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https://github.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader

A command line tool to download Android applications directly from the Google Play Store by specifying their package name (an initial one-time configuration is required)
https://github.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader

android apk downloader google playstore

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A command line tool to download Android applications directly from the Google Play Store by specifying their package name (an initial one-time configuration is required)

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# PlaystoreDownloader



> A command line tool to download Android applications directly from the Google

> Play Store.



[![Codacy](https://app.codacy.com/project/badge/Grade/92ff2ab2c1114c7e9df13b77fac0d961)](https://www.codacy.com/gh/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader)

[![Code Coverage](https://codecov.io/gh/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader/badge.svg)](https://codecov.io/gh/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader)

[![Python Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/Python-3.7%2B-green.svg?logo=python&logoColor=white)](https://www.python.org/downloads/)

[![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](https://github.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader/blob/master/LICENSE)



**PlaystoreDownloader** is a tool for downloading Android applications directly from

the Google Play Store. After an initial (one-time) configuration, applications can be

downloaded by specifying their package name.



***This project is intended for learning purposes only and is not affiliated with Google

in any way***.



## ❱ Demo



| Command Line Interface                                                                                |

|:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:|

| ![CLI](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader/master/docs/demo/cli.gif) |



| Web Interface                                                                                         |

|:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:|

| ![Web](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader/master/docs/demo/web.gif) |



## ❱ Installation



There are two ways of getting a working copy of PlaystoreDownloader on your own

computer: either by [using Docker](#docker-image) or by

[using directly the source code](#from-source) in a `Python 3` environment. In both

cases, the first thing to do is to get a local copy of this repository, so open up a

terminal in the directory where you want to save the project and clone the repository:



```Shell

$ git clone https://github.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader.git

```



### Docker image



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



#### Prerequisites



This is the suggested way of installing PlaystoreDownloader, since the only requirement

is to have a recent version of Docker installed:



```Shell

$ docker --version             

Docker version 20.10.7, build f0df350

```



#### Official Docker Hub image



The [official PlaystoreDownloader Docker image](https://hub.docker.com/r/claudiugeorgiu/playstore-downloader)

is available on Docker Hub (automatically built from this repository):



```Shell

$ # Download the Docker image.

$ docker pull claudiugeorgiu/playstore-downloader

$ # Give it a shorter name.

$ docker tag claudiugeorgiu/playstore-downloader downloader

```



#### Install



If you downloaded the official image from Docker Hub, you are ready to use the tool so

go ahead and check the [usage instructions](#with-docker), otherwise execute the

following command in the previously created `PlaystoreDownloader/` directory (the folder

containing the `Dockerfile`) in order to build the Docker image:



```Shell

$ # Make sure to run the command in PlaystoreDownloader/ directory.

$ # It will take some time to download and install all the dependencies.

$ docker build -t downloader .

```



When the Docker image is ready, make a quick test to check that everything was

installed correctly:



```Shell

$ docker run --rm -it downloader --help

usage: python3 -m playstoredownloader.cli [-h] [-b] [-s] [-c FILE] [-o DIR] [-t TAG] package [package ...]

...

```



PlaystoreDownloader is now ready to be used, see the [usage instructions](#with-docker)

for more information.



### From source



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



#### Prerequisites



Apart from valid Google Play Store credentials, the only requirement of this project is

a working `Python 3` (at least `3.7`) installation and

[`pipenv`](https://github.com/pypa/pipenv) (for dependency management).



#### Install



Run the following commands in the main directory of the project (`PlaystoreDownloader/`)

to install the needed dependencies:



```Shell

$ # Make sure to run the commands in PlaystoreDownloader/ directory.



$ # This project uses pipenv (https://github.com/pypa/pipenv) for dependency management.

$ # It can be installed with the following command:

$ # python3 -m pip install pipenv



$ # Install PlaystoreDownloader's requirements (a virtual environment will be created).

$ pipenv install --deploy

```



After everything is installed, make a quick test to check that everything works

correctly:



```Shell

$ pipenv run python3 -m playstoredownloader.cli --help

usage: python3 -m playstoredownloader.cli [-h] [-b] [-s] [-c FILE] [-o DIR] [-t TAG] package [package ...]

...

```



PlaystoreDownloader is now ready to be used, see the [usage instructions](#with-source)

for more information.



## ❱ Configuration



Before interacting with the Google Play Store you have to provide valid credentials

and an **ANDROID ID** associated to your account. Please modify the

[credentials.json](https://github.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader/blob/master/credentials.json)

file and insert the required information before trying to use this tool (and think

twice before committing this file after the change, or you might leak your credentials):



* Enter your Google email and password in the `USERNAME` and `PASSWORD` fields of the

[credentials.json](https://github.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader/blob/master/credentials.json)

file. This information is needed to authenticate with Google's servers. In case you have

2-Step Verification activated, you will need to generate an

[App Password](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833)

for the `PASSWORD` field.



* Use the above credentials on an Android device (real or emulated) and download at

least one application using the official Google Play Store on the device. This step is

necessary in order to associate the **ANDROID ID** of the device to your account, so

that you will be able to download applications as if you were directly using your device.

