These directions are for manually installing the current version of Avare directly from our server, for those with Android devices who are unable to install from the Google Play store for any reason. We also offer older versions of Avare on our server, for those with older devices or Android versions not supported by our latest Avare versions. *NOTE: Avare versions before 8.0.8 are not functional with current charts. In practical terms, this means that Android version 4.3 (released 7/13/2012) and newer is required to use Avare with current charts. As of this writing, there are no expired charts supplied by Apps4Av available for use with older versions of Avare.

While far less convenient than the “one-click” installation on Google Play, we hope these directions will be helpful for Avare users who need a manual installation option. *Notes: Avare versions older than 8.0.8 will not work, because the free FAA supporting files (current charts, etc.) supplied by Apps4Av are only compatible with versions 8.0.8 and newer. Although we endeavor to ensure the integrity of our Manual Install versions of Avare, the Google Play Store or another source you completely trust may be safer if you can get them to work on your device. If your device won’t install Avare on the Play Store you might consider buying a different or newer Android device (Avare is not available for iOS). The first version of the Nexus 7 tablet can be upgraded to Android 4.4, and Apps4Av Forum users report buying great used and even new Android devices for $50 or less.

  1. _UnInstall:  If you have already installed Avare previously (skip this step if you don’t already have Avare installed), begin by Uninstalling it.  This will ensure that any differences in this version of Avare are compatible with all the files it uses.  Note: If you are comfortable with using the Android file system, you can first rename the Avare sub-folders inside the Android/data folder in case you’d like to reinstall your current version after evaluating a different one. TO BEGIN UnInstall: In your device Settings choose Applications, and then Manage Applications, Downloaded, then select Avare, and finally choose Uninstall.
  2. _Allow:  Enable “Allow unknown sources” in your Android settings in the Applications, Security, or Development menu (this is so that you can Install the Avare app outside of the Google Play store). Note: On a Droid X in Android v2.3.4 this is in Settings, Applications.
  3. _Obtain:  To obtain the Avare app file, with your Android device see if you can click on this link to launch your browser and automatically go to our server page to choose a version of Avare to download: http://www.apps4av.org/share/?O=D
    • If your browser doesn’t allow download, try using Firefox or some other browser on your Android device. We recommend clicking on the latest version of Avare for your download, but if you find that the newest doesn’t work on your device for some reason you may find some older ones listed that you could try.
  4. Open:  To open the Avare app after the download is complete, find and Click on the downloaded Avare file (typically on the SD card in the “download” folder) to begin _installing Avare.  Note that on some devices you may need to first install a “file manager” app to find the Avare.apk.zip file and unzip it into that same folder. Some devices may give you a warning message that something will be erased, and if so you should cancel, create a new folder, move the Avare.apk.zip there and then open it to Unzip. Once you have unzipped the file, find the avare.apk file and click to Install the app. After you’ve completed the installation and launched Avare, you can safely delete the Avare.apk.zip file and any files or folders created during the Unzip process.

Notes: Unless you normally have “Allow unknown sources” enabled in your Android settings, after you’ve successfully installed Avare you’ll want to go back to that setting and un-select it to provide some protection against inadvertently installing other apps outside the Play store in the future. *Avare requires several Permissions (such as Internet Access in order to Download charts and other resources). If you can’t open Avare after Manual Install, check to ensure that all Permissions are turned on in Android’s Settings.

If you’ve successfully installed Avare, Congratulations! We’re always looking into options for making this easier, and we welcome any feedback.

  1. _First Time:  When Avare is launched for the first time you’ll want to first get the Database file it uses and probably Download some charts.  Unless some charts were previously installed, the screen will be blank (after you read and dismiss any notifications). If the Download screen isn’t automatically displayed press the Map button, then the square Options button above it, and the Download button in the middle of the list that pops out. Tap the Databases line and then the “Databases (Required)” item. If you’d like to have just the smallest possible chart for checking out Avare, download the one for Seward (an airport code on that chart is MDO). Tap the TFRs line if you’d like Avare to fetch and display all current TFRs from the FAA (note that you’ll need to fetch them again any time you’d like to get the latest, and once fetched they will still be displayed for a period of time even with your device offline). Once you’ve selected the Downloads you require, tap the “Get” button. Note that although we’ve minimized them, many of the FAA files are quite large and may download slowly and impact your data usage fees.
    • Note: Unless you are an advanced user familiar with your device’s Android file structure, we recommend that you allow Avare to Download maps to the default location chosen by Android on your device.
  2. Don’t Switch:  Some devices may stop the download if you switch to another app or the screen sleeps.  It’s best to wait until a few seconds _after the progress bar has disappeared before turning off your device or switching to another app.  To quickly test Avare, press the Options (Menu) button on your device, in Preferences turn on Simulation Mode, then input a Destination airport that’s on a chart you’ve downloaded, tap the Center button, and that area of the chart will be displayed.  The first time you view a chart, it may take a few seconds to complete the installation and display the chart.

Help & Info

You’ll find other helpful information and useful tips in Avare’s built-in Help feature; on our Forum; and some introductory information here on our Apps4Av website at: Help

Note that this procedure can be modified to work for installing a new “beta” version of the app when one is available. Just email us if you’d like to do a beta test and we’ll send you a link to the file. To use it you’d just substitute that link for the one in the instructions above. Some “beta” versions of Avare may have advanced features not yet available in the version on the Google Play store.  Any “beta” versions have not been as fully tested on a wide variety of devices so while they may provide more capabilities and we do of course pre-test them on several devices before uploading to our site, there is also some chance that they might not be as reliable on your device.

For more Help & Info, please check out our Forum. We hope you will take the time to share feedback there on how you like the new features, and let us know of any problems you encounter. Thank you for helping us to improve Avare!