I have configured the open beta tests in the Google Play Store using a link like https://play.google.com/apps/testing/<my app package name> to invite my users to join the beta.
The users can download the app but when a new update is available the users didn't receive the update. Why ?
The only way for the users to download the update is going in the Play Store page of my app and click on the update button.
It seem beta apps doesn't have the same update system than published app.
Related
I'm developing an app that soon will be released on Google Play Store.
Meanwhile, some of our users will manually install the app on their device using ADB and a provided APK.
When the app will be on the store it will be an update (with different VersionCode) but it will still use the same package name and the same certificate used for the previous APK.
Will the already manually installed app receive this update? (I personally think not, because if I recall well the store has an history of installed app on a device, right?)
Otherwise, should we ask to our user to manually (re)install the app from the store? And in that case, will the Preferences be preserved?
When you publish app on Play Store you can choose to publish it in Beta or Alpha Test, so that only some users can view and install it from the store, so that when your app is ready to become visible to all of the users you can move it in Production.
To achieve this, you can create a Google Group, invite some users for Beta Test to this group, and then add in developer console the email of the group you created.
I have an app which has the function of install others apps when the user request for it. But it does not redirects the user to Play Store, just download the apk and installs it. When I do that, the Play Store recognize it has been installed if I search for it using the Search Bar, but it does not show the app in "My apps", and does not update this installed apps when there is any update.
What I want to know is, there is a way of check for update for theses apps on the Play Store, and update them? Or, if there is any way of check if there is any update in the Play Store and notify the user to update.
All the apps installed by my application are free in Play Store.
you might use the api from androidquery - here an example call:
https://androidquery.appspot.com/api/market?app=org.ligi.fast
more info here: query the google play store for the version of an app?
I have an application in google play store as a beta version. I am able to get the beta version link and have provided it for beta testing to the testers.
Now what I need is delete the beta version of the application and upload the application with the same name from different play store account. So what steps do I need to follow to delete the beta version of the application from my current account and upload the application from different account as a production version however the application should have same name as the beta version name?
Unfortunately you can't delete an app once you have publish it, the only thing you can do is to unpublish it.
As you can see in the warning message displayed before unpublish an app, the app remains available for existing users:
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO UNPUBLISH THIS APPLICATION?
When you unpublish an application existing users can still use your
app and receive app updates. Your app won't be available for new users
to find and download on Google Play.
For this reason the package name of your app remains in use. This is a huge problem because the package name must be unique on Play Store, so you can't publish the same app in another account.
The only viable solution is to unpublish the current app, change the package name of your app and upload in the new account.
You can't delete the app but you can transfer the app to your other account and then upload the production version there.
Here's a link to how to do the transfer request within the Play Store Dev Console.
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/checklist/3294213?hl=en&ref_topic=3450986
Please try this
Pricing and distribution -> Unpublish
You just have to change the package name inside your app, then you can upload it from the other account.
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 want to create a game for android, but this game will have a level. If I put my app in the Android Market how do I update this app after it's already been uploaded?
You have to provide mechanism of saving user's data to a file or database, making user able to continue playing game from the point where he/she was before update. After that when you have a new release of the app signed with the same key and uploaded to the android play store, users will get a notification and will be able to download and update your app. Preinstalled PlayStore app on android devices will complete that task. Every time user starts your app check settings file and setup app's properties for the user for continue playing.
You publish your apk via the Developer Console. You can upload unpublished drafts of your app without disturbing the published version. Once you choose to publish an update, then the Google Play store will offer the update to your existing users. Migrating your user's data is as described by Maxim.
You can sign up for a Google Play publisher account here: https://play.google.com/apps/publish