Hi everyone,
I really didn't know where to post this, so please move if this is the wrong forum.

Is it possible to buy an Android App from the Play Store, then back-up or copy the app somehow, get a refund (and thusly uninstall it) and then reinstall the app?

Thanks and happy weekend!

Some apps and games this will work but not all. Depends on whether the app or game does a license check before it`s finished loading up or checks to see whether it`s been downloaded on play store. Some apps will never work because any hack that would be required to work will be on their servers and hacking servers is real hard. Like impossibly hard. Apps such as MiXplorer Silver will definitely work because they don`t check for any license at all. To copy the APK to store locally before you request Google for a refund can easily be done via Lucky Patcher and going into Tools option when you click on the app in the list and choosing backup or you can copy it via a file explorer. I like using FX File Explorer that`s my favourite but everyone has their own they prefer. Or even better still,.instruct Lucky Patcher to back up every app you install and it will do this automatically.

Some apps and games this will work but not all. Depends on whether the app or game does a license check before it`s finished loading up or checks to see whether it`s been downloaded on play store. Some apps will never work because any hack that would be required to work will be on their servers and hacking servers is real hard. Like impossibly hard. Apps such as MiXplorer Silver will definitely work because they don`t check for any license at all. To copy the APK to store locally before you request Google for a refund can easily be done via Lucky Patcher and going into Tools option when you click on the app in the list and choosing backup or you can copy it via a file explorer. I like using FX File Explorer that`s my favourite but everyone has their own they prefer. Or even better still,.instruct Lucky Patcher to back up every app you install and it will do this automatically.

Thank you for your answer! Does my phone have to be rooted for this?
And is the backup just the .apk file? Or how do I "install" my backed up app?

(Since it's a very "exotic" app where I want to try this, I think my chances are good that it doesn't check for licenses )

[wireworm]

Some apps and games this will work but not all. Depends on whether the app or game does a license check before it`s finished loading up or checks to see whether it`s been downloaded on play store. Some apps will never work because any hack that would be required to work will be on their servers and hacking servers is real hard. Like impossibly hard. Apps such as MiXplorer Silver will definitely work because they don`t check for any license at all. To copy the APK to store locally before you request Google for a refund can easily be done via Lucky Patcher and going into Tools option when you click on the app in the list and choosing backup or you can copy it via a file explorer. I like using FX File Explorer that`s my favourite but everyone has their own they prefer. Or even better still,.instruct Lucky Patcher to back up every app you install and it will do this automatically.

Thank you for your answer! Does my phone have to be rooted for this?
And is the backup just the .apk file? Or how do I "install" my backed up app?

(Since it`s a very "exotic" app where I want to try this, I think my chances are good that it doesn`t check for licenses )

If you want to know if it checks just turn on airplane mode before you start it. In airplane mode it can`t check so it won`t work if it does contact somewhere.

Thanks for your answer. That's a good point!

BTW, the app is "Master Any Stack" ($40)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.masteranystack.dailymagician

Some apps and games this will work but not all. Depends on whether the app or game does a license check before it`s finished loading up or checks to see whether it`s been downloaded on play store. Some apps will never work because any hack that would be required to work will be on their servers and hacking servers is real hard. Like impossibly hard. Apps such as MiXplorer Silver will definitely work because they don`t check for any license at all. To copy the APK to store locally before you request Google for a refund can easily be done via Lucky Patcher and going into Tools option when you click on the app in the list and choosing backup or you can copy it via a file explorer. I like using FX File Explorer that`s my favourite but everyone has their own they prefer. Or even better still,.instruct Lucky Patcher to back up every app you install and it will do this automatically.

Thank you for your answer! Does my phone have to be rooted for this?
And is the backup just the .apk file? Or how do I "install" my backed up app?

(Since it`s a very "exotic" app where I want to try this, I think my chances are good that it doesn`t check for licenses )

No it doesn`t friend. If you have lucky patcher already installed in the bottom left hand corner of the app you can click on a button which brings up options for Lucky Patcher. Think there are 4 in total that will show non-root. One of those it will say back up apps when installed. Just choose that friend but make sure to put Lucky Patcher locked to recents, take out battery Optimisation for it if you`re phone has this option and try to make sure the app is always working in the background because if it is forced stopped by the os to save on ram that can be used for other running apps then it won`t even know what you install because it isn`t working. If you were rooted you could get options in Lucky Patcher where every APK you install via Lucky now says they have been installed by Google Play Store instead of package installer. Now that really handy to use when you`ve modified a game.

Thanks for your answer. That`s a good point!

BTW, the app is "Master Any Stack" ($40)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.masteranystack.dailymagician

How much friend? This is daylight robbery! Deserves to be hacked having the audacity to charge that much. That`s criminal! I`m gonna check if these any of these apk`s about in the wild save you the hassle of paying for this in advance and the waiting for Google to give you the refund and they aren`t anywhere near as quick giving you money like they are taking it.

Thanks for your answer. That's a good point!

BTW, the app is "Master Any Stack" ($40)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.masteranystack.dailymagician

No luck friend. Checked all the usual sites i go on. Even a Google search on the package name just brings up two results for APK sites, apkpure and apkcombo both of which will direct you to play store because it's a paid app. These exotic apps as you call it sometimes have extremely good security because they charge a fortune for the app because they are only ones offering that type of app which then of course means they have more money to spend on protecting it. I recommend once you buy this, copy that APK asap, save it somewhere else, make another couple of copies and uninstall the play store version BEFORE the refund and test the APK first. You get one chance at refund in play store and it won't appear again if you buy it thinking you will keep getting refund. If APK works, go straight to play store and get your refund and reinstall the APK. If it doesn't work then only option is to modify one of the copied apk's you made earlier. That's why I recommend making a couple of copies so you always have the original to fall back on.

If this app doesn't have any in-app purchases then the chances are very high this app will have a licence check because if it doesn't everyone who wants this will be downloading it and 5 minutes later request refund and Google don't like giving anyone their money so would tell app developer and get them to put a licence check on. Then you will have to modify the APK and non root this option isn't very successful I'm afraid.