Kindle Fire non US with Androis Apps

greywing56 · January 11th, 2012, 09:49 PM

Hello all, I have just purchased a Kindle Fire and I am in Australia. Here we cannot get Apps, Movies or TV as purchasing these items from Amazon Kindle Store requires you to have a US Credit Card - yes, even for FREE Apps! I have been reading articles about sideloading Android Apps (.apk files) from your PC onto your Kindle Fire, which I have done. However, in order to INSTALL them you need an App called ES File Explorer. This it seems can only been downloaded via the Amazon store, and as per above, I cannot do because I don't have a US Credit Card! Catch 22! So I managed to download ES File Explorer, and sideload it, but still cannot install it because I don't have a file explorer. Can anyone out there suggest any way I can access these .apk files I have placed onto my Kindle Fire, so that I can install them? Hope there's someone out there who can help. It is ludicrous that Amazon sells a product with only 30% of its functionality working for overseas buyers. I'm sure they are already copping a lot of criticism for this, and yet there is currently no indication of when this issue can be overcome.

chrstdvd · January 12th, 2012, 06:49 AM

If you can access the Market, there is an app APKInstaller.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.android.apkinstaller&feature=search _result

I believe you can get Astro file manager to install apk's that are on your SD card. I use apk installer. It is a tiny file, if you can not get it, let me know and I will email it to you.

El Presidente · January 12th, 2012, 07:38 AM

Welcome to AF Greywing, I've moved your thread to the Kindle area as I'm sure it's not an uncommon issue and users here will be able to assist.

Have you heard of ADB? It's a method of installing apk files via the PC using a piece of software called the Android Debug Bridge. I know the Fire is slightly locked down, but can you enable USB Debugging?

greywing56 · January 12th, 2012, 06:11 PM

Thanks for the tip. So I followed your link to apkinstaller using the KF and hit install. It asked me for my Google login & password, then came back that there were no phones linked to my Google account. I don't have an Android phone. Any other ideas on how I can install some kind of file explorer which will allow me to access and install .apk files?

greywing56 · January 12th, 2012, 06:16 PM

I'm sorry, I don't know anything about USB debugging.

chrstdvd · January 12th, 2012, 07:34 PM

I took ApkInstaller from my internal memory and zipped it up and attached it for you. Unzip the file and move to your SD card, touch it and choose Install. It should install on your device I the Fire is an Android device.

Do you have Astro File Manager? I can get that for you as well. Or what ever file manager you want from the market.

This is an interesting problem, you are in Australia can purchase the Fire, but can not purchase from Amazon or the Market.

You can access the Market which means the apps listed have links to the developers. Once I had to go to the developer link in the Market and get the app because the developer was in England. They verified I had paid the Market and then sent me a link to download the app. I do not remember why I could not download the app, Titanium Backup licence, but it worked out for me going direct to the developer.

Can you get a Paypal account? Most developers will sell directly to U, if you donate via Paypal.

Let me know if the apkinstaller works for you. I may have to get the file using the ADB commands, if this copy, past, transfer did not work.

I was going to attach Astro, but I have several counting plug in's and licences, so I have to find the main file on my phone tomorrow. It is past my bed time here.
com.android.apkinstaller-1.zip

El Presidente · January 12th, 2012, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greywing56

I'm sorry, I don't know anything about USB debugging.

Head to Settings -> Applications -> Development, there should be an option to enable USB Debugging there. If there is, turn it on and we can take things from there.

grvthang · January 12th, 2012, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greywing56

Hello all, I have just purchased a Kindle Fire and I am in Australia. Here we cannot get Apps, Movies or TV as purchasing these items from Amazon Kindle Store requires you to have a US Credit Card - yes, even for FREE Apps! I have been reading articles about sideloading Android Apps (.apk files) from your PC onto your Kindle Fire, which I have done. However, in order to INSTALL them you need an App called ES File Explorer. This it seems can only been downloaded via the Amazon store, and as per above, I cannot do because I don't have a US Credit Card! Catch 22! So I managed to download ES File Explorer, and sideload it, but still cannot install it because I don't have a file explorer. Can anyone out there suggest any way I can access these .apk files I have placed onto my Kindle Fire, so that I can install them? Hope there's someone out there who can help. It is ludicrous that Amazon sells a product with only 30% of its functionality working for overseas buyers. I'm sure they are already copping a lot of criticism for this, and yet there is currently no indication of when this issue can be overcome.

