Any way to circumvent Google Play Incompatibility?

bearspa

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I keep running into apps on Google Play where it won't let me install/download the app because it says that it is incompatible with my Kindle Fire. But, I found some of the same apps on other sites, and they run just fine on the Kindle.
However, for those apps that I cannot find elsewhere, I seem to be stuck. Is there any way to get around this problem, and download the app onto my computer and sideload it onto the Kindle?
P.S. I don't have any android phones. My Kindle has been rooted, and also has Icecream Sandwich installed.

TIA
 
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bearspa

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I appreciate tthat, @magoxr. However, before you invest the time to do so, you should know that I am a noob at Android, and, while I am pretty good at monkey-see-monkey-do, anything beyond that may be beyond my abilities.

In any case, thanks.
 

sblood86

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I keep running into apps on Google Play where it won't let me install/download the app because it says that it is incompatible with my Kindle Fire. But, I found some of the same apps on other sites, and they run just fine on the Kindle.
However, for those apps that I cannot find elsewhere, I seem to be stuck. Is there any way to get around this problem, and download the app onto my computer and sideload it onto the Kindle?
P.S. I don't have any android phones. My Kindle has been rooted, and also has Icecream Sandwich installed.

TIA

I'm not sure but maybe a custom kernel will do it. I need to look into this more.

Sent from my VS920 4G using Tapatalk 2

I appreciate tthat, @magoxr. However, before you invest the time to do so, you should know that I am a noob at Android, and, while I am pretty good at monkey-see-monkey-do, anything beyond that may be beyond my abilities.

In any case, thanks.

It's not the kernel...

App compatilibility on Google Play is controlled by application and device permissions (in a lot of cases these can be permissions to something the app doesn't really need to function such as facebook wanting to access the camera {it doesn't need the camera to run but it can use it and likes to check for it} in some cases it's even more useless permissions such as full gps).

In order to allow these apps to be compatible you have to fake those permissions in the device.

There are several ways to do this, off the top of my head I think the easiest for stock would be adjusting the build.prop

I'm afraid I don't have the information for that handy and I'm on my way to work so I won't have time to find it today. Hopefully that's enough to get y'all on the right path.

Edit: just reread that, you are running ICS; I assume that's AOKP or CM9, do you mind if I ask what build?
 
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bearspa

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You lost me there, @sblood86! I don't think this answers your question, but when I looked up the specs on the ICS, all I could find was the version, 1.2.0.0-ICS. I don't know what AOKP or CM9 are, and where to find the build.

I understand what you are saying about the permission--many apps seem to need me to have GPS (which the Kindle Fire doesn't), even though one can use them for other purposes without a GPS.
 

sblood86

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You lost me there, @sblood86! I don't think this answers your question, but when I looked up the specs on the ICS, all I could find was the version, 1.2.0.0-ICS. I don't know what AOKP or CM9 are, and where to find the build.

I understand what you are saying about the permission--many apps seem to need me to have GPS (which the Kindle Fire doesn't), even though one can use them for other purposes without a GPS.

Well there are many many different versions of ICS for the kindle some of which are quite old. Where did you install your version from?

Edit: you should find all the device and OS information right down to the build date in : settings > About Tablet.
 

bearspa

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I can't remember where I got my ICS from. The only setting that I can find is the one on the Kindle Fire itself, and that just gives me the information about the Kindle OS. Sorry.
 

sblood86

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I can't remember where I got my ICS from. The only setting that I can find is the one on the Kindle Fire itself, and that just gives me the information about the Kindle OS. Sorry.

@sblood86: Just remembered--got it from here:
ICS Releases , and it was ICS 2.4...if that helps.

Yeh, that's not actually ICS (Android 4.0) that's a launcher themed like ICS, you are still running the stock Amazon OS which leads me back to my original statement of build.prop edits. Main reason I was asking is if you were running one of the actual ICS builds I wanted to know what apps weren't working so we could try to fix those permissions in the build tree. Since you are talking about stock I won't really be able to help you much beyond recommending y'all research build prop changes.
 

Aguaski

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I have been installing apk's from Google Play using the Google Drive method described in a separate thread in this Kindle Fire forum. That option works great and has not presented any incompatibility issues.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 

bearspa

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@aguaski: I had read that. My understanding of the method was that you need a smartphone for that. If that is so, it won't work for me, as I don't own one.
 

Aguaski

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Correct, a separate smartphone is needed as that is where you initially obtain your apk. Sorry, I did not catch that you did not have a smartphone.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
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jimchee

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You can download a file to add to jb rom which changes I'd from Kindle Fire to nexus and opens up your Kindle to almost all apps on play store. U can find it on xda developer's, forum

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
 

Rockdog97

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I'm also stock and wanted to install Instagram, but keep getting the "device not compatible" notification. Anyone have this app available to download/install?