I have developed a game using Unity and I have used Google Play Games in it. It works good for testers and also for public users when I publish it on Google Play Games. The problem is I want to publish it on a local app store (and not Google Play Games) and it does not work this way! Is there any trick about it?
Yes, this is possible. It does even work if you sell your app through google play and on another platform. But the device needs to have the google play games app installed, so it does not work on Amazon devices.
Let’s assume your app is called “TheGame”.
Go to the Google Play Developer Console to “All application”:
Add another app name call it “TheGame (DRM-free)”
Create an empty APK that signed with a keystore and a different bundle identifier (if you already sell it on Google Play)
Upload the APK to alpha or beta testing, but not production.
Complete the Store Listing and Content Rating
Set pricing to free
Publish your app. (no worries it will not appear on Google Play)
Then go Google Play Developer Console to "Game Services:
If you not already have that add new game
Link your app “TheGame (DRM-free)” to you game services under “linked apps”
Make sure you set the “Enable anti-piracy” option to “OFF”
Publish your changes
This work with achievement, leaderboards and multiplayer.
The users don’t need to be testers anymore.
Also multiplayer between your DRM-free and your Google Play app is possible.
You may want to check this document- Alternative Distribution Options
As an open platform, Android offers choice. You can distribute your Android apps to users in any way you want, using any distribution approach or combination of approaches that meets your needs. From publishing in an app marketplace to serving your apps from a web site or emailing them directly users, you’re never locked into any particular distribution platform.
Distributing Through an App Marketplace
Distributing Your Apps by Email
Distributing Through a Website
User Opt-In for Apps from Unknown Sources
Android protects users from inadvertent download and install of apps from locations other than Google Play (which is trusted). It blocks such installs until the user opts-in Unknown sources in Settings > Security, shown in image below. Users need to make this configuration change before they download your apps to their devices.
Users must enable the Unknown sources setting before they can install apps not downloaded from Google Play.
Note that some network providers don’t allow users to install applications from unknown sources.
Also you can check this SO question about : What is the fall back plan for devices without Google Play Services, this may add information to ensure your app should run.
Hope it helps!
Related
When the play protect says "it do not recognize the developer" when installing the application it means it has not seen the signature used in the application before in any play store application right?
But I have a question, we all have seen certain apps that are not in the play store but we use them now and then.
For example, we have the Fortnite mobile app, I looked into the web about the reason why it's not in the play store and there I found that they distribute the apk from their website directly because they do not want to pay google play the 30% of the in game purchase ammount that they charge from every application for advertising the application and distribution of the app.
There is also the F-Droid application that lets you download other open-source applications which are not available on the play store.
And many others like AdAway, Lawnchair, Venced Manager etc.
There are also modded applications of Prime Videos, Netflix, Spotify and completely separate apps like HotFlix, TeaTv etc. similar to them.
When we install these apps from outside the play store we don't get any error saying "Play protect doesn't recognise this app's developer, apps from unknown developers may be harmful".
So my question is do they use any signature that is for general use which is also known to google play protect like those open-source licenses we see in github while creating a new repo? or do they all have uploaded their apps in the play store and got banned, denied their policies, or something else?
I am asking this question because I could not find a satisfactory answer anywhere and nobody writes about it anywhere, if there are any mod creators reading this then they can help me out too 😉.
Note: Turning the play protect off is not a solution and I don't do that while installing other apps mentioned above so don't reply with that 😊.
When you release a signed .aab file to Google Play then it will be from a signed Google Partner, (I think that is what it is called). If you download an app that has not been cataloged as an Approved Signature with Google Play, then it is considered side loading.
Side loading is basically installing and .aab or .apk file that has not been verified by Google. So when you side load (install app away from Play Store) Google doesn't recognize the signature. So therefore it says this app is from an untrusted source.
So basically it boils down to whether or not Google has reviewed and approved the signature. This just a security measure that Google puts in place so that it categorized the signature as trusted or not trusted.
It's the same with desktop applications. If it doesn't have a certificate then it's from an unknown publisher.
So with Fortnite the reason why it's not on the Google Play store is because of Google Policy violations with Epic Gaming. So since they would not correct the violation of policy they were removed. So now Fortnite has an .apk file that will run on Android but it is no longer an approved signature in the Google Play database.
That's why Fortnite says it's an untrusted or unrecognizable signature. So it boils down to whether a signature has been added to the database.
You can go into developer mode on your phone and turn on the side loading option and you won't get that message.
I've got an internal corporate application that I need to have published in my company's Android for work EMM.
Do I need to first publish the application publicly on Google Play Store or is there a way to upload just to EMM. I'm really reluctant to publish publicly.
The app had not been published on Google Play so there's no problem with the apps package already being used.
The Play Developer Console allows you to restrict the visibility of your app to your enterprise by publishing your app as "private", see their very good help center article.
I'm building an Android app which for various reasons cannot be listed publicly on the Google Play store.
I have found information about the Google Play Private Channel but if I understand it correctly, this can only be used when all your users are within a Google Apps domain (which mine are not).
