I am working on an app that would require an activation code in order to be used after being downloaded (user will get the code by postal mail). I understand that Apple will be rejecting the App, but can someone confirm if that functionality (activation code for an app) would be valid for Android? And that it could be used.
Before building up a prototype I would need to confirm this fact.
Anyhow, I will limit the audience of my App to Android users as I see that I have no options with MAC.
You should read the Google Play Developer Policies as your starting point (in particular the section "Paid and Free Apps").
If you are using activation codes to bypass app payments or in-app payments, you will be in violation of Google's policies. If the activation code is an integral part of your app's functionality (for example you are sending it by post to verify a user's address) then you should generally be okay.
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer.
I was using an app once that was later pulled from the Play store because you could purchase some premium features over PayPal (without Google Play). If you intend on charging for this code it might and probably will be an issue, however, if you will distribute the code free of charge to select customers it might work.
But, a better way of doing it would be with a Google Play group. You'd mark your app as beta and make a test group, that would only include the people you want.
But if you want to limit your audience there is really no reason to put your app on Google Play, just distribute your .apk file through your website, and have a serial code as a backup.
Related
I am building a website for a client that is promoting an App on Kickstarter. As one of the rewards this client wants to reward sponsors with in-app purchases. I have searched Apple and posted on other forums but I can't find out if this is possible and if it is possible, how it is done.
Thanks.
You need to implement a promo-code dialog inside your app to do that, then send promo-codes to your Kickstarter users.
I don't think It's possible.
Here's the only Google documentation I could find.
You could make the app free for a short period until all backers have their copy and then raise the price but non backers will be able to download it too.
It would be possible however to use the alpha/beta functionality in the Google Play store to release the app to backers who have joined specific circles setup by you. I don't know if Google would have a problem with you using it like this.
It might be possible to distribute the app outside of the Play Store but I suspect that will become a big support problem as users struggle to get the app installed and keep it up to date.
For iOS part we haven't this functionality with Store Kit. This framework was created to securely process payments from users. You don't need to work with payments. Just deliver some product or an extra functionality to user with promo code. Implement a dialogue in your app where user can enter his code, send this code to your server, check it and give an access for user, if code was right. That's all you need. After making the product available, your app needs to make a persistent record of the "purchase" like you do with normal in-app purchases.
This is the Android version of App for limited or restricted audience
The project
I'm going to start a brand new project for one of our customers that will be deployed to our customer's suppliers to track on-field activity. I am skilled enough on Java/Android development so this question is only about deployment.
Owned vs provided devices
Our customer will either provide a Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 device to the suppliers or will allow the supplier to use their own Android 4 smartphone without warranties from us. Our customer currently has a Google for Business organization set up, but we cannot rely on that (see partial answer).
Technical (non functional) requirements
Ability to easily distribute application and updates across enterprise users.
Application should not be visible to the public
Application must be able to send crash reports so our team can inspect and investigate
The question is
Given the above "should not be visible to the public" statement, what is the most effective and efficient way to deploy an Android app targeted only for enterprise users?
I'll post a partial answer below. I'm asking others to enrich it with other possible means, including using Alpha/beta channels for which I don't have experience about
Currently, limited-audience Android applications can be deployed like this:
Publishing on Google Play as a free app for the public
Maybe adding a limitation to our country
Advantages:
Simplemost and well documented
Auto deployes updates as soon as no new permission is enforced
Collects crash reports on Dashboard
Disadvantages:
Everyone can download the app
This has the disadvantage that some organizations may not be happy as publicly available code might in some cases help exploit vulnerabilites on remote systems (but it is almost impossible if app is well-written and obfuscated)
If country limitation is enforced, imported devices won't download
Distributing the APK direct URL
Advantages:
The app remains private (enterprise users are surely not going to redistribute the app to friends as it's no use without enterprise credentials)
Disadvantages:
No crash reports unless implementing a third-party library
No auto updates unless implemented by custom code or third party library. Implementing auto updates prevents the app from being published to Google Play in the future, even on a private channel, as Play prohibits apps that auto-update themselves via third-party channels. Or, to be precise, the auto-update feature and Play publishing require, in order to exist together, maintaining two APKs
Google Play for Enterprise
As mentioned on this link, Google Play provides a private channel for app deploying for users withing a Google for Business organization. This is the perfect approach for applications that organization's users must use
Advantages:
Same as publishing for the public (simple, auto update, crash report)
Visible only to restricted audience
Disadvantages:
Every device must come with a Google account within the organization, and it will be economically unfeasible to [request the Sysadmin to] enable Google accounts for every external supplier in our target organization
Permanently in Alpha/Beta
I haven't tested this yet, as it is also very tricky. Basically, it involves using testing mode without ever going to production. With Google Play, one can deploy artifacts into Alpha (e.g. test server environment) and Beta (a trick to point to production server environment) without ever moving the app to Google Play's Production stage.
