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Am I just blind or is there no "search" option on Android Market (??) if you go to the website from your desktop computer? If not, should I use some 3rd party search engine for the Market or should I just switch to some other "market" (some other android apps website)?

And if there is no search option - why? I don't get it why someone wouldn't put something as trivial to that kind of a website? lol

thank you

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  • I don't know why either, but you can use AppBrain like suggested by gary in the answers
    – Louis Rhys
    Commented Jan 21, 2011 at 13:24
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    Yeah, I didn't cover the why, but it's a good question. Maybe they need to add some kind of searching "engine" or something... but where are they going to get one of those?
    – gary
    Commented Jan 21, 2011 at 13:58
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    This has been a long-standing complaint. As of right now, the only way to search the Market is in the app on your device. Enhancements to the website are supposedly forthcoming, but we obviously haven't seen anything yet.
    – ale
    Commented Jan 21, 2011 at 14:15
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    It looks like an improved market is on its way (today?). Android phones to get new online Android Market: report.
    – gary
    Commented Feb 2, 2011 at 13:37

3 Answers 3

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You can now search and install apps from the Android Market website.

It apparently launched today and people (myself included) are having trouble loggin in but I'm sure they'll clear it up soon. Now you can search apps, filter by Free vs Paid and sort by Relevance or Popularity. There is also a button on each listing for "Install" which will probably be like Appbrain's service that causes the app to automatically download on you phone (when you're able to actually login).

When you visit http://market.android.com/ on your phone, you actually see the site but if you click on any apps or search you are redirected to the Market App.

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  • Durn! Beat me to it.
    – ale
    Commented Feb 2, 2011 at 19:53
  • Nice. I saw an article earlier today, that's when I added the comment to the question. I forgot to see how it would pan out.
    – gary
    Commented Feb 2, 2011 at 20:00
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When Google's Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundotra announced Froyo in his keynote for Google I/O 2010 last May, he showed that they are working on a new website where we will be able to search, browse, and install apps directly from the website. However up to this day (January 2011), no more words has been heard of that website ever since.

Note that everything in this paragraph is speculative: My guess is that they are holding back the website to launch with Honeycomb or probably for Google I/O 2011 (or they may be going to announce Honeycomb on Google I/O 2011 (EDIT: no, they just given peek preview of Honeycomb's tablet feature at CES 2011, they haven't released any Honeycomb device yet though (EDIT2: Honeycomb is now released)). Also, it is possible that web install will only be for Android 2.2 and above due to C2DM requirement, though Google might have other solutions. Another possibility is they are scraping the site, and are now wishing for everyone to forget what they were saying in front of thousands of audience and practically eternal Youtube audiences. But keep in mind that it's really up to Google's strategic, on how and when they will launch the new site. (EDIT3: Android Web Market have been released for some time now at https://market.android.com/)

For now, though, AppBrain and AndroidZoom provide similar functionalities.

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  • The new site has launched!
    – Matthew Read
    Commented Feb 3, 2011 at 1:04
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AndroidZoom is another site, similar to AppBrain.

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