So I'm going through my apps, looking to change their icons to some custom ones that I have (so they all have the same style). Everything runs smoothly: I transferred them all to my pc, opened the apks with winrar, replaced the icons, resigned them and then installed them through adb. However, when I open my app drawer, the icons end up being different sizes. Some are smaller than the others. All the icons that I am using to replace the originals are all 60x60 so I'm not sure what the problem is. Is there something in the .apk itself that tells the phone what to scale image to or something? Any help would be appreciated.
I know this is quite irreverent to your question, but may I ask how do you sign apks? I really haven't found any way yet.. not a simple way at least.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=646962
after signing you need to delete the original app from your phone (unable to just overwrite), put the signed app in your sdk/tools folder and then install it with "adb install 'whatever_your_app_name.apk"
bump for anyone interested
There must be something in the apk that tells the OS how much to scale an image because as soon as I replaced the stock icon with a custom that was the same dimensions everything worked smoothly.
Your best bet is to keep the same size as the originals, sometimes images are stretched to fill their containers.
the problem was actually that they'd end up being smaller in the launcher than they should be. I was overwriting 48x48's with 60x60's thinking they'd work like bettercut and just scale correctly but I was wrong.
This has been asked before, but I think I am capable enough to attempt this myself!
I'm looking for the installed swiftkey apk, or any associated data files, none of which I can find on the device or sdcard. I've looked in /system/app but there is no apk found in there.
The app is listed in Settings -> Applications, but I've no way to determine where it is in the file system.
Does anyone have any ideas? If you would like to help please install the SwiftKey Free version and see if you can find any data or image files. I highly recommend purchasing it if Swype isn't working for you. It works very well for me and is far more accurate and only slightly slower.
My objective is to re-skin my copy of SwiftKey to be similar to Swype or the default Samsung keyboard. I can produce a clockworkmod or metamorph package for those interested.
Thanks!
The apps that you install are located in /data/app. In that package you'll find the icons in the normal place, (res). I would love to see a theme/skin for this app. Ive tried almost every keyboard available, and this is the best one for me. Much better than Swype in my opinion. Good luck!
SwiftKey is my favorite keyboard too but i was not satisfied with the graphics at all.
So I decided to decompile and reskin it completely.
The result is astonishing. I'll post a screenshot soon.
UPDATE
Go there please : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=835604
I haven't seen any threads after reading through hundreds of threads about icon packs bettercut virtual desktop you name it still no flashable zips for icons??? Is this even possible I don't understand why it's so hard, themes have icons that work for the app drawer...The only way to change the icon is to decompile it and reinstall it without the right digital signature??? Is there a thread about this? I understand that adw has themes you can make which will switch your app drawer icons but thats not what I'm talking about...
Pneuma1985 said:
I haven't seen any threads after reading through hundreds of threads about icon packs bettercut virtual desktop you name it still no flashable zips for icons??? Is this even possible I don't understand why it's so hard, themes have icons that work for the app drawer...The only way to change the icon is to decompile it and reinstall it without the right digital signature??? Is there a thread about this? I understand that adw has themes you can make which will switch your app drawer icons but thats not what I'm talking about...
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This is what you're asking, right?
- Is it possible to create a flashable .zip (flashed from Recovery) that deletes icon.png from all installed applications, switching them out with alternatives provided in the flashable .zip?
It's possible, I guess. It could be done with the general applications that come with most ROMs. Keeping in mind that this is for one specific device, i.e the HTC Desire. But beyond that it'd be pretty hard to create a .zip that does the job. Again: Possible but, hard. I think we'll see other ways of switching out icons rather than a flashable .zip. I'm thinking an application of some sort.
Well I've looked into that to only thing i've been able to come up with is adwex... Now how do they do it? Is it b/c your using that launcher so it can basically display whatever app drawer icon it wants? with the theme...How do themes for roms do it?
Pneuma1985 said:
Well I've looked into that to only thing i've been able to come up with is adwex... Now how do they do it? Is it b/c your using that launcher so it can basically display whatever app drawer icon it wants? with the theme...How do themes for roms do it?
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I have no idea how to theme ADW. Never used it.
ROMs come with standard applications. When people create themes for those ROMs they tend to theme the applications that come with it.