I don't get it - if you download a file explorer apk, you should be able to locate it in your Notifications drawer (click on the upper left hand corner). Once you've located it, you can click on the apk and install it.
Go to [site removed], enter "ES File Explorer apk", and download it again. When the download is complete, it will show up in the Notifications.

I don't know why people seem to be making this a bigger deal than what it is - the OP is just looking to install a file explorer, not root the friggin device (not yet, anyway).

chrstdvd · January 13th, 2012, 06:13 AM

Thanks, I did not know about that.

El Presidente · January 13th, 2012, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grvthang

I don't get it - if you download a file explorer apk, you should be able to locate it in your Notifications drawer (click on the upper left hand corner). Once you've located it, you can click on the apk and install it.
Go to 4shared.com, enter "ES File Explorer apk", and download it again. When the download is complete, it will show up in the Notifications.

I don't know why people seem to be making this a bigger deal than what it is - the OP is just looking to install a file explorer, not root the friggin device (not yet, anyway).

I thought you needed a file explorer for that work as it's not something I've ever had to do before.

No one's talking about rooting either so I've no idea where that came from? Installing via ADB is a relatively simple procedure and can be done in minutes.

chrstdvd · January 13th, 2012, 08:43 AM

El Presidente, just for my knowledge base, how do you install an apk with ADB? I have not used in it a long time, but I remember rooting my Droid 2 and using the Push command to get the files to the phone. Does that install the app or is there another command to actually install the app. I ask because last night when I was using Root Explorer to find the apkinstaller app, I was in /data/app-private. When I touched it I was given the choice to Install, View, or Cancel.

El Presidente · January 13th, 2012, 09:07 AM

Place the apk in the same folder as the adb exe and just type "adb install XXXYYY.apk".

Not sure if it would be that easy for system apps, but I can't see why it wouldn't work for something like ES etc.

lunatic59 · January 13th, 2012, 09:14 AM

Very simply you open a command prompt and change to the folder where adb is located (tools or platform-tools, depending when you installed the SDK).

With USB Debugging enable on the phone and the phone plugged into the PC, type:

Code:

adb devices

Just to ensure the phone is recognized. It will be listed as a serial number

Then to install your .apk file type:

Code:

adb install <full path to .apk file>

It will push the app to your phone. When done, unmount the phone and it will be installed.

lunatic59 · January 13th, 2012, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Presidente

Place the apk in the same folder as the adb exe and just type "adb install XXXYYY.apk".

Not sure if it would be that easy for system apps, but I can't see why it wouldn't work for something like ES etc.

You *can* install system apps, but you need to elevate permissions in the adb shell to 'su' (SuperUser). It's a bit more involved.

grvthang · January 13th, 2012, 03:40 PM

Here's what the OP was asking:
"I managed to download ES File Explorer, and sideload it, but still cannot install it because I don't have a file explorer. Can anyone out there suggest any way I can access these .apk files I have placed onto my Kindle Fire, so that I can install them?"

Sounds like all he was asking for, and all he needed to do, was to install a file explorer. Nothing more, nothing less.

chrstdvd · January 13th, 2012, 04:18 PM

Ok, I wrote a batch file today for another person with install problems similar to this post that will install Astro File Manager onto a device that is connected to a computer and mounted as a drive.

Just unzip the folder and then open the unzipped folder and double click on Astroinstall.bat. It will install the apk on the device.

For anyone that knows how to edit a batch file and wants to install a different apk, just place the apk in the folder, and in the right click the bat file and choose Edit.

Look for this line:
adb install ASTRO_File_Manager_2.5.2.apk

replace ASTRO_File_Manager_2.5.2.apk with the name of your apk file.

then save your work and run the bat file. (I always make copies and use the copies in case I screw up.)

Anyway if OP just runs this batch file, he will have access to sd card and can install the ES File explorer and then delete Astro if he wants too.

Install Astro.zip

Luck!

greywing56 · January 14th, 2012, 06:19 PM

Thanks everyone. I fixed it quite easily. I actually used the Office application to explore, simply navigated to where I had placed the ES File Explorer and opened it from there. once it installed (there were no problems) I was able to install a few other .apk files. Thank you all for your help!

