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#legacyapps — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #legacyapps, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Got an app that's installed on an old device and refuses to install on a new one (e.g. it was discontinued)? As of November 2025:

    * On your old device:
    * Install an APK exporter (such as f-droid.org/en/packages/axp.to)
    * Copy the APK off the device
    * On your new device
    * Copy the APK into storage
    * Install APK Explorer & Editor (f-droid.org/en/packages/com.ap)
    * Open the app and click "APK's[sic]" at the bottom
    * Click "Select from storage" and select the file
    * Click the compass symbol next to the tabs at the top
    * Select "Simple Decompile (faster)"
    * Click the folder symbol at the bottom
    * Click AndroidManifest.xml
    * Click `android:minSdkVersion` and `android:targetSdkVersion` and set them to 29
    * Click "Save"
    * Click the hammer at the top-right (yes, it's clickable!)
    * Click "Build"
    * It should give a green tick. Click "Install"
    * If you're prompted about "Harmful app blocked", expand the "More Details" expander and click "Install anyway"
    * Don't send the app to Google (or do, so that they can see that it's fine - but as you're the only one installing it then it's kinda pointless!)
    * Wait for installation to complete

    Note: This is ONLY safe because you copied the APK from your old device. Otherwise, pay attention to the harmful app warnings!

    #Android #APK #SystemUpgrade #LegacyApps #LegacySoftware #MakeDoAndMend #Hacks #Workaround #FDroid

  2. Got an app that's installed on an old device and refuses to install on a new one (e.g. it was discontinued)? As of November 2025:

    * On your old device:
    * Install an APK exporter (such as f-droid.org/en/packages/axp.to)
    * Copy the APK off the device
    * On your new device
    * Copy the APK into storage
    * Install APK Explorer & Editor (f-droid.org/en/packages/com.ap)
    * Open the app and click "APK's[sic]" at the bottom
    * Click "Select from storage" and select the file
    * Click the compass symbol next to the tabs at the top
    * Select "Simple Decompile (faster)"
    * Click the folder symbol at the bottom
    * Click AndroidManifest.xml
    * Click `android:minSdkVersion` and `android:targetSdkVersion` and set them to 29
    * Click "Save"
    * Click the hammer at the top-right (yes, it's clickable!)
    * Click "Build"
    * It should give a green tick. Click "Install"
    * If you're prompted about "Harmful app blocked", expand the "More Details" expander and click "Install anyway"
    * Don't send the app to Google (or do, so that they can see that it's fine - but as you're the only one installing it then it's kinda pointless!)
    * Wait for installation to complete

    Note: This is ONLY safe because you copied the APK from your old device. Otherwise, pay attention to the harmful app warnings!

    #Android #APK #SystemUpgrade #LegacyApps #LegacySoftware #MakeDoAndMend #Hacks #Workaround #FDroid

  3. Got an app that's installed on an old device and refuses to install on a new one (e.g. it was discontinued)? As of November 2025:

    * On your old device:
    * Install an APK exporter (such as f-droid.org/en/packages/axp.to)
    * Copy the APK off the device
    * On your new device
    * Copy the APK into storage
    * Install APK Explorer & Editor (f-droid.org/en/packages/com.ap)
    * Open the app and click "APK's[sic]" at the bottom
    * Click "Select from storage" and select the file
    * Click the compass symbol next to the tabs at the top
    * Select "Simple Decompile (faster)"
    * Click the folder symbol at the bottom
    * Click AndroidManifest.xml
    * Click `android:minSdkVersion` and `android:targetSdkVersion` and set them to 29
    * Click "Save"
    * Click the hammer at the top-right (yes, it's clickable!)
    * Click "Build"
    * It should give a green tick. Click "Install"
    * If you're prompted about "Harmful app blocked", expand the "More Details" expander and click "Install anyway"
    * Don't send the app to Google (or do, so that they can see that it's fine - but as you're the only one installing it then it's kinda pointless!)
    * Wait for installation to complete

    Note: This is ONLY safe because you copied the APK from your old device. Otherwise, pay attention to the harmful app warnings!

  4. Got an app that's installed on an old device and refuses to install on a new one (e.g. it was discontinued)? As of November 2025:

    * On your old device:
    * Install an APK exporter (such as f-droid.org/en/packages/axp.to)
    * Copy the APK off the device
    * On your new device
    * Copy the APK into storage
    * Install APK Explorer & Editor (f-droid.org/en/packages/com.ap)
    * Open the app and click "APK's[sic]" at the bottom
    * Click "Select from storage" and select the file
    * Click the compass symbol next to the tabs at the top
    * Select "Simple Decompile (faster)"
    * Click the folder symbol at the bottom
    * Click AndroidManifest.xml
    * Click `android:minSdkVersion` and `android:targetSdkVersion` and set them to 29
    * Click "Save"
    * Click the hammer at the top-right (yes, it's clickable!)
    * Click "Build"
    * It should give a green tick. Click "Install"
    * If you're prompted about "Harmful app blocked", expand the "More Details" expander and click "Install anyway"
    * Don't send the app to Google (or do, so that they can see that it's fine - but as you're the only one installing it then it's kinda pointless!)
    * Wait for installation to complete

    Note: This is ONLY safe because you copied the APK from your old device. Otherwise, pay attention to the harmful app warnings!

    #Android #APK #SystemUpgrade #LegacyApps #LegacySoftware #MakeDoAndMend #Hacks #Workaround #FDroid

  5. Got an app that's installed on an old device and refuses to install on a new one (e.g. it was discontinued)? As of November 2025:

    * On your old device:
    * Install an APK exporter (such as f-droid.org/en/packages/axp.to)
    * Copy the APK off the device
    * On your new device
    * Copy the APK into storage
    * Install APK Explorer & Editor (f-droid.org/en/packages/com.ap)
    * Open the app and click "APK's[sic]" at the bottom
    * Click "Select from storage" and select the file
    * Click the compass symbol next to the tabs at the top
    * Select "Simple Decompile (faster)"
    * Click the folder symbol at the bottom
    * Click AndroidManifest.xml
    * Click `android:minSdkVersion` and `android:targetSdkVersion` and set them to 29
    * Click "Save"
    * Click the hammer at the top-right (yes, it's clickable!)
    * Click "Build"
    * It should give a green tick. Click "Install"
    * If you're prompted about "Harmful app blocked", expand the "More Details" expander and click "Install anyway"
    * Don't send the app to Google (or do, so that they can see that it's fine - but as you're the only one installing it then it's kinda pointless!)
    * Wait for installation to complete

    Note: This is ONLY safe because you copied the APK from your old device. Otherwise, pay attention to the harmful app warnings!

    #Android #APK #SystemUpgrade #LegacyApps #LegacySoftware #MakeDoAndMend #Hacks #Workaround #FDroid