question about installed apps

[vandenoosten]

Hi guys, a noob question:

After I purchase an app, what happens if the phone gets reinitialized in such a way that I lose all installed applications? Do I have to purchase everything again?

Or can I make a kind of a backup copy of the apps I have installed, so that I can restore them should anything happens to my phone?

 

[rowlers]

Apps are linked to your google account not your phone. just re-download google knows you have paid!

 

[Silver Surfer]

You will have to reinstall your apps but not repurchase as your installed apps are linked to your google account. Alternatively, although this is not necessary, you can use an app such as my backup pro which enables you to backup to and restore from your sd card.

 

[vandenoosten]

Thanks for the replies. That's relieving
One more thing: I have the trial version of an app, and I want to purchase the activation code to unlock it. The company requires my IMEI code in order to give me the activation code. Isn't that dangerous? I read somewhere that having the IMEI you could possibly gain control over someone's phone...

 

[ScoobyWRX]

I've never had to give out the code to get apps activated someone more knowlegable will be along and let you know though

 

[Rogue]

Thanks for the replies. That's relieving
One more thing: I have the trial version of an app, and I want to purchase the activation code to unlock it. The company requires my IMEI code in order to give me the activation code. Isn't that dangerous? I read somewhere that having the IMEI you could possibly gain control over someone's phone...

Don't give it out. What App was that?

 

[NightAngel79]

Thanks for the replies. That's relieving
One more thing: I have the trial version of an app, and I want to purchase the activation code to unlock it. The company requires my IMEI code in order to give me the activation code. Isn't that dangerous? I read somewhere that having the IMEI you could possibly gain control over someone's phone...

Don't give it out. What App was that?

This^ Sounds shady, please let us know what app it is if you don't mind.
Meanwhile, i'm moving this thread to Android Lounge and updating title

 

[vandenoosten]

It was Collins Pocket Irish Dictionary, sold by Mobile Systems .

Actually a well made app, and very useful for me, as I use Irish a lot.

The app has a free trial version (limited in time), and a paid version. With the trial version, I had the possibility to choose "Activate" from the menu, which sent me to a web page where I was required to input the IMEI (it was actually pre-filled in the input form). Probably at the next step I would have been requested the credit card information and provided the activation key that unlocks the trial version.

Anyway, being unsure about that, I simply uninstalled the trial version and purchased the full version from the Google market in the usual way.

I can imagine that the activation key provided by the developer might possibly be calculated on the basis of the IMEI, so that it only works for that particular device (similar to the activation process for Windows). However, in tis way the app would be linked to the device and not to my Google account, so I don't know what would happen if I change the device at some moment, i.e. whether I will be able to download the app from the market without having to pay again.