# The (unofficial) Fire HD 8.9 sideload-able apps with HD icons request thread



## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

Download links for those that just want the files without reading the thread, ill try and keep this up to date  :

BeyondPod - https://www.box.com/s/wtni5ogclbieni4bws5e
Chrome to Phone - https://www.box.com/s/jx6psuy6la4z6jfrz2t9
Chrome - https://www.box.com/s/6beepsqariyplq1rpkdc
ColorNote - https://www.box.com/s/xzxe2pwim0y1zibmt6gd
Dolphin - https://www.box.com/s/w3lzvxz2bxrgunv0hi18
Dropbox - https://www.box.com/s/g85x97ph9g6rqmhnnquq
Youtube HD - https://www.box.com/s/9vp9wz389h8xchl5der4

Hi all, I logged in today and saw that my thread http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,126966.0.html is getting more popular with lots of downloads. I never intended those for the 8.9 so I wanted to start a new thread specifically for it as that's the Fire I now have 

I started doing this for myself as I hate how sideloaded icons look on the carousel but I figured I might as well share! I would post a guide on how to do it but it's actually a long process and can be different for every app, it would take my forever to write a easy guide, taking requests for which apps you want me to do just seems easier  Plus you might give me ideas for cool apps I don't have. Anything you want to see optimized just post what it is and where I can get hold of an APK that works on the 8.9. *The apps ill be posting will be optimized for the 8.9 icon size specifically, they will probably work on the 7 but the icons may not look as good. You do not need to be rooted to install these.

Ill start with Chrome as that's the only app I have sideloaded right now and I know is one of the most popular.

Screenshot:










Download: https://www.box.com/s/6beepsqariyplq1rpkdc

Let's hear those requests!


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

BeyondPod
Google Play store
Dropbox
YouTube
ChrometoPhone
Speedtest
Colornote

I tried to only include stuff that was generally used. I have two other android devices, a tablet and a phone(phablet, really) and have been using them for a few years or so--so if you need any apps, let me know. FYI - in case you use Astro file manager, I have a copy of the old version since I hate the new one.

Here's the link to my location for the apps: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hlc8u7pllq66gb2/fJv82A10-Q

Everything is in the APKs folder but feel free to use/copy anything you like in any of those Public folders


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## sbell1 (Mar 31, 2009)

Dropbox
http://db.tt/auC0LT5M

1mobile market
http://db.tt/YqAa4GK6

Dolphin browser
http://db.tt/cDO7B6Sj

I hope the links work. They are to the apps in my dropbox.

Thanks so much if you can do this.

Sent from my fire using Tapatalk 2


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## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

Ok guys  

Right now im working on dropbox, youtube, chrome to phone, speed test, and dolphin.

Beyondpod, colornote, and 1mobile I cant find high res icons for.  If you guys can find an icon you want me to use let me know, they need to be a png file and 512px X 512px.

As for google play I have an icon but thats a system apk and is another animal entirely.  I can try but im not rooted so I cant test it, I would need a guinea pig to test it out lol.


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## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

Done with the apps I was working on, here's the links:

Chrome to Phone - https://www.box.com/s/jx6psuy6la4z6jfrz2t9

Dolphin - https://www.box.com/s/w3lzvxz2bxrgunv0hi18

Dropbox - https://www.box.com/s/g85x97ph9g6rqmhnnquq

Youtube - https://www.box.com/s/9vp9wz389h8xchl5der4 (Thanks for the HD app!)

Screenshots


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## MsBea (Dec 2, 2008)

Downloaded without a problem.  Thanks so much!


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Thank you so much!  I'm installing them now.


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Okkoto86 said:


> Ok guys
> 
> Right now im working on dropbox, youtube, chrome to phone, speed test, and dolphin.
> 
> ...


Here is one for Colornote: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6864481/APKs/colornote_notepad.png

For BeyondPod, I installed the Amazon version and the icon is beautiful, however it is a port of the phone version so doesn't have all the features of the tablet version. Can you pull the icon and use it for the Tablet apk previously provided?


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## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

That colornote icon is crazy blurry it wont be much better than it is already.  I think I found one that will work, it's not the stock icon but it gets the point across, and I also got a beyondpod icon so im doing that as well now.


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## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

Ok I got those two done, for colornote I used a universal icon of a notepad that I think looks really good.

Colornote - https://www.box.com/s/xzxe2pwim0y1zibmt6gd

Beyondpod - https://www.box.com/s/wtni5ogclbieni4bws5e


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Thanks again!


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Also, I have another 8.9" tablet so if you're ever looking for tablet (vs phone) apps, send me an PM or post.


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Okkoto86 said:


> Ok guys
> 
> Right now im working on dropbox, youtube, chrome to phone, speed test, and dolphin.
> 
> ...


I'm rooted so can try it out.


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

Color me ignorant ... where do I need to put these on my Fire so they show up and how do I actually get them to install?? Are these the apk files or just a "fixed" picture for the carousel?


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## sbell1 (Mar 31, 2009)

Is there a way to just install the icon? When I try to install these I get the message that "an existing application by the same name with a conflicting signature is already installed".


