New To Graphene.

hicks

Hi Everyone!

I just got my first pixel and of course immedietly I've flashed it with GrapheneOS. (I regred alredy haven't done it years ago.)
My firs impression is great! Just to see my phone clean, fresh slate felt so good. I went with adding a google as I want the full functionality of everyday phone, but seenig the privacy prioritazing settings in the every app info menu feels like there is still hope for this world.

I want to thank everyone enduring crosswinds that they have to face in making Grpheneos a real thing, and I hope they will continue dificulties we all hear about and does we dont.

I write here just with quastion how to install apk files i have stored my self? I see os allows for current apk download off the net and istalation but same just older version of software isnt isntaling it self.

My best regards.

Hicks.

Ps forgive me please my spelling. ;)

Dumdum

hicks how to install apk files i have stored my self?

Just open them in your file manager. Should prompt you to enable the Install unknown apps setting, which you can do and then disable it again afterwards if you want to keep things secure.

just older version of software isnt isntaling it self.

Do you mean that you want to install an older version of an already installed app? You can't do that. Downgrade protection keeps your device secure.

hicks

Hi. And thnaks for your response.
Yes. I have apk older file copied in to download folder in the phone and literraly freshly downloaded frm net newer version of same app. Both apps will ask to be installed on diffrent android phones but the old cooied apk wont respond to taping on on it on ther graphene phone. Bit strange, but I understand must be a reson for it..

final

hicks You cannot install an older version of an app when a newer version is installed on any profile on your device. This is a downgrade protection security mechanism. It's to stop people's apps being surreptitiously replaced with old, vulnerable versions. If you want to install an APK of an app, you need the APK of the current version or higher.

hicks

Ah downgrade protection. K let me try..

hicks

final you always prevent traffic in post slapping solved badges on them?

hicks

This isnt the case. Older manualy copied apk wasnt "instalable" fo lack of better therm on pixel with grapheneos. Than I went online to download current versiin and this one is behiving normally.
It is interesting behavior of grapheneos and Im curios if it is for my good or bad?

Hicks.

de0u

hicks Without knowing which versions of which APKs it's hard to say. Some old APKs may be too old to run on a modern machine -- for example, 32-bit binaries.

hicks

So no. Nothig is solved.

raccoondad

hicks So no. Nothig is solved

We can't really help you, its not clear what you are asking. We already explained however how downgrade protection works, which seemed to be what the situation was. The error you described is what prints when downgrade protection is set off.

de0u

hicks 'm not sure if I'm clear enough.

If absolutely no APK file arriving via MTP from a USB-connected PC can be opened, something odd is going on.

But if a collection of very-old APK files, such as APKs containing 32-bit binaries, can't be opened, that is not at all surprising.

That is why I asked which versions of which APKs are in question (de0u).

hicks

I have copied couple more test files over the USB from PC, and I see weird behavior all files takes about 15sec to appear in the phone folder as I am dropping then in to the phone download folder open in PC. when they finally appear on the phone they are about 45 KB bigger than left PC. (Apk files only) And yes all apk files won't open or even anyhow responds to tapping on them. Different files like jpg, txt and etc will trigger popup with choice of applications to be used to open that particular file extension, yet no popup for apk files.

I'm not sure if I'm clear enough. Maybe grapheneos just letting me know I expecting too much out of it right on the start? Lol

Thnx.

dhhdjbd

hicks when they finally appear on the phone they are about 45 KB bigger than left PC

Probably because a different file system is used

hicks yet exactly same app downloaded through my laptop and copy pasted to phone through usb will not launch it self and install.

Can you check the hash of the files to see if they are really the same app?
also what does app verifier say? can it open both

hicks

I hope there is some simple explanation to this behavior. Other ways donno what to think about it.

hicks

I don't know what version of apk it is, but nothing that I couldn't open and install on my other android devices that aren't that old themselves. All file shows up on the phone yet only apk are non responsive. Let me check this files in apk tester app...

hicks

OK so apk analyzer says this apk target was android 7.1.2 Nougat. Is that makes it too old for current OS gens?? ;)

de0u

hicks OK so apk analyzer says this apk target was android 7.1.2 Nougat. Is that makes it too old for current OS gens?? ;)

The two controlling factors are the API target and (if it's not a pure Java/Kotlin APK) the target architecture. But I do think an Android 7 APK may be too old.

hicks

"If absolutely no APK file arriving via MTP from a USB-connected PC can be opened, something odd is going on."
...I'm no computer or software tech myself. Let me try pass throu usb some more apks including some current ones..

hicks

Hi again.
So I had downloaded bunch of current apks and copy paste them in to graphene download folder. I also dropped bunch of different files, all of them opens fine except for apk one. In have also installed apk file through vanadium browser just fine so there is something that is not allowing me to use my own files to be installed. Funny is to see same apk file that is now sitting in download folder that I had downloaded through web browser responding to taping and launching installation, yet exactly same app downloaded through my laptop and copy pasted to phone through usb will not launch it self and install.

Thnx.

tumbord

hicks Funny is to see same apk file that is now sitting in download folder that I had downloaded through web browser responding to taping and launching installation, yet exactly same app downloaded through my laptop and copy pasted to phone through usb will not launch it self and install.

can you please check under settings > Apps > special app access > install unknown apps and tell me if "files" or any other filemanager you are using is set to "allowed"?

hicks

I went through entire phone looking for some safety feature to be unlocked but I haven't found anything.