Some times ago I published an application on the Google Store, with a random package name because I didn't know what it was for at the time (I was a newbie to Android)
Now my app works, is installed on a number of devices, and I want to change this package name, since it seems it's used for ranking in search and such.
Is it possible to change the public package name of an application without creating a new application on the store?
Things That Cannot Change:
The most obvious and visible of these is the “manifest package name,”
the unique name you give to your application in its
AndroidManifest.xml. The name uses a Java-language-style naming
convention, with Internet domain ownership helping to avoid name
collisions. For example, since Google owns the domain “google.com”,
the manifest package names of all of our applications should start
with “com.google.” It’s important for developers to follow this
convention in order to avoid conflicts with other developers.
Once you publish your application under its manifest package name,
this is the unique identity of the application forever more. Switching
to a different name results in an entirely new application, one that
can’t be installed as an update to the existing application.
More on things you cannot change here
you can read it here
No, it is not possible, Because package name is the unique identity of your app. You need to create a new project with different package name and publish again in play store.
Related
Our Android app will be taken over by a different company. This requires that the app-id/package-id be changed (from com.mycompany.app to com.newcompany.app). However, when a newer version of the apk is installed, it gets installed as a separate application as the app-ids don't match. Wondering if there is any hint we can add to the manifest indicating that the current version is an upgrade for the specific app-id. Guessing this would be a common problem for any company that acquires Android software product from another company. Regards.
There is nothing you can do to get one app (com.package.appA) to upgrade(via app store) to another app (com.package.appB).
That said, you don't really have to change the package name to transfer the app. Most users aren't aware of the package name of the app they install so it won't really buy you any credibility.
What you would have to do is provide the new company is the release signing key for your application. They are going to need this to upload new versions of the app to the play store. Hopefully you have just one for this app.
Tips for the future if you're planning on transferring more apps:
Use more generic package names (com.mysite.calculator vs apps.calculator). Package names are just identifiers so use them as such.
Use a single signing key per project so that you can give it away with the code and won't expose all your other apps.
If your Gradle file specifies an application ID:
You can go ahead and change the app's package name. (However, this would require a lot of updates to the app's source code, since the generated R class will end up with a new package name. Also, the package name used to resolve relative class names in the manifest would change.)
But, you must keep the same application ID if you want Android to consider the result to be the same app. Furthermore, you must keep using the same signing certificate as well!
So I have learnt my lesson in backing up my keystore and the new one is now safely tucked away from now on. { and yes I have looked for the old one for ages :-( }
I need to un-publish my current app and so I can reuse the app name and create a new app version 1 with the new keystore I have created.
I can only un-publish my app and not delete it as Google need to keep it as unpublished for legal reasons etc etc so understand that.
How do I create a new app with the same name as right now play store says that the name is already in use.
Still digging and investigating a solution but any help would be appreciated.
So after talking with Google support I really wanted to get the correct solution that only changed what needed to be changed and leave what could be left alone.
So for all the folk out there like me who lost their keystore file, here is the necessary steps for republishing your app where you have lost your keystore.
Unplubish your app.
So under ALL APPLICATIONS you see this and the app shows as Unpublished under Status.
Change the name of your unpublished app.
Here i just added the word old to the app name.
Rebuild your app with a new package name as follows:
if the current package name is com.mycom.myapp then use a new one such as com.mynewapp.myapp
Make a new keystore and when they say to KEEP IT SAFE they really do mean it, KEEP IT SAFE.
( I am still in the process of republishing the app so I will update my answer with more info once published.)
Google Play allows many apps to have the same title. However, the application package for each app needs to be unique within Google Play. This is the package attribute value that you provide for the <manifest> tag in the AndroidManifest.xml file of your project. The package name serves as a unique identifier for the application.
For example:
com.yourwebsite.yourappname or com.yourwebsite.yoursuitename.yourappname.
Here's the link for Android manifest :http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html#package
How do I create a new app with the same name as right now play store
says that the name is already in use.
You cannot use the same name or package name. An app once published cannot be deleted and the package name is forbidden going forward once published to avoid re-publishing of banned/forbidden apps.
