Installing CommCare on Android Devices
To begin using CommCare on your Android mobile device, you'll need to install the application to leverage its powerful features for mobile data collection and management. Installing CommCare ensures that you can efficiently deploy and manage your projects, whether for healthcare, education, or other sectors requiring robust data collection and analysis capabilities.
This step-by-step guide will show you how to install CommCare on your Android device, helping you streamline field operations and improve data-driven decision-making.
Getting Ready for Installation
To Install CommCare you will need:
A strong mobile data network or Wi-Fi connection
An Android device with Android OS 4.1 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher
A file manager application like the Amaze File Explorer (if you have multimedia)
If you would like your users to type in a language not supported by the phone you need to download the software for it, if available. For example, for applications deployed in Hindi, you should download the 'Google Indic Keyboard' from the Google Play Store so your users are able to type in Hindi.
Phone Configuration: For more information on setting up your Android device(s) for deployment please visit https://dimagi.atlassian.net/wiki/x/vgbKfw.
Installing CommCare
Open the Google Play Store (the Android App Store) on your device
Search for CommCare
Install CommCare - make sure that automatic updates are enabled for your device.
Watch the video here for full instructions:
Installing Your CommCare Application
Navigate to the “Applications” tab on CommCare HQ and select the application you wish to deploy.
Upon selecting an application, you will be directed to the Releases page. To access the app settings page, click the gear icon located in the app manager menu next to the app name.
If necessary, click "Make New Version" to create a new version of your application.
Locate the desired version for release and click the "Publish" button next to that version.
You have two installation options: Online or Offline.
Online Installation requires a reliable internet connection for the phone.
Offline Installation does not require internet once the .ccz file has been downloaded from CommCare HQ. Note that an internet connection is needed for the initial login to the mobile app, regardless of the installation method.
Please follow the instructions below for your preferred installation method. For better connectivity, we recommend starting with online installation.
USB Mounting: Certain versions of Android OS will not have USB Mounting capability turned on by default. Turning on USB capability in the middle of a CommCare download will interrupt the download.
Online Installation
Online installation sends the application to your phone over a wireless data connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data network).
Open CommCare on your phone, as you can see below, you can either click on Scan Application Barcode or Enter Code.
Difference between Scan the Application Barcode and Enter Code
Scan Application Barcode
When using this option, you will need to be logged into CommCare HQ (CCHQ), and have your mobile device near you. When you click on the Scan Application Barcode link on CCHQ, a modal will popup with a QR code which you will need to scan with your mobile device by selecting the Scan Application Barcode option. The phone will initiate it's camera which you'll need to point to the screen showing the QR code and scan the QR code provided.
Enter Code
You use the app code presented on CCHQ and enter it on your mobile device to install the application. With this method, you can just provide the code to your users in the field, without them being next to their computer. As long as a user has the code, they can install the application.
Note this code is unique to each version of the application.
E.g. Application A with version 1XX has a unique code which is different from Application A with version 2XX.
Type in the app code from the website into the box (or scan the QR code if you click on the scan application barcode) and click on "Begin Install." Depending upon the size of the application, it could take several minutes for the installation to complete.
Log in on the mobile device with the Mobile Worker username and password you created on CommCare HQ.
If you do not have a mobile user account, create a CommCare mobile worker in your project.
(Note: You cannot log into CommCare mobile using CommCare HQ login credentials)Online Installation With Multimedia
See instructions and more info about multimedia at https://dimagi.atlassian.net/wiki/x/Ei3Kfw.
B. Online Installation - Without Multimedia
i. If you do not want to remotely update multimedia files in the future, you must install multimedia offline.
Offline Installation
Offline installation of the CommCare application enables you to deploy and use the software without continuous internet access after downloading the required files (.ccz) from CommCare HQ. Ideal for environments with limited connectivity, this method ensures uninterrupted data management and collection in fields like healthcare and education. Follow these steps to set up CommCare for offline use on your Android device efficiently.
Below are the steps/instructions for offline installation of the CommCare Application
Shortcut to the CommCare App (Optional)
You can create shortcuts that link to a specific CommCare Module. This is helpful for users who frequently need to go directly to a particular module without going through the main "Get Started" navigation.
Swipe across your Android home screen to go to a page which has empty space.
Touch and hold a space, a menu will pop up suggesting to add something (OR navigate directly to the main apps list).
Select 'Widgets'.
Scroll across the list of widgets to find the CommCare Action Widget.
Hold and drag the CommCare widget to the screen.
A menu saying 'Select CommCare Shortcut' will pop up. You would see the list of modules in that menu.
Select the appropriate module name for which you want to create a shortcut for (e.g., Mother).
A CommCare shortcut for the selected module will be created. The icon will show the name of the module. On touching this shortcut, it will directly take the user inside the Mother module and show a list of mothers, instead of the regular CommCare home screen.ik
Update Your Application (Remote Update)
When the application updates, it will update to the latest released version of your application on CommCare HQ. To mark a version as latest, simply click on "Released". You can also unmark it as latest by clicking on "Released" again.
To update the application on the device to the latest released version, follow the below steps:
Open the CommCare app on the mobile device
Login as a mobile worker
Click the device's options menu (3 dots) and select Update App as described in https://dimagi.atlassian.net/wiki/x/xy7Kfw. CommCare will search the latest released version of the application on your CommCare HQ project space and if available, automatically download it.
You can set the CommCare app to automatically try to check for updates on a regular basis through the Auto Update Frequency application setting via CommCare HQ (see ).
For more details, please see .
Install Another Application
If you are using CommCare 2.50 or above, you may have up to 4 applications installed on one device at a time. If you are using CommCare versions 2.29 - 2.49.7, you may have up to 2 applications installed.
To install a second app:
Go to the login screen of CommCare
Click on the options menu (the 3 dots in the top right corner) and choose "Go to App Manager"
Click “Install an App”
Proceed with normal installation (from step 3 of 'Installing your CommCare Application')
Uninstall Your Application
Go to the login screen of CommCare
Click on the options menu (the 3 dots in the top right corner) and choose "Go to App Manager"
Select the app you want to uninstall
Click “Uninstall”