I've been working on my first app but haven't yet submitted it for review on the Play Console, only internal testing. Long story short, I trashed my project folder that had been configured with signing keys and am now trying to re-upload my app (recovered via Git) to the Play Console. I resigned it with new keys and as expected this prevents me from uploading my current app as a newer version of the original (now trashed) app. If I try to submit my app as a new app I receive an error:
You need to use a different package name because "com.example.app" is already used by one of your other applications.
I have a strong preference to keep this package name. Is there any way to delete the existing draft app? The only workaround I have found so far would be to create a new Google account and start fresh. Any help is appreciated.
I googled "delete app google play console".
This led me to this SO post that had this answer which points to this help article that says:
Delete an app or game
You can permanently remove draft apps or games from Play Console. You can also delete:
Published apps or games that haven't been installed on any devices
Published apps or games that no users are entitled to re-install
In these cases, contact our support team to request that your app's or game's data be permanently deleted.
Where "contact our support team" lead to this page.
Related
My apps are removed by Google Play, I hope to delete or hidden them from my app listings, how can I do? Thanks!
BTW, I can't unpublish the removed app from google play.
And more, I have read the article How to remove application from app listings on Android Developer Console
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No, you can unpublish but once your application has been live on the market you cannot delete it. (Each package name is unique and Google remembers all package names anyway so you could use this a reminder)
The "Delete" button only works for unpublished version of your app. Once you published your app or a particular version of it, you cannot delete it from the Market. However, you can still "unpublish" it. The "Delete" button is only handy when you uploaded a new version, then you realized you goofed and want to remove that new version before publishing it.
and after the update on may 2018 :
Delete an application or a game
You can permanently delete your draft apps or games from the Play
console. You can also delete:
published applications or games that have not been installed on any
device.
published applications or games that no user has the right to
reinstall.
In this case, contact our support team to request the final deletion
of your app or game data.
I am creating an application which need google play game sign in. I created app in developer console and application is running properly. now I have to change the package name of the game but I can't delete since I already publish that game.
How to handle this situation. Help me.
I want to add my application as a new game and delete the old game since I don't need THE old one I am new to android and google developer console is very confusing. please Help
com.wordpress.applica.quizz my old application package
com.wordpress.applica.qui my new application package
but they both are same application
Based from this thread, you can't delete app from account. Just make them unpublish. However, be noted that it will be still visible in account ie main server but in playstore, it will not be available.
You can delete an app anytime before it is published.
After it has been published, it "owns" its unique packagename forever in the Google PlayStore app naming hierarchy:
com.yourdomain.yourapp
There is no "deleting" this packagename after publication. That would cause mayhem.
If you want to add your application as new game, you may upload it but just make sure the package name is different with the first app uploaded. GooglePlay will treat it as a totally different application. So you can upload it without any problem.
I have published an app in Google Play a few months ago. That app have some downloads and data from users in Console Google. I will release a new version, but while I'm finishing, I want remove it temporarily - keeping all that data and download numbers. Is it possible or when I cancel the publish all data will be deleted?
Please note that you unpublish (and this means just what name says, nothing more) not just APK - you hide all related stuff (app's page in Google Play etc). To end user it looks like the app is gone. For you - it is still in your console, you can edit description, images, see comments, stats or update APKs etc., but unless you publish it again, nobody will see these changes.
https://stackoverflow.com/a/13493065/7303462
You could do that by unpublishing your app. You can re-publish it by installing a newer apk of the app and all the data will remain the same, you'd not loose any of it.
PS: You cannot delete an app from your account. Published and unpublished apps will remain in your account.
Update 2022 :
You can go to "Google play console -> Release -> Setup -> Advanced Settings", but as google says :
Unpublished: New users cannot find and install your app. Existing users can still find it and will receive updates.
Published: New users can find and install your app
I found a solution so that you can restrict the region of your app if you do not want to delete and republish it. This prevents even existing users from finding your app. In the published list of your app, you should keep at least one country, and you can select the country with the lowest downloads.
I have an unpublished app on Google Play which I want to update for my existing users, but not let new users download it.
The Google Play documentation seems to be saying that this can be done by simply uploading an updated apk (and not re-publishing the app):
Unpublished Apps
Existing app users will still be able to receive app updates, even if you unpublish your app. If you don't want new users to find and download your app but still want to provide updates to your existing users, set your app to Unpublished in the Developer Console.
