Since I have been using the OS 2.0 on my PlayBook I have been doing a lot of stuff with the Android App player and have coverted many .APK files to .BAR files to use. Let me explain how the file types work real quick.
BlackBerry PlayBook uses .BAR files no matter what the app is. Android files are .APK. You can use .APK files on a rooted PlayBook only. The guide below and files we have were APK files that were converted to .BAR files to be used with the android app player which uses .BAR files on the PlayBook 2.0 OS. The Officail release of PlayBook 2.0 is expected to be available in February.
Getting Started
To start using Android apps on your PlayBook you will need to make sure that you are running the latest PlayBook OS 2.0 beta. There are some cons to using this beta OS. Some of the native apps are broken or missing. This version of OS 2.0 is meant for developers only, it does not contain end user features such as: video chat, email, calendar contacts, video store, etc.
Getting the Beta OS is very easy. RIM hasn’t placed any restrictions on who can install the OS and if your wanting to try it out all you need to do is follow this link and register. Don’t worry too much, it is fairly simple to go back to the official build later on if you decide 2.0 isn’t for you.
Once you have 2.0 running on your PlayBook there are a few things you need to do to prepare the PlayBook for receiving Android apps. First you will need to have your PlayBook in Development Mode. This is done by going into your Settings, choose Security and then Development Mode.
Switch Use Development Mode from OFF to ON and you will be presented with a pop up telling you to enter a password or create a new one. Make sure to remember this password. You will need it later. This will put your PlayBook into Development Mode and you should now see a new Icon in the top bar of your home screen.
How to side-load apps
Now you will need to get your Windows (I’m sorry if your on a Mac) computer ready. There are a few things you will need to download and install. First is a wonderful program called the Dau Den PlayBook Installer. You will also need the correct Java Runtime Environment for your system. You will need either the 32 bit version or the 64 bit version.
Download link for DDPB Installer
Download link for Java Runtime Environment- 32 Bit
Download link for Java Runtime Environment – 64 Bit
You will also need to have some pre converted bar files to install to your PlayBook. We have over 100 ready to use bar files here in the PlayBook Daily forums. NOTE: You must be registered in order to see the links. What I recommend doing is to download all of the apps your are interested in and put all of them into a folder named “Bar Files” and place it somewhere that is easy to find.
After you have the DDPB Installer and the correct JRE installed to your computer and you have some downloaded bar files, go ahead and connect your PlayBook to the computer using your USB data cable. Desktop Manger may begin to run, if so you can close out of it. We will not be using it. Also you can dismiss the pop up asking for your PlayBook password. On your PlayBook double check to make sure that you are in Development Mode. Now you can launch DDPB Installer.
This is what you will see after launching DDPB Installer. It might look a little confusing, but it’s actually a very simple program to use. First thing you will need to do is push Scan, Doing this will automatically enter your PlayBook’s IP Address. Next enter your password and hit Connect. You should now see the OS, PIN and Version information all filled out. Pushing Add will bring up Windows Explorer, navigate to where you placed all of your downloaded bar files, select all of them and then hit open. You will now see all of your bar files in DDBP. Simply mark the box for all the apps you want to load to your PlayBook and then push Install.
A new Window will pop up and it shows the progress of the installation. As apps are being installed you will see a spinning ring, once they have finished the ring changes to a check mark. DDBP can also be used to uninstall any apps you have side loaded. That pretty much covers it.
If you have any questions, just leave a comment here or in our forums.
I have installed all the application given http://www.playbookdaily.com/blackberry-playbook-forums/blackberry-playbook-bar-files/playbook-bar-files-to-get-started-with-over-100-of-them/(around 113 apps). But only Angry birde application is working. No error message is being displayed on touch of other application, but nothing happen.
Playbook OS 2.0.0.6149 has been installed.
Please guide me to resolve this problem.
Some quick questions.
Did you use dingleberry to jailbreak your PlayBook?
Are you opening them through the android player and make sure you did all the steps correctly?
You are the only one that has reported a problem like this.
Thanks
Joe
Thanks for reply. No dingleberry and no android player.
I can see all the applications icons, but on touch nothing is happening.
Hello, not sure what would be causing your problem. I’ve never encountered any issues like that on any of my PBs. The only thing I can think of trying is to security wipe and reload the os.
Please let me know if that fixes it.
Thanks Randy, it works. I re-installed the OS and works fine.
I have followed the instructions to the letter. Here are the results;
1. OS2 installed OK
2. So far all the ‘original’ PB apps I tried seem to work fine. Actually even better. i.e. the browser did not close on me on its own – up to now anyway.
3. I have downloaded and installed 24 Android apps. There are listed all right, but when started they all show a blank screen. Hmmm??
Questions:
1. Once the Android apps installed do you need to stay in developer mode? Or is it only required for the download to work?
2. What does ADWLauncher do?
3. Obviously what went wrong? How do I recover?
I tried to uninstall one app using the DDPBInstaller it seemed to get stuck.
Thanks
Laszlo
Are the icons showing up on your PlayBook? When you first launch an Android app the Android App Player will need to initialize. As far as I can tell this only needs done once each time your PB boots. If you do see the icons the apps should open and run.
I would try rebooting the PB and see if they will launch after that. If the apps wont launch after that I would do a security wipe and reload 2.0, I have no idea what causes a OS update to fail on the PB, but I do know it happens. When I first got a PB I couldn’t use Video Chat after an os update. Everything else worked fine. Just no video chat. The only way I could fix it was to do a security wipe and reload 1.7
You only need to be in Development Mode to side load apps, Once the apps are loaded it doesn’t matter if you keep it on or off.
About the launcher, They can be used to launch apps and run widgets. It makes the Android App Player look and work like Android.
hi. i’m looking for a gtalk app if available on playbook. has anyone converted it to a bar file?
Gtalk requires a google account login and that requires you to root your PlayBook and install the app market. Also video chat will not work.
im looking for a dj app fr the playbook, anything that lets me beat match, loop, sample and scratch. must be multitouch….
I need some help.
Okay, Im new (here) and it tells me that either my IP or my password is incorrect.
Yet it scanns for my IP and well the passeord is correct.
Whats wrong and do I need to Dingleberry it / run OS2?
Sounds like your not in development mode. Check on your PlayBook to make sure see the little white guy next to the time.
If you try to do connect with DDPB while your PB is not in development mode it wont work, DDPB will still display an IP address, but it wont be the IP address that is associated with your development password.
Let me know if that helps.
useless mate where the games att , now dan is pissed
I got two IP address on my playbook. i cant connect to the DDBP. WHAT CAN I DO.
Hello,
You need to put your PlayBook into development mode. Check the top bar for the little white developer dude on the other side of the clock.
Your PlayBook has two IP addresses. DDBP will automatically grab the wrong one if you are not in development mode.
Thanx. Say I Got Another Cuestion, How Will Be Done The Updates Of The Android Apps That I Have Install On My Playbook. Thanx For The Help
If they are android apps from App World, you will get them just as any other application from app world. If they are from the forum, you would have to ask in the forum to be for sure.
I followed the instructions. Didn’t see any icons after sideloading.
Restarted the PB. Still nothing.
Everything seemed to work just fine but I don’t see the icons and can’t launch any of the 5 bar files I installed…
Thanks for the help anyone..
Please ask this question in the forums, I am sure someone can help ya.
though i am typing coreect IP/password i am not able ot connect to blackberry playbook through the DDPB.
Please help me
Please ask the question in the forums, many people can help you there.