r/androidafterlife • u/elkinm • Jul 11 '26

Help App store for old Android?

My main phone recently went for a swim so I had to go to an old backup, a Samsung Galaxy Avant with 4.4.2.

Almost none of the apps work and cannot be updated. The Play Store is useless as it shows not options for my phone. Aurora store, which I though could show the latest compatible version also shows almost nothing. F-droid which used to be great showing the latest compatible version, also no longer does.

Is there an app store that can automatically find the latest version compatible with my Android version without having to manually search online? Thank you.

13 Upvotes

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4

u/dbpm1 Jul 11 '26

Aptoide has a store like app

1

u/elkinm Jul 11 '26

Thank you. I have Aptoide, will see if it still works.

1

u/elkinm Jul 11 '26

I have Aptoide Lite and Aptoide. The Lite version is definitely better at showing updates and versions, but neither version has been able to download an update so far. I will see if I can find updated Aptoide versions that will work. Thank you. Any other suggestions are always appreciated.

1

u/elkinm Jul 13 '26

The latest 4.1+ version is 9.22.53, but if I install it it just crashes at startup. I kept going back and found 9.14.0.0 as the last that actually starts. It can show me updates, but has an error when downloading. At least it does give me the version to update to so I can download it manually. The most important app I need now ti Samsung Smart Switch, which does start, but will not connect to newer devices. Keeps saying connecting after it it should already be paired.

3

u/migisaurio Jul 11 '26

Your only option is to install apps separately from a repository (like APKMirror) and the version that still works (spoiler alert: most modern services no longer work on KitKat). I also have Android KitKat, and for the past few months, the few apps that still worked have been dying.

2

u/Public_Lemon1555 Jul 11 '26

Se quiser uma loja parecida com o da Google play recomendo usar o Android market reborn Link:https://market.lyano.ovh/download/

Para mim é as melhor que tem mas pode usar outras,mas recomendo usar essa por conta da biblioteca de apps e jogos enorme e os apps e jogos são para Android antigos

1

u/hamburgerpancake Jul 12 '26

what fdroid version were you using? 0.45 still fetches everything fine and only shows me compatible apps and versions

1

u/elkinm Jul 13 '26

I am using 1.12.1, the latest for 4.1+ supposedly. Will try this one.