So complicated thought androids were made to be hacked whats goin on here...Guess its a lost cause!
Well, like you said, it's waiting to be done, these devices seem made for tweaking and hacking, so if you you really want it, try to figure it out!
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Oh I desperately want it I just dont have the coding capabilities to do it lol otherwise believe me I would!
Pneuma1985 said:
So complicated thought androids were made to be hacked whats goin on here...Guess its a lost cause!
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You want to make a script that:
- Deletes icon.png from an .apk
- Removes and re-signs the .apk
That's a big goddamn pile of code right there!
This is not iPhone and if you're that fond of changing the app drawer icons you can do it manually, with each application, which is a *****. This seems very important to you so I urge you to actually do some reading and start this process yourself. We're a big community and we all contribute to make Android awesome. Just because there's no easy solution to mass changing icons doesn't mean it's a low-end operating system that can't be hacked. We've done more with Android than you could ever do with any other OS!
Icon-Pack-Changers came to Windows 7 just a brief time ago. That OS has been out for ages now. Have patience enough and wait for someone to make a breakthrough or do something about it yourself. Thinking it's a lost cause helps nothing.
Ok icon pack changer did not recently come to windows 7 they have been out since win7beta. Windows in itself is a completely different file system how it works is completely different and how to exploit its files is completely different. And lots of people love to hack windows because for the most part its a complete piece of garbage and its really easy to hack. I personally found a way to change system icons when I was still on beta and doing a pack change was as simple as hooking the code! You being a deviantart member you should know that icon packs for windows and the software to change them has been out forever on deviantart over a year now at least.
Ok back to the original post...
yes my basic point in posting this was... is anyone currently trying to solve this icon problem that anyone knows about? I understand that getting around this seems to be mind boggling. I was thinking about in a different way is there any way we could possibly do a digital injection of the icon file???? Sort of like how you can do digital injections of files in windows changing the code by injecting the file???Not sure if this would work but I guess the only way to test it is try it!
Pneuma1985 said:
Ok icon pack changer did not recently come to windows 7 they have been out since win7beta. Windows in itself is a completely different file system how it works is completely different and how to exploit its files is completely different. And lots of people love to hack windows because for the most part its a complete piece of garbage and its really easy to hack. I personally found a way to change system icons when I was still on beta and doing a pack change was as simple as hooking the code! You being a deviantart member you should know that icon packs for windows and the software to change them has been out forever on deviantart over a year now at least.
Ok back to the original post...
yes my basic point in posting this was... is anyone currently trying to solve this icon problem that anyone knows about? I understand that getting around this seems to be mind boggling. I was thinking about in a different way is there any way we could possibly do a digital injection of the icon file???? Sort of like how you can do digital injections of files in windows changing the code by injecting the file???Not sure if this would work but I guess the only way to test it is try it!
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You actually used more space to tell that the bet... The point is that icon pack changers wasn't even shed light on until some while ago. If you disagree then you're a Windows 7 God and all hail thy great knowledge of teh operating systemzzzzz.
No. All installed applications are signed digtially. If you break/remove the signature you're gonna have to re-sign it. There exists an application for this or you could base your script on APKManager. You cannot simply do a digital injection of an icon file unless you're running some sort of home replacement that caches the icons or something similar.
If you would have focused on the Android part of my comment and not the Windows 7 part you might have got that already.
Well seeing as I was looking at it from a windows user standpoint and not and android coders standpoint and seeing as I'm not an android coder and I just know a little bit about the android file system and a lot about the windows os. an injection doesnt break the digital signature at all ive already tested this on an apk file it's how winrar works when you open an apk replace a file and it still works the reason it works is b/c the file is still signed and your injecting a file into the apk! If that works why wouldnt an injection tool work.
Pneuma1985 said:
Well seeing as I was looking at it from a windows user standpoint and not and android coders standpoint and seeing as I'm not an android coder and I just know a little bit about the android file system and a lot about the windows os. an injection doesnt break the digital signature at all ive already tested this on an apk file it's how winrar works when you open an apk replace a file and it still works the reason it works is b/c the file is still signed and your injecting a file into the apk! If that works why wouldnt an injection tool work.
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If it works; Awesome. Share the wealth.
