I want apps.
February 3, 2015 3:59 PM Subscribe
I've had a Huawei u8651s for a few months now. It won't let me download or install apps. With the unlimited data plan I have as of today, this is now vexing me. Can anyone help?
It was originally built/branded for T-Mobile; purchased here because I needed a cheap replacement fast. Buying a new phone is not an option.
I've Googled. I've tried the One Click Root software--no dice. I've also tried installing programs to an SD card on my tablet and then putting the card in my phone. Didn't really expect that to work, but was worth a shot.
Please tell me there's some way I can get the TTC app on my phone so I can see when a streetcar is coming, and then play Candy Crush while I'm on it. Is there?
It was originally built/branded for T-Mobile; purchased here because I needed a cheap replacement fast. Buying a new phone is not an option.
I've Googled. I've tried the One Click Root software--no dice. I've also tried installing programs to an SD card on my tablet and then putting the card in my phone. Didn't really expect that to work, but was worth a shot.
Please tell me there's some way I can get the TTC app on my phone so I can see when a streetcar is coming, and then play Candy Crush while I'm on it. Is there?
Response by poster: I've tried using that sideload method you gave in your first link, and I just end up in a cycle of popup ads. Generating the download link and manually inputting it into the phone results in 'download failed.'
The second link method doesn't work--I need HiSuite to interact with my phone from computer via WiFi or USB.
The third link presupposes menu options that simply don't exist on my device.
well if you don't want to or care to figure out what the issue is
I really don't care unless knowing helps to fix the issue. I assume T-Mobile insisted that the phone be crippled so one has to go through their store--which is unavailable unless one is a T-Mobile customer, I assume.
Thank you for trying. Unfortunately none of your methods work. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, perhaps the crippling runs deep. All I want to do is use the phone I paid a hundred bucks for as something even close to resembling what phones are these days. Any other ideas, anyone?
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 5:40 PM on February 3, 2015
The second link method doesn't work--I need HiSuite to interact with my phone from computer via WiFi or USB.
The third link presupposes menu options that simply don't exist on my device.
well if you don't want to or care to figure out what the issue is
I really don't care unless knowing helps to fix the issue. I assume T-Mobile insisted that the phone be crippled so one has to go through their store--which is unavailable unless one is a T-Mobile customer, I assume.
Thank you for trying. Unfortunately none of your methods work. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, perhaps the crippling runs deep. All I want to do is use the phone I paid a hundred bucks for as something even close to resembling what phones are these days. Any other ideas, anyone?
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 5:40 PM on February 3, 2015
The second link method doesn't work--I need HiSuite to interact with my phone from computer via WiFi or USB.
This might be true over USB because drivers and crap, but it should categorically not be true over wifi unless huawei completely screwed up stock android(which isn't unheard of, ugh). This should work, with the basic ADB tools.
Can you get in to that developer menu? It's in settings>applications>development. What shows up in there?
You should, in theory, be able to do an "adb connect 10.0.1.24" or whatever your phones IP is, with some options turned on in there. I've had this work on all kinds of random devices. Basically anything that has both android and wifi.
If it refuses to connect there, what message do you get? That is not a dead end if it does, there's several things to try out.
now i'm like, totally determined to make this work because i love stuff like this and i know it's possible to get in to this thing over wifi with ADB without some stupid driver or software package. there's stuff like this that might have to be done, but it WILL do it. Especially if you already have root.
posted by emptythought at 5:51 PM on February 3, 2015
This might be true over USB because drivers and crap, but it should categorically not be true over wifi unless huawei completely screwed up stock android(which isn't unheard of, ugh). This should work, with the basic ADB tools.
Can you get in to that developer menu? It's in settings>applications>development. What shows up in there?
You should, in theory, be able to do an "adb connect 10.0.1.24" or whatever your phones IP is, with some options turned on in there. I've had this work on all kinds of random devices. Basically anything that has both android and wifi.