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/113476?hl=en
But it seems unintuitive that an "unpublished" application would work that way. If the documentation is correct, how does Google Play tell the difference between an 'existing' user and a 'new' user?
Just a follow up: pushing an update to the unpublished app does make the update available to existing users only, but the app does not update automatically for these users. They must browse to the app page, where the app will have an "Update" button which can be triggered manually.
(This is just speculation, I'm not affiliated with Google in any way or anything)
The existing user probably has the app associated with the Google account they use to log in to the Play store.
If you look at your own profile in the store, there's a list of all the apps you've ever installed. I'm guessing the update would be available only for people who have your app in their lists, and the app will still be invisible for new users.
Whenever a user that has the app installed wants to update it, he requests an update of the app, it's different from re-installing the app as data from the app (a save from a game, or some saved preferences etc) are kept untouched, google play can easily detect that since it can detect what apps you have installed.
I create a new app in my Google play account. I did not publish it yet. It is just ready to publish.
Is there any way to delete it permanently from my account since it is not published yet?
I can not find any remove or delete button. I read here and here, but I couldn't find any delete button.
What about if the app is published only to alpha, or perhaps beta - in those cases can you reuse the package name?
There is not possible to delete an application from google console but you can request to delete an app.
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contact/publishing
There is an unofficial delete which might possibly be a bug/glitch in the old android developer console. The instructions are below.
Switch back to old developer panel
Select application for deletion and make sure that it's description and all necessary publishing components are filled out. (you may use fake info)
Save application as a draft. DO NOT PUBLISH
Select the APK tab
Press delete on the current activated APK and your draft application should be deleted. You might need to press "Switch to advanced" for this screen to show.
CRUCIAL - Application must not have been published before.
You can delete an app anytime before it is published. Note this answer was given before the OP specified that his app had not yet been published.
After it has been published, it "owns" its unique packagename forever in the Google PlayStore app naming hierarchy like com.yourdomain.yourapp.
There is no "deleting" this packagename after publication. That would cause mayhem.
Google Analytics, for example needs this permanent unique id. Hostile developers could take over your packagename by forcing you to delete it with bad review attacks.
The package name itself is not really a public-facing asset. If all you want to do is "reboot" your app (ie start again with zero downloads and reviews) then just unpublish (retire) the old packagename and republish the apk under a new packagename.
The right way to publish your app is using the alpha and beta streams in the dev console which do not retain reviews.
The only problem with this is the rule about once an app (package) is priced as free, it remains forever free, meaning you have to republish under a new package name to price a free beta.
Paid betas are only possible if you already have successful apps.
PlayStore publication policies are in constant flux (there is now a manual review policy). You may wish to take your concerns to them directly - they do respond.
I am sure every developer wants to delete and republish an app after finding out that it won't run on device X, because device X manufacturer has tweaked Android, causing device X owners to give the app unfair reviews.
This is also a way to avoid giving people free upgrades to your apps forever, which is not realistic, esp. given piracy stats. Owners often reboot to start fresh after a major upgrade.
You may want to adopt a packagename with a major version codename baked in, like the big boys do it (mountainlion, xenial, marshmallow, etc) like com.yourdomain.yourapp.codename.
X is usually Samsung
Not. there is no way, you only can unpublish and make it invisible for users but in the developer console you will se ever and ever
The responses above are outdated. The Developer Console offers now a "Delete app" link, right below the name of the application (for applications that have never been published).
More info: How to delete the published app from developer console android
Try contacting google play support from the following link:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contactflow?hl=en
Publishing apps on google play
Error when publishing an app
Email Support
Fill in the required fields, and tick the option for
Request for app deletion
As said earlier, app which has never been published only can be deleted.
If you wish to release a new version in the same name, go to All Applications -> Select (old) App -> Go to Store Presence -> Go to store listing. Towards the top field rename your old version. Submit the changes and you are good to create an app using the existing name.
If you app hasn't been published then you can click the Delete button on the All Apps page. It looks like a trash can.
Just to test it out again I created a new app called "Delete me" and the icon showed to to allow me to delete it. None of my published apps are deleteable, though.