Question Help sideload apps Polestar 2

[georgesbak]

Guys i really need to sideload Waze and other apps if possible from Android Auto to Android Automotive. At least if not side load maybe phone mirroring. We have a browser that would work for many things called Vivaldi but i won't work while driving is there a way around this?

 

[warriorvibhu]

Hey man so far I have not been able to activate developer settings which would allow us to sideload. If someone can figure that out, would be awesome. I have the same car.

 

[eijnaix]

Same here...not being able to sideload app is so totally not andriod. -_-

 

[dary]

Hi, I only managed to compile open source projects for Android Auto and install them in my Polestar 2 car, via the Google Play Store Beta Testing.

But the most desired apps like Waze or Netflix are not open source, so no chance to port them for the Polestar 2 car.

Here a short list of Apps, I successfully ported for my polestar 2 car:
- Firefox
- Local Public TV Channel Streaming App (any country/ language)
- VOIP App (Linphone)
- Amaze File Manager
- Wireguard VPN
- K9 Mail client
- ZAPP (German TV Media library app)
- Google Home Assistant
- Game 1: 2048: By moving blocks, same numbers will be added up https://github.com/andstatus/game2048
- Game 2: Nice solitaire collection https://github.com/TobiasBielefeld/Simple-Solitaire
- Game 3: Tetris (simple but FUN)
https://github.com/vitaviva/compose-tetris
- Game 4: Mini Golf
https://github.com/mgerdes/Open-Golf
- Game 5: Pinball
https://github.com/dozingcat/Vector-Pinball

If you find a nice app for android on f-droid.org or github.com, I can take a look if this can run on the polestar as well

 

[Waschbeton]

That sounds great. Can you explain how you've got the apps on the polestar? I would really love to have the plexamp app, but I absolutely have no experience in compiling anything.

 

[MrHack636]

Dary I sent you a dm but can you please give us more of an explanation how you where able to sideload apps using the playstore beta testing? I'm trying to figure this out and can't seem to.

 

[dary]

It's not very difficult:

1. Get Android Studio
2. Install the Polestar SDK (see "Try it out" Button here: https://www.polestar.com/us/developer/get-started/emulator/
3. Get any android source-code from github (download as zip)
4. Open in Android Studio and change the applicationId in the buid.gradle file to something which is not used (e.g. com.myname.projectname)
5. Build a signed bundle (aab file)
6. Upload to your google play developer console and create a new app with new release (drag and drop aab file)
7. Enable internal testing and invite testers by google play account e-mail address

 

[MrHack636]

It's not very difficult:

1. Get Android Studio
2. Install the Polestar SDK (see "Try it out" Button here: https://www.polestar.com/us/developer/get-started/emulator/
3. Get any android source-code from github (download as zip)
4. Open in Android Studio and change the applicationId in the buid.gradle file to something which is not used (e.g. com.myname.projectname)
5. Build a signed bundle (aab file)
6. Upload to your google play developer console and create a new app with new release (drag and drop aab file)
7. Enable internal testing and invite testers by google play account e-mail address

Thank you! My polestar friend thanks you! Step4 was what we where missing!

 

[emiliardo78]

It's not very difficult:

1. Get Android Studio
2. Install the Polestar SDK (see "Try it out" Button here: https://www.polestar.com/us/developer/get-started/emulator/
3. Get any android source-code from github (download as zip)
4. Open in Android Studio and change the applicationId in the buid.gradle file to something which is not used (e.g. com.myname.projectname)
5. Build a signed bundle (aab file)
6. Upload to your google play developer console and create a new app with new release (drag and drop aab file)
7. Enable internal testing and invite testers by google play account e-mail address

Hi Dary,
can you give us more information on how you can install apps after configured for internal test on Google Play Console? I'm trying to install HomeAssistant companion app.

Thanks in advance

Emiliano

 

[gevaux]

Hi, I only managed to compile open source projects for Android Auto and install them in my Polestar 2 car, via the Google Play Store Beta Testing.

But the most desired apps like Waze or Netflix are not open source, so no chance to port them for the Polestar 2 car.

Here a short list of Apps, I successfully ported for my polestar 2 car:
- Firefox
- Local Public TV Channel Streaming App (any country/ language)
- VOIP App (Linphone)
- Amaze File Manager
- Wireguard VPN
- K9 Mail client
- ZAPP (German TV Media library app)
- Google Home Assistant
- Game 1: 2048: By moving blocks, same numbers will be added up https://github.com/andstatus/game2048/blob/master/README.md
- Game 2: Nice solitaire collection https://github.com/.../Simple.../blob/master/README.md
- Game 3: Tetris (simple but FUN)
https://github.com/vit.../compose-tetris/blob/main/README.md

If you find a nice app for android on f-droid.org or github.com, I can take a look if this can run on the polestar as well

If you've installed Firefox is there any chance you can download from apk mirror other apks to install directly or is download blocked at the device level?

