[Droid Incredible Themes and Apps] DarkTharen:
APK Files Explained

This has been explained before and if you need more detail look back at the older posts. Basically you can only use MetaMorph if the app is considered a system app. The easiest way to determine this is to look in and see if the app is in the Data folder or the System folder. If you try to MetaMorph an app that is located in the data folder it will disappear from your apps because the apk was changed without the developers key.

If you take that problem explained above and then add the issue we had when Google updated Gmail. Which made the app move from the system into data. Then when people would use MetaMorph it would not work. Most people went nuts and demanded to have a fix right away. Little did people understand is that they would not be able to use MetaMorph or a flashable file until developers added the new version of Gmail into there Roms (Which makes it a system app). Are you with me so far?

I then did some research and found out that people were able to take an app from the marketplace and extract it to there SD cards. I could then take the app make the changes I need and recompile it so that people could install it. This is the most efficient way to get the most up to date versions of an app along with the color notification icon. There is no need to wait for developers to make the update to there roms because once the app is available on the market I can make the changes and post the file right away. Do you understand?

Now, there is a draw back to using it this way. The biggest problem is that you need to uninstall any older version of the app. So take Gmail as an example again. Not only do you need to make sure it unistalled any updates from the Android Market. But since that app is located also located in the System folder. You must delete it from there also. I use an app called "SystemApp Remover" from the marketplace. It does cost a few bucks but it also allows you to backup those system apps in case you would like to go back. I also have no affiliation with the developer of that app I just found it works very good and easy. I have heard others using other apps to uninstall systems apps but since I have not used those apps I cannot guarantee that they are the best.

I know that this post is like an essay but I wanted to explain so that everyone understands why I do what I do. I would encourage people that if they would like to do this another way go ahead. I first started CI because no one else out there was doing it and I thought I could. Along that same line of thinking I have been tossing around the idea of creating an app that will do this whole thing for you including installing the new version of the app. I have some reservations on this because I am a friend, father, husband, and son. I have always held the policy with my family that we will all sacrifice together as a family. I will never sacrifice my family. That includes the time and fun that I have with them. All that to say is that the time that would be needed to develop that app might be more than I could give to it in order to get a timely release. I am going to think on it over Christmas and will decided next week what I am going to do. That is that have a Merry Christmas everyone!