All requires setting up special moderated Google+ groups
Potential advantages:
Same as publishing to enterprise
Disadvantages:
Only telling users to subscribe to Google+ and joining a community
From your requirements, I would suggest distributing the APK via a direct URL and integrating a service such as HockeyApp (see their Android SDK for more) to manage both the crash reports and app updates.
"Ability to easily distribute application and updates across enterprise users"
Many services allow .apk files to be uploaded directly to their service for deployment. A direct download link is then generated for that build.
Crash information is collected and updates are automatically displayed if the app implements the Android SDK provided by the service.
"Application should not be visible to the public"
Services such as HockeyApp do not publicise direct download links publicly. This link can therefore be distributed as required.
"Application must be able to send crash reports so our team can inspect and investigate"
Full stack-trace and device information is sent along with crash reports and can be viewed online by technicians.
From my experience there are a few pros and cons:
Pros:
App distribution is super easy, as simple as visiting a website.
Bug reports are comparable to those received through Google Play
Cons:
Crash report's aren't sent automatically and updates aren't automatic
By default, updates and crashes appear as system dialogs prompting users to either send the crash report/update the app or cancel. Ideally, no user interaction should be required to perform the desired actions. I am sure it is possible but have not found relevant documentation for it.
Cost. These services aren't free.
Would require the removal of the service SDK from the app if uploaded to Play Store
I have a paid app in the Play Store (Profile Widget, in case anyone is wondering ;)) and I want to allow some users (friends, or people who do not have a credit card) to download it for free.
Of course I could just send them the APK, but they wouldn't get the updates automatically, and with every update to the app I would have to send them all the APK file again. And also, by using this method, anyone that had access to the APK file would be able to install the app for free.
I saw that by using the Android Licensing Library you could make some users bypass the License Check, but I want the app to show as "Purchased" for them in the Play Store, and I don't think this would do it.
I searched Stack Overflow but none of the solutions I found (like creating a separate APK and checking for its existence from the "real" app) handled the auto-update part.
Has anyone found a good solution for this?
Thanks in advance!
You can now generate and distribute promo codes to current and new users on Google Play to drive engagement. Under the Promotions tab in the Developer Console, you can set up promo codes for your apps, games, and in-app products to distribute in your own marketing campaigns (up to 500 codes per app, per quarter). Consider using promo codes to reward loyal users and attract new customers.
Reference:
1) http://android-developers.blogspot.in/2016/01/create-promo-codes-for-your-apps-and-in.html
2) https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6321495
The best solution is to have them buy the app, then refund their purchase. It would still show up as paid. Alternatively, you could give them the app, and license it via the LVL, and configure their email addresses as test accounts listing as purchased., but then they won't get updates.
I have the same problem, I've checked and from what I can see there is no analog to the Apple system (Give out a one-use code to download the app).
If you just give them the APK you don't get Crash/ANRs from them and they won't automatically get updates.
It is something that Google really do need to fix, sorry there isn't a better option.
(I have the same problem for my own device (you can't buy your own app), I had a crash that was rare in the app on my own phone, but I couldn't reproduce it at a computer and the logs had well cycled past the error by the time I did, Being able to get the crash report through the developer console would have saved me a lot of mucking around)
this is an updated and no credit card method.
You can create a free version of the same app in the play store,
but publish it in alpha release.
Then, you can create a google+ provate group of alpha testers and set it as the tester group for the alpha version.
Now add the 'free licensed' users to the alpha testing group and they have your free app.
To push updates, you will have to upload updates also to the 'free alpha', that's not gold, but I think is pretty close to the best you can get at the moment
This method has an issue. As long as licensing is per-App, you will have a different license key, and it may always return TRUE, so if the users share the apks, they may be able to let other people use the app, not totally sure about this occurrence, but you are warned, better if you are sharing the free app to trusted users.
