Help Kindle Fire non US with Androis Apps

[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.

 

[chrstdvd]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[chrstdvd]

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.
View attachment com.android.apkinstaller-1.zip

 

[El Presidente]

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]

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]

Thanks, I did not know about that.

 

[El Presidente]

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]

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]

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]

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:

adb devices

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

Then to install your .apk file type:

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]

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]

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]

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.

View attachment Install Astro.zip

Luck!

 

[greywing56]

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]

Good stuff!

 

[rickwr88]

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]

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

 

[rivercruiser]

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]

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