Am I able to show an app icon in my Android application?

Question

I want to show some of the applications installed on device in my app. Like Gmail, yahoo, outlook, what's app, etc. Is it allowed to show installed app icons in my app. e.g.: "Gmail" app installed on a device, then my app will check if "Gmail" app installed? If yes then it will fetch the icon from "Gmail" app using API:

Drawable icon = getPackageManager().getApplicationIcon("com.google.android.gm");

and will display it in my app. So showing icon in my app is allowed?

Answer 1

I think you can use this code.

Drawable icon = getPackageManager()
       .getApplicationIcon("com.example.testnotification");

imageView.setImageDrawable(icon);

Answer 2

Yes it's allowed. All custom launchers are doing this. They just fetch info of all installed apps on a device and then just show this in their own way.

For all installed apps you can use this:

// First specify an intent for which you want to find activities 
// available on device.
// In most cases you only need the "starter" activity which have
// action "ACTION_MAIN" and category "CATEGORY_LAUNCHER"
Intent i = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN, null);
i.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_LAUNCHER);

// Then you can "ask" a system to give you all activities that can 
// be opened with this intent
List<ResolveInfo> allApps = getPackageManager()
        .queryIntentActivities(i, 0);

// Iterate over info of all apps and retrieve info you need
for (ResolveInfo ri : allApps) {
    // Name of app
    CharSequence label = ri.loadLabel(getPackageManager());

    // App package name
    CharSequence packageName = ri.activityInfo.packageName;

    // App icon
    Drawable icon = ri.activityInfo.loadIcon(getPackageManager());
}

Source: https://www.androidauthority.com/make-a-custom-android-launcher-837342-837342/

Answer 3

You say:

So showing (their) icon in my app is allowed?

@JonGoodwin: Yes I am looking from copyright issue, is their any?

Intro

A trademark protects your brand image. Namely, your logo or tagline. You can file for a registered trademark if you want to keep the integrity of your app without worrying about other developers taking your brand and creating a similar logo, name, or tagline. ref2

Case law is complicated.

Hello I use Android. This line you are reading is illegal!.

Android™ should have a trademark symbol the first time it appears in a creative (i.e. the previous line, in this creative answer).

Their icon

Example:

(a) When using their actual logo, the rules are a bit more complicated.

(b) You cannot use the Facebook “Facebook” logo without their permission, so this is a no-no:

(c) You can use the Facebook™ “F”. But only in the context that you want to prompt the reader/viewer to connect to your Facebook page.

When you're trademarking your app, you're protecting yourself from anyone else from using a similar or confusing name to yours. The particular design or functionality of an app may be subject to copyright or patent protection, but a trademark protects the name of your app, or, the logo associated with your app.

Your icon

1. Mobile App Icons: They’re Trademarks and You Should Register Them.

2. The majority of app icons have not yet been registered as trademarks.

3. Once a company’s core trademarks are protected, it should consider filing a trademark application to cover its actual app icon.

4. I searched all federal case law and all TTAB(Trademark Trial and Appeal Board) cases and could not find any involving app icon trademarks.ref3

Disclaimer:

The information provided herein presents general information and should not be relied upon as legal advice when anallyzing and resolving a specific legal issue. If you have specific questions regarding a particular fact situation, please consult with competent legal counsel about the facts and laws that apply.