Installing Android apps on an Amazon Fire tablet increases its usefulness, as Chris Salter demonstrates
Amazon’s phone was never a runaway success. It was released in July 2014, but Amazon kept dropping the price, before it stopped selling the device in August 2015, with no follow-up announced.
However, that hasn’t stopped it with the Fire tablets. Amazon released the first Kindle Fire tablet in 2011 (a 7” tablet), running a modified version of Android called Fire OS. Since then, Amazon has increased the Fire range to include different sizes, ranging from 6 inches all the way up to 10 inches.
At the end of September 2015, Amazon released the cheapest Kindle yet: the third-generation Fire (although the Kindle states it’s a fifth-generation Kindle Fire in the settings, as this counts the other Kindle Fire tablets, such as the HD range). The device costs £50, which is significantly cheaper than the majority of the its competitors. Usually device costs are slashed by offering underpowered and poor performing tablets, but with the Fire, this isn’t quite the case. While the specifications are nothing to shout about, they still provide a reasonable experience in use, in comparison to some of the cheap Chinese-made tablets running Android.
Amazon uses the devices to help sell its Prime service. By getting an Amazon tablet, you have a device that has easy access to all of Amazons prime services, such as TV and film streaming, books, music, cloud storage and, of course, Amazon shopping. It’s easy to see that Amazon can make the device a loss leader to get you into the Amazon ecosystem and still make its profit by convincing you to purchase its other services.
The hardware itself is quite sturdy. It is all plastic construction; you aren’t getting the nice metal finish of the iPad, but the Fire costs a fraction of the price of an iPad.
Fire OS
Fire OS is a customised version of Android specifically for the Amazon range of tablets. One drawback of the Amazon tablets is that they’re missing the Google Play store, along with other core Google services, such as Calendar, Mail and Chrome. This means that if you use an Android phone, then the Amazon tablet will not be able to use the apps you already have or purchased from the Play store. The Fire tablets use the Amazon App store instead. This can be accessed from the Amazon website, as well as on the tablet so you’ll be able to investigate the applications available before making a purchase of a tablet, though this is as well laid out as Google’s store. Most big name applications are in the Amazon app store, such as Facebook, Netflix and iPlayer. However, there some notable exceptions, such as Dropbox and all the Google apps. Perhaps with these cheaper tablets and a greater proliferation of Amazon tablets running Fire OS, some of the more popular applications may consider entering the Amazon app store.
However, because Fire OS is a customised version of Android, you can install some Android apps by side-loading them. Sideloading is installing software onto the device that is not found within the app store by using the Android installer files (.apk files). By default, the Fire (and most Android devices) have the ability to side-load apps turned off, as this is a vector for malware to be installed on the system. However, it can also be safe to use if you know that it poses a potential risk to the security of the tablet.
It should be noted that installing apps by side-loading seems to ignore the ability to install to micro-SD card, so you will be limited by the 5GB free space that the Fire has. However, you can install apps from Amazon’s store to the SD card by enabling the setting within the options to allow compatible apps to be installed to the SD card to help keep the main device space free for any sideloaded apps. Another downside to side-loading apps is that you lose the ability to auto update apps, because they aren’t being checked within the Play store (not installed) or Amazon store (as they aren’t in the store) for updates. Therefore, you’ll have to manually update the apps as and when required. For some apps, this might not be an issue, but for apps that update regularly, this might become a chore.
Side-loading apps is as simple as getting the .apk files onto the Kindle and installing them. However, you need to get hold of the .apk files, and you need to be able to browse the file system on the Kindle to install them.
Procedure
Firstly, you need to get hold of the .apk files. This can be done in a number of ways. You could browse the internet for them and download them from various locations around the web. However, this is perhaps an easy way of getting an infected app, as people might edit the original .apk file to include malware. The best location to get them from is the Google Play store directly. To prevent malware being inserted, Google doesn’t just let you download the .apk files themselves, so you need a workaround to get hold of them.
If you have an Android phone already, then you have an easy access method of getting the .apk: you can download the app to your phone and then extract the file from the phone. Alternatively, you can use the device ID with a browser extension on a desktop to download the files as needed.
You’ll need to download an application from the Amazon app store to get started – a file explorer to view the underlying Android filesystem. I used ES File Explorer (goo.gl/C5jf5F) for this article.
Phone Backup Method
One of the easiest methods is to get the app from your phone already or download the app to your phone and then transfer it to the tablet. For this, you’ll need to download a backup app; I used Super Backup by MobileIdea Studio (goo.gl/gHVEUm), because it can save the .apk files to the micro-SD card. Note that, by default, it’ll back up every app as and when they’re updated, so your micro-SD card could fill up with every single version of every app that is updated! If you don’t want this to happen, you can choose to disable it in the settings. However, one of the downsides to side-loading apps onto the Fire tablet is that they aren’t automatically updated, since they don’t have access to the Play store, so this auto backup behaviour may be something that you want to keep in mind. Team it up with BitTorrent Sync, and you’ll be able to sync the new versions of the .apk files directly to the Fire tablet (there’s a version of BitTorrent Sync in both the Play and Amazon app stores).
