Trying to sideload onto Kompakt. Where do you guys get .apk’s for apps you didn’t create yourself? How do you verify the file is safe to download? My bank recommended and vouched for apkmirror, but that site gave me a .apkm file instead. I’d also like to install a scripture study app to use at church (namely Gospel Library, available on Google Play). Just looking for trustworthy sources and strategies for vetting my own. This is my first foray into non-mainstream tech (switching from iPhone after using one since 2014), so I appreciate helpful explanations of why to take the steps you’re recommending. I’d prefer to avoid using an app store like Aurora because doing so would completely defeat my purpose in buying the kompakt in the first place, especially considering how difficult it seems to be to remove it once installed.
Hi there. If you want to download safe and open source software, https://f-droid.org/ is a good choice. If you want to download regular apps without using Google ID, you can do so at the Aurora Store ( https://auroraoss.com/ ). Another good and safe source is https://apkpure.com/ , although they offer a mixture of .apk and .xapk files.
Thanks man, I’ll check those out. Always good to see another Rush fan in the wild
Tried all three sources. fdroid and apkpure don’t have the apps I need, and Aurora is difficult. I don’t want to install it on my Kompakt because it’s difficult to uninstall (I can’t find any information on how to do it), and after installing it on an old Galaxy I have lying around I couldn’t figure out how to extract the apk files I need. I found the apps, I just can’t figure out how to get the installers.
- Aurora Store is not difficult
- You can uninstall apps using App Manager | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository or Package Manager | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository . Or if you decide to install the Katapult Launcher ( Release v1.1 · gezimos/Katapult · GitHub ), it is a major improvement over the stock launcher. Very similar, but with additional options such as direct uninstall. (long press app icon for menu)
- Maybe I can find the .apk’s for you if you tell me which apps you need ?
0.. I really appreciate your help here. Again this is all new to me.
1.. Clarifying what I meant earlier. I didn’t mean using Aurora is difficult, I meant the situation is because I don’t want to install an app store at all if I can avoid it (including Aurora).
2.. It sounds like fdroid is like the Google Play Store but only uses free and open source apps. Is that accurate?
What exactly is Katapult Launcher? I looked at the linked github and there doesn’t seem to be any documentation on what it actually is. I found the changelogs but without context I’m stumped.
3.. That would be a huge help. For now the specific apps I’m looking for are “Gospel Library” (from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, icon is a guy holding a straight trumpet) and “Navy Federal Credit Union” (banking). Links would be best so I can learn for future app searches. I’m also looking for a timer/stopwatch app like is native on iPhone, but if I understand what fdroid is I’m sure I can find one there.
- Actually Aurora Store is like Google Play Store, except that you can log in anonymously. So you can get most of the usual apps from there. F-Droid is much smaller but has only open source apps. For Katapult documentation look here: GitHub - gezimos/Katapult: Minimal Android Grid Launcher · GitHub
- So you need rare apps. The Kompakt is a de-googled phone, meaning Google services won’t work, so most banking apps won’t work
That is a common thing with all de-googled phones. Maybe you should have checked before you bought it ? The Gospel Library might be on Aurora Store as well, but if it isn’t, you can download it here: https://gospel-library.en.softonic.com/android While most of those apk mirror sites are questionable, very few seem to host safe .apk’s. A timer/stopwatch has been requested many times, but natively the Kompakt doesn’t have one Maybe in the upcoming OS update. You can find many timers and stopwatches on F-Droid, such as this one: Clock | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository
Btw, I’m also pretty new to all of this, the Kompakt is my first “smartphone”.
You can also check out the Katapult thread and ask questions there:
Alright. I think I’ll install an fdroid timer (maybe that one, maybe a different one, I’ll think about it) and just live without the scriptures app or banking on my phone. I can use them on my iPad and computer anyway. I might look for a better calculator on fdroid too while I’m at it. Thank you so much for your input.
I believe you can download apk files on the pc. It’s then a simple case of using web adb to install them on the Kompakt
Search for web adb and install it, there’s a thread on this forum that tells you how to install and use adb, it’s pretty straightforward
this is amazing post i love this you may also love this APKFolder
My favorite is the Aurora Store
I’m sure the Aurora Store is great, but I can’t allow myself to install it. I bought the Kompakt to be a barrier against impulse downloading time-wasters, and installing an app store would completely circumvent that intent by making it trivially easy to install any app available on the google play store. I can live without these smartphone apps if it means preserving my goal, and if that means carrying my hard-copy Bible and Book of Mormon to church with me, well, I probably should’ve been doing that all along anyway. Aurora might be the right solution for other users, just not for me. The more I use the kompakt, the more I realize I don’t want it to become a smartphone, and the more apps I install, the closer it comes to that line.
I realize this sounds frustrated, I promise you I’m not frustrated or angry at any of you guys, I just can’t think of a better way to say all that. I’ll look into the webadb and apkfolder options suggested by sundancermartin and ipswich12 for other apps I may need.
Just a thought: you can download the Book of Mormon as ebook here The Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith, free ebook - Global Grey or here The Book of Mormon : an account written by the hand of Mormon, upon plates… | Project Gutenberg and read them with the reader.
For the Bible I use this app: The Life | F-Droid – Freies und quelloffenes Android-App-Repository
You can download the app to your pc and install it with Mudita Center. I tried the Bible as ebook, but it seems to be too big for the ereader.