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Is it possible to have multiple instances of the same app (logged in to different accounts)?

Example: I want Instagram A logged in to Account A (personal), and Instagram B logged in to Account B (business). Both apps are on the same phone; I don't want to log-in and log-out just use use a different accounts.

ce4
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geffchang
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  • When you mean 'Instagram A' and 'Instagram B' do you mean two instances? If that is the case, Android doesn't permit to have more than one instances of same application. IMHO, unless the app itself has some workarounds (like how Chrome browser has tabs to compensate) this is not possible. – Narayanan Aug 07 '12 at 12:05
  • That's something that the individual app needs to implement. Apps like GMail do have this functionality, many other app authors don't put the extra work in for features like this that not many people will use. – GAThrawn Aug 07 '12 at 12:46
  • Was wondering if there was a workaround to that, like: decompile and change its ID or something to make each app unique. [though I suppose that is not legal] – geffchang Aug 07 '12 at 12:53
  • @geff_chang: changing an app's package name should be possible, though since the package name of an app is hard coded in many different places throughout an apk, and since it is used as part of the identifier for sending Intents, it would be really difficult, if not impossible, to do it correctly for arbitrary programs (because you need to solve the Halting Problem). I think that's how Brut's map (an unofficial modification of Google Map) can be installed side-by-side with normal Google Map. – Lie Ryan Aug 07 '12 at 14:01
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    What Android version are you referring to? – t0mm13b Jan 01 '13 at 18:37
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    Yes, please clarify exactly what you mean by "different accounts". Do you mean different Facebook accounts but a single Android user account? In that case your question might be covered by a similar one: How to keep two versions of an app installed? Do you mean two Android user accounts on a 4.2 tablet? – eldarerathis Jan 01 '13 at 18:45
  • TiBackup offers some limited support for app profiles: http://apcmag.com/android-how-to-store-multiple-profiles-for-any-app.htm – ce4 Jan 01 '13 at 20:10
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    Looks like a classic XY Problem. I'm guessing you want to easily switch among multiple Facebook accounts and you've decided that the solution is to have multiple installs of the same application. 'Twould be better if you would ask about the actual problem you're trying to solve. – ale Jan 02 '13 at 16:19
  • Related http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/119500 – Manu Sep 30 '15 at 16:45

6 Answers6

12

There's an awkward solution:

Renaming the package name inside an apk as proposed by Adobe to fix a nasty limitation of their AIR framework, XDA has proposed the same too.

All use apktool to reverse engineer an app (unpack apk, change package name in AndroidManifest.xml, repack, resign).

Note:
This won't change locations on the SD card though (if it's used, all 5 instances would use the very same folder on the card still, just FYI)

End Anti-Semitic Hate
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ce4
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5

Just decompile the app, change package name, compile, push to phone. Done! Just dont distribute it, advertising it as yours, because that is illegal.

nobody
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5

Titanium Backup PRO (and only the paid (Pro) version allows this) - FYI ROOT REQUIRED - does allow Profiles, but not the running of multiple insntances of the same app, with the exception of Winamp (but Winamp has Always been written to do that, no matter the platform)

ce4
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user35341
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No, it's not possible to run multiple instances of the same app.

Logos
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2

No, This is definitely impossible. Android OS never allows you to install multiple same apps.

Shayan
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  • What about JB 4.2 and multi-user accounts? – t0mm13b Jan 01 '13 at 18:42
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    even with 4.2, technically, you don't ever install the app more than once. it uses the same app that had been installed previously, just creates a data folder for the user that "installed" the app. – Ryan Conrad Jan 01 '13 at 19:41
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You can't have two applications which has same identifier. The identifier is the string after this text in url of the app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=. So for a single app this would be same, even if you haven't downloaded it from playstore, the identifier would be unique for the app.

For facebook app, the identifier is com.facebook.katana.

noob
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    PS: The identifier is also called Package name of the app. – noob Jan 02 '13 at 09:56
  • Maybe we decompile app and changeing identidier to com.facebooka.katana and recompile then install. Mybe installed ? – Batuhan Topbaş Jan 02 '13 at 13:37
  • Still won't work. The facebook app uses facebook graph API, where you need to put in the package name and main activity class name in dashboard, along with developer id. You've to change the facebook app ID and secret key too. The trick might work on other apps. – noob Jan 02 '13 at 13:55