Android Market is the app repository that Android cell phone users can access to download new applications for their cell phone. The market offers both free and commercial applications and offers a 24 hour return policy for purchased applications. The guys over at Androideka are reporting about an Android Market Hack that allows users to download and Android Market application for free, sort of.
The requirement is a rooted or developer phone. Rooting an Android phone is not a difficulty process so it basically means anyone with an Android phone can do this. It is possible to download all applications from Android Market for free because of the inefficient application protection and the return policy. A user downloads an application from Android Market. He might need to purchase it first but should not worry about that as he will get a refund if he returns the app in the next 24 hours after download.
The only protection that the Google Android team has implemented is the location of the Android apps. Users without root cannot access this location on their Android cell phone. But everyone with root can. There is no other protection in place which means that it is possible to copy the Android application to another location, return the application and install it again from the new source.
All protected Android apps are located in the folder /data/app-private/ which can be accessed on rooted Android phones. It is therefor theoretically possible to purchase, install, copy, return all Android applications to get them all for free. It should also be noted that the copied versions of those protected Android applications can be installed on all Android phones, even non rooted ones. Will probably not be long before the first Android app packs hit the dark side of the Internet.
The only difficulty that arises is that the applications will not be updated automatically as Android Market does not recognize them. Be sure to check out Androideka if you are interested in Google Android news.
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The ease of this hack saddens me. I for one was looking forward to paid apps to spark better applications and games. If they don’t fix this soon we will all be worse off. That said, I am too weak a man to resist grabbing free apps! in the past I have given donations to applications which I really support such as andnav2.
Your absolutly right it could very well end up like Preware did with all the crappy usless apps for “free”…not to mention all the “drama” with the patches you had to uninstall & reinstall every time an update came out….people need to stop hacking everything to death!!!
true but you are a douche, and no one should listen to you.
I’m really disappointed that you would outline the hack like you did. There is no problem mentioning that it exists, but publishing the instructions is really not cool. If I discovered an exploit in Ghacks, would you want me to publish it?
Wow, so the 1st Amendment and the spread of free information disgust you? What, pray tell, are you doing on THE INTERNET?!?!?!
Yes.. Because sometimes publishing exploits is the only way you can force a company to get off their asses and fix a problem.
Eh.. lil exploit.. no one knows about it.. Put it on the back burner till it becomes an issue…
But.. shine the bat signal on it and their bosses start to freak out.
all developers should consider putting ad supported free full apps instead of trial versions and payed ones. That way they get a guaranteed paycheck. The people that don’t like ads can then pay for it. They would make a lot more money and not have to worry about refunds and hax.
@anonymous
Wow, you’re clever aren’t you?
That was sarcasm by the way.
If they offer a paid version without ads, and a free version with ads, and it’s easy to get the paid version for free, why the hell would anyone get the free version with ads, instead of the version without ads for free?
because its a hell of a lot easier to get it off the market than it is to make the effort of browsing anywhere else to get it.
how to download software apps and games for HTC Dream, Android OS
i like your idea anonymous, fantastic thinking!!!!! i think you shoud point this out to the people at android market
It’s sad that some people it’s putting a lot of effort into learning android to later on publish an app for less than a pityful buck (.99 cents for my app), then we don’t sell that many to even make a modest living, not even to make my cat a modest living. Then to add insult to injury some people want to have all the apps for free??!!! Come on, if you are that cheap…. heck, you got the point.
Sheesh people… ever heard of Open Source? Why would you *have* to pay for an application? What’s wrong with people co-operating to create a beauthifull, free app themselves?
(I do so myself by the way)
Thx for your post, really helpfull.
It’s ashamed to make apps under GNU licence and try to sell it ! (even for a “pityful buck” as elora said, open source is open source )
I rooted my phone so it would work better and free up space on the phone, not so I could steal others work. If the app is worth having and it is a pay app, pay for it!
Hey i like the 24 hour return policy. Here is why. I hate demos. I have played plenty of games the demo turned me off to. Later playing the full version i found out the game was actually fun in full mode. How many times have you bought something and decided in about 10 minutes it sucked! Now about pirating. Many games i have boughten i pirated first to see if it was any good. Pirates r the ones throwing up the bandwith so it really doesnt hurt anyone. They wouldnt have bought it anyway, and they dont use paid members BW.
I would love to pay for some apps but Google’s Android Market is horrible. I get a server error every time I try to make a purchase. Google does not support the Android Market either. I get no response to my emails. I would much rather pay for the apps than try to find paid apps for free. The Android Market will only be a success if Google supports it and gets the bugs out.
