Kindle Fire: "sideloading" Google apps

In my previous post, I mentioned sideloading. In the case of the Kindle Fire, this means locating the .apk file for the app you want, putting that file on a PC, transferring to the Fire via USB cable, and then installing the file. Yup, it's a hassle, but for apps that are not available from the Amazon Appstore, this is the easiest way (of which I'm aware) to get the apps installed.

Get the install files: For the Google apps, the first thing you need to do is get the Android install files. Thankfully, these have been posted already. Download gapps.rar from http://www.multiupload.com/DGMBZZNOXM ...You'll need WinZip (there's a free eval version) or a similar program to extract the .apk files (the Android app install files) from the .rar file. I suggest extracting the files to an easy-to-remember location. Maybe create a folder called "Google Android Apps" on your desktop.

FYI, here's the Google files that are included in that .rar:

• com.google.android.apps.books-1.apk


• com.google.android.apps.maps-1.apk


• com.google.android.apps.plus-1.apk


• com.google.android.apps.reader-1.apk


• com.google.android.gm-2.apk


• com.google.android.gsf-2.apk    << That's the same as GoogleServicesFramework.apk


• com.google.android.street-1.apk


• com.google.android.talk-1.apk


• com.google.android.youtube-2.apk


• GoogleServicesFramework.apk    << That's the same as com.google.android.gsf-2.apk

Grab a couple of free utility apps for the Kindle: From your Kindle Fire, go to the Amazon Appstore and get the free ES File Explorer app and the free Easy Installer app and install them on the Fire.

Copy the Google files to the Kindle Fire: Connect your Kindle Fire to your Windows PC with a USB cable. After a moment or two, you should see the Kindle appear as a drive available from File Manager. Select the Google files from your PC folder and drag/drop to copy them to the download folder on your Fire. Once the files are copied, you can disconnect the devices; press the Disconnect button on the Kindle and remove the USB cable.

Install the apps on the Fire: Remember the Easy Installer that you snagged from the Appstore and installed on the Kindle? Open that app. It will list the apps that are available in your downloads folder. IMPORTANT:  Before you install any other apps, first install the Google Services Framework. Locate that file in the listing showing in Easy Installer, press to place a green checkmark at the right of the filename, and then press the Install Selected Apps at the bottom of the screen. Once that install is done, you can go back and select any of the other apps you want to install, and click the Install button for those as well. If you've selected multiple apps, as each one finishes installing, click Done; if you click Open, you'll be popped into the just-loaded app and will have to go back to Easy Installer and again select /install the other desired apps.

What about other apps, like Listen? Just as with the Google apps that were included in the .rar file linked above, you need to have the .apk install file for your desired app. In my case, since I already had the Listen app on my Android phone (an HTC Incredible), I used the free ASTRO File Manager to backup the install file, and then sideloaded that file from the phone - to the PC - to the Fire, and then again used Easy Installer to install the app. To back up an app, open ASTRO and press Application Backup. Select the app(s) you wish to back up and press Backup. This places the appropriate .apk file(s) in the /mnt/sdcard/apps folder (on my phone, anyway), which appears simply as the apps folder when connected to the PC with a USB cable and browsing the files via Windows File Manager.

  

After the files are all sideloaded and installed, I have a Kindle Fire with a sweet suite of apps :)

So why did I suggest that you load the ES File Explorer app on the Fire? Well, there's been a time or two when .apk files I've sideloaded do not show up in Easy Installer. No worries! You just open ES File Explorer, open the download folder, and tap the icon for the desired app to install it :)

Disclaimer: I had previously rooted my Fire whilst doing other things, and had installed most of these apps while it was rooted. To test things tonight, I uninstalled all of those apps, and with the Kindle Fire not rooted, I sideloaded and installed the apps and took the screenshots seen here. Please comment if you try these steps and they do not work for you.

Comments

[094459]

Nice post Joe!

[John]

I was able to side load the Google Services Framework and then the Gmail app on my Kindle Fire. I'm able to launch Gmail and go through the setup, but then it says, can't establish a reliable data connection to the server" when it tries to connect with my username and password. Did you run into that problem or know of a way to get it to work?

[Joe Litton]

Hi John ...

Gosh, I didn't have that problem. I just now tested - removed GMail and reinstalled. A message popped up about menu option to configure auto-synch (which I've not been able to get to work with GMail on the Fire). But if I select Menu and the option to refresh, and then exit to the Home screen (the first time -- might not need to do that, but I'm impatient), and then reopen GMail ...then my messages are synched.

To be honest, I've now elected to mainly use the mail client that came on the Fire, both because it auto-synchs, and also because I really like that I can read one message, delete it, and then the mail client will open the next message.

Does the standard mail client synch your GMail messages properly?

[Robby]

Any way to change to higher resolution icons so it doesn't look so blurry on the carousel? By the way, this worked great, thanks!

[Joe]

@Robby: Gosh, I don't know how to fix the icons on the carousel. But I agree - they can look sloppy when so large!

Glad this helped!