Having a digital certificate has become something essential in our day to day. And the truth is that it has many uses. You are still waiting for the Tax Declaration to be returned to you and you want to keep track of your profile. Well, you know that You can install a digital certificate on your Android phone.
So, just as we have taught you other very useful tricks so that you know how to free up ram on your phone to make it work in the best conditions or what are The best applications to record the mobile screen, Today you are going to learn how to install a certificate on Android step by step.
What is a digital certificate
Un Digital Certificate is an electronic file produced by a trusted entity known as a Certification Authority (CA). This CA certifies the union of the identity of an individual or institution with its public key, thus guaranteeing its authenticity in an indubitable way.
Digital certificates that conform to the X509v3 standard, commonly used in Internet browsers, include the following information:
- Data of the owner of the certificate: Name, address, etc.
- Public key associated with the holder of the certificate.
- Period of validity.
- Serial number.
- Identification of the entity that issues the certificate.
Identification through a digital certificate has the same validity as showing the National Identity Document (DNI) in person. Therefore, any procedure carried out by means of a digital certificate has the same legal validity as if it had been carried out in person. So It is normal to install digital certificate in Android
In this case, you are interested in obtaining the digital certificate issued by the National Currency and Stamp Factory (FNMT-RCM) through CERES (Spanish Certification). In addition, each certificate is acquired following the specific instructions of the issuing entity, but which are very simple to carry out. If you already have the digital certificate and want to install it on your Android, go to the end of the tutorial. In the event that you have not previously requested it, we are going to see everything you need to know.
First, ask for the digital certificate
To begin with, keep in mind that Requesting the digital certificate is the first step to follow in order to install the digital certificate on Android. Mainly because you have to verify your identity first. The process is very easy, so let's see what you should do.
First, come in on the official website of the National Currency and Stamp Factory (FNMT-RCM) through CERES (Spanish Certification) from a computer and following this link. You will see that there are different ways to do it, but the first thing you need is that your computer has the necessary software installed for key generation.
We are talking about the FNMT-RCM CONFIGURATOR, an essential tool. We leave you the links for Windows or Mac.
WINDOWS
FNMT-RCM configurator for Windows 32 bits
FNMT-RCM configurator for Windows 64 bits
MAC
FNMT-RCM configurator for MacOS
If when installing on MacOS a message appears indicating that the software cannot be installed because it comes from an unidentified developer, you should go to System Preferences -> Security and Privacy -> GENERAL tab, in the Allow downloaded apps section, you must allow the execution of the application to continue the installation process. In iOS Ventura you must go to System Settings > Privacy and Security > Security section, the option to allow downloaded apps will appear.
If you have a MAC with an Apple M1 processor, when you have installed the program, access the launchpad and run the installed program. It will ask you to install Rosseta if you don't have it, and you can use Chrome or Firefox to continue the process.
This program, also known as AutoFirma, is the first and essential step to be able to request and then install the digital certificate on Android.
- Once you have installed Autofirma and verified its configuration, continue with the process going back to the link that we leave you and going to step two called "Request certificate".
- Choose “Authentication” and press “OK”.
- Keep the “High Grade” option enabled (if you are using Mozilla Firefox) and go to the link to “Review and accept the certificate issuance terms”.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page, approve the issuance conditions and select “Next”.
- Leave the “NSS Certificate DB” option checked.
- In the next step, enter the required information and click on “OK”.
- You will be shown a summary with the data of your request. Click "Sign".
- At this point, you will be asked for the PIN of your electronic ID.
- Next, choose the signing certificate.
- If the signing was successful, you'll see a confirmation message.
Finally, you will receive an email at the provided address containing your application code, this happens almost immediately.
Now you have two options: go with the certificate to an office to have it validated with your ID or do it online. If you opt for the face-to-face option, it is totally free but you must make an appointment at an authorized center (quick search on Google “request digital certificate + your population” and you will find the centers where you can do it).
If you prefer to do it online, it costs 2,99 euros, but you will save travel. If you choose to do it from mobile, follow these steps.
- Sign in this link using your mobile
- You will see that you have to fill out a form with the request code that has been generated and sent to you by email.
- Now, you will access an app integrated into the web and where you must take a photo of both sides of your ID.
- Now, you must do a life test in which you will pose with the mobile camera, looking to the sides and saying your name. You may be asked to show ID.
- You will receive an email indicating the following: Thank you for using our video-identification service!
Now you will only need wait for them to verify your identity (they don't take more than 48 hours) to be able to download the digital certificate. If the process fails, you can repeat it so don't worry.
How to install the digital certificate on Android
Now that you have the mail, Let's see the steps to follow to install the digital certificate on Android:
- Download the certificate that has been sent to you
- Transfer the file to the main folder of your device, this file can have a *.p12 or *pfx extension.
- On your device, go to Settings – Security – Credential storage. Click on Install from phone memory. Select the backup you want to install (if more than one is available) and enter the export password. Click accept.
- Give the certificate a name, make sure it doesn't contain spaces. Choose VPN and apps. Click accept.
- If your Android version is older than 8.x, you will also need to install the root certificate.
- Download the following file directly from your device to install it.
as you could have seen, there is no greater mystery when it comes to installing a digital certificate on Android, so do not hesitate to follow these simple steps.