# Can someone point me to the instructions for installing 3rd party apps?



## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

I am starting to hate the Silk browser. I want to install Dolphin HD or Opera.  I'm sure I saw instructions on here a long time ago but I can't find them now.  Can someone post a link to the thread or just tell me how to do it?

I remembered you can get apps from Getjar but I have not managed to download it from their site even though I found it and clicked download (tried on both my laptop and my Fire).  On the laptop it says to get it from my mobile device by entering a code, which I did, but nothing happened and I don't know where the file would wind up on the Fire even if it worked.  

If I can justfigure out how to get the apk, I do have ESFile explorer so I thing I will be able to execute it. 

Thanks!


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## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

I wrote up a post about this right after the fire launched, still applies today 

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,91911.0.html


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

I did find that post, but unfortunately the link doesn't work now.  It says Invalid or Deleted File.

I would like to figure out some way to get either the Dolphin HD or Opera mini browser apk.  When I first got the Fire, I saw instructions somehwere on how to use Getjar to get those plus lots of other apps, and it was supposed to be something easy.  Though I don't want anything else right now, I might in the future, so it would be good if I could learn how to do it.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Try http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=101505.0


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

OK, somehow I managed to install the Getjar app--not sure how! While I was on their website it must have detected that I was using an android device and popped up a window for me to download it and a link for detailed instructions, which I followed and had success!  After that I could see all the available stuff and installed Dolphin!  

Annalog, I didn't see your message until too late, but I will look at that thread anyway as it looks like I can learn something from it. Thanks.


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## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

Oh I misunderstood, you needed more where to find the apps not install them, my bad.  If you ever run across something that isn't on getjar just do a google search for the name of the app with apk after it.  It always finds something.  This actually works with paid apps too, which can be handy since unlike the google store amazon doesn't offer trials on their apps.  But I always say if you like it buy it, that gets you updates and the devs need our support


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

thanks for the help


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

FWIW. . . I don't have anything installed from outside Amazon, but it has been mentioned here in various threads that GetJar apps are possibly more likely to contain malware or something that some other android sites.  1mobile.com appears to be fairly well regarded.  Of course Amazon vets everything.  The regular google "play" market also has tons. . . but it's a couple of steps harder still to get any of those.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I do download from both Getjar & 1mobile, and have tried a couple of other sites as well. But I do check to see that an app has good ratings and lots of downloads before I download it myself.

I use Firefox now for my browser on my Fire. It was really nice to be able to import my bookmarks from my laptop to my Fire. Picked it up here: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/toolkit/download-to-your-devices#tablets


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

Meemo said:


> I do download from both Getjar & 1mobile, and have tried a couple of other sites as well. But I do check to see that an app has good ratings and lots of downloads before I download it myself.
> 
> I use Firefox now for my browser on my Fire. It was really nice to be able to import my bookmarks from my laptop to my Fire. Picked it up here: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/toolkit/download-to-your-devices#tablets


I went to that link but when I try to download Firefox, I get a window saying I need to Sign In. Sign in to what? Google? anyway nothing happens when I tap the SIGN IN box. So, thanks for the link but I need a lot more help than just a link. I can open a link but THEN what? HOW do you install it at that point? This is the problem I have had with every app anyone has ever linked to.

Another problem I have now that I have a second browser (Dolphin), every single #&@*#@ time I tap on a link, I get a dialog asking me which browser to use. Guess what, I want to use the same browser I am using to tap the link! This is not good. If only the Silk browser worked right, I wouldn't have to mess with this.

ETA: I finally got the sign in link to respond (the Silk browser simply won't click some links). Then I signed in with a Google account I have, but it says I don't have a supported Android device. This is ridiculous. Apparently there are a bunch of steps people "just know how to do" that are never posted in any instructions. The only thing people post is a link to website and we are supposed to already know what all needs to be done to install the app. Well, I don't know those things and I have spent way too much time googling and reading various "instructions" trying to figure it out.


