I wonder if anyone knows about how Google play maintains the device list?
This is my case:
We are developing a NFC APP which at the beginning it will work with only about 10 handsets, we really want to limit and filter by handset model (not only by the manifest).
We want to do this through the Google Play's device manager list, however I would like to know this list is maintained, in principle we would like to use the TAC value to identify each handset, but I don't think GP use TAC as ID.
I have doing some testing, I can see there e.g several Samsung S4s, do you know why is that? and even if I allow all of them in the Developer console, then when I try to download the APP, I get the error, "your device is not compatible".
Lots of smartphones have different variations, for various countries, network providers etc. If you update the playstore to allow/block a device from installing the app it can take a couple of hours to propogate across there servers.
How the list is maintained I don't know, I would assume that when a device is activated onto Google Play, it likely stores the information within the Play Store device listing. Failing that, the OEM sends the information to Google while they are getting approved for Google Play Services. This is only a guess though, I would guess there is no information actually explaining how this list is maintained as developers do not normally need to know.
Related
I have uploaded an application in Google play. Application is available region specific. Application is uploaded in production with full-roll out.
In one of the device, application is visible and user installed it. After some X duration, same user in same device when he searches the application, application is not visible.
It's a strange behavior but why this behavior is seen?
Above scenario is searched in device Google play application only.
It might not always show if your app doesn't have enough unique keywords in the name. As stated in this thread, you can change your name in the Play Store Console and try some different combinations of words.
Also, there's possibility that your app that you're trying to search is not compatible with the device. This might be a reason why it is not showing up in your device. If you will sign into your Google account, then you click the install button (on the desktop site) it will show you the devices that are associated with that account asking with their compatibility. [Source.]
You can also check these related SO posts:
Google Play is not showing my app
It took almost couple of days for my app to show up. Just a small note, if you cannot find your app in the play store, try putting the name in double quotes like "Park The Car" or "Relationship Guru" and then search it. Even when Play store started showing my app, if I just search with the app name with no double quotes, I could not find it. I saw almost 500 apps and still I could not find my app. But on using double quotes, I got a perfect string match.
After 4 days app is still not indexed in Google Play search
Hope this helps!
Each time you release an app, the search ranking in the play store will be temporarily hit.
However, it will be restored within a day or two.
If your search visibility went out of ranking soon after the new update got to live in the play store, then there is nothing to worry about. It will be back soon.
Google Play search is a key tool for users to find relevant, and popular apps for Android devices. Ensuring that your app and store listing are thorough and optimized is an important factor in getting discovered by users on Google Play and you can optimize your search by following the steps in the following official link by Google.
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/4448378?hl=en
Currently, I'm looking to see if there is a way to sync the information we've obtained through an online site with the information we use on a phone application.
All I need to know is that the user that visited our site is the same user that is using our phone application, No stats and preferably no one needs to enter a thing.
You won't get that from Apple, because of their history with privacy concerns, but you could do something like generate an identifying number in your app, that your web site asks for, that would tie the two together. Of course, you'd have to make allowances if your app is deleted from the device, then re-installed, to either make sure you're generating the same number, or other such solution as befits your requirements.
The first thing that would come to my mind is Google Analytics, available for different platforms and services (i.e. Youtube, etc). You would have to go through Google Analytics API to figure out a way on how to track a particular customer visit across several location/platforms.
See Hello Analytics example of Google Analytics API
See Data Feed API
Ok, so far I've answered my own question for androids. Apparently you can pass a referrer param through google play which actually allows your app to receive the parameter and they even have an app that test this functionality.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.stevemiller.android.referrertest
now I have yet to test this, nor is it a possible solution for iOS.
I am a newbie and have just created an Android app to upload into the PlayStore.
I have followed instructions from here.
But I have few questions:
Currently I am using my phone to test the app, but can I assume it will work as seamlessly on other phones of different brands as they may have different UIs?
After I upload the apps, do I know who have installed my app like email ID so that I could send them emails regarding new apps in the future or updates available in PlayStore or I must depend on Google Playstore notifications for this?
1- Regarding app behavior on different hardware, do remember different Android Hardware Companies have optimized and customized android Operating system with respect to their hardware, so naturally it will behave different to some aspect.
2- Now who has installed your app, if it was a paid app, then you can get the email addresses from your merchant account order details.
If it was a free app, then the best you can do is put up notes in your old app description, and on your website if you have one.
