AppBrain is a powerful web-interface for installing any app onto your Android phone. Instead of navigating through the default Android Market app, you can browse the apps on the AppBrain website and install/uninstall from the comfort of your desktop.
Since installing AppBrain and now Fast Web Installer I have completely stopped using the default Market application. I either browse through the apps directly through AppBrain or I select it to install from the AppBrain website.
1. Signing Up
First, navigate to the AppBrain website and click on “Join AppBrain today!”
AppBrain is linked to your Google account so the sign-up process requires you to input your Google username and password.
After signing in with your Google account you will have to configure a few basic options including selecting an username. This username creates an unique webpage for you to display your installed applications. You also have the option of setting your account to private if you wish (see below).
2. Install the App
Next, you must install the AppBrain App Market application on your phone.
QR Code:
3. App Usage
Once installed, launch AppBrain and select “Manage my apps”.
AppBrain will immediately load all your installed apps.
However, before you can sync the apps to the AppBrain server, you must log in with your Google account.
Note: Selecting “Sign in” launches your web browser.
After signing in you will return to the app and your apps will automatically sync with the AppBrain server.
Once the apps sync, all the installed apps on your phone are added to your account on AppBrain. Then apps that have changes (for example those that have updates) show up in the “Pending changes” list.
You can then select “Perform installs” to automatically install all the items in the “Pending changes” list. Unfortunately, versions of Android 2.1 and older do not allow apps to install automatically and you will still have to click through the menus when installing, but using AppBrain is still much faster than updating through the default Android Market app.
Finally, clicking on the red “x” gives you the option to uninstall the app, skip the current update or to skip all updates of the app.
If you click on the red “x” on the apps under the “Installed apps” list the app will immediately uninstall.
One final point is that the AppBrain App Market does not run in the background, so you must always select “Sync with AppBrain” whenever you launch the app to sync your local apps with the AppBrain server.
4. AppBrain Web Interface
The real power of AppBrain is the ability to easily install and uninstall apps from its web-interface.
From the AppBrain homepage you can select “Browse” to browse new apps, “My Apps” to view the apps on your phone, or you can use the search bar to find new apps.
The “My Apps” page shows you a list of all the your installed apps:
From this page you can uninstall your apps and set your apps list to “Public” or “Private”.
To install an app using the AppBrain web-interface, browse to the app and select “Install”
You can immediately cancel the install of this app by selecting “Cancel install”
To complete the installation process launch the AppBrain App Market app on your phone select “Manage my apps” and “Sync with AppBrain”.
The app you want to install will appear in the “Pending changes” list and you can install the app by selecting “Perform installs”.
Finally, hit “Sync with AppBrain” to ensure that everything is synced up.
4. Fast Web Install
The current process of installation takes some time as you must first navigate the website and then manually install on the phone. To speed up the process AppBrain has created a new app called Fast Web Installer.
AppBrain Link: http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.appspot.swisscodemonkeys.apppusher
After installing this app, simply launch it and follow the prompts. It will automatically enable all the relevant settings required for an automated install on your phone.
Now, whenever you select “Install” from the AppBrain web interface, the app will immediately install on your phone. There is no need for you to select anything on your phone. However, this form of auto installation is dangerous as the permission settings would not be visible. To overcome this problem, the permission settings show up on the AppBrain web interface after you select “Install”.
Although, the app installs automatically it is still necessary to select “Sync with AppBrain” to ensure that all your apps are synced up and the latest install has been read by the AppBrain web-interface.
What are you waiting for? Go install some apps!
Abhiroop Basu is an opinionated tech and digital media blogger. As a doe-eyed twenty-something, he started his first blog TechComet to comment on anything tech-related that caught his omniscient eye.
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