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Help Can you import Dev code from device back to Studio?

D

Dave Currall

Lurker
I have a Android Studio code that I compiled and ran a Dev code on my phone. The computer with the Android Studio got corrupted, the program is lost!!! I now have a new computer, but the only working version of the code is on my phone. Can I do a download from the phone back to Android Studio? or is this code lost forever???

Thanks for your time,

D. Currall
 
If you can get the APK file from the phone, it's possible to reverse engineer it to retrieve the source code.
 
LV426 said:
If you can get the APK file from the phone, it's possible to reverse engineer it to retrieve the source code.
Click to expand...

That sounds great! my phone isn't rooted though, I don't know how to get the APK from the phone. Any assistance, would be helpful!

Thanks so much!
 
Dave Currall said:
That sounds great! my phone isn't rooted though, I don't know how to get the APK from the phone. Any assistance, would be helpful!

Thanks so much!
Click to expand...

Depending on the particular phone you've got it may have a backup utility. I know on Huawei, Oppo and Vivo phones, the stock backup tools can put all the installed APKs into a "backup" folder on the SD card. And I've used this to transfer a few apps that aren't readily available online from one device to another, and have stored them on a backup hard-drive as well.

Helium backup might be worth a try as well. To get the installed APK off the phone and back onto your computer. Although I've never used this.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.backup&hl=en
 
Last edited:
James_Watson said:
I wonder what you mean with 'Dev code on your phone'. Something with source code?
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Hello James,

let me explain better. I wrote the code in android and compiled it. Instead of using the SDK device simulator, I uploaded it to my real phone. Thank God! so I'm calling it Dev code, because I didn't compile it as a released code. Hope that helps....
 
Dave Currall said:
Hello James,

let me explain better. I wrote the code in android and compiled it. Instead of using the SDK device simulator, I uploaded it to my real phone. Thank God! so I'm calling it Dev code, because I didn't compile it as a released code. Hope that helps....
Click to expand...
I see now. It's an unsigned apk, debug version package.
 
ok so I used Helium. It backed up 3 files to google drive....It created 1) a file name with an .ab extension, 2) a file name with a .json extension and 3) a .jpg extention (that one is obvious).

Where is the apk? or how do I use these 3 files to import to Android studio.....Thanks all!
 
I used a pgm called app extractor on play store....it did grab an APK....so I think I'm all good!!! Thanks for everyone's help to narrow down what I was trying to describe!

after I download it back to Android studio, I'll close this thread.
 
Dave Currall said:
so it looks like I need a compiler to go from apk to source code? best suggestions? thanks much, in the hone stretch!!!
Click to expand...

No, you need a de-compiler. And that is about all I'll say on this matter, because you are now in the territory of app piracy.
 
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