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If I download an APK and open it, I get a "Not Installed" error if the app is already present on the device. Is there any way to automatically delete the old version?

(Note I'm not trying to avoid opening the APK, which isn't allowed for security reasons. I'm just trying to avoid manually deleting the old app.)

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Android should already do this unless the two versions of the app are signed with different keys (or possibly some other error takes place). – eldarerathis♦ Jul 12 '12 at 15:05

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up vote 8 down vote accepted

As eldarerathis already pointed out in his comment on your question: If the app is already installed, and the certificate matches, you will be prompted whether you want to replace it. If the certificates differ, there's a conflict: The app cannot be updated due to the mismatch, and it cannot be installed along as the package name is already in use (apps use an internal package name, which e.g. is shown in the URL on its Google Play Store webpage). If the package is corrupted, you again get another specific error (telling you it is corrupted).

So most probably, the .apk you try to install manually has been tampered with. If it wasn't you doing so, I would refrain from using it. If it was you, and you know what you are doing -- or you know the source to be trustworthy (e.g. the developer of the app provided you with an unsigned testing version), you have to first uninstall the original app before installing the "tainted" .apk.

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This is an unsigned APK under development; would that explain the mismatch? – mahemoff Jul 12 '12 at 16:08
@mahemoff Yes. (1 more to go...) – kinokijuf Jul 12 '12 at 16:42
Thanks. @izzy if you can please update to reflect this and then I'll accept the answer. – mahemoff Jul 12 '12 at 16:50
1  
@mahemoff Done, thank you! – Izzy Jul 12 '12 at 22:34
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While installing, If application itself is not giving you option to replace with old version of app. You might be trying to install a system app, which cant be replaced.

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System apps can be updated. The only way you could get an error is a certificate error. – Richard Borcsik Jul 12 '12 at 19:45

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