Install OpenPOC on your radio

OpenPOC is free and open source and has no listing in the Google Play Store, so getting it onto a handheld radio means installing the file directly -- this is called "sideloading". Most of these radios have no web browser of their own, so the steps below install it from a computer over a USB cable, using a small free tool called adb. It sounds more technical than it is: no account needed.

Download OpenPOCAPK file, for Android 5.0 and newer

Downloads to whatever device you are reading this page on. Save it somewhere you can find it in step 3.

  1. Install adb on your computer

    adb is a small command-line tool Google publishes for talking to Android devices over USB. It is free and does not require a Google account.

    • Windows: download "SDK Platform-Tools" from Google's Android developer site and unzip it anywhere.
    • Mac: install Homebrew if you do not have it, then run brew install android-platform-tools.
    • Linux: install the android-tools-adb or adb package with your distribution's package manager.
    • Chromebook: turn on the Linux developer environment in Settings, then follow the Linux instructions above inside it.

  2. Plug in the radio

    Connect the radio to your computer with a USB cable. Open a terminal (Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows) and run:

    adb devices

    You should see one line with the radio's serial number and the word device. The radio's screen may show a prompt asking whether to allow this computer -- select Allow (on a radio with no touchscreen, use the arrow keys to move the highlight and the center or select key to confirm; a long press on an arrow key moves sideways on keypads that have no left/right keys of their own). If nothing appears in the list at all, see "If something goes wrong" below.

  3. Install the app

    In the same terminal, run:

    adb install openpoc.apk

    (replace openpoc.apk with wherever you saved the file, for example adb install ~/Downloads/openpoc.apk). This installs it directly -- there is no "unknown sources" setting to find and no on-screen warning to click past, because adb install does not go through the app-store gate that a downloaded file normally would. When you upgrade to a newer version later, run adb install -r instead, so your existing settings are kept.

  4. Remove Zello, if the radio came with it

    Many of these radios arrive with Zello already installed. OpenPOC does not need it, and an app left installed goes on using data in the background, so take it off: on the radio, open Settings, then Apps (or Application manager), pick Zello, and choose Uninstall. If the vendor baked Zello into the system image there is no Uninstall button, only Disable -- use that instead; it stops the app from running.

  5. Open OpenPOC and finish setup

    Start OpenPOC from the radio's app list. The first time it runs it asks for the microphone permission -- allow it, or you will not be able to transmit. The app then shows a short radio code and a QR code on screen. Give that code to whoever manages your OpenPOC account, or scan it yourself if that is you, to add this radio to a channel.

If something goes wrong

adb devices shows an empty list

On Windows this is a common, silent failure: no error message, the list is just empty, usually because Windows has not recognized the radio's USB driver. We are not going to recommend third-party driver-replacement tools here, since they can affect other USB devices on your machine. If this happens, try a different USB cable and port first; if it still fails, the most reliable option is to run the same steps from a Mac, a Linux machine, a Chromebook, or a Linux live-USB stick on the same PC.

The radio asks to allow the computer but I can't select Allow

On a radio with a keypad and no touchscreen, the prompt still has a focusable Allow (or OK) button even though nothing may visibly highlight as you move. Try the arrow keys to change focus and the center or select key to confirm; if your radio's keypad has only up and down keys, holding one down briefly is often what moves focus sideways rather than a quick tap. If you genuinely cannot confirm the prompt, disconnect, reconnect, and try again -- some radios accept the second attempt.

Installation fails, or says "App not installed"

The two common causes are running low on storage, and a leftover older copy of OpenPOC that was installed from a different source or signing key. If an older OpenPOC is already on the radio and the install refuses to proceed, remove the old copy first (adb uninstall org.openpoc.client), then try again.

AGPLv3 -- free to use, free to fork. Back to OpenPOC | Privacy