Many of my Android books feature QR Code icons in the margins. The QR Codes can be scanned by the phone’s camera, and the results read and used to do various things. For example, you can visit a web site or pick up an app at the Google Play Store. There is, however, a more convenient way.
Say you want to install the TUN.D Guitar tuning app for your phone. If you’re like my kids, then you use your phone as a portable music stand. Why not tune the guitar with your phone as well?
Anyway, these steps can be used to find any app, not just TUN.D:
Visit the Google Play Store, https://play.google.com/store.
Ensure that you’re logged into your Google account, the same one you use for your phone or tablet.
Search or browse for the app you want, such as TUN.D.
When you find the app’s details, look for the Install button. Yes, just like you would on your phone or tablet when using the Play Store app.
If you don’t see the Install button, then you haven’t yet gotten to the app’s detail screen.
Click the Install button.
A checkout window appears. You can pay for the app here, which I’m not doing in this example. More importantly, this window is where you choose which of your Android devices to send the app to.
Choose your Android device, phone or tablet, from the Send To list.
The list is a button. Click or touch it to see the full list of Android gizmos you own.
Click the Install button.
At this point you’re done with the web page. The next thing you need to do is check your Android device to see that the app has installed.
Pull down the notification shade on your Android device to look for the Successfully Installed notification for the app.
You can choose that notification to run the app.
You can also use the Google Play Store web site to manage your phone’s or tablet’s apps remotely. Click the link My Android Apps atop the Google Play Store web page. Choose your Android gizmo from the list. You can update or remove apps by clicking the tiny buttons by each one. I find this method of updating apps to be far easier than using the Play Store app on my phone or tablet. I hope you do as well!
