How do you install an APK file in the Android emulator?

Question

I finally managed to obfuscate my Android application, now I want to test it by installing the APK file and running it on the emulator.

How can I install an APK file on the Android Emulator?

Answer 1

You can simply drag and drop the .apk file of your application to the emulator and it will automatically start installing.

Another option:

---

Windows:

1. Execute the emulator (SDK Manager.exe->Tools->Manage AVDs...->New then Start)
2. Start the console (Windows XP), Run -> type cmd, and move to the platform-tools folder of SDK directory.
3. Paste the APK file in the 'android-sdk\tools' or 'platform-tools' folder.
4. Then type the following command.

adb install [.apk path]

Example:

adb install C:\Users\Name\MyProject\build\Jorgesys.apk

Linux:

1. Copy the apk file to platform-tools in the android-sdk linux folder.
2. Open Terminal and navigate to platform-tools folder in android-sdk.
3. Then Execute this command -

./adb install FileName.apk

4. If the operation is successful (the result is displayed on the screen), then you will find your file in the launcher of your emulator.

Mac:

PATH=$PATH:~/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools

Example : PATH=$PATH:/users/jorgesys/eclipse/android-sdk-mac_64/tools

Then run adb.

Mac:

1.Run the emulator,

2.then copy your .apk file and paste into /Users/your_system_username/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools,
if you are not able to find sdk path in your mac system, do the following steps: Open finder->select Go option on top menu -> select Go to Folder option -> it will popup a window with a textfield: /Users/your_system_username/Library/Android/sdk/ -> now open platform-tools folder and paste your copied .apk file,

3. Now open the terminal and type the following: cd Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools

4. execute the following in your terminal: ./adb install yourapkfilename.apk if you get the following error message: error: no devices found - waiting for device, follow step 5.

5. Run your emulator from Android Studio, once emulator active then repeat step 4, you will see the success message on your terminal.

Answer 2

If you've created more than one emulators or if you have an Android device plugged in, adb will complain with

error: more than one device and emulator

adb help is not extremely clear on what to do:

-d                        - directs command to the only connected USB device...
-e                        - directs command to the only running emulator...
-s <serial number>        ...
-p <product name or path> ...

The flag you decide to use has to come before the actual adb command:

adb -e install path/to/app.apk

Answer 3

Nowadays, you can simply drag and drop the Android apk to the emulator and it will automatically starts installing.

Answer 4

go to sdk folder, then go to tools.
copy your apk file inside the tool directory
./emulator -avd myEmulator
to run the emulator on mac 
./adb install myApp.apk
to install app on the emulator

Answer 5

go to the android-sdk/tools directory in command prompt and then type

 adb install fileName.apk (Windows)

 ./adb install fileName.apk (Linux or Mac)

Answer 6

Copy .apk file in your SDK's platform-tools/ directory,then install the .apk on the emulator by using cmd(on windows):

adb install <path_to_your_bin>.apk

or

./adb install <path_to_your_bin>.apk

If there is more than one emulator running, you can find all running emulators by this command:

adb devices

or

./adb devices

then you must specify the emulator upon which to install the application, by its serial number, with the -s option. For example:

adb -s emulator-5554 install path/to/your/app.apk

or

./adb -s emulator-5554 install path/to/your/app.apk

Answer 7

First you need to install Android Studio on your machine. Then simply follow these steps.

1. Go to you navigation bar and open Android Studio.
2. From the toolbar open AVD Manager. (If you cannot see it create a new android project)
3. Create a Virtual Device.
4. Select a hardware device that you want to install your app.
5. Select an android image that you want to install on your device. (If you cannot see any images you can download the require image from Recommended, x86 Images or Other images)
6. Add a name to your AVD.
7. Now the virtual device has been created and you can simply run it by clicking the play button.
8. Now you have setup the virtual device and now you need to install the APK file.
9. Download the APK file that you want to install and Drag and Drop it to the emulator.
10. The APK file has been successfully installed and you can see it in your applications.
11. Now you can simply run the installed app.

Answer 8

Drag and drop

Simply drag-and-drop the apk file into your emulator.

You can also run your android emulator without Android Studio.

Answer 9

Download apk file from browser and then just click on it (notification area). Installation will start automatically.

Answer 10

In Genymotion just drag and drop the *.apk file in to the emulator and it will automatically installs and runs.

http://www.genymotion.com/

Answer 11

Goto Shell/Terminal/, reach at android-sdk/tools directory then

adb install fileName.apk // (u can run this command on windows)
or 
./adb install fileName.apk  //( u can run this command on linux)

Answer 12

Download the Apk file from net and copy it to platform-tools of your SDK folder, then in command prompt go to that directory an type:

adb install filename.apk

press enter it will install in few seconds

Answer 13

Let's suppose you have to install Facebook APK on your emulator.

