Android Market With Two Devices.

[LBPHeretic]

Okay, I did a bit of research and I could not find a definitive answer to this question I have. I have an Android smartphone and I just got an Android tablet for Christmas. I wanted to sign into my new Android tablet using the same Google/GMail account as my smartphone because then my contacts, calendar, and GMail would be synced up to both devices. This is where my question comes in.

If I have signed into my new tablet with my smartphone's Google account will all of the apps I have downloaded on my smartphone automatically download to my tablet? Also, if I download an app on my tablet, and then switched to a new ROM on my smartphone (yes, I am rooted) would that app that I downloaded on my tablet also be part of the apps that automatically redownload after you sign into your Google account after flashing a new ROM? If someone could explain their experiences with how it would work with two Android devices in regards to the Android Market, that would be great. Thanks for your help.

 

[TripsYou]

Hello!

I have a Samsung Captivate and I just bought my girlfriend the HTC Aria. I have my Gmail account on both phones. When I buy a app it goes to the My Apps section of the market but does not automatically download. It just simply gives you the option to download it for free since you have already purchased the app with your Gmail account. Hope I helped!

 

[Guamguy]

Any app you buy in the Market you own permanently regardless of the device. If you buy with device A, it would be free for you to download for Device B, C, ad infinitum. Ownership is tied to you as the user, not to the device.

However, paid apps are not transferable to the new owner of the device, once that device has been clear reset and the new owner has logged in to his or her Google Account. The process at this point, repeats for his or her user context.

 

[LBPHeretic]

I appreciate the answers so far. I guess what I was most concerned with was that uninstalling an app on one device would mean that it would not be available for automatic download on the other device the next time I flashed a new ROM.

When I say automatic download, and I believe this is an Android 2.2 feature, I mean that when I flash a new ROM or something and sign into my Google account for the first time, it will automatically download all of my previously installed apps for me, and this includes free apps. So my question was, if I uninstall an app on my tablet, then flash a new ROM on my smartphone, would it not include the app that I uninstalled on the tablet in the redownload process onto the smartphone?

 

[Guamguy]

I appreciate the answers so far. I guess what I was most concerned with was that uninstalling an app on one device would mean that it would not be available for automatic download on the other device the next time I flashed a new ROM.

Nothing to be concerned about. If you removed it on one device, it will always remain free for download on that device and all devices you owned and which has your login.

When I say automatic download, and I believe this is an Android 2.2 feature, I mean that when I flash a new ROM or something and sign into my Google account for the first time, it will automatically download all of my previously installed apps for me, and this includes free apps. So my question was, if I uninstall an app on my tablet, then flash a new ROM on my smartphone, would it not include the app that I uninstalled on the tablet in the redownload process onto the smartphone?

The Market does not do automatically downloads for you. You have to go to the My Downloads section of the Android Market, and all the apps you purchased are listed as purchased, and you can download them again for free.

Does not matter what you do, what ROM you put, whether its a tablet, smartphone, MID only, what brand it is, low end, high end. As long as that device has your login, the apps are marked purchased. Everything else is irrelevant.

If you uninstall an app on Device A, it won't uninstall automatically on Device B. Uninstalls are manual.

Free apps are never marked. You have to search the Market to download them again.

 

[LBPHeretic]

I appreciate the detailed response and I thank you for the time taken to respond. However, I am almost 100% sure that Android 2.2 will restore all apps, even the free ones, after you sign back into your Google account with a clean install.

I did a quick search online and found a few places that confirm this and here is one: Android Forums - View Single Post - Auto restore of apps from Android Market not happening... . So, because of this complete app restoration after flashing to a new ROM or just doing a simple factory reset, I am wondering if having two devices using the same Google account will affect each in the ways that I stated in my previous posts. If I uninstalled an app on my tablet that was also on my smartphone, I would think that perhaps the next time I wipe and flash a new ROM on my smartphone, it would not include this uninstalled app during the app restoration detailed above.

 

[Guamguy]

If you update an Android phone from 2.1 to 2.2, chances are, at least with most of them like HTCs, the apps remain as they are installed.

But on a clean reset and after you login, Android 2.2 and Android Market does not download all the free apps you have downloaded before. That's part of the benefit of a clean reset. Its supposed to be the opportunity to start all over again and decide what and what not is going into the device. I've done clean resets and no, apps don't restore themselves.

Android Market will always remember your paid apps no matter what phone, or tablet, or ROM you are using.

There is absolutely no way having two phones would somehow affect your Google account. Jeez man, I got 7 Androids and counting on the same my Google account. I do a lot of SIM swaps between my precious harem when I get bored with one.

Previous to the 15 minute refund window, if you have bought and installed an app on Device A, installed same on Device B, then uninstall it on Device B within 24 hours, it becomes unpurchased and you get refunded.