apk files don't install when downloaded from storage.s3.amazonaws.com

Comments

• colinadams

  March 2016

  I'm not sure I'm understanding. Can you please explain exactly what you are doing and what steps you took to get there?
• sailorcull

  March 2016

  I have a store on Shopify.  I originally had my apps on a store with Payloadz where they installed just fine but wanted to switch to Shopify for several reasons and the Shopify platform supports .apk files.   My apps are downloadable digital product on Shopify.  But as I said when downloaded they only install after you locate them in the device's storage.

  I have been back and forth for a long time with their tech support and this is the last they came up with. (posted below)  So I was wondering if Andromo knew anything further that would make this work. 

  
  

   Here is our exchange:

  
  

  Me:"my .apk apps won't open when downloaded from Shopify after purchase the way they are supposed to...

  but they download and open the way they are supposed to if I upload them in the "Files" area of my Shopify store (cdn.shopify.com) or email the link to the file url. But downloading them from the store as a product does not work. The download link from the store does not work."

  Shopify tech:

  "I looked into this matter quite a bit. I believe what maybe happening is when using digital downloads, the content header is not set for a specific set of information for .apk file which results in this behaviour. When downloading from cdn.shopify.com this sets the content header information for .apk files which allows you to install it.

  I've escalated this ticket a step further, to our support developers. They'll continue investigating and get back to you as soon as they have more information on this. Thanks so much your patience while we get to the bottom of it and will be in touch as soon as possible.

  The workaround solution to be able to install these .apk files from digital download links would be for customers to go to file manager and install it there."

  "Our developers looked into this. We use Amazon to host our files for the digital download app. It is the browser that is causing this issue if they are unable to open the file after downloading it from our Amazon file host as it only happens with this scenario.

  We cannot work around this as it is the browser's limitation for this that causes this to happen.

  Please let me know if you got anymore questions regarding this."

  Me: "What do you mean by browser?  Do you mean Amazon's browser?  I have the files as well for sale on Amazon App store and they download fine. "

  SHopify Tech: "This is android's browsers. It does not recognize the file type when downloaded from a specific file host (which is Amazon) in regards to .apk files. This is why it cannot open it. You will need to go to the file browser in order to do so.

  We've done extensive research into figuring out how to address this it is not able to be done for .apk files using our provider to host these digital download files.

  So we do support .apk files in the sense that it can be attached to a product and customers are able to download it however, it is not able to be installed through the quick settings as it is doing it through the browser which it does not recognize. It needs to be done through the android file browser where the application will recognize this file type afterwards."

  ___

  There you have pretty much all the info about this issue.  Thanks in advance for any input.

  
  
• colinadams

  March 2016 edited March 2016

  Oh. Yeah, that's not an Andromo problem, so nothing for us to fix...
  
  Shopify isn't sending the correct MIME type headers for Android APK files then. You can them them it should be application/vnd.android.package-archive - they can send free beer to over here to say thanks
  
  
• sailorcull

  March 2016

  Hi Colin and thank you.  I have sent it along.  I will let you know what they say or do...and I will tell them about the beer!