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Root [1st Gen] Turn Your Kindle Fire Into a Full Fledged Android Tablet!

Bandage

Bandage

Member
Kindle Fire with Go LauncherEX!

Don't care for the Amazon Kindle Fire bookshelf style UI, and want to use your launcher of choice? Are you rooted yet (Update: may work without root)? If you've answered YES to both these questions, freedom on your Fire is just a few simple steps away. Learn how to customize your Fire the way you'd like!

Here's a quick tutorial to open up a world of possibilities on your newly acquired Kindle Fire.

Prerequisites

Alternate Launcher APK (Am using Go Launcher EX in this example, YMMV on others)
Home Switcher APK - (Can be done without it, just press Home Button)
A file manager App - ES File Explorer, Astro File Manager
Side Loading Apps activated on Kindle Fire
On the Kindle Fire Settings screen, go to “Device” and turn On “Allow Installation of Application From Unknown Sources”
I'm testing this with a rooted Fire, may be possible without root however.


How To Get It Done

1. Transfer your alternate launcher and Home Switcher .apks to your Kindle Fire via PC / Mac

2. Install both apps using a file manager

3. Press "Home" Button or Launch Home Switcher App

4. Select your alternate Launcher

5. Enjoy!


Your experience may vary, as to this point I've only confirmed Go Launcher Ex. LauncherPro seems to Force Close, upon selecting it as default launcher. Respond in comments with your findings!

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Thanks for the tip, but I'm not sure that installing a launcher turns the Fire "into a full-fledged Android device"...
 
From what I understand, downloading an app from the Android Market (or sideloading one, for that matter) doesn't guarantee that the Fire can actually run it. On XDA developers a lot of people are complaining of sideloading apps that aren't in the Amazon App Store and not being able to run them on the Fire Hate to be a killjoy, but it is what it is.
They said this before the launch - this thing would be locked down tighter than an iPad lol.
 
grvthang said:
From what I understand, downloading an app from the Android Market (or sideloading one, for that matter) doesn't guarantee that the Fire can actually run it. On XDA developers a lot of people are complaining of sideloading apps that aren't in the Amazon App Store and not being able to run them on the Fire Hate to be a killjoy, but it is what it is.
They said this before the launch - this thing would be locked down tighter than an iPad lol.
Click to expand...

I have yet to find an app besides launcher pro that hasn't worked.
Playing Gameloft games, Go Launcher with all widgets, titanium backup, etc....I have over 40 apps installed as of now
 
I love using Go Launcher on this thing, but does anyone know how to keep the wallpaper set correctly? What I mean is, every time I "lock" the Fire, when I wake it, Go Launcher automatically sets the wallpaper as the same one from the lock screen, and then I have to manually change it back. Pretty annoying.
 
MRW1215 said:
I love using Go Launcher on this thing, but does anyone know how to keep the wallpaper set correctly? What I mean is, every time I "lock" the Fire, when I wake it, Go Launcher automatically sets the wallpaper as the same one from the lock screen, and then I have to manually change it back. Pretty annoying.
Click to expand...

Agreed, annoying. I'm digging into the system files at the moment, trying to find it.
 
Working on my unrooted Kindle Fire...

Well, everything except that actual Kindle app seems to be working. LOL. But I can just go into the orginal Launcher and use it from there.
 
Bandage said:
I have yet to find an app besides launcher pro that hasn't worked.
Playing Gameloft games, Go Launcher with all widgets, titanium backup, etc....I have over 40 apps installed as of now
Click to expand...

Hey, just wondering, which gameloft games have you played that work? Most of them that I've tried have messed up resolutions...
 
I'm looking at buying a tablet for someone this Christmas. I'm trying to decide between the ipad2 and the kindle fire. It sounds like the kindle fire still works pretty well even when modified. How many apps does the fire come with off the retail floor?
 
It comes loaded with an email app, Quickoffice, Contacts (which it derives from your email app entries), Pulse, Amazon Shop, Pandora, Audible, and imdb, and a browser bookmark for Facebook (not the app). It also comes with shortcuts to download and install a few others like Comics, Weather Channel, ESPN Scoreboard, Words With Friends. Of course, it's easy to download and install the available apps in the Appstore.
 
OK...... I AM A CANADIAN WHO JUST PURCHASED A FIRE FOR MY WIFE AND I NEED TO BE ABLE TO OPEN A .APK LAUNCHER IN IT SO I CAN LAUNCH THIRD PARTY APPS. I CANNOT ACCESS THE AMAZON STORE SO CANNOT GET ONE FROM THERE.

ANYONE HAVE A SOLUTION????

ALSO....
I AM CURRENTLY WORKING ON GETTING A FLASHED dd-wrt ROUTER SET UP AS A VPN WORKING SO I CAN ACCESS AMAZON STORE. I AM HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING IT TO WORK AS A VPN WHEN I CONNECT DIRECTLY TO IT WITH THE FIRE. IT DOES WORK WHEN I USE MY FIREFOX BROWSER ON MY LAPTOP.

ANY HELP WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED
 
garyburditt said:
OK...... I AM A CANADIAN WHO JUST PURCHASED A FIRE FOR MY WIFE AND I NEED TO BE ABLE TO OPEN A .APK LAUNCHER IN IT SO I CAN LAUNCH THIRD PARTY APPS. I CANNOT ACCESS THE AMAZON STORE SO CANNOT GET ONE FROM THERE.

ANYONE HAVE A SOLUTION????

ALSO....
I AM CURRENTLY WORKING ON GETTING A FLASHED dd-wrt ROUTER SET UP AS A VPN WORKING SO I CAN ACCESS AMAZON STORE. I AM HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING IT TO WORK AS A VPN WHEN I CONNECT DIRECTLY TO IT WITH THE FIRE. IT DOES WORK WHEN I USE MY FIREFOX BROWSER ON MY LAPT

ANY HELP WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED
Click to expand...
Not sure if this helps but try and download the "es file explorer" app, that lets you go into the system and look at all the .apk files you sideload on and install them. If you can't find it PM me and I'll try and email you the .apk
 
Hello everyone,

I come accross this site when trying to learn more about the Kindle Fire installations. I purchased the Kindle fire from US this week throughout my friend and I live in eastern Europe. When I try to download free softwares from android market, it says something like, "This software is not supported for your region" and I can't download "anything".

I was unable to download and install any softwares so far. Can anyone guide me please ? Should I need to root my device or is there any other option ?

One thing I want most is to watch .avi and .mkv movies with the subtitles. This is something at the top of my wish list. So if you guys can guide me, I'll be more than pleased.

Thank you very much all.
 
wolfie83 said:
Hello everyone,

I come accross this site when trying to learn more about the Kindle Fire installations. I purchased the Kindle fire from US this week throughout my friend and I live in eastern Europe. When I try to download free softwares from android market, it says something like, "This software is not supported for your region" and I can't download "anything".

I was unable to download and install any softwares so far. Can anyone guide me please ? Should I need to root my device or is there any other option ?

One thing I want most is to watch .avi and .mkv movies with the subtitles. This is something at the top of my wish list. So if you guys can guide me, I'll be more than pleased.

Thank you very much all.
Click to expand...

Check out this post for free app sites. You should be able to sideload something onto your Fire. You may also have to sideload the movies, too, if there's no workaround for streaming (though I wouldn't rule that out).
 
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