Pre-installed applications

Question

Please help me, I'm trying to find some documentation about pre-installed applications at Android. I need to know what does it means, what permissions it has and how can I "pre-install" my app for testing. Thanks.

Answer 1

what does it means

It means applications that ship as part of the firmware build on a device.

what permissions it has

A pre-installed app has no special permissions simply by being pre-installed. An app installed on the firmware can hold signatureOrSystem permissions that otherwise would be unavailable (eg, WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS ).

how can I "pre-install" my app for testing

You would have to build your own firmware. Light testing might be achieved by rooting your device and putting your app in the spot where pre-installed apps live ( /system/app IIRC), but since most consumer devices are not rooted, your tests may be flawed.