I'm using Android Management API to turn several devices into kiosks for ticketing application. I was able to create an enterprise, enroll a couple of devices, install the app manually and control it via policies. It works just fine.
Now I want to publish my app to Play Store and I want it to be available for the devices enrolled to this enterprise only. As suggested here, I restricted the app to my enterprise in Pricing & Distribution > User programs > Managed Google Play and published my app. Then I added my app to Android Management API policy to get an automatic update. But the app still isn't visible on these devices and doesn't update. When I'm changing the package name in the policy to some existing app, the device is trying to download it. So it seems like a problem with my app in store.
Do I miss something? There are other Google APIs that solve private/enterprise distribution: Android EMM Developers or Custom App Publishing API but there is no information how do these APIs work together and if I still need to register to EMM if I'm using Android Management API? I thought that it should simplify this process, but I'm getting a bit confused.
Also to mention, the enterprise owner and the store owner is the same account.
The Android Management API and the EMM API do similar things. The EMM API currently has a few more features that are slowly being added into the management API. Try to stay with only one of them.
You seem to be doing everything right. Normally the best thing to do is contact Play Console support in this case. You can do this through the help menu in the Play Console, which is on the "?" question mark icon.
If you don't manage to get any help from them, ask them to route the question to the Play Enterprise team and say we asked you to in this StackOverflow answer. You'll need your app package name and enterprise id.
Related
In the past we were able to deploy private versions of our app to EMM's (e.g. VMWare, MobileIron) and test out managed configurations. But today, we are unable to test new app updates within a managed environment.
Android https://developer.android.com/work/managed-configurations
With new Google updates EMMs are no longer able to upload private versions of our app if the app package id conflicts with a publicly available app on Google Play. For regulatory reasons we are unable to just change the package id and test because it is technically not testing the same binaries. Best we can do now is simulate a managed environment using Test DCP : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.afwsamples.testdpc
Is this the best we can test without publicly releasing the app update to Google Play? We have contacted VMWare and basically got the same answer but would like a confirmation. Uploading the app to a closed testing track on Google Play and then trying to importing to EMM did not work either.
iOS https://www.appconfig.org/ios/
Basically the same issue for iOS. Apple has kind of removed the Enterprise Developer Account which we previously used to sign and upload our own versions to EMM. The new eligibility requirements are too much. Alternatively, none of the EMMs work with TestFlight. And for iOS we do not know of any app like Android Test DCP to simulate a managed environment. I read a few github chains and Apple forums where companies are just releasing the app publicly then testing to make sure everything works. That can't be right, right?
So I'm using the Android Management API to manage and handle deployment for an app to a kiosk device I am working on.
I've created an organisation, created a policy, and ensured the app is limited to managed google play only, and assigned the organisation to the app.
I've enrolled some devices onto the policy, and when the app is moved to prod (currently this is fine as there are only a handful of test devices on that policy), it downloads and installs.
However my issue is that if I use the alpha track, and then assign the organisation to that alpha track, the new alpha version of the app never gets installed.
Using the opt-in URL (not ideal, as the policy doesn't have Chrome on it, so I would need to specifically add chrome just for alpha testing), then sign into google with an account on that organisation. It then tells me I am enrolled into alpha, and it may take a few hours for the app to show up.
The google docs on this are extremely vague
If your app is private, you also need to add the organisation
associated with your test to your targeted list.
Like 16 hours later, no app, only the prod version which comes pre installed. If I call that device from the Android Management API, and show installed apps, it shows only the prod / previous version of the app.
So my question: How do I get the app onto the device via the alpha test channel, while using a private app + organisation?
Update 2019-09-09
The Android Management API now supports distributing testing tracks:
You can find the list of available tracks for an app with Application.appTracks[]
You can set the available tracks for a policy in ApplicationPolicy.accessibleTrackIds[]
Initial answer 2019-03-14
The Android Management API doesn't support distributing testing tracks at the moment. We are working on adding support for it, however I cannot share a precise timeline at the moment.
Once support is added you will be able to set a field in the ApplicationPolicy to distribute testing track of an app to a device. Similar to how it is currently possible using the Play EMM API (see documentation).
Unfortunately there is no workaround. Using the opt-in URL from the device would not work with the Android Management API. And you cannot use the Play EMM API for devices managed with the Android Management API.
I've got multiple Android apps that are currently distributed via Google Play and the Amazon store. My goal is to automate the app upload process to minimize the time required to upload a new update. I've already done that for Google Play by using the Google Play Developer API.
Is there an equivalent API for the Amazon store for uploading new app versions or do I have reverse engineer the data send by the browser and develop an API library based on that?
I already searched but didn't found anything like that (except for the Amazon cloud deployment API).
I know this is a slightly older post, but since I ended up here I'll add my two cents.
It looks like there is an Amazon Developer Publishing API available here, but I'm not able to try it out yet because it requires developers to request API access. Once I hear back from Amazon, I'll update this answer with more details as to why it does or does not work well with my deployment.
I am currently working on an Android app and I am wondering which would be the best way to distribute it to customers. I understand that one can create a private channel but I haven't been able to determine whether our customers would be able to use it. From what I've gathered, a private channel is for internal distribution; I wonder if someone without an e-mail account from our company would be able to download it this way?
If Google Play is not the answer, what would you do? I know the app can be distributed through e-mail or links to download it but I'd rather avoid having users change their devices' configuration to allow installing APK from unknown sources.
Not sure what your beef with Google Play is but even if you're not intending to publish the app at all, you can still take advantage of the beta testing mechanism -- you can distribute a Google Play to limited audience -- i.e. a list of google accounts.
Apart from that, if I'm not mistaken TestFlight supports Android package distribution. Looks like they dropped Android support
So, I have a few little android apps now, and am thinking about releasing the in the Amazon App Store. However I have one fundamental question I don't see answered anywhere.
How is Licensing handled if you release the app on the amazon store? I am currently using the Google LVL licensing in my paid apps to ensure the user is licensed to run them. I assume that an app sold on Amazon, isn't going to have any connection to tell Google, hey, this app was purchased, they are licensed, so send them an OK TO RUN status when they launch it. Or am I mistaken?
Does Amazon have its own LVL type code? Or do you just have to forget licensing all together if you want to sell on Amazon?
Simply remove all LVL code from your app (making it unprotected), then select the copy protection radio button when submitting your app to Amazon. They'll add the licensing code to your app before resigning it and releasing it on the Amazon Appstore.
No store-provided licensing code works in other app stores. Many have rolled their own, with varying degrees of simplicity.
I have an app in Android Market. What should I do to ensure the app
works in the Amazon Appstore?
You should make sure that your app does
not include any copy protection functionality (you have the option to
apply Amazon’s DRM technology – see our FAQ on DRM). You should also
take a moment to understand the different signing options available to
you (developer signed or Amazon signed) and choose the option that
works best for your users.
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