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My friend just showed me a really useful app. I want to install it too, but the app's name is very generic and there is no app with this name in any app store nor on the web. Knowing the package name of the app would help me find it.

How can I know the package name of an app?

  • In Settings>App I only see the app's name.
  • If it was my phone I would install Applications Info and read the package name. Unfortunately I can't install anything on the phone. Understandably, my friend does not allow me to enable developer options, nor to connect any cable to it.
  • The phone otherwise only has stock apps.

Latest Android.

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    Related/possible duplicate: android.stackexchange.com/q/90141. Btw, the correct term is "package name", you might use that keyword to search for related existing questions.
    – Andrew T. ♦
    Jan 10, 2020 at 7:05
  • That question specifies "via ADB". So any answer there is not a valid answer here, and vice versa. So I don't think it is a duplicate. Thanks for the terminology tip, I fixed my question :-)
    – Nicolas Raoul
    Jan 10, 2020 at 7:20
  • If I understood correctly, then the restriction on this question is: stock, fully-locked (cannot install/side-load apps, cannot use USB debug, not rooted, etc.) Android devices? If that's the case... based on my experience, it's almost impossible to get the package name, surprisingly... hopefully others know the solution.
    – Andrew T. ♦
    Jan 10, 2020 at 7:34
  • Ugly way: Let your friend install Helium Backup, create a backup of that app, and see how the backup was named. Or use an "app inspector" (link goes to my corresponding app listing). Or shock him and let him use ClassyShark3xodus, which doesn't only show the package name but also the trackers inside ;) Without installing an app you can only hope to open it in play store (web site, "id" part of the URL).
    – Izzy ♦
    Jan 10, 2020 at 7:44
  • @AndrewT. Yes exactly. I hope Izzy knows some trick either via settings or via the Play store app or something else :-)
    – Nicolas Raoul
    Jan 10, 2020 at 7:44

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There are multiple approaches to that – depending on what you have access to. I'll include those not working for you as they might work for others:

  • Most obvious: use an app inspector (link goes to my corresponding app list). Won't work for you as you cannot install any app.
  • Not that obvious, but with helpful side effect: install ClassyShark3xodus from F-Droid. Not only shows the package name but also the trackers contained in apps. Again, needs installing an app.
  • Another one with helpful side effects: installing Helium Backup and inspecting the backup file name. Doesn't work for you either, unfortunately.
  • Native method: Open in Play Store, ideally in the web page. Find the package name in the URL's id parameter. If in app, use the developer's name to list all apps made by them: https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=<url+encoded+name>.

If the app is not available in any of the app stores available on the device (often happens with vendor specific pre-installed apps), you're out of luck: you cannot even extract the APK from your friend's device if (s)he doesn't let you install an APK extractor or enable ADB (with ADB, you could e.g. use Adebar's getapk script to extract all or specific apps).

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