installing apps on not activated phone

[petecal]

I have a verizon vortex. I won't activate it because I don't need to. But I would like to install some free apps. When I try I get:

"sorry the application market (process com.android.vending)" has stopped."

Is there a way to install apps wothoujt aactivating the phone?

Thanks in advance

Pete

 

[9to5cynic]

Welcome to the forums!

First, yes you can. It's called sideloading and you install the .apk file from the sd card. Secondly, you should be able to install from market without VZW, I'm sure your phone has wifi right?

Also, did you register you're gmail account to the device, that's required for the market I believe.

Again, welcome to the forums!
9to5

 

[petecal]

9to5, Thanks.

Yes, I can browse via my home wifi network.
Yes my gmail email is registered on the phone. When I go to the android store on a desktop that is logged in to gmail I see that an app I tried to download is listed as "installed".
The problem I have (using my phone) is, if I click the "Market" icon I get a page where "Android Market is upgrading to Google Play" with two links, one to "learn more" and another "continue". Neither link works. Nothing happens when I click them.

If I go to the android market I get a popup screen asking if I want to use the browser or Play Store. If I select Play Store I get the same screen described above. If I select browser I can get all the way to a page that says "xxxx is downloading" but there is also a button labled "install". If I click it I get a failure but I can't remember what is said. That was last night.

So today I tried again and selected the Play store and guess what? It worked. The app installed.

Please stand by. I will try to see if this works again and report back.

Oh, I was USB connected when this worked but I was not last night.

Pete

 

[petecal]

OK, after a few days I am sure I CAN install apps on the phone that is not activated. I just go through Google Play. This did not work at first. I couldn't get past the "Android Market....." screen. Now I can.

A similar thing happened when I tried to start up the phone. I could not get past the Verizon Activate screens. I found a number of different "button push sequences" on the net to get past it but none worked for me. Then I began randomly pressing buttons. Suddenly it worked. I have no idea what I pressed but I believe the last thing was I pressed was the left and right buttons at the same time. Or maybe the phone just surrendered to my onslaught ;-)

Thanks
Pete

 

[NightAngel79]

Hello and Welcome to Android Forums!!