How do I check if an app is a non-system app in Android?

Question

I am getting a list of ApplicationInfo Objects with packageManager.getInstalledApplications(0) and attempting to categorize them by whether or not they are a sy

Answer 1

Here are different possible ways to see if the app is a system app by its package name (used some of the codes in this post)

package com.test.util;

import android.content.Context;
import android.content.pm.ApplicationInfo;
import android.content.pm.PackageInfo;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager.NameNotFoundException;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.Scanner;
import java.util.Set;
import java.util.regex.Pattern;

import timber.log.Timber;


public class SystemAppChecker {
    private PackageManager packageManager = null;

    public SystemAppChecker(Context context) {
        packageManager = context.getPackageManager();
    }

    /**
     * Check if system app by 'pm' command-line program
     *
     * @param packageName
     *            package name of application. Cannot be null.
     * @return <code>true</code> if package is a system app.
     */
    public boolean isSystemAppByPM(String packageName) {
        if (packageName == null) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Package name cannot be null");
        }
        ProcessBuilder builder = new ProcessBuilder("pm", "list", "packages", "-s");
        Process process = null;
        try {
            process = builder.start();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            Timber.e(e);
            return false;
        }

        InputStream in = process.getInputStream();
        Scanner scanner = new Scanner(in);
        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("^package:.+");
        int skip = "package:".length();

        Set<String> systemApps = new HashSet<String>();
        while (scanner.hasNext(pattern)) {
            String pckg = scanner.next().substring(skip);
            systemApps.add(pckg);
        }

        scanner.close();
        process.destroy();

        if (systemApps.contains(packageName)) {
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }

    /**
     * Check if application is preloaded.
     *
     * @param packageName
     *            package name of application. Cannot be null.
     * @return <code>true</code> if package is preloaded.
     */
    public boolean isSystemPreloaded(String packageName) {
        if (packageName == null) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Package name cannot be null");
        }
        try {
            ApplicationInfo ai = packageManager.getApplicationInfo(
                    packageName, 0);
            if (ai.sourceDir.startsWith("/system/app/") || ai.sourceDir.startsWith("/system/priv-app/")) {
                return true;
            }
        } catch (NameNotFoundException e) {
            Timber.e(e);
        }
        return false;
    }

    /**
     * Check if the app is system signed or not
     *
     * @param packageName
     *            package of application. Cannot be blank.
     * @return <code>true</code> if application is signed by system certificate,
     *         otherwise <code>false</code>
     */
    public boolean isSystemSigned(String packageName) {
        if (packageName == null) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Package name cannot be null");
        }
        try {
            // Get packageinfo for target application
            PackageInfo targetPkgInfo = packageManager.getPackageInfo(
                    packageName, PackageManager.GET_SIGNATURES);
            // Get packageinfo for system package
            PackageInfo sys = packageManager.getPackageInfo(
                    "android", PackageManager.GET_SIGNATURES);
            // Match both packageinfo for there signatures
            return (targetPkgInfo != null && targetPkgInfo.signatures != null && sys.signatures[0]
                    .equals(targetPkgInfo.signatures[0]));
        } catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
            Timber.e(e);
        }
        return false;
    }

    /**
     * Check if application is installed in the device's system image
     *
     * @param packageName
     *            package name of application. Cannot be null.
     * @return <code>true</code> if package is a system app.
     */
    public boolean isSystemAppByFLAG(String packageName) {
        if (packageName == null) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Package name cannot be null");
        }
        try {
            ApplicationInfo ai = packageManager.getApplicationInfo(
                    packageName, 0);
            // Check if FLAG_SYSTEM or FLAG_UPDATED_SYSTEM_APP are set.
            if (ai != null
                    && (ai.flags & (ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM | ApplicationInfo.FLAG_UPDATED_SYSTEM_APP)) != 0) {
                return true;
            }
        } catch (NameNotFoundException e) {
            Timber.e(e);
        }
        return false;
    }
}

Answer 2

There are 2 type of Non - system applications :

1. Apps downloaded from Google Play Store
2. Preloaded apps by device manufacturer

This code will return a list of all above applications:

ArrayList<ApplicationInfo> mAllApp = 
        mPackageManager.getInstalledApplications(PackageManager.GET_META_DATA);

for(int i = 0; i < mAllApp.size(); i++) {
    if((mAllApp.get(i).flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM) == 0) {
         // 1. Applications downloaded from Google Play Store
        mAllApp1.add(mAllApp.get(i));
    }

    if((mAllApp.get(i).flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_UPDATED_SYSTEM_APP) != 0) {
        // 2. Applications preloaded in device by manufecturer
        mAllApp1.add(mAllApp.get(i));
    }
}

Answer 3

I was under the impression that all apps in the system image are system apps (and normally installed in /system/app).

If FLAG_SYSTEM is only set to system applications, this will work even for apps in external storage:

boolean isUserApp(ApplicationInfo ai) {
    int mask = ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM | ApplicationInfo.FLAG_UPDATED_SYSTEM_APP;
    return (ai.flags & mask) == 0;
}

An alternative is to use the pm command-line program in your phone.

Syntax:

pm list packages [-f] [-d] [-e] [-s] [-3] [-i] [-u] [--user USER_ID] [FILTER]

pm list packages: prints all packages, optionally only
  those whose package name contains the text in FILTER.  Options:
    -f: see their associated file.
    -d: filter to only show disbled packages.
    -e: filter to only show enabled packages.
    -s: filter to only show system packages.
    -3: filter to only show third party packages.
    -i: see the installer for the packages.
    -u: also include uninstalled packages.

