Create .apk from an installed market app

[Hevroth]

I don't know if I just opened a can of worms but - is this even possible? I have a folder of .apks of my programs that I use in case I need to wipe my phone, and I hate having to query the market everytime I need to re-download one of my apps.

What I'd like to do is be able to generate a functional .apk file from an application I already have installed.

 

[Moonfire]

To answer your question, if you're rooted and use something like Root Explorer, I believe you can find the apk's for things. However, may I suggest two alternate options:

a) Non-rooted: You can download the free app AppBrain and it will sync all of the apps on your phone, so you just can hit one button and Install All. Also has a nice market, a bit more filtered than just the straight Market.

b) Rooted: There's a free-but-pay-for-more-features app called Titanium Backup* that can back up not only applications, but system data as well (mostly settings and such). I loooove this app, I set it to backup every night at 3am, and I always have backups of everything. The paid version also allows you to Freeze apps (essentially getting rid of them, but you're able to thaw them if you have to have them to upgrade your OS) and upload backups to Dropbox.

* I believe another similar app is Nandroid, but that's all I know about it, perhaps someone else can shed more light on it.

 

[Szadzik]

Non-rooted:

Use Listables to list all of your installed apps and send yourself an HTML file. After Hard Reset open the email and the HTML file and in 10 minutes you will have everything downloaded.

 

[w_bovine]

To answer your question, if you're rooted and use something like Root Explorer, I believe you can find the apk's for things. However, may I suggest two alternate options:

a) Non-rooted: You can download the free app AppBrain and it will sync all of the apps on your phone, so you just can hit one button and Install All. Also has a nice market, a bit more filtered than just the straight Market.

b) Rooted: There's a free-but-pay-for-more-features app called Titanium Backup* that can back up not only applications, but system data as well (mostly settings and such). I loooove this app, I set it to backup every night at 3am, and I always have backups of everything. The paid version also allows you to Freeze apps (essentially getting rid of them, but you're able to thaw them if you have to have them to upgrade your OS) and upload backups to Dropbox.

* I believe another similar app is Nandroid, but that's all I know about it, perhaps someone else can shed more light on it.

Titanium Backup can backup apps + app data and system data. It doesn't create nandroid backups.

A nandroid is like an image, similar to what you might make for the hard drive on your computer. It's like a system-state backup for your phone.

The most efficient way of making nandroids is to use ROM Manager. I'm not certain, but I think you might be able to make a nandroid with the stock recovery. I've never bothered to look but I seem to remember reading a reference to that somewhere.

If you're rooted you have no excuse for not having Titanium! But that's just my opinion of course.

 

[Moonfire]

Titanium Backup can backup apps + app data and system data. It doesn't create nandroid backups.

A nandroid is like an image, similar to what you might make for the hard drive on your computer. It's like a system-state backup for your phone.

The most efficient way of making nandroids is to use ROM Manager. I'm not certain, but I think you might be able to make a nandroid with the stock recovery. I've never bothered to look but I seem to remember reading a reference to that somewhere.

If you're rooted you have no excuse for not having Titanium! But that's just my opinion of course.

Oh I see - thanks for correcting me. Woohoo, learning more while teaching others.

 

[A.Nonymous]

I'm surprised no one suggested MyBackup Pro. It backs up the APK's and data of all the apps and restores them later on. It works on non-rooted phones too. Appbrain will restore the apps, but won't restore the data associated with them so individual settings in the apps, your progress in Angry Birds, etc.... is lost.

 

[breeze7206]

I'm surprised no one suggested MyBackup Pro. It backs up the APK's and data of all the apps and restores them later on. It works on non-rooted phones too. Appbrain will restore the apps, but won't restore the data associated with them so individual settings in the apps, your progress in Angry Birds, etc.... is lost.

I have this app and I regret not having used a different backup app. The scheduled backup feature is especially awful.

 

[chanchan05]

I'm surprised no one suggested MyBackup Pro. It backs up the APK's and data of all the apps and restores them later on. It works on non-rooted phones too. Appbrain will restore the apps, but won't restore the data associated with them so individual settings in the apps, your progress in Angry Birds, etc.... is lost.

Titanium does everything it does with better compression.

 

[schlagel]

You know, it amazes me that people just do not comprehend someone's question and get carried off in posting answers that have nothing to do with the pertinent question.

The original question was how to Create .apk from an installed market app. These comments about backup apps, including Titanium have nothing to do with what this user's question posed.

Yes, Virginia, just to a Root Explorer search for .apk from /root, and you'll find the apk(s) you want, then you will be able to copy it to a different location.

As for the majority of these users who post answers, a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.

 

[chanchan05]

Uh, Titanium actually does backup the apks. And they would be accessible in your file manager.

 

[divinebovine]

schlagel, you dug this thread up from the dead to complain about standard off-topicness that happens on every forum? It didn't even get that far off topic, and only after OP's question was already answered*...OP was essentially asking about backing stuff up and the thread evolved to talk about backup software.

cp /data/app/* /mnt/sdcard/APKBackup/ is what I do.

*(or at least as answered as your answer and mine; nobody has said how to generate a new .apk from the installed components)

 

[AlvarezLuis]

What I'd like to do is be able to generate a functional .apk file from an application I already have installed.

I do that with the free Supermanager app. Does not require root!