Do not remove the account from the device or its **ANDROID ID** won't be valid anymore.



* Get the

[**ANDROID ID**](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/Settings.Secure#ANDROID_ID)

of the device and fill the `ANDROID_ID` field of the

[credentials.json](https://github.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader/blob/master/credentials.json)

file. You can obtain the **ANDROID ID** by installing the

[Device ID](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evozi.deviceid)

application on your device, then copy the string corresponding to

`Google Service Framework (GSF)` (use this string instead of the `Android Device ID`

presented by the application).



* In case of errors related to the authentication after the above steps, consider the

following actions (visit the links while you are logged in with the account used to

download the applications):



    - allow less secure apps to access your account ()



    - temporarily unlock access to your account ()



*Note that you will be able to download only the applications compatible with the device

corresponding to the aforementioned **ANDROID ID** and further limitations may influence

the total number of applications available for download*.



## ❱ Usage



After configuring the Google Play Store credentials as described in the

[configuration](#-configuration), you should have a valid `credentials.json` file ready

to be used. The usage instructions depend on how you installed the tool.



### With Docker



The file with the credentials is not included in the Docker image, so it has to be

mounted into the container. A download directory has to be mounted too, otherwise the

downloaded application won't be accessible to the host machine. If the current

directory (`${PWD}`) contains the `credentials.json` file and an `output/` folder, the

command to download an application with package name `com.application.example` becomes:



```Shell

$ docker run \

    -u $(id -u):$(id -g) \

    -v "${PWD}/credentials.json":"/app/credentials.json" \

    -v "${PWD}/output/":"/app/Downloads/" \

    --rm -it downloader "com.application.example"

```



If the download is successful, the resulting `.apk` file will be saved in the `output/`

folder contained in the directory where the command was run (type

`$ docker run --rm -it downloader --help` or check the

[available parameters](#available-parameters) for more information).



A simple web interface is also available:



```Shell

$ docker run \

    -u $(id -u):$(id -g) \

    -v "${PWD}/credentials.json":"/app/credentials.json" \

    -v "${PWD}/output/":"/app/Downloads/" \

    -p 5000:5000 \

    --entrypoint=python3 \

    --rm -it downloader flask_app.py



$ # Navigate to http://localhost:5000/ to use the web interface.

```



### With source



In the main directory of the project (`PlaystoreDownloader/`), call the following

instruction using the package name of the app to be downloaded:



```Shell

$ pipenv run python3 -m playstoredownloader.cli "com.application.example"

```



If the download is successful, by default the resulting `.apk` file will be saved in

the `PlaystoreDownloader/Downloads/` directory. You can change the location of the

download directory by providing an additional `-o "path/to/download/folder/"`

argument (type `$ pipenv run python3 -m playstoredownloader.cli --help` or check the

[available parameters](#available-parameters) for more information).



A simple web interface is also available:



```Shell

$ pipenv run python3 flask_app.py



$ # Navigate to http://localhost:5000/ to use the web interface.

```



### Available parameters



All the parameters are described in the help message:



```Shell

$ # With Docker.

$ docker run --rm -it downloader --help



$ # With source.

$ pipenv run python3 -m playstoredownloader.cli --help



usage: python3 -m playstoredownloader.cli [-h] [-b] [-s] [-c FILE] [-o DIR] [-t TAG] package [package ...]

...

```



The only mandatory parameter is the `package` name of the application to be downloaded,

as it appears in the Google Play Store (e.g., `com.spotify.music` or `com.whatsapp`).

The other optional arguments are as follows:



* `-b` is a flag for downloading the additional `.obb` files along with the application

(if there are any). See

[Expansion Files](https://developer.android.com/google/play/expansion-files)

for more information. The additional files will be saved in the same directory as the

downloaded application. *Note:

[expansion files will no longer be supported for new apps](https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2020/11/new-android-app-bundle-and-target-api.html)*.



* `-s` is a flag for downloading the additional split `.apk` files along with the

application (if there are any). See

[Dynamic Delivery](https://developer.android.com/guide/app-bundle/dynamic-delivery)

for more information. The additional files will be saved in the same directory as the

downloaded application.



* `-c CREDENTIALS` is used to set the path to the JSON configuration file containing

the Google Play Store credentials. If not specified, by default the tool will try to

use a file named `credentials.json` located in the directory where the command is run.



* `-o DIR` is used to set the path (relative or absolute) of the directory where to

save the downloaded `.apk` file (e.g., `-o /home/user/Desktop/`). If the path contains

missing directories, they will be created automatically. If not specified, by default

the file will be saved in a `Downloads/` directory created where the tool is run.



* `-t TAG` can be used to set a tag that will be prepended to the file name, e.g.,

by using `-t "LABEL"` the final name of the downloaded application will look like

`[LABEL] filename.apk`. Note: the tag is applied to the main application and to the

additional files (if any).



*Note that currently only the command line interface is configurable with the above

arguments, the web interface will ask only for a package name and will use the default

values for all the other parameters*.



## ❱ License



You are free to use this code under the

[MIT License](https://github.com/ClaudiuGeorgiu/PlaystoreDownloader/blob/master/LICENSE).