Install Application programmatically on Android

Question

I`m interested in knowing if it is possible to programmatically install a dynamically downloaded apk from a custom Android application.

Answer 1

Just an extension, if anyone need a library then this might help. Thanks to Raghav

Answer 2

It's worth noting that if you use the DownloadManager to kick off your download, be sure to save it to an external location e.g. setDestinationInExternalFilesDir(c, null, "<your name here>).apk";. The intent with a package-archive type doesn't appear to like the content: scheme used with downloads to an internal location, but does like file:. (Trying to wrap the internal path into a File object and then getting the path doesn't work either, even though it results in a file: url, as the app won't parse the apk; looks like it must be external.)

Example:

int uriIndex = cursor.getColumnIndex(DownloadManager.COLUMN_LOCAL_URI);
String downloadedPackageUriString = cursor.getString(uriIndex);
File mFile = new File(Uri.parse(downloadedPackageUriString).getPath());
Intent promptInstall = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW)
        .setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(mFile), "application/vnd.android.package-archive")
        .addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
appContext.startActivity(promptInstall);

Answer 3

Try this - Write on Manifest:

uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES"
        tools:ignore="ProtectedPermissions"

Write the Code:

File sdCard = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory();
String fileStr = sdCard.getAbsolutePath() + "/Download";// + "app-release.apk";
File file = new File(fileStr, "app-release.apk");
Intent promptInstall = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW).setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(file),
                        "application/vnd.android.package-archive");

startActivity(promptInstall);

Answer 4

First add the following line to AndroidManifest.xml :

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES"
    tools:ignore="ProtectedPermissions" />

Then use the following code to install apk:

File sdCard = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory();
            String fileStr = sdCard.getAbsolutePath() + "/MyApp";// + "app-release.apk";
            File file = new File(fileStr, "TaghvimShamsi.apk");
            Intent promptInstall = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW).setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(file),
                    "application/vnd.android.package-archive");
            startActivity(promptInstall);

Answer 5

The solutions provided to this question are all applicable to targetSdkVersion s of 23 and below. For Android N, i.e. API level 24, and above, however, they do not work and crash with the following Exception:

android.os.FileUriExposedException: file:///storage/emulated/0/... exposed beyond app through Intent.getData()

This is due to the fact that starting from Android 24, the Uri for addressing the downloaded file has changed. For instance, an installation file named appName.apk stored on the primary external filesystem of the app with package name com.example.test would be as

file:///storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.example.test/files/appName.apk

for API 23 and below, whereas something like

content://com.example.test.authorityStr/pathName/Android/data/com.example.test/files/appName.apk

for API 24 and above.

More details on this can be found here and I am not going to go through it.

To answer the question for targetSdkVersion of 24 and above, one has to follow these steps: Add the following to the AndroidManifest.xml:

<application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:label="@string/app_name">
        <provider
            android:name="android.support.v4.content.FileProvider"
            android:authorities="${applicationId}.authorityStr"
            android:exported="false"
            android:grantUriPermissions="true">
            <meta-data
                android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS"
                android:resource="@xml/paths"/>
        </provider>
</application>

2. Add the following paths.xml file to the xml folder on res in src, main:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<paths xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <external-path
        name="pathName"
        path="pathValue"/>
</paths>

The pathName is that shown in the exemplary content uri example above and pathValue is the actual path on the system. It would be a good idea to put a "." (without quotes) for pathValue in the above if you do not want to add any extra subdirectory.

3. Write the following code to install the apk with the name appName.apk on the primary external filesystem:

   File directory = context.getExternalFilesDir(null);
   File file = new File(directory, fileName);
   Uri fileUri = Uri.fromFile(file);
   if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 24) {
       fileUri = FileProvider.getUriForFile(context, context.getPackageName(),
               file);
   }
   Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, fileUri);
   intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_NOT_UNKNOWN_SOURCE, true);
   intent.setDataAndType(fileUri, "application/vnd.android" + ".package-archive");
   intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
   intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_GRANT_READ_URI_PERMISSION);
   context.startActivity(intent);
   activity.finish();
   

No permission is also necessary when writing to your own app's private directory on the external filesystem.

I have written an AutoUpdate library here in which I have used the above.

Answer 6

Follow these steps:

1 - Add the following to the AndroidManifest.xml:

<provider
        android:name="android.support.v4.content.FileProvider"
        android:authorities="${applicationId}.provider"
        android:exported="false"
        android:grantUriPermissions="true">
        <meta-data
            android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS"
            android:resource="@xml/paths"/>
    </provider>

2 - Add the following paths.xml file to the xml folder(if not exist create it) on res in src, main

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<paths xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<external-path
    name="external_file"
    path="."/>
</paths>

The pathName is that shown in the exemplary content uri example above and pathValue is the actual path on the system. It would be a good idea to put a "." for pathValue in the above if you do not want to add any extra subdirectory.

3 - Write the following code to Run Your Apk files:

File file = "path of yor apk file";
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.N) {
Uri fileUri = FileProvider.getUriForFile(getBaseContext(), getApplicationContext().getPackageName() + ".provider", file);
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, fileUri);
intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_NOT_UNKNOWN_SOURCE, true);
intent.setDataAndType(fileUri, "application/vnd.android" + ".package-archive");
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_GRANT_READ_URI_PERMISSION);
startActivity(intent);

} else {
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
intent.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(file), "application/vnd.android.package-archive");
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(intent);
}

And Thanks To Ali Nemati Hayati to be the First To write Solution Profile ali-nemati-hayati