Are there any similar methods that I could use to deploy my app (and get the benefit of easy installation for users, an updating mechanism etc.), or is my only option to publish an APK file manually?
From what I can tell, manually publishing APK files is the only choice, but this seems strange to me since my situation must be common for "private" business applications.
In particular, I am concerned that it would look unprofessional to have to guide users through the process of turning on the "Allow installation of apps from unknown sources" setting.
Any advice welcome, thanks!
I would just deploy your app using Google Play "Beta testing and staged rollout":
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/3131213?hl=en
Your users have to join a Google Group or Google + community that you create so you can limit you audience and make the app non-public on Google Play but still allows your non-public users to update the app via Google Play instead of manual APK installation.
The only downside is that the members of the Google Group or Google + community will only be as private as their Google account provides. So, app users are known to each other but your app will not be public on Google Play.
Can you not use BETA or ALPHA pushes
Is it possible for an android application to act as a custom market place?
The imagined behavior of the app:
Download XYZ app from the built in Google Play Store
Opening XYZ app yields a UI similar to that seen in the Play Store
The user can navigate through XYZ app and select a custom app supported by XYZ to install on their phone
This custom app would not be located on the Play Store and the .apk would be directly installed from the context of the XYZ app/marketplace to the users phone
I did some research and found alternative Android App Stores such as:
Amazon App Store for Android
GetJar
SLideMe
F-Droid
But is it possible to have an alternative marketplace like this that can be accessed from an app that was downloaded from the Google Play Store? Does google allow this type of practice?
So I suppose the heart of my questions is: Is it possible to create an android application that has permissions to install other 3rd party applications directly to a users phone? (without needing to leverage the Play Store or needing to jailbreak the phone)
Thanks in advance for the answers and insights! And please let me know if anything I'm saying doesn't make sense.
(Extra Credit: I would also be curious to learn about the feasibility of doing this with an iOS app as well)
To add to the other answers, you will have problems with some of Google Play's rules. AFAIK they don't allow your app to direct users to a different store. So you won't be able to keep your app on Google Play store in that case.
EDIT
It is not in the Terms and Conditions, as confirmed by #Cumulo Nimbus.
It is in clause 4.5 of the Developer Distribution Agreement:
4.5 Non-Compete. You may not use the Market to distribute or make available any Product whose primary purpose is to facilitate the
distribution of software applications and games for use on Android
devices outside of the Market.
My interpretation of the above was, and still is, that we can't point people to a different app store.
Kudos to #zmarties for pointing me at the Developer Program Policy which links out to the Developer Distribution Agreement. I knew I'd seen this somewhere...
In terms of iOS, Apple does not allow different app stores unless you jailbreak (iOS-speak for rooting) your phone. They are not as open minded as the Google.
Android apps don't need to be rooted in order to install third party apk's. The use just needs to allow this in their settings. The apps you have listed simply instruct their users to enable this setting.
The best example of a third-party "free as in freedom" app store would be F-Droid
Technically it's possible.
The current Developer Program Policy does not seem to prohibit it either - all they have to say on the matter relates to installing "dangerous products" from outside the play store:
Dangerous Products: We don't allow content that harms, interferes with the operation of, or accesses in an unauthorized manner, networks, servers, or other infrastructure.
Malicious scripts and password phishing scams are also prohibited on Google Play, as are apps that cause users to unknowingly download or install apps from sources outside of Google Play.
Having said that, I can't quickly see any alternative apps stores that are themselves in the Play Store.
I want to publish a paid-for app on Amazon app store as well as Google Play. I plan on doing two separate builds for my app, one with the Google Play Licensing library incorporated and enabled (for submitting to Google Play) and one with the Licensing library disabled (for submitting to Amazon app store; Amazon has its own Licensing facility). Other than this, the two builds will be identical (same package name etc). Does anyone know whether or not this strategy is a feasible way to go?
A worry I have in particular is app updates. If a user purchases my app from Amazon app store and I publish an update to Google Play, would the user receive a notification telling them that an update is available for them from Google Play?
I currently have apps on both the google play market and Amazon market and have not come across any of the issues you have mentioned above. I am using ecplise and created the apk file using a certificate and used the same apk file for both Android markets.
As they are seperate markets and as you mentioend Amazon has its own authentication meaning google play updates are not an issue and therefore need to be done on both Markets.
Google Play vs Amazon Appstore
Finally, things to look out for is if you have any links referencing the play market you need to change these to the Amazon market, as Amazon will fail it otherwise (upload to Amazon market can take several days), hope this helps.
When you submit the android apk file to the Amazon app store it signs itself and publishes the app.
I uploaded by debug build (not even any signed apk) and amazon accepted it and the app is now in their app store. Amazon might have some sort of automated signing the application.
Make sure you've not implemented anything related to Google play
store.
Good luck!
I am writing an app and face the same situation, I found the best solution was to make your app into a library project and import it into two separate projects for release.
These separate projects would have any changes necessary for launching from a specific store but the bulk of your code would be in one library. That way any updates you do to the library will be carried across to both releases automatically on the next build.