You can set up a sale at price zero for the paid app and let your contacts know about it. Google allows up to 8 days of the sale at a time, but you can also set it up for a single day. This way, you may still get a few downloads from unintended recipients, but the 'problem' will be far more controlled than if you were to mail out APKs. Other problems like updates are also solved automatically.
You can upload in third party app stores like Amazon App Store, Aptoide , www.proapk.in to allow users to download paid Android apps for free.
For downloading the app as a developer: Google Playstore's official word on this, is that you must create a 2nd google account to download the app you are listed as developer for. That way the stats for downloads and terms are not breached. Spoke about same issue today (though its a while after the question was posted, others should see this with similar issues)
For giving it away free: Can't you just change the app to free at a given time then notify those people to hit it during a certain window?
I have an app which is planned to be released in several phases:
Testing phase using email distribution to small testing population (in-process).
To a small group of users. It will be a diverse group geographically and it is important that the app is not given / spread to wider audience.
For broad distribution to who ever might want it, free or paid (logically google play).
Given this, can the Google play licensing scheme be used to facilitate the first phase? I read in the following link that google does not want any form of selective distribution (other than testing). I did not see any references for selectively enabling an app (second link).
How i can offer a licensing Android application
http://developer.android.com/guide/google/play/licensing/adding-licensing.html
The alternative for phase 1 would be to develop an authentication mechanism with a server using a distributed key. The key would be matched against either a uuid or google id on a server before the app could be activated. Distribution to new users would be involve providing a new key.
Comment appreciated on both.
The Google licensing scheme (LVL) only works for paid applications. What it does is basically check that the current app is in the history of purchases associated with a particular Google account. If it is, you have legitimate paid user; if not, well, something went wrong, or somebody is trying to pirate your app. It has had mixed success. It doesn't allow you to control who can use your app in any other way.
So if you want to distribute a private beta, you can either:
Distribute directly via email, etc. (first phase)
Host on Google Play and develop your own activation scheme (product code, etc). Then only the people who receive the code can actually use the app. (phase two)
(1+2) Distribute via your web site to anyone, but require activation. (phase two)
For 2., you are bound to get some 1-stars from people who don't read the description/instructions ('Doesn't work', 'Activation required, boo', etc.), so it is a good idea to use a separate package from the final one (com.myapp.beta, etc.).
I need a way to share my app to allow people to download it for free with a coupon code or promo code or checkout code. I would like to post the code to a board, and invalidate it after some time. My app uses licensing and in-app billing, so mailing the APK may not be appropriate. The last question I saw regarding this was 6 months old, so I did not know if there was a newer solution available.
There is not a way to do this with the current feature set in the Play store.
You could produce a similar effect using the Licensing service (http://developer.android.com/guide/market/licensing) and perhaps in-app purchases. However sadly you will have to do most of the work yourself.
Google has recently enabled support for promotion codes for paid apps and in app purchases. You will first need to setup a promotion through your Google play store developer console:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6321495
Or add support for in app purchase codes through in app promotions:
https://developer.android.com/google/play/billing/billing_promotions.html
Note however that there are limits to the amount and type of codes that can be created:
For each app, you can create up to 500 promo codes per quarter. To
reach that limit, you can use any combination of paid app and in-app
promo codes.
Here are some ways you could reach your promo code limit for an app:
500 paid app promo codes, or
500 promo codes for one in-app product, or
250 paid app promo codes + 250 promo codes for one in-app product, or
100 promo codes for five in-app products
As others have said, this is currently not supported by the Android Market/Play. There is, I believe, a feature request, you can vote/star it. If you are already using in-app billing, it is fairly easy to implement this yourself though. All you need is a database with Web access, so you can check if the coupon code is valid. You might want to implement some sort of restore functionality, so people can reuse the code if they switched devices. And/or set up an upper limit for coupon use, so that you can prevent people from sharing the coupon code.
I think I have a part-way ok way to do it. I use the licensing service, which is not terribly hard (10 times easier than in-app billing), and embedded an expiration time into my app, and post the debug version on a web site. Before the expiration, it ignores the license server response. After the expiration, it reports "Unlicensed App" with the option to purchase.
You can do this if you distribute your app through a third-party app market, such as Appia. However, this functionality is not built into Google Play.
If you wish to provide users with a coupon so that they can download a paid app for free on Google Play store, that can't be done. You either need to use another market or distribute the paid app yourself.