I hate all that guys who posts such articles. Everyone should be feel free to set their own price. What this guy actually is doing is nothing else than learning how to shoplifting – digitally.
If nobody pays for the apps, many apps would never be developed.
Its not easy to develop these apps, it takes time…I think none of the quality apps should be free. Its not fair to the developer to spend all this time making something just to give it away for free, u pay more for a combo meal at McDonald’s. Support the community, don’t just try and grab any free app..it undermines competition and the desire to develop more quality apps.
nothing is free. Ad revenue is the only way that these apps, especially the “free” ones, make any money.
Yes but the making of apps is only time consuming. It doesn’t cost anything to produce the apps but time and know how. So unlike McDonalds the app developers don’t have to pay for labor of others or for the raw materials as it is just programing. Why would someone make an app for the market of an open source software just to try to make a profit, albeit a small one?
Going to work everyday is just time consuming, it doesn’t cost me anything except time and know how, I suppose by thi slogic I should expect my employer to pay me.
Redpy and others, you obviously dont get it. You are telling me my time is worth nothing? I had to pay for books and tuition for my knowlage, so dont fucking tell me I didn’t have to pay for resources asshole. I have to pay for the building, I have to pay for the computers and equipment, etc.. etc… Think a bit before you people get an uninformed opinion that pirating doesn’t hurt anyone. It hurts me and every other developer out there. Why would we make apps for an open source OS and try to make a profit? Cuz we need money to live you morons. And YES, you did strike a nerve, push a button, whatever. Pirates are thieves, plain and simple.
I’m not saying pirating is good I’m just saying that developers shouldn’t charge for apps. You using renewable resources that don’t, or shouldn’t, cost more than what you already have or pay for. And as far as education goes you can learn practically anything for free online, however I’m sorry that I struck a nerve.
“I’m not saying pirating is good I’m just saying that developers shouldn’t charge for apps. You using renewable resources that don’t, or shouldn’t, cost more than what you already have or pay for. And as far as education goes you can learn practically anything for free online, however I’m sorry that I struck a nerve.”
I looked for all your free apps on the market, but i couldnt find any? If its so easy to write these apps how come people charge?
Redpy: you are either plain moron or 13-yo stupid kid whois all demands are instantly fullfulled by your overparenting dad&mum. Once your stupid butt get kicked by real life and mummy and daddy won’t give a shit about your bills (including internet access) any longer you sudenly realise how stupid you were with claims on subjects you got no plain idea about.
Telling that software development is “just writting” you proves that your brain cells died long time ago or never evolved. But, here’s a deal for you idiot – as “It doesn’t cost anything to produce the apps but time and know how” could you please shut up for a while, sit you fat ass and program something. Anything. Oh,… right. You got no spare time…
FY.
^^^ Your lack of grammar along with your own childish antics of “bashing” make you look like the “plain moron or 13-yo stupid kid”
I do have to say though, this bash made my laugh heartily ! “you proves that your brain cells died long time ago or never evolved. ”
Oh the joys of the internet mixed in with the imbeciles :]
Okay, listen redpy is right. Android os is open-source, just like Linux…. and if I remember correctly Linux is all free. And guess what. Other developers spent their time makingthe programs and games for it, ance thru hand their source codes and programg out to the whole community for free! And look, non of them Bitch and complain like you fags. Today, Linux is the best os out there, because its all freeware and open-source, so everyone in vhe community relies on one another to make quality programs and for other god make them jetter.
Here’s just another person who thinks that other people should bust their butt so that he can have a better life, why don’t you get off your ass and develop apps for free.
ummm… All software on linux is not free. There are many open source programs for linux, as there are for Android Mac and Windows. Open source is the the way the software is created. Every one contributes and everyone gets something. Those that contribute to Linux get lucrative job offers writing custom software for businesses. The rest of us get a free OS.
Sry linux is not the best OS out there.