If it refuses to connect there, what message do you get? That is not a dead end if it does, there's several things to try out.
now i'm like, totally determined to make this work because i love stuff like this and i know it's possible to get in to this thing over wifi with ADB without some stupid driver or software package. there's stuff like this that might have to be done, but it WILL do it. Especially if you already have root.
posted by emptythought at 5:51 PM on February 3, 2015
oh yea, importantly so i can marinate this in my brain for a minute, when you rooted did it install any kind of terminal app?
posted by emptythought at 5:53 PM on February 3, 2015
posted by emptythought at 5:53 PM on February 3, 2015
Response by poster: Can you get in to that developer menu? It's in settings>applications>development. What shows up in there?
Checkboxes for:
USB Debugging
Stay Awake
Allow mock locations
oh yea, importantly so i can marinate this in my brain for a minute, when you rooted did it install any kind of terminal app?
Nope. I got (this was a couple months ago, not perfect recall) "this device cannot be rooted" or "this device has already been rooted."
There is no terminal app. I cannot find anything in the settings that allows me to find my phone's IP.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 5:59 PM on February 3, 2015
Checkboxes for:
USB Debugging
Stay Awake
Allow mock locations
oh yea, importantly so i can marinate this in my brain for a minute, when you rooted did it install any kind of terminal app?
Nope. I got (this was a couple months ago, not perfect recall) "this device cannot be rooted" or "this device has already been rooted."
There is no terminal app. I cannot find anything in the settings that allows me to find my phone's IP.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 5:59 PM on February 3, 2015
Response by poster: (mods I'm aware that AskMe isn't a back-and-forth thing, but it seems to me like troubleshooting might be a slightly different animal? pls delete if not.)
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:00 PM on February 3, 2015
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:00 PM on February 3, 2015
Response by poster: Just as a followup, turned out there's a program called HiSuite, lets me install .apks
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:30 PM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:30 PM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Just incase that ever croaks, I'd install both a terminal and supersu. From the terminal you should be able to start ADB(simply doing "ADB" then anything will start the daemon), and also find your local IP on the wireless interface.
Pushing files and installing apks that way is really the most foolproof. Who knows when a windows update(GRR) or something could explode that app. And then you're hunting for a compatible machine to run it. Ask me how I know.
posted by emptythought at 2:44 PM on April 26, 2015
Pushing files and installing apks that way is really the most foolproof. Who knows when a windows update(GRR) or something could explode that app. And then you're hunting for a compatible machine to run it. Ask me how I know.
posted by emptythought at 2:44 PM on April 26, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
Unfortunately, it looks like that phone is still running android 2.3/gingerbread which... ouch. This method or something similar of enabling apps from other sources, using something like es file explorer, and installing them should work... but then you need es file explorer.
You'll likely need to do this to get at least a file explorer on so you can install other things. The "storage" tab in settings, if it lets you view say /sdcard/downloads under "downloads" should let you install apps from there once you select the files _maybe_(this seems to vary from device to device, even on the same android version, ugh).
My troubleshooting tree would be something like:
1. enable unknown sources then go to evozi apk downloader in the browser on the device, download es file explorer. does it show up under settings>storage in downloads? can you click it? does it ask if you want to install as an option?
2. if any part of that process fails, enable usb debugging(you'll need the usb debugging mode) then try the ADB install method. This is annoying, so i'd just use this to get ES file explorer, then keep downloading them from the browser or copying them over USB from your computer.
Not all apps still support android 2.3, but it's not as boned as say, iOS 6 on the iphone side. Most still will, and at worst you'll just have to do a bit of googling and find a slightly older version(that will likely still have full functionality).
If you get stuck at a specific part of that process, google the term i described or post back. I(and likely others on here) can walk you through sideloading apps in the various ways if that wasn't a descriptive enough set of instructions and links.
posted by emptythought at 5:04 PM on February 3, 2015 [1 favorite]