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## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

To answer the first question, these are APK files, they are the full app.  You install them like you would side-load any other APK, they just have had their icon art files replaced with higher resolution ones.

The second question, these don't "upgrade" your already installed apps per say because they are full apps.  If you already have the same app installed you would need to uninstall it and install it again with my apk.


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

Okkoto86, you didn't really answer my question.    I knew they are apk files. My question was, where on my Fire do I put them? In the root folder? How do I actually get it installed? Do I just drop them somewhere on the Fire and reboot the Fire (can you tell I've never done this before?    )


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

For me, the app icons not being super crisp doesn't really bother me.  They're fine anywhere but the carousel and, as a rule, I generally remove everything but books from the carousel.

Sidebar: I would like there to be an option on the carousel that basically says only book icons get automatically put there. You can set the browser to not leave itself there. . .I'd like to also not leave app icons there. . . . . customization is nice. 

I'm also not keen on getting an apk from some random dropbox -- not that I think Okkoto has done anything nefarious, of course, but if there's a bit out of place and it locks up your device you're kind of stuck.  Plus, if the app is updated by the developer, I don't think you'd get it automatically like you do for ones you've gotten from Amazon. 

In short:  be sure to weigh the risks/downsides against the benefits to YOU of downloading these apks.


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## ginaf20697 (Jan 31, 2009)

Wouldn't you also need to download a new file every time there was an update? That's another thing to consider. Seems more trouble to me than it's worth. I know that I have apps from different places and that all of them let me know when there are updates but when you get the update from somewhere else the icon would be the old one I would think.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

HappyGuy said:


> Okkoto86, you didn't really answer my question.  I knew they are apk files. My question was, where on my Fire do I put them? In the root folder? How do I actually get it installed? Do I just drop them somewhere on the Fire and reboot the Fire (can you tell I've never done this before?  )


HappyGuy--

Assuming you are browsing on your Fire, if you tap on the link provided, it should be downloaded by the browser. Then, just call up the bottom/side menu bar and tap on the menu icon. Downloads should be one of the options. Tap on that, find the apk file and tap it; you should be prompted to install.

Also, you can swipe down from the top, go to notifications, and you should see a notification that the file has downloaded. You can tap there to install, too.

If you are browsing on a PC, I use Dropbox to store the APK files. I download on my PC to Dropbox. (You may have to download to your desktop or somewhere and move it; it depends on how you have your browser set up.) Then, I open Dropbox on my Fire and click on the APK.

If you have an file browsing app, like ES File Explorer, you can browse around on your Fire and see where things are. The downloads folder is at /sdcard/Download/ If you're transferring via USB, you could put it in that folder if you want.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Okkoto86 said:


> To answer the first question, these are APK files, they are the full app. You install them like you would side-load any other APK, they just have had their icon art files replaced with higher resolution ones.
> 
> The second question, these don't "upgrade" your already installed apps per say because they are full apps. If you already have the same app installed you would need to uninstall it and install it again with my apk.


Okkoto--

would it be possible for you to rename the modified apps by adding, say, HD to the name? Or Okko?  I'd like to be able to readily distinguish the ones I download from you from the stock ones... I don't think it would affect installability. I can do this after I download, of course, but sometimes I forget.

Betsy


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## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks Betsy! That's the perfect explanation.  All these are are APK's with only the icon graphics changed.  They have the exact same drawbacks as any APK that you would side-load, those wont update either.  The only apps that will update are apps from the amazon app store, and those already have high res icons so you wouldn't need these.

Im only modifying apps that amazon doesn't have on the app store and im only changing the icons, these are no more or less risky then any side-loaded app, I alwasy test them on mine before I share them.  No one has to use them of course, this is just something I did for me and wanted to share.


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

On my HD7 the ColorNote icon doesn't change. Dropbox looks good though.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Okkoto86 said:


> Im only modifying apps that amazon doesn't have on the app store and im only changing the icons, these are no more or less risky then any side-loaded app, I alwasy test them on mine before I share them. No one has to use them of course, this is just something I did for me and wanted to share.


I will note that BeyondPod is on the app store, though apparently from what Jesslyn says, the version doesn't have all the features that the non-Amazon tablet version does.

Betsy


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## theruleslawyer (Dec 18, 2012)

If you're interested in doing this yourself there is a guide here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1495854
Not for the faint of heart though. I just wish there were an automated way to do it so I could have icons survive play store updates.


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I will note that BeyondPod is on the app store, though apparently from what Jesslyn says, the version doesn't have all the features that the non-Amazon tablet version does.
> 
> Betsy


You are correct. The BeyondPod version on the Amazon store looks like a phone app that has been upsized. 
It is the difference between this screen stretched across your 8.9:









and this. It seems like a small difference, but the smarter use of the screen space makes navigating your 'casts much nicer


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## theruleslawyer (Dec 18, 2012)

Jesslyn said:


> You are correct. The BeyondPod version on the Amazon store looks like a phone app that has been upsized.
> It is the difference between this screen stretched across your 8.9:
> and this. It seems like a small difference, but the smarter use of the screen space makes navigating your 'casts much nicer


I wish more apps had tablet specific UI. It makes a big difference. However this has been a big year for android tablets. Maybe we'll start seeing more devs cater to them?


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