How do I install the "Contacts" app on an Android tablet that did not include it?

November 18, 2012 10:36 AM

Is there a way to add the "standard" contacts app to an Android tablet that did not come with it installed?

My daughter has a new Android tablet that only has WiFi. It does not have some of the standard apps that my Android phone has installed, some of which I understand, for instance without a phone what use is a dialer? BUT. There is no Contacts app installed.

Gmail is installed, but there does not seem to be a way to enter a new contact or to edit the details of an existing contact. The tablet was bought so that she could email from it.

I know there are third party apps out there, but I'd really like to just install the stock Contacts app. I don't see it in the market though. We're working around it by opening her Gmail contacts on a desktop PC browser.

The "About Tablet" tab yields this info: Model Number T711, Android Version 4.0.3, and it apparently is an Rk29SDK whn it comes to system updates.

So, how does one install parts of the "standard" Android app suite?

posted by Brooklyn_Jake to computers & internet (5 answers total)

Check for the People app, since this is on ICS. I think I have the People app on my Asus Transformer (original model)
posted by deezil at 10:47 AM on November 18, 2012

Nope. No People app. It seems that the only way to get a contact onto this thing is with a third party app from the market (ads, crazy permissions, etc.) or to go to a browser elsewhere.
posted by Brooklyn_Jake at 10:52 AM on November 18, 2012

You could try building your own, but that's probably not the answer you're looking for. Have you considered just using gmail in the browser? It should work well in Chrome. You can also return it and get a different tablet.
posted by jeffamaphone at 11:32 AM on November 18, 2012

If you can flash a ROM, then you should be able to flash the GApps package which includes all the Google apps which are not in the app store. So the question becomes, can you get to the bootloader to flash a ROM... Which is a more answerable question if you can figure out what the manufacturer and actual model name are for the tablet.
posted by anaelith at 11:52 AM on November 18, 2012

What about a third party contacts app like Go Contacts?

Also, if she can see the contacts, she can edit them on gmail through the web interface. Go to gmail.com, log in, and then choose contacts from the dropdown list. She can also add there.
posted by dobbs at 7:43 PM on November 20, 2012