There have been other threads about winrar and its abilities to mod files in an apk thats nothing new ive seen several threads about it and your totally getting off topic man taking it away from the initial point of my post which was to see if anyone knew about a current project to mod app drawer icons. I never said I've been successful at changing an icon for the most part b/c there usually indexed files thus when you go to change them and open the file it changes to much from gimp to photoshop. My question has anyone else actually been able to change them on any level? I've seen others mod apk files with a number of different tools. Not necessarily image files b/c you break the signature on that end thats why i brought up injection and its possibilities... If I had been successful you think I'd be posting this NO ID BE POSTING HEY I FIGURED IT ALL OUT!!!!!!!Got you nay saying me
Injection tools do work I have injected files into digitally signed game files on an xbox and not changed the digital signature so saying that injection doesnt work is a load of crap! I was trying to think about it outside the box thats all and you really wouldnt know unless you tested it in the same environment! And seeing as I don't know how apk signatures work thats why I brought it up.
Pneuma1985 said:
There have been other threads about winrar and its abilities to mod files in an apk thats nothing new ive seen several threads about it and your totally getting off topic man taking it away from the initial point of my post which was to see if anyone knew about a current project to mod app drawer icons. I never said I've been successful at changing an icon for the most part b/c there usually indexed files thus when you go to change them and open the file it changes to much from gimp to photoshop. My question has anyone else actually been able to change them on any level? I've seen others mod apk files with a number of different tools. Not necessarily image files b/c you break the signature on that end thats why i brought up injection and its possibilities... If I had been successful you think I'd be posting this NO ID BE POSTING HEY I FIGURED IT ALL OUT!!!!!!!Got you nay saying me
Injection tools do work I have injected files into digitally signed game files on an xbox and not changed the digital signature so saying that injection doesnt work is a load of crap! I was trying to think about it outside the box thats all and you really wouldnt know unless you tested it in the same environment! And seeing as I don't know how apk signatures work thats why I brought it up.
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If you change anything in an .apk the signature is removed.
When the signature is removed the mod becomes temporary
The next time you reboot or anything like that the .apk will be "corrupt" or unusable.
If you modify an .apk with WinRaR you still remove the signature.
EDIT: Unless the .apks are all installed to /system.
But if they're installed to /data they'll be corrupt.
- Mod app drawer icons? .. That's not what I got from the OP and I even asked you what you meant and you nodded saying what I understood from your post was right .. Gah ..
Yeah I want to be able to mod app drawer icons lol thats what I was talking about Now I know that adw has themes but most of them look pretty crappy and rom themes do change them and there is the apk tool posted on xda main page that resigns files without the same signature. What about a work around to take the signature out of the file and reapplying it how big is the encryption on the signature?
Oh and another question are the adw themes just an overlay of the file how does that work?
I may just try to edit a adw theme if I can get a good template using apktool just resign it without the same signature adding my own icons in would that work?
Pneuma1985 said:
Yeah I want to be able to mod app drawer icons lol thats what I was talking about Now I know that adw has themes but most of them look pretty crappy and rom themes do change them and there is the apk tool posted on xda main page that resigns files without the same signature. What about a work around to take the signature out of the file and reapplying it how big is the encryption on the signature?
Oh and another question are the adw themes just an overlay of the file how does that work?
I may just try to edit a adw theme if I can get a good template using apktool just resign it without the same signature adding my own icons in would that work?
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Sure. I just don't know of any tool that can modify an .apk without removing and re-signing it.
Haven't checked out anything regarding ADW, so I can't be much help. But dissecting a theme might be a good idea.
Yeah I tried that I resigned the file right and installed the apk now the apk works just fine after multiple reboots it's just it didnt change the file lol.. Even when i go back in and open the apk the file is changed just doesnt appear on my screen to be changed even after removing the data of the theme??? Cant understand it really. I know the file doesnt have the same signature I checked it.
here is the thread about apk tool http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=640592
Pneuma1985 said:
Yeah I tried that I resigned the file right and installed the apk now the apk works just fine after multiple reboots it's just it didnt change the file lol.. Even when i go back in and open the apk the file is changed just doesnt appear on my screen to be changed even after removing the data of the theme??? Cant understand it really. I know the file doesnt have the same signature I checked it.
here is the thread about apk tool http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=640592
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Your icon.png didn't change? Are you sure you changed the correct one?