Well in all respect to the publisher, what he did was wrong yes step by step is something you don’t post so openly. But like anything remember what we are dealing with. I’m probably biting my self in the ass here, but I’m going to say 70% of android user don’t know about rooting their android phones. I’m very tech savy and I just recently found out about rooting my android phone. Now your everyday phone user isn’t going to root their phone and figure out this hack on their own. they would have to search it for them selves and honestly I don’t think they would know where to begin. yes i agree google it and you’ll find it. But like I said they aren’t finding on their own
There’s another alternative to aquiring apps on the android app store.my motorola cliq is
Not rooted and yet I can still save apps.go to the android market and download app control.it has the ability to back up apps.the apps won’t update but its good to have.and a
File manager get also.once you back up your app,the folder would say back up.it works for
Paid and non paid apps….easy as 123 with out rooting your phone…
intertesring debate. True developers take their time to create apps. I recently got my behold II and read things about hackin cuz my friends all have iphones that are hacked. I currently had a g1 and was ok but dislike how the android market is. I purchased a few apps where it either doesnt work the way it suppose to or crashes like a. …. I also never knew that we have 24 hrs to return. So i ended up keeping something that doesnt work. I jus think it would be better if developers would not charge and if ppl like the app, they can decide if they want to donate. Sometimes i think ppl donate more than purchasing. Jus something to row out there
:)
Apparently many people can’t tell the difference between a free-open source platform and paid-private source apps.
Arguing ‘the apps should be free’ because the platform is free is like saying the cars should be free since the roads are free.
Almost a good point, but a bad analogy; roads aren’t free.
“I’m not saying pirating is good I’m just saying that developers shouldn’t charge for apps.”
LMAO. That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. I guess people shouldn’t charge for anything! Even food are grown using what’s already available in nature.
Regarding the donation idea, it’s nice and will work… if you’re already rich and not doing this for a living. Do people who download free apps donate? Or even send the developers an email thanking them?
I for one am disappointed by this discovery. I was planning on developing apps for the droid but why should I waste my time and energy when people are already figuring out ways of stealing the work. This truly is a problem as I feel other developers will feel the same as me. I may yet develop apps that I feel are useful to me but unless I can get assurances that my work will not be stolen I doubt I will list it on the marketplace.
We all paid for the phones we own and are paying for the service, whether it’s t-mobile, verison or at&t, why should we have to pay extra to get the most out of our phones, which are already paid for.
or Sprint, with their Unlimited Data Plan, the Nickel & Dimeing fees, and the US$4.99 for not having any credit history, brings the total in the US$70s-80s! crazy as heck for me knowing later that T-Mobile has their unlimited data plan around US$40 total.
So, you bought a house. Done. But wait a minute! Now you also have to pay for furniture. And wait a minute, there is no food in the kitchen either. What’s going on? And oh yes, now the property tax bill comes in. What’s going on? Why isn’t all this stuff included in the purchase price of the house?
Okay, this is seriously ridiculous. Everyone is getting so heated up over one article, really? So you can get apps for free, so what? If it bothers you that much, don’t do it. Simple as that.
And I’m pretty sure, correct me if I’m wrong, that this site is called ‘Ghacks’, is it not? This is a hack. There is no need to get so cut-throat about such a silly topic. What’s funny is I’m sure about 75% of you who are whining about his probably Googled how to get Android apps for free. And the other 25% saw the link to this article after it was posted, and wanted to know how to do it. So really, quit acting like a teenager, as if your opinion HAS to be heard and just leave it be :)
Open source is great, but the people who want to charge should have the right to. There is no point at getting mad at them for wanting to profit off of their own work. You have your own ideas of what is right, they have theirs, and neither side is going to force the other into submission.
But there will always be pirates (myself included). It is up to the Android Marketplace, and all digital distributors really, to combat it through intelligent updates to protect its developers. Blaming people for finding or drawing attention to exploits and security holes is useless; there will always be somebody to do it.
Whether it’s right or wrong is irrelevant. How Google will respond is the question. If they want to protect app developers they need to release an update that is required to use the Marketplace and fixes this trick, but something else will come out after that. Just look at the huge community the Wii softmod scene has now (use Google). This is happening on every device.
No matter what they do, apps will get hacked. It cannot be stopped. People want freedom. The industry must adapt or go broke. Consumers rule and they are making it clear they no longer want to pay big bucks to be software beta testers. In other words, they are sick of paying, yet getting slapped with bugs, updates, and fixes all the time, or having to pay again for version xxx which contains all the promises of the current version they have.
The software market is full of scumbag greedy companies who use deception and manipulation to make a profit. They are simply getting a taste of their own medicine from consumers.
There are many devs out there that create out of love, without a single dime of compensation. If you think high quality products don’t get created that way YOU ARE A NOVICE OR LIAR. Look at Linux, and all the software created for it. Look at OPEN OFFICE That was all done FOR FREE. There are countless open source products that rival commercial offerings.
its bad things for droid developers.