 

[dary]

If you've installed Firefox is there any chance you can download from apk mirror other apks to install directly or is download blocked at the device level?

Nope, Developer Mode is blocked in AAOS (when you tap several times on the build no., a pop-up appears), with this also no USB-Debugging. Installing not-trusted apks is also disabled/ the menu to allow this for certain apps is disabled. About the Firefox, I build it from the open-source.

Happy Sunday,
Dary

 

[dary]

Hi Dary,
can you give us more information on how you can install apps after configured for internal test on Google Play Console? I'm trying to install HomeAssistant companion app.

Thanks in advance

Emiliano

Hi, just add your google play account e-mail address as internal tester, then copy the invitation link and open it in a new tab. Approve the internal testing and click afterwards on the google play link. Then select polestar as device when installing it.

 

[emiliardo78]

I completely forgot that you can install apps also from the play store website instead using the one on the device!! GREEAATT! It works like a charm! Now I can control my home from my volvo to switch lights or open my gate. Thank you Dary!

 

[hallevison]

Hi Dory,

Would it be possible for you to add my google email, username hallevison, to the list of internal testers?

 

[hallevison]

Hi, I only managed to compile open source projects for Android Auto and install them in my Polestar 2 car, via the Google Play Store Beta Testing.

<CLIP>

If you find a nice app for android on f-droid.org or github.com, I can take a look if this can run on the polestar as well

It might be interesting to see if KDE connect will work. It is open source and it would be useful to see the phone notifications on the car.

 

[rchiil]

I completely forgot that you can install apps also from the play store website instead using the one on the device!! GREEAATT! It works like a charm! Now I can control my home from my volvo to switch lights or open my gate. Thank you Dary!

from that quote I am guessing you done home assistant, can you add me to tester list

 

[bloxycola]

From its core its Android, Their may be a way to sideload apks.

 

[thievingjoker]

Has anybody found a video player that will play video from USB for Polestar 2?

 

[BeauGiles]

Hi, I only managed to compile open source projects for Android Auto and install them in my Polestar 2 car, via the Google Play Store Beta Testing.

But the most desired apps like Waze or Netflix are not open source, so no chance to port them for the Polestar 2 car.

Here a short list of Apps, I successfully ported for my polestar 2 car:
- Firefox
- Local Public TV Channel Streaming App (any country/ language)
- VOIP App (Linphone)
- Amaze File Manager
- Wireguard VPN
- K9 Mail client
- ZAPP (German TV Media library app)
- Google Home Assistant
- Game 1: 2048: By moving blocks, same numbers will be added up https://github.com/andstatus/game2048
- Game 2: Nice solitaire collection https://github.com/TobiasBielefeld/Simple-Solitaire
- Game 3: Tetris (simple but FUN)
https://github.com/vitaviva/compose-tetris
- Game 4: Mini Golf
https://github.com/mgerdes/Open-Golf
- Game 5: Pinball
https://github.com/dozingcat/Vector-Pinball

If you find a nice app for android on f-droid.org or github.com, I can take a look if this can run on the polestar as well

How did you get Google Home Assistant on there?

 

[rkboni]

It's not very difficult:

1. Get Android Studio
2. Install the Polestar SDK (see "Try it out" Button here: https://www.polestar.com/us/developer/get-started/emulator/
3. Get any android source-code from github (download as zip)
4. Open in Android Studio and change the applicationId in the buid.gradle file to something which is not used (e.g. com.myname.projectname)
5. Build a signed bundle (aab file)
6. Upload to your google play developer console and create a new app with new release (drag and drop aab file)
7. Enable internal testing and invite testers by google play account e-mail address

Thanks for this -- are there specific versions of studio & the various tools that you've built that you can recommend? I had an ancient version of Android Studio (mostly for the SDK tools like ABD), so figured it was time to upgrade, but every version I've tried so far (Giraffe & Hedgehog) gave me errors about not-supported Android Grade Plugin version.

Also, is installing the Polestar SDK enough to get the build targetted for Andoid Auto? Don't I need to specify target API versions & supported platforms somewhere? (it's been 10+ years since I've actually built code for Android).

Thanks!