How To Restore Chosen Apps From Backup.ab

[johnyjj2]

Hi,

I have created backup.ab file before changing HTC Sense Android to CyanogenMod. I want to restore only chosen applications. Is it possible? I haven't found any tutorial that explains how to partially restore apps with ab file. I can see only full restore command "adb restore C:\backup20111230.ab".

How to restore only chosen apps from backup.ab?

Regards!

PS This topic is copy of my question from another place where I did not receive any reply at all, at the time of writing it here.

 

[Rukbat]

Oops. You chose an all-or-nothing backup app to do selected restores. You might be able to see the individual apk files in the ab file, but you'd have to experiment. If you use an app that backs apps up to individual apk files, you don't have that problem - you can install any single apk file.

I think this is going to be a case of "the advice is going to come after it's too late to use it the way you want". Restore all the apps, use App Backup & Restore to back them up, do a factory reset (which will remove all the apps), then restore individual apps, either by pressing the apk file you want to restore or from the Archived tab in the app.

 

[johnyjj2]

Hi, thanks for reply! I have also one other doubt. There are some apps that can be installed only from Google Play. So if I want to have access to non-free applications from Google Play store, I need to have it. I can see two alternatives, one is F-Droid (the other shop with free apps), the second is NoGapps BlankStore (but it is discontinued project, and does not provide way to buy non-free apps).

Prism Break website suggested replacing stack Android with CyanogenMod or Replicant. CyanogenMod does not have Gapps but those can be installed via recovery. However, if I have Gapps in CyanogenMod than it does not make any difference when it comes to privacy, as compared to stack Android with preinstalled Gapps. In other words, if I install Gapps to get Play Store in my HTC One with CyanogenMod, I will give Google as much visibility into my phone as if it were stock. Is that right?

Is it possible to install only Google Store from Gapps package, rather than all apps, including YouTube app and others? What exactly can Google Store access on my phone? Is there any way to install Google Store in a safe manner but to ensure it is still usable? Prism Break website refers to the article "Mission Impossible: Hardening Android for Security and Privacy" which mentions the use DroidWall and SecCheck to ensure that built-in backdoors in Google Play are not a threat anymore. Are there any other things you would recommend to harden my smartphone and still be able to use Google Play in safe and private way?