A utility to download Android apps from Google Play Store directly to your PC.
We have been
testing and reviewing a lot of Android phones and tablets in the recent
past, and we definitely need to keep a few apps for benchmarking and
other such information. In order to do the same, we initially need to
set up wireless networking, punch in the credentials of the Google
account, then search for the needed apps and download them. Downloading
apps from the Google Play Store requires
an account and hence the entire exercise. This is not only time
consuming, but also painfully slow at times when the Internet connection
is down or weak. In order to get things in the fast lane, we use an app
to back up the apps and save them on the PC. On the other hand, as we
all know, most apps keep being updated by their developers and tracking
the updates is not possible if we do not have the Google account setup
on the Android device. This means doing the same thing all over again
and hitting the 'Update App' button every time we have to test a new
device.
Real APK Leecher
Many others who constantly do ROM installations and updates on their
Android devices would also like to keep a backup of the apps. Installing
apps directly from the SD card not only saves downloading time, but
also helps you save money by using the Internet on 3G connections. You
can save apps to the SD card using third-party apps such as File Expert, Titanium Backup, App Monster
and other such utilities, but they only save the currently installed
apps. So then, what about new updates for the apps? Updating the app is
only possible after installing it and then running the Play Store to
check for any updates.
Set up the utility
In order to overcome this obstacle, we found a Windows-based utility
on the XDA forums, developed by the ‘Codeimba.com’ team from Vietnam,
called ‘Real APK Leecher’. The software is a JAVA-based utility, which
connects to the Internet and the Google Play Store online. The utility
needs to be filled with the details of your Google account and the
Device ID of your phone in the options. Once the necessary details are
filled, it can be used to search and download apps from the Play Store.
You can also specify a folder where you have existing apps stored so
that they can be scanned and checked for any updates. The apps and
updates can be downloaded to a folder of your choice. Read ahead for a
walk through on how to get the app and set it up on your PC.
Get your Device ID
Download the Real APK Leecher utility from here.
Download the archived ZIP file and unzip the contacts to a folder on
your desktop. Now open the folder and run the file ‘Real APK
Leecher.exe’. Since you would be running the utility for the first time,
the options (Configuration window) will be shown. In this window, you
will need to give in the details of your valid Google email address, the
password to the email account and the Device ID.
The device ID will be available on your phone itself; you need to
extract it using a simple code on the phone dialler. Start the dialler
on your phone and punch in the below mentioned code:
*#*#8255#*#*
The details of this procedure are also provided in the same window
where these details need to be fed in the utility. If you are using a
tablet, the phone dialler will not be available. You can download an app
called ‘DeviceID’ to get the details of your tablet. These settings
need to be done only once, unless you change the phone, tablet or Google
account. Further, you have the choice of showing the number of records
between 10 to 30 apps on the page while searching for apps. Next, choose
the language and country, leave the SIM Operator Number as empty
(default) and enter the location to save the downloaded apps along with
the location for the folder where your apps are already downloaded and
need updates. After these settings are done, you can click on the Save
button and the utility will start.
Search for the app you want to download
Set the download location
Download the app
Note: If you make any mistake in the settings,
especially with the email address, password and device ID, the utility
will not work as it will give you an error in logging into your account.
Double-check your settings if you get any errors.
Now that the utility has started, you can search for the app using
its vendor name, package name or custom name in the search bar.
Depending on the choice you made earlier, the number of searched apps
will be listed in the window below. To download the app, simply click on
it once to highlight the entire field, then right-click on the line and
select the download option.
Note: The searched apps will have both free and paid
versions showing up and you can only download free versions. If the app
is a paid version, you will not be able to download it, as there are no
options for payment through this utility. You can hit the Google Play
link to go to the Play Store and do the necessary payments there. If you
have already paid for the app earlier, then you can download the app
without this extra step.
Check for app updates on your PC
To check for updates for your already downloaded apps, you can
right-click on any app in the list and click on the ‘Scan Existing
Folder’ option. The utility will then ask you one more time if you want
to scan the folder you previously entered in the options or any other
folder on your PC. Click on OK and the utility will scan every app in
the specified folder and list the entire content of that folder. Each
app will be listed with icons, which will specify if there is an update
available for any of the apps. The icon with the exclamatory mark in a
triangle is the one with updates available. Next, right-click on the app
and click on the download option. Apps that are not available on the
Play Store or are pirated will show up with a question mark, whereas the
ones with the green check mark are apps that have no updates.
Existing app updates are shown with exclamatory mark symbols
You can also use this utility to download apps that are not available
in your country by changing the SIM Operator Number in the options
field. Apps that have carrier restrictions can be faked to get the apps
downloaded. To do this on your phone itself, you need to have a rooted
phone and market enabler app. Using this utility, you can do it without
any hitch. The SIM Operator Number (SON) for various mobile carriers
around the world can be availed from here.
The SON is a combination of the MCC and MNC numbers. SON = MCC + MNC.
For example, Vodafone IN Mumbai has MMC number 404 and MNC number 20,
which makes the SON 40420. Enter this number in the SON field in the
options window.
Disclaimer: Try this utility at your own risk. This
utility and tutorial is for educational purposes only. We do not take
any responsibility for misuse of this app. Please read the T&C for Google Play before downloading the apps.