Code:

ProcessBuilder builder = new ProcessBuilder("pm", "list", "packages", "-s");
Process process = builder.start();

InputStream in = process.getInputStream();
Scanner scanner = new Scanner(in);
Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("^package:.+");
int skip = "package:".length();

Set<String> systemApps = new HashSet<String>();
while (scanner.hasNext(pattern)) {
    String pckg = scanner.next().substring(skip);
    systemApps.add(pckg);
}

scanner.close();
process.destroy();

Then:

boolean isUserApp(String pckg) {
    return !mSystemApps.contains(pckg);
}

Answer 4

This is a simplified and more efficient version of other responses listed here. It is more efficient if you just iterate directly over the ApplicationInfos.

    List<ApplicationInfo> applications = context.getPackageManager()
            .getInstalledApplications(PackageManager.GET_META_DATA);
    for(ApplicationInfo appInfo : applications){
        if((appInfo.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM) == 0){
            // Not a system app
        }
    }

Answer 5

Here is an AppUtil I wrote for that purpose.
Usage example:

new AppsUtil(this).printInstalledAppPackages(AppsUtil.AppType.USER);

AppsUtil.java

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import android.content.Context;
import android.content.pm.ApplicationInfo;
import android.content.pm.PackageInfo;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager.NameNotFoundException;
import android.util.Log;

public class AppsUtil
{
    public static final String  TAG = "PackagesInfo";
    private Context             _context;
    private ArrayList<PckgInfo> _PckgInfoList;

    public enum AppType 
    {
        ALL {
            @Override
            public String toString() {
              return "ALL";
            }
          },
        USER {
            @Override
            public String toString() {
              return "USER";
            }
          },
        SYSTEM {
            @Override
            public String toString() {
              return "SYSTEM";
            }
          }
    }

    class PckgInfo
    {
        private AppType appType;
        private String  appName     = "";
        private String  packageName = "";
        private String  versionName = "";
        private int     versionCode = 0;

        private void prettyPrint()
        {
            Log.i(TAG, appName + "\n  AppType: " + appType.toString() + "\n  Package: " + packageName + "\n  VersionName: " + versionName + "\n  VersionCode: " + versionCode);
        }
    }

    public AppsUtil(Context context)
    {
        super();
        this._context = context;
        this._PckgInfoList = new ArrayList<PckgInfo>();
    }

    public void printInstalledAppPackages(AppType appType)
    {
        retrieveInstalledAppsPackages();
        Log.i(TAG, "");
        for (int i = 0; i < _PckgInfoList.size(); i++)
        {
            if (AppType.ALL == appType)
            {
                _PckgInfoList.get(i).prettyPrint();
            }
            else
            {
                if (_PckgInfoList.get(i).appType == appType)
                    _PckgInfoList.get(i).prettyPrint();
            }
        }
    }

    public ArrayList<PckgInfo> getInstalledAppPackages(AppType appType)
    {
        retrieveInstalledAppsPackages();
        ArrayList<PckgInfo> resultPInfoList = new ArrayList<PckgInfo>();

        if (AppType.ALL == appType)
        {
            return _PckgInfoList;
        }
        else
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < _PckgInfoList.size(); i++)
            {
                if (_PckgInfoList.get(i).appType == appType)
                    resultPInfoList.add(_PckgInfoList.get(i));
            }
            return resultPInfoList;
        }
    }

    private void retrieveInstalledAppsPackages()
    {
        PackageManager pm = _context.getPackageManager();
        List<PackageInfo> packs = pm.getInstalledPackages(0);
        for (PackageInfo pi : packs)
        {
            try
            {
                PckgInfo newInfo = new PckgInfo();
                ApplicationInfo ai = pm.getApplicationInfo(pi.packageName, 0);

                newInfo.appType = getAppType(ai);
                newInfo.appName = pi.applicationInfo.loadLabel(pm).toString();
                newInfo.packageName = pi.packageName;
                newInfo.versionName = pi.versionName;
                newInfo.versionCode = pi.versionCode;
                _PckgInfoList.add(newInfo);
            }
            catch (NameNotFoundException e)
            {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }

    AppType getAppType(ApplicationInfo ai)
    {
        AppType resultType ;
        if (isUserApp(ai))
            resultType = AppType.USER;
        else
            resultType = AppType.SYSTEM;

        return resultType;
    }

    boolean isUserApp(ApplicationInfo ai)
    {
        int mask = ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM | ApplicationInfo.FLAG_UPDATED_SYSTEM_APP;
        return (ai.flags & mask) == 0;
    }
}

Answer 6

You can check the signature of application which it signed with system. Like below

/**
 * Match signature of application to identify that if it is signed by system
 * or not.
 * 
 * @param packageName
 *            package of application. Can not be blank.
 * @return <code>true</code> if application is signed by system certificate,
 *         otherwise <code>false</code>
 */
public boolean isSystemApp(String packageName) {
    try {
        // Get packageinfo for target application
        PackageInfo targetPkgInfo = mPackageManager.getPackageInfo(
                packageName, PackageManager.GET_SIGNATURES);
        // Get packageinfo for system package
        PackageInfo sys = mPackageManager.getPackageInfo(
                "android", PackageManager.GET_SIGNATURES);
        // Match both packageinfo for there signatures
        return (targetPkgInfo != null && targetPkgInfo.signatures != null && sys.signatures[0]
                .equals(targetPkgInfo.signatures[0]));
    } catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
        return false;
    }
}

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You can get more code on my blog How to check if application is system app or not (By signed signature)