Android auto installation of APKs

Question

I have a webview which basically is capable of intercepting all sorts of links, video, apks, hrefs.

Now, what I want is once I download an APK from a url, that it'll be auto installed:

This is part of the shouldOverrideUrlLoading() code:

        else if(url.endsWith(".apk")) 
        {
        mWebView.setDownloadListener(new DownloadListener() {
                    public void onDownloadStart(final String url, String userAgent,
                    String contentDisposition, String mimetype,
                    long contentLength) {   
                    }
                    });
        Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW ,Uri.parse(url));
        startActivity(intent);  
        return true;

If I add

intent.setDataAndType(Uri.parse(url), "application/vnd.android.package-archive");

Than the application crashes...

Any ideas as to what to do?

EDIT: I was able to initiate a download and an installation of the package automatically (using a sleep() ):

        else if(url.endsWith(".apk")) 
        {
        mWebView.setDownloadListener(new DownloadListener() {
                    public void onDownloadStart(final String url, String userAgent,
                    String contentDisposition, String mimetype,
                    long contentLength) {   
                    }
                    });
        Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW ,Uri.parse(url));
        startActivity(intent); 
        String fileName = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/download/" + url.substring( url.lastIndexOf('/')+1, url.length() );
        install(fileName);
        return true;

and, as vitamoe suggested:

protected void install(String fileName) {
    Intent install = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
    install.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(new File(fileName)),
            "application/vnd.android.package-archive");
    startActivity(install);
}

However, I'm unable to capture the exact time that the download is finished, might need to create my own download function and not use the browser's one, any ideas?

Answer 1

Due to Android security model it is not possible to install Apk file automatically.

Answer 2

why not trying with a download manage and a broadcast receiver that would intercept when download is finished? Download manager works for ANDROID 2.3+ though

Example here:

myWebView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() {
    @Override
    public void onReceivedError(WebView view, int errorCode,
        String description, String failingUrl) {
            Log.d("WEB_VIEW_TEST", "error code:" + errorCode + " - " + description);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean shouldOverrideUrlLoading(WebView view, String url) {
            // handle different requests for different type of files
            // this example handles downloads requests for .apk and .mp3 files
            // everything else the webview can handle normally
            if (url.endsWith(".apk")) {
                Uri source = Uri.parse(url);
                // Make a new request pointing to the .apk url
                DownloadManager.Request request = new DownloadManager.Request(source);
                // appears the same in Notification bar while downloading
                request.setDescription("Description for the DownloadManager Bar");
                request.setTitle("YourApp.apk");
                if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB) {
                    request.allowScanningByMediaScanner();
                    request.setNotificationVisibility(DownloadManager.Request.VISIBILITY_VISIBLE_NOTIFY_COMPLETED);
                }
                // save the file in the "Downloads" folder of SDCARD
                request.setDestinationInExternalPublicDir(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS, "SmartPigs.apk");
                // get download service and enqueue file
                DownloadManager manager = (DownloadManager) getSystemService(Context.DOWNLOAD_SERVICE);
                manager.enqueue(request);
            }
            else if(url.endsWith(".mp3")) {
                // if the link points to an .mp3 resource do something else
            }
            // if there is a link to anything else than .apk or .mp3 load the URL in the webview
            else view.loadUrl(url);
            return true;                
    }
});

Full answer here: user bboydflo Downloading a file to Android WebView (without the download event or HTTPClient in the code)

Broadcast receiver to intercept when download has finished

    private BroadcastReceiver onDownloadComplete = new BroadcastReceiver() {
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        String action = intent.getAction();
        if (DownloadManager.ACTION_DOWNLOAD_COMPLETE.equals(action)) {
            // toast here - download complete 
        }
    }
};

remember to recister recevier in the main activity like this:

registerReceiver(onDownloadComplete, new IntentFilter(DownloadManager.ACTION_DOWNLOAD_COMPLETE));

Answer 3

To download a file without the browser do sth. like this:

String apkurl = "http://your.url.apk";
InputStream is;
try {
    URL url = new URL(apkurl);
    HttpURLConnection con = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
    con.setRequestMethod("GET");
    con.setDoOutput(true);
    con.connect();
    is = con.getInputStream();
} catch (SSLException e) {
    // HTTPS can end in SSLException "Not trusted server certificate"
}

// Path and File where to download the APK
String path = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/download/";
String fileName = apkurl.substring(apkurl.lastIndexOf('/') + 1);
File dir = new File(path);
dir.mkdirs(); // creates the download directory if not exist
File outputFile = new File(dir, fileName);
FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(outputFile);

// Save file from URL to download directory on external storage
byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
int len = 0;
while ((len = is.read(buffer)) != -1) {
    fos.write(buffer, 0, len);
}
fos.close();
is.close();

// finally, install the downloaded file
install(path + fileName);

Answer 4

You can temp. download it to an sd card, install it with the package manager and then remove it again.

protected void install(String fileName) {
    Intent install = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
    install.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(new File(fileName)),
            "application/vnd.android.package-archive");
    startActivity(install);
}