Basic question about Playstore

[RhinoCan]

I am trying to help my brother download an app he needs for work. It's called Motive (formerly KeepTruckin) and I found it and installed it, no problem, on my Pixel3 running Android 12. However, my brother's phone is a much older Sony Experia and when I try to find the same app in Playstore, it can't find Motive.

Is it possible that Playstore knows that my brother's phone has a level of Android below the minimum level that Motive needs and that's why it's not showing him the app?

To put it another way, does Playstore show every app it has regardless of the phone's level of Android or does it only show apps that could actually run on the phone because the phone meets the minimum level of Android needed to run the app?

I'm trying to figure out if this is going to force my brother to upgrade his phone or if there's some special trick he needs to use to find Motive and install it on his phone.

 

[olbriar]

Play store sorts apps that are compatible with the device you log in with. If it's not on the list of apps offered to your brother's phone, it doesn't meet the requirements to run the app without problems. You might try finding an older version of the app on another site that will work. I'm not familiar with the app you are in quest of and I'm not schooled on an alternate safe site that might have a rev that will work for your brother. Another member might have some suggestions for you. Good luck.

 

[ocnbrze]

I am trying to help my brother download an app he needs for work. It's called Motive (formerly KeepTruckin) and I found it and installed it, no problem, on my Pixel3 running Android 12. However, my brother's phone is a much older Sony Experia and when I try to find the same app in Playstore, it can't find Motive.

Is it possible that Playstore knows that my brother's phone has a level of Android below the minimum level that Motive needs and that's why it's not showing him the app?

To put it another way, does Playstore show every app it has regardless of the phone's level of Android or does it only show apps that could actually run on the phone because the phone meets the minimum level of Android needed to run the app?

I'm trying to figure out if this is going to force my brother to upgrade his phone or if there's some special trick he needs to use to find Motive and install it on his phone.

it says that it will run on most devices running android 5.0 or higher. what phone does he have?

 

[RhinoCan]

it says that it will run on most devices running android 5.0 or higher. what phone does he have?

It's a Sony Experia C5306 running Android 4.3. Something tells me he's going to need to upgrade that dinosaur of a phone. I'm guessing that an older version of Motive might well be missing the functionality he'll need....

 

[RhinoCan]

Play store sorts apps that are compatible with the device you log in with. If it's not on the list of apps offered to your brother's phone, it doesn't meet the requirements to run the app without problems. You might try finding an older version of the app on another site that will work. I'm not familiar with the app you are in quest of and I'm not schooled on an alternate safe site that might have a rev that will work for your brother. Another member might have some suggestions for you. Good luck.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. That was the only logical explanation I could come up with but I wanted to be sure in case I was missing another reason. My employer may be willing to contact Motive to see if they have older versions of the app that would run on his phone but I'm guessing that they'll recommend a newer phone.

 

[puppykickr]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. That was the only logical explanation I could come up with but I wanted to be sure in case I was missing another reason. My employer may be willing to contact Motive to see if they have older versions of the app that would run on his phone but I'm guessing that they'll recommend a newer phone.

You can get older versions of apps from different appstores, not the PlayStore.

The device in question is running a KitKat OS, which Google quit supporting years ago.

Perhaps Uptodown or ApkPure will have a version that will work.

Of course, it is just as possible that the phone is older than the app itself.
KitKat is about the oldest version of Android that has some working functions.
Also keep in mind that a device this old will be needing a battery shortly (if not now) and most lijelycwill not be sble to be used as a cellphone due to the changes in technology used for cellular communications since KitKat was used.

Think of it this way:
KitKat is Android 4, and we are now on Android 12/13.

 

[puppykickr]

I can not find it on the Uptodown website, but I DID find it on ApkPure.

Unfortunately, the oldest version was uploaded to that site in 2020, and KitKat was already very old by then.
It may work, but probably not.

 

[RhinoCan]

My brother is quite aware that Android 4.3 is *very* old and is already talking about a phone upgrade

However, that may need to wait until a couple of paycheques have come in so I'm interested in looking at other options. I honestly did not know that there are any Android download sites beyond Playstore so this is useful information. Motive was only recently given that name and had previously been known as KeepTruckin. I found the Uptodown website and KeepTruckin *is* there. I don't know yet if it has all the functionality he needs though. Before I attempt to download it, how do I make sure that the app doesn't have any malware in it? I understand that Playstore screens all apps for malware but Ii don't know if Uptodown or ApkPure do.

The last thing I want to do is brick his phone by installing something infested with malware!