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

Meemo said:


> I do download from both Getjar & 1mobile, and have tried a couple of other sites as well. But I do check to see that an app has good ratings and lots of downloads before I download it myself.
> 
> I use Firefox now for my browser on my Fire. It was really nice to be able to import my bookmarks from my laptop to my Fire. Picked it up here: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/toolkit/download-to-your-devices#tablets


Do you have a "Google Play Store" app on your Fire? I think it's like Getjar, where if you want to get an app from them you have to have their app installed on your Fire. I think this is how all android apps are installed, through an appstore which requires you to have their particular "appstore app" installed. I think this is the hidden secret that everyone but me was born just knowing. If that's not the case, please tell me how you managed to install Firefox on your Fire.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

To load an app (or appstore app) from other than Amazon you have to first go to settings and allow apps from 'unknown sources' to be installed.  But even so, I don't believe it is possible to load Google Play on the Fire.  Though it is postentially possible to copy the APK file from another android device and copy/paste it via a file manager app.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

Meemo said:


> I use Firefox now for my browser on my Fire. It was really nice to be able to import my bookmarks from my laptop to my Fire. Picked it up here: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/toolkit/download-to-your-devices#tablets


How did you get it from there? That goes straight to Google Play, which Kindle Fire can't access. Is your device rooted?


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

You can also get it from 1mobile.com: http://www.1mobile.com/firefox-56741.html


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

gadgetgirl003 said:


> You can also get it from 1mobile.com: http://www.1mobile.com/firefox-56741.html


Thanks. I also found it from the official site, but you basically need to be a magician to locate it there.

https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mobile/releases/latest/android/multi/

Either way, we don't get access to auto updates because it's not from the Android Market/Google Play.

Kindle Fire's incompatibility with Google Play is annoying and pointless to me, and I don't understand the reasons for it, but it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> To load an app (or appstore app) from other than Amazon you have to first go to settings and allow apps from 'unknown sources' to be installed. But even so, I don't believe it is possible to load Google Play on the Fire. Though it is postentially possible to copy the APK file from another android device and copy/paste it via a file manager app.


Yup, enabling unknown sources apps was the easy part! I don't have any other android devices, and it seems weird that you would have to go through Google to get Firefox. I wouldn't want to install a Google appstore on my Fire anyway. Getjar doesn't seem to have Firefox, but it seems like you should be able to get it straight from Mozilla.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

My apologies - I didn't follow that link from Firefox and it does go to Google Play and you can't put those apps on the Fire.  I had to do some backtracking to remember just where I did get Firefox!  Looks like I probably got it from the 1Mobile Market.  (That's the problem with getting apps from all over - can't remember where I got them. )

Sorry 'bout that.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

That's why I keep a simple spreadsheet to show where I got apps from, so I don't have to remember myself.  OCD/anal?  Perhaps. But since I started it relatively early on, it's easy enough to keep updated when I get a new app.   I did get Firefox from 1mobile, also Opera. I don't have Dolphin.  For me, I've found some sites work better on FF, some better on Opera. I pretty much never use Silk.


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

I'm really liking Dolphin.  It has gestures.  Say I'm looking at a forum and want to go to the end of the page to see the latest posts, I can swipe a "down" sign (V) to go all the way to the bottom.  With Silk I had no option but to keep flicking a half dozen times to get to the end.  Swipe left to right to see your bookmark list, etc.  And you can add your own gestures for favorite sites.  They have Google predefined as a capital G shape.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

CS said:


> Either way, we don't get access to auto updates because it's not from the Android Market/Google Play.


I get notifications of updates for apps downloaded through 1mobile.com all the time....they don't "auto update" but neither do my apps from Amazon. I get a notification that an update is available and then I choose to update or not.

Betsy


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

It seems like some apps auto-update and some just notify you that an update is available.  Just the other day I started up an app and it had auto-updated to a new version since the last time I had opened it.


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