App Updater with ADB or Shizuku support

Apps
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I was trying to find an app-updater that would work after 2027. It should be an app that can install other apps via local ADB. If possible, it should also be able to fetch apk files from existing repos.

Below is the list.

  1. GitHub - sam1am/anyapk: Install any apk on the device you own. (Very recent, not found in any F-Droid–compatible repo. Supposed to be able to work without Shizuku. The user needs to prepare the apk files.)

  2. ADB-OTG (Supposed to be able to work without Shizuku and without wireless debugging; needs another phone to work; can be found on IzzyOnDroid)

  3. InstallWithOptions (Needs Shizuku; seems to have been there for a long time, so it is stable? Can be found on IzzyOnDroid)

  4. F-Droid privileged extension (Needs root)

  5. Droid-ify (Supports Shizuku. Can fetch from existing repos.)

  6. Neo Store (Supports Shizuku. Can fetch from existing repos.)

I think App Manager and aShell should also be included in this list, but I’m not sure.

It’s 2025 now, so I haven’t tested any of these apps with adb. We can start to test them in 2026.

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Shizuku is not FOSS so I’m not sure we’d recommend it any time soon.

there’s also GitHub - Hoverth/fdroidcl: A command-line F-Droid desktop client (former mvdan/fdroidcl)

that was rather not used any more since Android 12+ allowed unattended updates

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Apache license, apparently.

UPDATE: I just re-read the old Git thread about Shizuku’s licensing etc and their restrictions that they are trying to put on it (which I do sympathize with somewhat), so yeah it looks like it’s not technically FOSS after all, despite the license claim.

But it’s still useful for those of us who are trying to get away from rooting but nonetheless looking for some solutions from trustworthy devs to gain back a little more flexibility, as long as we’re not stubborn about everything being 100% FOSS.

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There’s other options too, I found InstallerX Revived, which also utilizes Shizuku.

I also noticed an anomaly with Shizuku: If your phone is a regular phone or a regular Tablet (Unmodified), using a version of Shizuku that isn’t from the Google Play Store will result in it not functioning at all.

Plus, Google could crack down on ADB methods of installing applications, or even anything to do with ADB, locking out the Android completely.

I did bring up Arceus AOS earlier, it would open the Android completely back up again, no Age Verification, nothing that invades privacy. Just the ability to use your device like a computer, without any limitations except for the hardware.

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read Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading - #292 by Unospa and all the other posts after, at least

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Yeah I just updated my comment.

I had read that thread once upon a time but had just forgotten about it.

And about Google’s new restrictions, yeah I’ve been blasting them over that ever since I heard about it. Trying to kill off the community that put Android on the map, back in the day. Pathetic but not exactly unexpected from them.

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