gCMOB APK: why to install it only from Google Play, and how to fix the usual problems

The official gCMOB app is on Google Play. Search for CP PLUS gCMOB. The listing shows the developer as Aditya Infotech Ltd, and the support email on it is support@cpplusworld.com. The web address of the listing ends with id=com.mm.android.direct.g_CMOB_XU, which helps you tell it from a lookalike.

CP Plus's own software page lists Windows programs and car camera players, and no file for the phone app. CP Plus puts its phone apps in the app stores. On an iPhone the same app is called iCMOB, and it comes from the App Store.

An APK is the installer file for an Android app. Sites that offer a 'gCMOB APK download' or an 'old version' host a copy of their own, and a copy can be changed by whoever uploaded it. You cannot see what has been added.

Google's own help warns that if you install apps from unknown sources, your phone could get damaged or lose data, and your personal information could be harmed or hacked. Android blocks these installs until you allow them, in the Install unknown apps setting. Google Play Protect can check apps from other sources, but for an app it has not seen before it may only ask you to send the app to Google. It is a safety net, not a guarantee, so the safe choice is not to install from outside Google Play at all.

With a camera app the stakes are higher than with a game. The app holds your recorder's username and password and shows your cameras. A changed copy could pass those on.

CP Plus's own reply on the gCMOB listing asks anyone who still has trouble after updating to the latest version from Google Play to write to support@cpplusworld.com with the recorder's details.

Using CP Plus cameras? Get alerts from them, free for 7 days, no card

• Remove it from your phone.
• Install gCMOB from Google Play instead.
• Change your recorder's password, because you typed it into an app you could not check. If you do not know how, ask your installer.
• Keep Google Play Protect switched on. Google recommends that you always keep it on. You find it in the Play Store under your profile picture, then Play Protect.

• 1. Open the Google Play Store app on your Android phone.
• 2. Search for CP PLUS gCMOB. Check that the developer says Aditya Infotech Ltd.
• 3. Tap Install.
• 4. Open the app and add your recorder. Our gCMOB login guide shows what to enter.

Updates come through Google Play. Google's steps are these:

• 1. Open the Play Store and tap your profile picture at the top right.
• 2. Tap Manage apps & device.
• 3. Under Updates available, tap See details.
• 4. Next to CP PLUS gCMOB, tap Update.
• To update automatically: in Manage apps & device, tap Manage, open gCMOB, tap More and turn on Enable auto update. To limit updates to Wi-Fi, go to Settings, then Network Preferences, then Auto-update apps.
• If the Play Store itself is out of date, tap your profile picture, then Settings, then About, then Update Play Store.
• If an update stops gCMOB working with your recorder, write to support@cpplusworld.com with the recorder's model, its firmware version and a short description of the problem. That is what CP Plus asks for on the Google Play listing.

Google Play gives you the current version of an app. If you were hoping for an old file, you would have to take it from a site that is not CP Plus, which carries the same risk as any other APK. If the new version is the problem, write to CP Plus support instead.

Google says an app can show as not compatible when it is not available in your location, or not designed for your device's screen size or version of Android. Developers can aim an app at certain devices, and compatibility can change over time. Try these in order:

• 1. Make sure you are on an Android phone or tablet. Google says that in most cases apps from Google Play can't be downloaded to Windows or Mac computers.
• 2. Check your Android version and update it. Open Settings, tap About phone, then Android version. To look for an update, open Settings, tap System, then Software updates.
• 3. Update the Play Store app and restart the phone. Then open Play Store again and search for the app.
• 4. Clear the Play Store's cache. Touch and hold the Play Store icon, tap App info, then Storage & cache, then Clear cache. Google calls this the most common fix for problems downloading apps.
• 5. Still not compatible: write to support@cpplusworld.com with your phone model and Android version. Do not look for an APK to get around it.
• 6. If your phone has no Google Play at all, or it is too old for the app, watch on a Windows PC instead. Our guide to gCMOB for PC and our KVMS Pro guide cover that.

On an iPhone the app is iCMOB, from the App Store, with the developer shown as CP PLUS. It is free, and it runs on iPhone and iPad. The App Store listing says it is designed for iPad and not verified for macOS. APK files are for Android and do not install on an iPhone, so there is nothing to look for outside the App Store.

The app does the same job as gCMOB. It shows live view split up to 16 cameras, connects to CP Plus recorders and IP cameras through InstaOn, and lets you add a device by scanning its QR code.

Apple says apps from the App Store update automatically by default. To update by hand, open the App Store, tap your photo at the top of the screen, tap App Updates, then tap Update next to iCMOB.

• Wrong password: gCMOB asks for the recorder's username and password, not a separate account. Our gCMOB login guide covers it.
• Device offline when you are out: a recorder added by IP address only works on the same network. Add it again by InstaOn with the QR code or serial number.
• Other brands: CP Plus's FAQ says gCMOB supports only CP Plus Orange series products. For other brands, use that brand's own app.