Open Super Backup and you’re presented with a list of items to back up. Select apps. If your device is rooted, you can back up all the app data as well as the included .apk file, but if not, you can only back up the .apk itself. This is saved to a folder on your phone or micro-SD card (change this within the settings). This provides you with an .apk file that you can now transfer as you please to whatever cloud service or machine you want to use. Based on the Android version of your phone, you may or may not be able to change the location of the backups to the micro-SD card.
The best way I found to move the files from my Android phone to my Kindle tablet was to use OneDrive – Microsoft’s cloud storage service. This is on the basis that it would allow me wirefree access (I didn’t have to be sat at my computer to move an app across) but, importantly, OneDrive has an app in the Amazon app store, whereas services like Dropbox or Box don’t. If you can use OneDrive, you could then switch back to a cloud service you use regularly by side-loading the Android app from the Play store, but you would need OneDrive to start with. Of course, you could use a USB cable and your computer to side-load the apps (or perform an initial side-load of say, the Dropbox app).
To import the .apk files using a USB cable and laptop, I backed up the apps using Super Backup and connected my phone to my laptop. This let me browse the files on my phone, and I was able to copy them off the micro-SD and onto my laptop. It may require some playing about; I had to connect the device as a camera (PTP) and have the .apk files in my camera folder to be able to see them. Once downloaded to your computer, you can then upload them to the Kindle (I had no issues moving them to the Kindle).
Once the .apk devices are on the Kindle, open up ES File Explorer and browse to where you saved the files. Click on the .apk file and select install. This will give a scary-looking screen showing the permissions that the item requires when it’s installed. If you agree with this, then carry on with the installation and it’ll install for you. You can now use the app from the main screen.
Note that some of the apps that require Google services (such as Chrome), won’t work correctly unless you’re able to copy across all the Google services as well.
Browser Plugin Method
You can download .apk files directly from the Play store using a browser plug-in for either Chrome or Firefox. Google would prefer you not to access the app store this way, hence why it doesn’t allow you to download the .apk files directly. The extension is called APK Downloader and lets you download the .apk directly to your laptop, allowing you to transfer the .apk file as described as above. The main drawback to this method is that you need a Google account to associate purchases on the Android marketplace and that it requires an Android DeviceID to work as well.
The Android device ID is so that the store can log what device the app is to be installed on (though we aren’t going to actually install it on that device). If you’ve already got an Android phone, you can use the same device ID. You can find this by either downloading the Device ID app (goo.gl/ymrN7r) or dialling *#*#8255#*#*. I found that on my device, I had to use the app. Once you have this information and the email and password of your Google account, you can visit the Play store via the browser and you now have a button on the app store, letting you download the .apk directly to your computer rather than the device. You can then follow the same method of installing as above.
Non Android Users
Unfortunately, non-Android users are perhaps a bit stuck – without an Android device to download the apps to initially or being able to use a Device ID number to use the browser plug-in, you’re restricted to either downloading the .apk directly from sources on the internet, if you can find it, or getting your Android-running mates to download it and send you a copy of the .apk.
There are websites that offer .apk downloads, but sideloading is an easy way to get an infected app. The best option is if you can get a friend to send you an app or even get a cheap Android phone off eBay and use the Device ID to go down the route of the browser plug-in (as the app store may prevent you downloading directly to the device if it isn’t compatible).
Conclusions
It’s always preferable to download apps from the Amazon store where possible, because Amazon will be able to auto update these and, where possible, apps from the Amazon store can be downloaded to the micro-SD card, freeing up space on the small internal drive.
But side-loading allows you to use apps that you might have paid for in the Play store, so you don’t have to purchase them again in a second store. Note that the methods of downloading the .apk files detailed here will not allow you to pirate apps, but if you’ve already bought and downloaded the app, you can use it on Android and Amazon devices.
Specifications
Screen: 1024 x 600 (171 pixels per inch).
CPU: Quad-core 1.3GHz ARM Cortex A7.
RAM: 1GB RAM.
Storage: 8GB.
Support for 128GB micro-SD card.
Adverts
Part of the reason for the low price of the tablet is that Amazon displays adverts devices on the lock screen for services, apps and other items it sells. These can be removed by buying the tablet from Amazon for £10 extra or from speaking to Amazon support afterwards (also for a £10 fee). It’s personal preference if this bothers you.
Malware
Side-loading is generally not recommended, because it’s an easy way for malware to be installed onto Android systems. However, it is possible to install software safely using it as well if you use a known source – such as the Google Play store. Follow this article and turn off the ability to sideload when you’re finished to prevent accidentally installing anything nasty.