Market doesn't recognize the apps I had on my last unit?!

[seanwilliams78]

Hey gang,
I was trying to set up the refurbished unit I received and I thought once I put in my email addresses, the Marketplace would somehow recognize the apps I had previously purchased or downloaded. But I'm being prompted to pay for the apps I had already bought on my last unit! What am I doing wrong?! Help! Thanks!

 

[robkort]

Is it the same account you had on your previous phone?

 

[danperde]

Hey gang,
I was trying to set up the refurbished unit I received and I thought once I put in my email addresses, the Marketplace would somehow recognize the apps I had previously purchased or downloaded. But I'm being prompted to pay for the apps I had already bought on my last unit! What am I doing wrong?! Help! Thanks!

It goes like this: every device that you register your account on, gets added to your history of registered devices on Google. If you have access to a computer, access the market from it, log in your account, go to your "My Library" and you'll see there all the apps you ever installed on your account (no matter the device you installed them on). Also you will see that will say "installed" under every each one. Click on the app, click on the button "installed" and you'll get the option to install to a different device. What I would do from this point on, is I would deactivate the devices that no longer belong to me. On your phone, the market sees only the apps that are installed on the phone, it does not see the ones you purchased and never installed. This is a huge oversight (pun intended) from Google. In Amazon's market you have a list of apps that are installed on your phone and one of ALL apps. Maybe the next update of market will address this. Good luck!

 

[seanwilliams78]

Wow...that's pretty bad planning on their part!

What about apps I had moved to my SD card? They aren't showing up through the settings menu - is there a way to locate and install/import the stuff from my SD card? I don't see a way to browse data on the SD card from the SD card menu in settings (another silly oversight? How do I browse data/files on my SD card?!)?

 

[danperde]

You can use any file explorer in the market (I use ES File Explorer). But still, you don't have the apks to re-install them. What you should have done, before switching devices, is you should have backed up your apps and settings.

 

[seanwilliams78]

I haven't sent the old one back...what's the preferred free app for such a back-up? Always amazed me that a built-in back system up isn't provided with a 500 dollar micro computer!

 

[ragnarokx]

I haven't sent the old one back...what's the preferred free app for such a back-up? Always amazed me that a built-in back system up isn't provided with a 500 dollar micro computer!

Do you have root access? If not you'll only be able to backup the apps, not their settings/game progress. MyBackup Root and Titanium Backup are probably the two best you can choose from.

 

[danperde]

I haven't sent the old one back...what's the preferred free app for such a back-up? Always amazed me that a built-in back system up isn't provided with a 500 dollar micro computer!

ES File Explorer comes with an App manager which allows to backup and restore your apps. In the settings you can specify where the backup to be stored (SD card is always a good option ). So you just have to install ES Explorer on the other phone, switch the sd card and restore the apps on the new phone. Side note: some of the apps can't be backed up (like Mobile Banking), which I believe it's because app's security features.