You can use adb to install the APK to the running emulator in OS X like this:

./adb install ~/FBAndroid-2.1.apk

And on Windows, like this:

adb install %HOMEPATH%\FBAndroid-2.1.apk

Once complete, check the apps screen of the emulator to check that the app has been installed correctly. If you need to force the upgrade of this app from a previous version, add the -r flag, like this on OS X:

./adb install -r ~/FBAndroid-2.1.apk

Answer 14

From Windows 7 Onwards ,

Shift + Right click in your apk file folder.

Select Open Command Window Here

Type & Hit "adb install AppName.apk"

Answer 15

keep your emulator up and running. In the command line, go inside the platform-tools folder, in your sdk folder which come with adt bundle and execute following command :

>adb install <yourFilename.apk>

This command detect your running emulator/emulators and show you the list of devices where you can install this app(show if any physical device/devices connected to your computer.). Then you can select any one, if only one emulator is running then app will directly installed on it by default.

Note: For above command your .apk file needs to be in same directory.

for more detailed tutorial follo : This link

Answer 16

Drag and drop ".apk" file into the emulator window.

Answer 17

(TESTED ON MACOS)

The first step is to run the emulator

emulator -avd < avd_name>

then use adb to install the .apk

adb install < path to .apk file>

If adb throws error like APK already exists or something alike. Run the adb shell while emulator is running

adb shell

cd data/app

adb uninstall < apk file without using .apk>

If adb and emulator are commands not found do following

export PATH=$PATH://android-sdk-macosx/platform-tools://android-sdk-macosx/android-sdk-macosx/tools:

For future use put the above line at the end of .bash_profile

vi ~/.bash_profile

Answer 18

if use more than one emulator at firs use this command

adb devices

and then chose amulatur and install application

adb -s "EMULATOR NAME" install "FILE PATH"
adb -s emulator-5556 install C:\Users\criss\youwave\WhatsApp.apk

Answer 19

I might be wrong, but on Windows I simply drag and drop the .apk into Android Emulator. I mean, doing all mentioned above seems to be a lot of work.

Answer 20

Just drag and drop your apk to emulator

Answer 21

go to ADT/Android-sdk/tools directory in command prompt 1. adb install fileName.apk (Windows)

1. ./adb install fileName.apk (Ubuntu/Linux or Mac)

Answer 22

Best way is to create a app, which opens the apk file on the emulator. You have to copy the .apk file to the download folder of your emulator. Then replace yourAppName.apk with your .apk name.

here is the code

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);



        Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
        intent.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/download/" + "yourAppName.apk")), "application/vnd.android.package-archive");
        intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
        startActivity(intent);


    }
}

Answer 23

(1) You can also use gradle commands to install your APK while choosing the product and flavor (Debug or Release). See this Guide.

./gradlew assembleDebug (Incase you don't have the APK generated)


./gradlew installDebug

Incase you want a fresh install, you can remove any earlier installed builds on the device with below commands

./gradlew uninstallDebug
./gradlew installDebug

(2) You can also use the adb commands directly:

Setup adb for command line

export PATH=/Users/mayurik/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools/adb:/Users/mayurik/Library/Android/sdk/tool

Command line ADB install

adb -d install pathto/sample.apk (on device)
adb -e install pathto/sample.apk (on emulator)

Also check the documentation here

$ adb devices
List of devices attached
emulator-5554 device
emulator-5555 device

$ adb -s emulator-5555 install helloWorld.apk

Answer 24

06-11-2020

Drag and Drop didn't work for me on Windows 10 Pro.

1. Put the APK on Google Drive

2. Access that Google drive using Chrome browser on the Android Emulator

3. Then install it from there.

Note: You need to enable unknown sources within the Emulator.

Answer 25

you write the command on terminal/cmd adb install FileName.apk.

Answer 26

Now you can just drag and drop the apk in emulator and it will install!

Answer 27

On Linux I do this:

1. first see which devices I currently have: emulator -list-avds
2. build the release cd android && ./gradlew assembleRelease
3. install it at the emulated device "Nexus5" (you are inside the android directory, else use the full path to apk): adb -s '8e138a9c' install app/build/outputs/apk/app-release.apk

Thats it. You can also use ./gradlew installRelease

Answer 28

Follow the steps :

1. make sure you have allowed installation from unknown sources in settings.
2. Use the Android Device Monitor to copy the APK to the sdcard.
3. Use the builtin browser in Android to navigate to file:///sdcard/apk-name.apk
4. When the notification "Download complete" appears, click it.

Answer 29

1) paste the myapp.apk in platform-tools folder , in my case C:\Users\mazbizxam\AppData\Local\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools, this is the link in my case it may change to you people

2)open the directory in CMD CD C:\Users\mazbizxam\AppData\Local\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools

3)Now you are in platform-tools folder , just type adb install myapp.apk

please ensure that your emulator is turn on , if every thing is ok apk will install

Answer 30

Start the console (Windows XP), Run -> type cmd, and move to the platform-tools folder of SDK directory.

In case anyone wondering how to run cmd in platform-tools folder of SDK directory, if you are running a new enough version of Windows, follow the steps:

1. Go to platform-tools through Windows Explorer.
2. While holding shift right click and you will find the option "Open Command window here".
3. Click on it and cmd will start in that folder.

Hope it helps