Android: Issue in getting a list of all installed apps including system apps

Question

I have a listview which show the all installed apps including some system apps but does not show gallery, contact, messages apps. Please tell me how can I get all these system apps. Here is my code

public static List getInstalledApplication(Context c)
    {
       // return c.getPackageManager().getInstalledApplications(PackageManager.GET_META_DATA);

        List<ApplicationInfo> installedApps = new ArrayList<ApplicationInfo>();
        PackageManager pm = c.getPackageManager();
        List<ApplicationInfo> apps = pm.getInstalledApplications(0);

        for(ApplicationInfo app : apps) {
            //checks for flags; if flagged, check if updated system app
            if((app.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_UPDATED_SYSTEM_APP) == 1) {
                installedApps.add(app);
                //it's a system app, not interested
            } else if ((app.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM) == 1) {
                //Discard this one
                //in this case, it should be a user-installed app
              //  installedApps.add(app);
            } else {
                installedApps.add(app);
            }
        }
        return installedApps;
    }

Tell me where I make mistake. Help me with some code.

@SathishKumarJ some apps like contact,message,gallery,calculator i want to like show those apps which show in my mobile manu — faisal iqbal, Jul 14 '16 at 05:29

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 23 '16 at 14:41

1

The apps that you want to list (Gallery, Message, etc) are written in system partition and hence, (app.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM) == 1) will be true.

FLAG_SYSTEM
if set, this application is installed in the device's system image.

Thats why the apps that you want to also list are getting skipped.

If you want to get apps which are listed in your launcher i.e apps with category <Launcher> get the list using following code

    final PackageManager packageManager = getPackageManager();
    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN, null);
    intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_LAUNCHER);
    List<ResolveInfo> resInfos = packageManager.queryIntentActivities(intent, 0);
    // using hashset so that there will be no duplicate packages, 
    // if no duplicate packages then there will be no duplicate apps
    HashSet<ApplicationInfo> installedApps = new HashSet<ApplicationInfo>(0);

    // getting package names and adding them to the hashset
    for (ResolveInfo resolveInfo : resInfos) {
        installedApps.add(resolveInfo.activityInfo.applicationInfo);
    }

edited Oct 23 '16 at 14:41

Micer

8,731
3
79
73

answered Jul 14 '16 at 05:33

Neji

6,591
5
43
66

@faisal : I think this answer might help you – akhil Rao Jul 14 '16 at 05:35
i can not understand your answer please describe some more or edit my code please – faisal iqbal Jul 14 '16 at 05:37
for eg : Gallery is a system app. And it is not getting listed because it is getting skipped as you are skipping the non updated system apps – Neji Jul 14 '16 at 05:39
Question : Which type of apps do you want to list? – Neji Jul 14 '16 at 05:39
ok how can i get app like contact message , gallery, calculator apps – faisal iqbal Jul 14 '16 at 05:45
try following code instaed of the 2nd if block else if ((app.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM) == 1) { installedApps.add(app); } You will get all apps that were missing – Neji Jul 14 '16 at 05:47
BUT i do not want all apps – faisal iqbal Jul 14 '16 at 06:07
i only want some system apps which show me in launcher not other apps which not show on mobile – faisal iqbal Jul 14 '16 at 06:08
@Neji when i use this its give error in my adapter ResolveInfo can not be cast – faisal iqbal Jul 15 '16 at 05:19
have updated the code, check now. This should complete your requirement – Neji Jul 15 '16 at 06:35

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 14 '16 at 05:38

Since you want to show all the installed apps. You could get rid of the if-else block in your code and simply add all the apps and display them. or make these change in you code

1) Fetch all the apps by this code.

List<ApplicationInfo> apps = getPackageManager().getInstalledPackages(0);

2) And separate system apps from user installed with the following code:

List<ApplicationInfo> apps = getPackageManager().getInstalledApplications(0);
for(ApplicationInfo app : apps) {
    if((app.flags & (ApplicationInfo.FLAG_UPDATED_SYSTEM_APP | ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM)) > 0) {
        // It is a system app
    } else {
        // It is installed by the user
    }
}

i do not want to get all system apps – faisal iqbal Jul 14 '16 at 06:09 — faisal iqbal, Jul 14 '16 at 06:09

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 14 '16 at 05:38

Try this different ways.

//First

Intent mainIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN, null);
mainIntent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_LAUNCHER);
List pkgAppsList = context.getPackageManager().queryIntentActivities(mainIntent, 0);

// Second

PackageManager pm = getPackageManager();
List packages = pm.getInstalledApplications(PackageManager.GET_META_DATA);
for (ApplicationInfo packageInfo : packages)
{
  Log.d(TAG, "Installed package :" + packageInfo.packageName);
  Log.d(TAG, "Launch Activity :" + pm.getLaunchIntentForPackage(packageInfo.packageName)); 
}

// Third

private List getInstalledComponentList()
        throws NameNotFoundException {
    Intent mainIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN, null);
    mainIntent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_LAUNCHER);
    List ril = getPackageManager().queryIntentActivities(mainIntent, 0);
    List componentList = new ArrayList();
    String name = null;

    for (ResolveInfo ri : ril) {
        if (ri.activityInfo != null) {
            Resources res = getPackageManager().getResourcesForApplication(ri.activityInfo.applicationInfo);
            if (ri.activityInfo.labelRes != 0) {
                name = res.getString(ri.activityInfo.labelRes);
            } else {
                name = ri.activityInfo.applicationInfo.loadLabel(
                        getPackageManager()).toString();
            }
            componentList.add(name);
        }
    }
    return componentList;
 }

Android: Issue in getting a list of all installed apps including system apps

3 Answers3

Linked