 

[Davdi]

puppykickr said "KitKat is about the oldest version of Android that has some working functions.". I have an old spare phone on Jellybean, still has a number of apps available in the Play Store.

 

[puppykickr]

My guess is that if you try the version called Keep Truckin is that you will be prompted to update the app as soon as you open it.

Uptodown claims to scan all of their apps with 70 different sources to eliminate malware.

All large appstores do this, and they all use the same sources.

The big exception is F-Droid.
Every single app on F-Droid has been meticulously decompiled and then recompiled by F-Droid.
This guarantees the safety of the apps there.
No other large appstore does this.

 

[Davdi]

Which is why F-Droid is always my first stop for apps.

 

[nickdalzell]

FYI Android 4.3 was still Jelly Bean. Android 'KitKat' was version 4.4.x.

I'm using three devices running 'ancient Android' versions:

Galaxy Note 10.1 (2012) 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Still plays YouTube, browses the web, email, music and all work fine.

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (2012) 4.3 Jelly Bean. Mainly my e-reader, and the preloaded Kindle app still works.

Galaxy Note 8.0 (2013) LTE model, works for my notes, Kindle works, browser and YouTube work. Runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

NONE of my devices use Play Store. I have tons that don't even have Google apps anymore. I don't trust them, and they kill apps as s oon as I get used to using them, see also: Google Play Music, Google+, Inbox, Allo, Hangouts. See also again: https://killedbygoogle.com

I not only buy everything for life, I use apps for life. Kill apps over and over I just stop using your apps. I'd love to find some way to revive Android Market like someone did the Wii apps (see Riiconnect24) but have not succeeded yet nor found anyone trying.

 

[puppykickr]

FYI Android 4.3 was still Jelly Bean. Android 'KitKat' was version 4.4.x.

I'm using three devices running 'ancient Android' versions:

Galaxy Note 10.1 (2012) 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Still plays YouTube, browses the web, email, music and all work fine.

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (2012) 4.3 Jelly Bean. Mainly my e-reader, and the preloaded Kindle app still works.

Galaxy Note 8.0 (2013) LTE model, works for my notes, Kindle works, browser and YouTube work. Runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

NONE of my devices use Play Store. I have tons that don't even have Google apps anymore. I don't trust them, and they kill apps as s oon as I get used to using them, see also: Google Play Music, Google+, Inbox, Allo, Hangouts. See also again: https://killedbygoogle.com

I not only buy everything for life, I use apps for life. Kill apps over and over I just stop using your apps. I'd love to find some way to revive Android Market like someone did the Wii apps (see Riiconnect24) but have not succeeded yet nor found anyone trying.

My first Android was 5.1.1, Lollipop.
I had no idea that they changed between 4.3 and 4.4.

My oldest device is a Samsung Galaxy that runs 2.3.6, but it no longer has any real functionality.
It wont even get online without a battle.

When the Heavy Metal Rocks app finally quit working, the device became useless, except for a clock or something.

Luckily, the radio station that Heavy Metal was streaming is available via other streaming apps:
La Grosse Radio Métal

 

[nickdalzell]

My home phone is a Pantech Breakout (2011) running Android 2.3. It's my favorite android version, easily hackable, rootable, and it was the last truly open Android before Play Store and the like. It won't allow a Google login but I don't use it anyway. Email works, Browser works (and third party browsers work around compatibility), phone and messages works, but lately it's running super hot and won't last longer than 3 hours on a charge. Battery stats say 'time without a signal' is 100% but it's got five bars of LTE, and 4 bars of 1x, and everything works. Same issue with the same SIM on my HTC Thunderbolt as well. Must be some kind of network issue somewhere but I can't pinpoint it. It worked fine until July sometime. Now it's acting like its searching for signal but it has signal. Cell Standby accounts for over 80% of battery use no matter the apps you use.

Nothing I use a phone for requires a Google account, or any modern apps. I use the same apps and the same things I've done with a phone I've done since 2010. My needs haven't changed. Music, email, notes, calculator, SMS messaging, phone calls, that's it. I don't need any more than that.

The only thing that has changed, and requied me to upgrade to a more modern phone (Galaxy A13 5G) happened around Covid lockdown time. I got into using a few apps (Walmart, Little Caesar's, Burger King) to get food delivered and now I just am used to using those. Those apps require Android 6+ and the battery was starting to swell (again) in my Galaxy S5 so I got an A13. Should be good for the rest of my life.

My normal policies (ADB delete Play Store, Netguard disable all updates, any apps that don't depend on internet, route all requests to Play Services to 127.0.0.1, reinstall all my Android 2.3 apps, skeuo up the UI, etc) still apply.