3- Regarding update in android app, you can avail this feature programmatically and tutorialz are available over the internet as well. Video Tutorial
You cannot just assume that it will work fine on all phones as phones and tablets come with different screen sizes, density and resolutions and layouts vary accordingly. Least you can do is try testing on differnt emulators if possible (in case you dont have other devices). There are sites where you can pay and get online devices to test.
For your other answer, you cannot directly get the email ids of others as it is against Google Privacy policy. But, you can integrate Google Analytics engine to get most of the infrmation about the user (which phone it is insatlled, which country, when is he using your app, how many people using your app at any time). For email id, you anyway have a gmail id for you app upload. You can request you app user to send you mail with feedbacks and problems. This you can include in the description field
I have also just recently launched my first app, about 2 weeks ago.
Not all phones will scale to the same size, as there are different screen densities and height/width ratios. You can however get the height/width of the device, and scale the sizes of the things in your UI based on that.
This link has a good example of getting the dimensions of the Android device.
In the Eclipse IDE, you can also use the emulator to test out different Android devices that have different screen sizes, amounts of density pixels, have different Android versions, etc.
Google Play Developer only gives very basic statistics, like amounts of people who downloaded it, but not actually who downloaded it. I have heard that putting something like Google Analytics can give you more information, that is more up to date/accurate, but I'm not sure if it actually gives contact info.
Also, I released a few updates for my app, and I'm pretty sure Google Play sends notifications to update the app on the user's device, as most of my users have updated within a couple of days of the new release.
Does anyone know if it is possible to limit the distribution of an Android app to a specific telecom operator in a specific country? for example if I want to sell my app to Verizon customers only?
Thanks!
Frederic
Verizon has its own "sub-store" in the Android marketplace for Android apps (as far as I can tell), and they're also supposedly coming out with their own app store by the end of the year. Here's the sign-up page:
http://promo.verizon.com/how2kit/concept_submission.aspx
In general, I believe that the only way to limit distribution of an app to a specific carrier is to use that carrier's app store (if they have one).
Update: I'm not sure how you could go about restricting download access to an app available in the marketplace, but you could have your app determine the phone's carrier and not allow itself to run if it's the wrong carrier. See:
http://www.mail-archive.com/android-developers#googlegroups.com/msg48701.html
see http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss/msg/ee236fbfb97a3837
in which poster "TreKing" writes:
You would lose that bet =). In the
developer console, where you set the
country your app shows up in, if you
uncheck all countries, you get a list
of countries to opt in to. If you then
click a country, you can select the
carriers within that country.
As usual dealing with the Developer
Console, this is unmarked and
completely non-intuitive, but it's
there.
You could read out the SIM card's IMSI (this may work) and analyze it.
This is not a programming question per se but a question that may be relevant to all future Android developers.
I am in the market for an Android developer phone. I can buy it used on eBay, or I can buy it new on the Android Market.
All nice and dandy but in order what the Android market has to offer, I have to first register, which requires signing the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement.
Well, I know that many developers signed that agreement and stayed alive, but before signing anything I prefer to read what I am about to sign. Unfortunately, certain information that is needed to be understood in order to sign the agreement can be accessed only after you sign the agreement...
For example, how do I know which are the "authorized payment processors" mentioned in clause 1.2?
Also, it sounds strange to me that in order to just see what developer phones are available (and their specs) I first have to register and pay the $25 registration fee. It will take at least 6 months before I will be ready to place anything on the Android market, so why should I register now?
Any idea whether to find these 2 pieces of information without having to register so early in the process?
Two things, first the "Authorized Payment Processors" are defined just above that as:
Payment Processor(s): Any party authorized by Google to provide payment processing services that enable Developers with optional Payment Accounts to charge Device users for Products distributed via the Market.Blockquote
The only one currently is Google Checkout, but I have heard that they are working with PayPal to get them involved as well.
Secondly, you have to log in to buy the phones because they are only available to Android Devs. The ones on the list are the "Android Dev Phone 2" (which is basically a MyTouch 3G) for $399.00 and the Nexus One for $529.00. You can look those up and check the specs on them. They are both unlocked and the Nexus One has an unlocked bootloader.
You do not need to register now. Just when you are ready to release your app to the Market.
Also, for development you can get any Android phone out there. Preferably many phones with different physical characteristics and various sw versions.
Btw, the $25 fee is a good thing, because Google records your credit card no, so malicious devs keep themselves away.