Download APK from url and execute

Question

I'm using the DownloadManager to download the apk from url. Download completes, I get the onReceive in my BroadcastReceiver for DownloadManager.ACTION_DOWNLOAD_COMPLETE.

Some Coding: I download the apk file from an url to the download directory.

DownloadManager.Request r = new DownloadManager.Request(mUri);
r.setDestinationInExternalPublicDir(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS, "myapp.apk");
r.setNotificationVisibility(DownloadManager.Request.VISIBILITY_VISIBLE_NOTIFY_COMPLETED);
DownloadManager dm = (DownloadManager) activity.getSystemService(Context.DOWNLOAD_SERVICE);
SharedPreferences mSharedPref = activity.getSharedPreferences("package", Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
mSharedPref.edit().putLong("downloadID", dm.enqueue(r)).commit();

onReceive

File apkFile = new File(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS + "myapp.apk");
Intent promptInstall = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW).setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(apkFile), "application/vnd.android.package-archive");
startActivity(promptInstall);

Problems:

• The file is there, I want to execute it but I package-installer is not shown
• Even though I see the file in my phones download folder, I if I want to install it there is no package-installer to choose
• I'm not sure if I do the file and pathing stuff right..
• I get an parsing error from android when I try to open the file

Someone got an idea please?

Answer 1

I recently had to do something like this, hope it helps:

EDIT: Couple of notes, apkurl is a string to the download location. Make the byte buffer big enough for your response

    try {

        String PATH = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/download/";
        File file = new File(PATH);
        file.mkdirs();
        // Create a file on the external storage under download
        File outputFile = new File(file, "app.apk");
        FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(outputFile);

        HttpGet m_httpGet = null;
        HttpResponse m_httpResponse = null;

        // Create a http client with the parameters
        HttpClient m_httpClient = setupHttpClient();
        String result = null;

        try {

            // Create a get object
            m_httpGet = new HttpGet(apkurl);

            // Execute the html request
            m_httpResponse = m_httpClient.execute(m_httpGet);
            HttpEntity entity = m_httpResponse.getEntity();

            // See if we get a response
            if (entity != null) {

                InputStream instream = entity.getContent();
                byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];

                // Write out the file
                int len1 = 0;
                while ((len1 = instream.read(buffer)) != -1) {
                    fos.write(buffer, 0, len1);
                }
                fos.close();
                instream.close();// till here, it works fine - .apk is download to my sdcard in download file

            }

        } catch (ConnectTimeoutException cte) {
            // Toast.makeText(MainApplication.m_context, "Connection Timeout", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            return false;
        } catch (Exception e) {
            return false;
        } finally {
            m_httpClient.getConnectionManager().closeExpiredConnections();
        }

        Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
        intent.setDataAndType(
                Uri.fromFile(new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/download/" + "app.apk")),
                "application/vnd.android.package-archive");
        intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
        MainApplication.getApp().getApplicationContext().startActivity(intent);

        // System.exit(0);

    } catch (IOException e) {
        Debug.ERROR(CLASSNAME, METHODNAME, "Failed to update new apk");
        return false;
    } catch (Exception e1) {
        Debug.ERROR(CLASSNAME, METHODNAME, "Failed to update new apk");
        return false;
    }

    return true;

Answer 2

Make sure you have the android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES permission declared in your AndroidManifest.xml.

Then get your APK path:

File apkFile = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/download/" + "app.apk");

Now run the Intent:

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

Answer 3

All downloads you do with the device...

To clarify what I mean with "Downloads" here is a screenshot. This is the standart download folder for Android 5 on Nexus 4. When I click on the apk inside this, I dont get the prompt to install a .apk. Instead the HTML-Viewer or other useless stuff shows up to choose...

One possible mistake could be the DownloadManager.. maybe he "tags" the downloaded file wrong so its not interpreted as an apk file, I don't know... but I call

promptInstall.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/download/myapp.apk")), "application/vnd.android.package-archive");