Same name can be used by a different developer but not by the same developer who already has an app with that name. (This is my understanding from a time when i entered the same name by mistake)
You will need to use a different package name and app name. But, if it was banned there is a high probability that it will survive with the new package name for long. It will get banned again and probably also lead to banning of the developer account. Be careful.
I used my android package name as lostaliens.crocusgames.lostaliens as opposed to the conventional method of starting with com in the form of com.xxxx.xxxx
Now it has passed 36 hours since I published my app and I still cannot find my app in Google Play nor at the direct link that includes the package name.
Can it be because of my unusual package name? Or does it have nothing to do with it?
Thanks in advance.
No, Package name is not an issue for your Application is not published.
The package name is used for unique identification for your application. In android uses the package name to determine one application has been installed or not. The general naming is: com.companyname.applicationname eg: com.android.Camera COM is refers to commercial application (just like .com, most people register their app as a com app)
Nop, package name is not an issue at all, you can give any name to your application's package. Because the main intention of package name is to uniquely identify the app. So you can give any name as a your package name. com.XXX.XXXX is the professional way to give the name of package, 90% of the developers are using this format. So package name is not an issue, just check your google play account and check, is your app is properly submitted to play store or not.
I have uploaded an app with this package name: com.madx.pratonews
so I see my app in the Play Store with this link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.madx.pratonews
If in the next version i uploaded a new apk with a different package name (e.g. com.madx.news)
will the PlayStore link change to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.madx.news?
If it will, the older link will disappear?
I would like to know because I have an updating system that read the last version of the app directly from the GooglePlay website, so that if I change package name there will be problems with the updating of the older apps.
Thanks in advance!
You need to give the same package name for an app update!
The package name of an app cannot be changed.
From Dianne Hackborn:
Things That Cannot Change:
The most obvious and visible of these is the “manifest package name,”
the unique name you give to your application in its
AndroidManifest.xml. The name uses a Java-language-style naming
convention, with Internet domain ownership helping to avoid name
collisions. For example, since Google owns the domain “google.com”,
the manifest package names of all of our applications should start
with “com.google.” It’s important for developers to follow this
convention in order to avoid conflicts with other developers.
Once you publish your application under its manifest package name,
this is the unique identity of the application forever more. Switching
to a different name results in an entirely new application, one that
can’t be installed as an update to the existing application.
Other things you cannot change: http://android-developers.blogspot.in/2011/06/things-that-cannot-change.html
I already have a google developer account, but I would like to make a brand new google developer account for an app I'm about to publish.
Can I use the same package name in both market accounts? For example, if I have Google developer account number 1, with apps that share the package name (eg com.myawesomeapps.app1, com.myawesomeapps.app2)....can I make a brand new goodle developer account and use the same package name (ie com.myawesomeapps.ap3)?
I'm only asking because I'd like to have a different google developer account for this new app but keep my package name, and I don't want to pay the publisher fee if this is not possible.
Thanks in advance.
You must use a different package name for each app -- and you can never change the package name. If you ever use a different package name you will be releasing a completely separate app.
As far as I know there is nothing stopping you from using the same substring in different package names within the market, though.
Since com.myawesomeapps.ap3 is different from com.myawesomeapps.ap2, that should be fine.
Note that your package name must be universally unique (nothing that anyone else will ever use), and can never be changed. The closest you can get to changing the package name is to abandon one app completely and start a new one with a new package name, but there will be no "link" between them in the market other than what you say in your description text.
This blog post explains package names a bit more; it's a bit old but AFAIK it's still accurate: http://blog.javia.org/android-package-name/
No, its not possible to do so when publishing in Android Market. We cannot use the same package name to submit another app either from the same account or from any other account. The package name is unique for each application and can also not be transferred from one user to another.
You need to use a different package name for the new App. Google Play Store identifies the App by the package name. I had a similar requirement, so for the new App, I used a different package name just for the App Package Name and Launcher Activity. Rest of app (Rest of the Activities, Fragments, and whole other app code) remained in the old package name, and the new App works just fine.
Yes you can, but you have to change in android studio in the gradle file, the aplicationId
defaultConfig {
applicationId 'com.example.app1'
}
To
defaultConfig {
applicationId 'com.example.app2'
}
Then you can upload it into google play