Does the Market track downloaded apps?

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Does the Android Market track downloaded apps so it can update them?

Here's the deal, I am thinking of getting a new phone. To save me downloading all the apps again, I simply want to copy the APK to the SD card, then when it's in the new phone, install them one by one.

However, will it still be under "my apps" in the market? If not, is there a way to refresh the market to find new apps and link them to ones in the market to have them updated?

I don't really want to use a backup program.

Thanks

[HSoft]

Does the Android Market track downloaded apps so it can update them?

Here's the deal, I am thinking of getting a new phone. To save me downloading all the apps again, I simply want to copy the APK to the SD card, then when it's in the new phone, install them one by one.

However, will it still be under "my apps" in the market? If not, is there a way to refresh the market to find new apps and link them to ones in the market to have them updated?

I don't really want to use a backup program.

Thanks

Yes and no. I found this out when I had to reset my phone. It will track any apps that you bought, it however doesn't track free ones. I recovered my bought apps no problem but had to remember which free ones I had downloaded and re-download those.

[+KibosJ Subscriber²]

Download Titanium backup from the Market, that will backup all your user apps and data and when you restore your phone, you can restore the app and the data. The apps restored this way DO re-appear back in the Market. I ALWAYS install this app :)

EDIT - Forgot to mention, you need to be rooted for this app to work.

[still1]

Yes and no. I found this out when I had to reset my phone. It will track any apps that you bought, it however doesn't track free ones. I recovered my bought apps no problem but had to remember which free ones I had downloaded and re-download those.

yes it does track free app too... if you go to "my market account" you should see the list of app you downloaded.

https://market.android.com/account

@Op: sometime you wont see some app in the list due to a bug in the android market app..

[Roger H. Veteran]

It should definitely show up. If you go to the market on android.com you'll see all your apps you've downloaded. The market scans apks installed and then links them to ones on the market, that is if you've ever downloaded them before. If you got a free APK from some random site then it wont show up as linked in the market.

[cybertimber2008]

Free or not, the newer Market (this version and the previous) both will do a "restore" mode for ALL apps, paid and free, and to the version you had installed (if not the latest) when you connect your new device.

At least that's been my experience. As long as you still have the default option checked to backup your apps and settings.

But titanium backup will be better if you want to keep specific app settings...

[LightShadow]

Free or not, the newer Market (this version and the previous) both will do a "restore" mode for ALL apps, paid and free, and to the version you had installed (if not the latest) when you connect your new device.

At least that's been my experience. As long as you still have the default option checked to backup your apps and settings.

But titanium backup will be better if you want to keep specific app settings...

On what phone? I've never had this, each factory reset it never gives me that option. I have to manually install each app one by one. Also it won't show you previously installed apps on the phone version of the market, only the web based version will show all apps previously installed.

[Sir Topham Hatt]

That's great, thanks.

I mean, I will probably re-download them anyway, as I am sure many of them will have updates. It'll also allow me to install the real apps like Cut the Rope which was on a Free Amazon App offer but I already had it installed. Still "bought" it on the free though just in case :)

I don't mind starting again with games as many of them are either completed or I got bored cause I couldn't do it :p Angry Birds for one, so much so, I uninstalled it the other day!

[Roger H. Veteran]

It should happen when you first setup the phone after factory reset. As soon as you log in (provided you already have data settings configured) then it'll start downloading right away.

[Billaguana]

I believe that if you selected the setting when first using your phone, Google will save all the apps you've downloaded to that phone, but a good secondary app is AppBrain. You will need to set up an account, but it is very easy and very good.