- Double check in /data that you don't have multiple .apks (Might be one of them is name apkname-1.apk).
No i just checked it and I'm positive it's the same file theres only so many pngs that are hdpi so it's basically like just look and find it in the res file no other similar images...And I even went to the extend of naming the apk something different so I would know it's installing the proper apk and still nothing on the image end has changed? And its basically pretty simple I'm trying to change the phone apk icon in the theme just as a tester hasnt worked thus far? phone apk still works even after resign but again nothing has changed. An after thought but another thing that would be cool is being able to edit .9 images without going to the ends of the earth or so it seems lol. And I notice people metamorphing which also seems to solve the problem of signed files? Just need more metamorphs
I have to admit that I've been playing around with this idea as well. I don't have any serious coding experience so I've been taking apart adw themes and theme engine themes for CM7. They manage to change app drawer icons without taking apart the apk and resigning.
It's possible to take a theme engine theme and just replace the icons you want (keeping the correct file name of course) before resigning but from what I've seen it will only make a difference to the icons included in the theme which are usually just gapps etc.
Only low tech workaround I can think of is modifying a theme that changes a lot of icons or editing one of the xml files so that you can add your own icons to the package. I'm not sure which file in an apk does this and I know very little about editing them in general so I gave up there. But from seeing iPhone themes it is a bit disappointing that for such a locked down system it's really easy to theme their icons. My rage about it keeps me up at night.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
I am trying to modify the framework-res.apk. I just change the image files, nothing else. Same names just different image. And when I overwright the framework-res,apk on the device with the modified one, the new icon show up, but the search functionaliy on the market breaks, I get FC every time I tryt to use it. Does anyone know what could be causing this?
Okay. Please excuse me if this seems very rudimentary, or it's already been done, or anything else along those lines. I've done a lot of searching for any method to accomplish this, but haven't found anything.
So, this is in regards to that #$$&%!? ghost voicemail icon that shows up for sprint MIUI users who unwittingly transitioned from dumbphone to smartphone and left voice messages in the old inbox. If you do this, your phone will be stuck with a "new voicemail" notification that cannot be permanently cleared without swapping back to the dumbphone and clearing those VM's.
I understand that this method is *not* that difficult. Hell, I even have my old phone with which I could fix this. However, the issue for me is that this remains the only method of getting rid of this annoyance. I mean...come on. This is a hacked-out version of an open-source telephone software with a massive amount of community support. The only fix we've figured out involves two flashes and deactivating the phone?
So, I had the simple idea of just blanking out the damned icon.
I was due to install this week's build of MIUI anyway, so I downloaded the .zip onto my computer, and found framework-res.apk in system/framework/. Inside the res/drawable-hdpi/ folder is the file stat_notify_voicemail.png.
You then simply extract that file, open it in a photo editor, delete the contents, and save it again as blank .png file. Re-insert that into framework-res, stick that back into the MIUI .zip, copy it to the phone, and flash as usual.
This will take care of the icon for *most* themes.
However, I happened to be using the blackice theme, which has it's own themed icon.
In hunting for a working DL for my blackice theme (RIP Megaupload), I found that with one of the latest MIUI updates, the camera icon on the lockscreen broke because they switched .apk names. So, perfect time to update blackice too.
I downloaded ver 2.3 from here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?3j8i5ekpxmrek37 (credit to Cgvelmax)
Then did the same repack to the framework-res file inside the zip and stuck it in sdcard/miui/theme. Loaded the theme up, and viola...no more icon.
Now, obviously, this is an imperfect method. The notification is still in the noti area, and if you have other notifications, the space will be obvious. I'm just happy that I don't have to look at it every time I use my phone.
So, here is the modified version of Cgvelmax's edit of Blackice. I take absolutely no credit for doing anything other than swapping the one file out in the theme.
http://www.mediafire.com/?k85faok0ncrt3tx
If I have time, I'm going to try to get into the xml and see where the icon is called. Hopefully, I can modify it so that the entire notification takes up no space at all, or a 1x1 spot or something like that.
edit: thanks man!! worked perfectly!! i cant wait for you to find out how to remove it from the swipe down notification bar now. Thanks
so much!!!!!