El Presidente · January 14th, 2012, 06:48 PM

Good stuff!

rickwr88 · February 2nd, 2012, 02:26 PM

Hello everyone, I wish you a good day. I'm glad to see there are people that know about the Kindle Fire stuff. I'm having the same problem as GREYWING56 since I am not in Australia but in Canada. Like you can see, my english is not very good but I hope you guys will can understand what I'm writting. If anyone can help my it would be greatly appreciated.
So.. I know I'm not stupid but All the information that was give to GREYWING56 as resolve the problem but there's too much confusing information for me.
I dont know a lot about all this suff but I want to skip the baby steps to anjoy the full extent of my Kindle Fire.
So is there anyone that can give me the step by step instruction please.
thank you very much for you help and concerns

rickwr88 · February 2nd, 2012, 08:13 PM

Thank you guys. I made it. I just want to said a big big thank you everybody for the great work.

rivercruiser · February 4th, 2012, 12:13 AM

Another easy way to install ES File Explorer is by using the built-in browser. Search for the homepage ES File Explorer, download the installation file and install from within the browser.

rickwr88 · February 4th, 2012, 03:01 PM

HOW TO HACK YOUR KINDLE FIRE
And change it in a full android tablet

Step 1: On your Kindle Fire go to More > Settings > Device > and turn “Allow Installation of Applications” to On.

Step 2: Download and install the Android SDK Manager. It may require to install the Java SE Development (JDK) if you don’t already have it.

Step 3: Start Android SDK Manager

Step 4: Uncheck Android 4.0 and check Android 2.33. Also ensure that Google USB Driver Package is checked. Click install packages. It will install the SDK first, and then you must click install again to install the Google USB Driver Package. Once complete close the Android SDK Manager

Step 5: Navigate to C:\Android\extras\google\usb_driver and right click on android_winusb and select “open with”. Open it with Notepad

Step 6: Find the following lines [Google.NETx86] and [Google.NTamd64] and place the following text directly under each line and save and close the file
;Kindle Fire
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_1949&PID_0006
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_1949&PID_0006&MI_01

Step 7: In Windows Explorer go to %USERPROFILE% and select Organize > Folders and search options > View > select Show hidden files, folders, and drives > click Apply and OK.

Step 8:.Double click on android folder. Inside you will find adb_usb.inf. Open that file with Notepad and verify the value contained is: 0×1949. If not, erase everything and put this value 0x1949 then save it.

Step 9: Plug in your Kindle Fire, and go to Device Manager ( Start - control panel – hardware and sound – device manager) . You will see Kindle Fire under “other devices”. Right click on Kindle fire, and select Update Driver Software > Browse my computer for driver software. Make sure “include subfolders” is checked, then click Browse and navigate to C:\Android\extras\google\ and click OK then Next. You may receive a warning that “Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver software” but that’s okay. Double click “Install the driver software anyway”. Windows will install the driver, and you should receive a confirmation that it installed the “Android Composite ADB Interface”. You’ll then notice this interface under “Android Phone” in device manager. You’ve completed the driver installation, close out of device manager

Step 10: Go to start and type CMD to open terminal. At the terminal type the following:
cd \
cd Android
cd platform-tools
adb kill-server
adb devices
This is assuming that you installed the Android SDK in the root directory of the drive as outlined in Step 1.
If successful you will get a message that looks like the following:
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
List of devices attached
5246002600000001 device
Close out of the command prompt.
Step 11: Just download Astro file manager, open the ASTRO folder and double click on Astroinstall. It will install the Astro.apk on the device.
Step 12: Download (com.android.apkinstaller-1.apk)
Step 12: In your device folder ( removable disc G or H or M) create a new folder. ( I named mind Side loaded apps)then Place com.android.apkinstaller-1.apk and any other .apk apps you already have on your pc in this folder.

Step 13: Disconnect your device and then in the Kindle Fire, open Astro file manager, you will find com.android.apkinstaller1-.apk in the folder you’ve just created and install it.

Step 14: Now you can install the.apk apps you’ve side loaded in the same folder of your device.
The method I took to do this is maybe not the fastest one but it work. My Kindle Fire is still not root but It is now a full Android tablet since I can enjoy every android apps like ICS launcher or Dolphin Browser HD. There actually is a way to root the Kindle Fire version 6.2.2 ( as you can see on this website: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1399889) but it is way too complicated for me so I’ll wait and looking for the easiest way to do it.
The 10th first steps are the first step for rooting a old version of the Fire. On this web page you will find everything about rooting a Kindle Fire (http://www.kindlefirewire.com/2011/11/16/how-to-root-kindle-fire-video-tutorial/ )
You can find every link I've post at Kindle Fire Wire | Amazon Kindle Blog . For the super one click software you will find it on this web page. (http://www.wupload.com/file/2633288597/SuperOneClickv2.3.3-ShortFuse.zip ) because the link on the kindle fire wire website is no longer available.
I hope this will help .
Thank you everybody for sharing your tips