an app from /data/app to /system/priv-app correctly. I'm on Oreo 8.1.0 with January 5, 2018 security patches. I'm rooted with Magisk v16.0.
I've tried using ES File Explorer to move it manually and apply correct permissions. I've tried using Lucky Patcher and Titanium Backup Pro to move it. With the manual move and Lucky Patcher, the app disappears (icon/shortcut is shaded out and doesn't work). With Titanium Backup, it starts the processing and sits with "Processing" forever.
Does anyone know of a way to move the app to system correctly?
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Click to collapse
If you mount system in TWRP, you can use file explorer in advance setting to move any file anywhere. No need to set any permissions. Just reboot. Been doing that for while now. No problems at all.

I use root explorer,install app normal .got to data/app.copy to system/privapp.then go back to data/app delete the app,then reboot.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll give those methods a go.

I am trying to install an app in /system/priv-app and the app is not showing up in Settings -> Apps even with "Show system" selected.
This is on Google HTC Nexus 9 (flounder) Android 7.1.1 Security patch level October 5, 2017. I used TWRP to remount the root filesytem rw and move the app. I am trying to install com.incorporateapp.fakegps_route-1.
I installed the app from the Google Play store and copied it from
/data/app/com.incorporateapp.fakegps_route-1
to
/system/priv-app/com.incorporateapp.fakegps_route-1
The directory and all files and subdirectories are owner and group root.root. The permissions on the directory and files and subdirectories look correct. The com.incorporateapp.fakegps_route-1 directory is 755.
The directory and files are look to be correctly placed on the file system under /system/app-priv. I've checked multiple times. The app does not show up in System -> Apps even if "Show system" is selected. I understand that Android is supposed to find the new app in priv-app on boot and install it. That does not seem to be happening. Any other suggestions? Are there log files on boot I can check for error messages? Any help is appreciated.
TIA.

I have the same issue. When I move the fakegps app from data/app to system/priv-app then I have no icon to select the application from the home screen.
even after a reboot.
anybody knows how to get back the fakegps icon to be able to start the application?

If you guys are using Magisk root, I've found a module called App Systemizer which through a simple command line interface is able to convert apps you pick and choose from a list of installed ones on your phone to convert into system apps. Then when updates occur I use titanium backup's "integrate system dalvik into app" feature (it hangs so you have to force close it but it does the job) reboot and it's done.
The raw copy/paste way which has been described here has messed up my phone once or twice, and gave me a message on boot that "My phone has been corrupted or something along those lines and to contact the manufacturer".

TaZeR369 said:
If you guys are using Magisk root, I've found a module called App Systemizer which through a simple command line interface is able to convert apps you pick and choose from a list of installed ones on your phone to convert into system apps. Then when updates occur I use titanium backup's "integrate system dalvik into app" feature (it hangs so you have to force close it but it does the job) reboot and it's done.
The raw copy/paste way which has been described here has messed up my phone once or twice, and gave me a message on boot that "My phone has been corrupted or something along those lines and to contact the manufacturer".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
App systemizer just grants the app the status "system app"(likely through linking and granting permissions). It in no way moves it to the system partition.

Ive come to the same realization after running into some questionable free space on my /system Hehe. I copy the APK using TWRP now seems to do the trick.

TaZeR369 said:
Ive come to the same realization after running into some questionable free space on my /system Hehe. I copy the APK using TWRP now seems to do the trick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what version of android can you get, I'm not getting on android 10 can you help me?

Above method didn't worked for me. Below worked perfectly and is safe:
1. Install the app as usual.
2. Copy the app folder from /data/app to internal storage
3. Uninstall the app and reboot to recovery
4. Copy the app folder from internal storage to /system/priv-app folder (If you don't see system folder then you need to mount "system" partition in recovery first)
5. Give permissions to app folder (for all 9 checkboxes), reboot. Enjoy

Anyone else unable to see the folder with the app they moved after a reboot? I want to de-systemize, but I can't now.
I took the folder for the app I want to systemize and moved it from data/app to system/priv-app. Then rebooted. The app is now systemized (can't uninstall it, only disable) But the folder no longer exists under PRIV-APP.
I've done this many times with other apps and I've never seen this problem. Is it because I moved the entire folder and didn't rename it?
After reboot the folder can no longer be found under system/priv-app OR data/app. The app is still installed as a system app. Where is the folder with the app?
Running Android 9. Pixel 3.

I have come across a very strange phenomena on Galaxy M12. When I install an app as user it exists in /data/app forder in a weird way. The folders in /data/app are like ~~h8DR1aXXIZfV_DXfqwYf3g== (see attachment) and in these folders there is another folder with the app package name. On regular devices I hvae seen app package folder in /data/app itself.
When I copy the app package folder from /data/app/~~h8DR1aXXIZfV_DXfqwYf3g== to /system/app it does not work. I can see the app folder after reboot or even reset but app in not installed on the system. I have confirmed by running the activity using 'am' and tried listing with 'pm'. I have also given same permissions as other app folders in /system/app. I have also tried /system/app~~h8DR1aXXIZfV_DXfqwYf3g==.
Edit: As it turns out when I am copying to /system/app the base.apk is not copied properly. I have tried it multiple time, the system is mounted. Whatever I do it is either 0 kb or 100 kb exactl and the file is ~6mb. Still strange behaviour.