Installing Parrot on Android
The Parrot android app is installed directly, rather than via the Play store. This is because Google, in their wisdom has decided reading and sending SMS messages are restricted permissions.
They're not wrong to protect people from apps that want to use these permssions. There is a high potential for apps to abuse reading and sending SMS messages.
Having covered that general case, Parrot is not one of those apps. Everything Parrot does, is in order to facilitate the service that you're paying for.
- The SEND_SMS permission is used only to send message you've created through the API or Web
- The READ_SMS permission is used only to sync messages back to the web, and process STOP notices.
We take the trust you've placed in Parrot very seriously. We aim at all times to protect your privacy, you can find out more at our privacy policy.
Installing from "Unknown Sources"
The first time you install an app from outside the Google Play store can be daunting. Android pops up a warning about installing from Unknown Sources. You'll need to go to the settings page and enable installing from the source you've chosen.
Depending on your version of Android the message might be slightly different. But will say something like:
Install blocked. For security, your phone is set to block installation of applications not obtained from Play Store
To allow the install, follow these steps
- Navigate to Settings
- Search for the option “Install unknown apps“ or "Unknown Sources".
- Select the app you've downloaded using (usually Chrome)
- Toggle the option to allow from the source
Everything you need to get up and running
This should be everything you need to get up and running. If for any reason you run into problems, please don't hesitate to contact support. They will be more than happy to help you through the process.