[Bug] Can't analyze some device specific apps (tablet, etc)

[ElsAr4e]

Try to analyze the following apps for example:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nchsoftware.photostage_free

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.krita

Does it work if you use a tablet device for exodus? EFForg/apkeep#183 (comment)

But I think this might not be the only issue: For example Google Play shows that PhotoStage Slideshow can be installed on Mate 20 Pro, Google Pixel 5 and even Samsung Galaxy SM-N975F (Android Emulator) and the Android tablet Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (but NOT on SAMSUNG Galaxy A53 5G).

Other examples that don't work:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.simplitv.ott

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.simplitv.ott.androidtv

[codeurimpulsif]

Thanks for creating this issue, we only use apkeep default value for device, so it default to px_7a.

Maybe it could be a good idea to add a list of devices in our settings to test?

What do you thing about this @pnu-s ?

[ElsAr4e]

@codeurimpulsif Just one question: I guess px_7a is Pixel 7a? But if Google Play shows that I would be able to install this app on my Pixel 5a - it should be also possible that using Pixel 7a you can download this app? For example PhotoStage Slideshow could be installed on Pixel 5a (in that case my Pixel is actually Windows Subsystem for Android).

So it might not be (only) related to the Android device?

[Porkepix]

@codeurimpulsif Just one question: I guess px_7a is Pixel 7a? But if Google Play shows that I would be able to install this app on my Pixel 5a - it should be also possible that using Pixel 7a you can download this app? For example PhotoStage Slideshow could be installed on Pixel 5a (in that case my Pixel is actually Windows Subsystem for Android).

So it might not be (only) related to the Android device?

Download limitations can come from two different parameters, device is one of them (this include its Android version, CPU architecture, and the type of device: phone, tablet, smart TV/watches and so on…), the other one is by geography: numerous of applications are blocked in various countries or available to only some countries.

Note that an application not updated for a long time can also cease to work on newer Android versions.

@codeurimpulsif @pnu-s This is quite curious here though, I tried at home with apkeep, default settings and arguments, and it was correctly able to download it (apkeep 0.17.0 from October). We should check the behavior on servers.

[codeurimpulsif]

@Porkepix it fail for me with default settings and using Apkeep 0.17.0:

Invalid app response for com.nchsoftware.photostage_free. Skipping...

But working when I specify the device px_tablet as in the mentionned issue.

[Porkepix]

@Porkepix it fail for me with default settings and using Apkeep 0.17.0:

Invalid app response for com.nchsoftware.photostage_free. Skipping...

But working when I specify the device px_tablet as in the mentionned issue.

Nevermind, dumb me forgot it download by default from apk-pure and that I can't even test from Google as it needs a token…

[ElsAr4e]

Can Exodus actually analyze all Android versions - even for example Android 1.0 (if there are apps that still support this version) - or is there a minimum Android client version?

[codeurimpulsif]

Can Exodus actually analyze all Android versions - even for example Android 1.0 (if there are apps that still support this version) - or is there a minimum Android client version?

In theory yes, if it's a standard APK file Exodus can analyse it.

But here the issue is more on the downloading side, we rely only on apkeep for this, so we depend on apkeep devices.

[Porkepix]

Anyway I think Google removed many very old applications if they didn't meet some modern requirements, so it seems very unlikely applications not updated since Android 1 or 2 are still distributed there.

[ElsAr4e]

Another example:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vivaldi.browser.automotive

[ElsAr4e]

Other examples (should not be tablet-only apps):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oplus.dialer

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.tmobile.android.mysbu

[ElsAr4e]

Next example:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.broetchenwelt

[cayenne17]

I’m not sure if this is the same issue as:

• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vivaldi.browser
  • scan no. 1502721
    The last scan from Vivaldi that worked was version 7.7.3862.96, dated 18 December 2025, 12.57 pm: https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/fr/reports/685354/