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Minor background here: not an app programmer here.
If you look at the tags for this post, you can see that I tried to choose the ones that I know (please let me know of any other that I may have missed) of that are wrappers around the native language of the phones, namely iphone and android.
So, someone wants to know if it is easy to update an app once it's been downloaded on a phone?
And how easy/hard is it for the creator to update the app?
Thanks in advance.
edit
the person in question forwarded me the questions as she wanted them to be:
how easy/difficult will it be to update the app? So for example, if we want to add a new restaurant to the list, or a silent auction item, how much time and effort will it take?
Let's say I download the app from the website on Monday. On Wednesday we update the app with new restaurants and other items. Will the version of the app on my phone update automatically?
second edit
is it possible to have an app available via web and not through formal measures via Apple's iTune, etc? It's mostly informational and meant to benefit a charity.
third edit
Ok, normally I don't care about the downvotes. Still don't. But since this question is getting downvoted a little too much, I just wanted state that this is a genuine question. Really. And honestly, do you realize how much information there is online when you're trying to google for specific question on an arena you're not that familiar with to begin with?
The answer is it depends.
I can speak to Android, but for iOS, an update to the source code that's pushed through the store takes an average of 6ish days between submitting it to Apple and the update showing on the store.
This means if you downloaded your App on Monday of week 1, and I pushed an update on Wednesday of Week 1, it's probably Tuesday of week 2 at the EARLIEST that Apple has approved the app and put it on the store.
From here, the updated version isn't automatically the version on your phone necessarily. Some people have automatic app updates, some don't.
But, and this is a massive but... sending source code updates through the app store isn't the only way to "update" your app.
The updates you talk about aren't what many developers would consider updates at all--they certainly don't require source code changes or pushes through the app store. All you're "updating" is your backing data.
A well designed app would grab this data from the web, and in this case, the app can be updated immediately.
For IOS you have to submit the compiled code to apple and wait for them to approve and test your app (for new apps or updates) and it might take some days sometimes 1 or 2 weeks. Android, I think you can upload it almost instantly. And as "nhgrif" stated, you should feed any dynamic info on an app from a web server so you don't have to update frequently.
For both iOS and Android, it is possible to have a file online (APK for Android, IPA for iOS) that allows users to install the app. There are no real restriction on Android, but there are on iOS. apparently you can only install on a max of 200 devices, there might be some certificate issues, etc.
Take a look at this question to see what restriction on iOS are: iOS installing apps without app store
The iOS restrictions might be circumvented with TestFlight (But just maybe).
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I've been familiar with the idea since a long time that Apks are easily modifiable. Doing a simple google search shows tons of resources to do it personally or there are handful of websites that provides modified Apks already.
So what are we exactly talking about here! The fact that anyone can easily download a modified version of SnapChat that would no longer send the notification when the person screenshots the story. Or the fact that Pro version of Spotify can be downloaded with a single click giving access to full library of Spotify. Or the fact that any game available has a modified Apks version that would give unlimited coins or whatever virtual currency is used. This seems to me a very alarming situation but for reasons has been the same since years and no one talk about it(and seriously no one talk about it, doing a google search only points out to link telling how to modify Apks easily).
I just don't get why this has been the same for so many year. Every year there is a yet another version of android with "minor" UI improvements, but this problem is not addressed at all.
One last thing I would like to call out is that, on the other side of spectrum there are platforms like IOS and Windows, where this doesn't seems to be a problem. The way Windows 10 packing system works is similar to android, an Appx can be distributed from or without the Microsoft Store, but there are no modified Appx available or atleast one I know of!
"Or the fact that any game available has a modified Apks version that would give unlimited coins or whatever virtual currency is used" - that is why you track in game currency (and all important data for that matter) on the server.
"Or the fact that Pro version of Spotify can be downloaded with a single click giving access to full library of Spotify" - proper way of handling this is to associate the "Pro" with the account and only grant access to some features to those accounts having the "Pro" flag. Once again this is handled on the server. Even a modified client cannot access "Pro" features if the server blocks access.
iOS has modified ipa files as well. The "problem" is that if they are modified they are no longer signed and cannot be installed as easily - only with a jailbroken device where you skip the signing verification.
"This seems to me a very alarming situation" - no. The client can never be trusted, you always have to write proper server code for anything that you really want to validate. Same way you dont do the password verification in javascript on the client but on the server.
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This is the first game I have written and I am trying to publish it to Google Play store in the Designed For Families section. The app keeps getting rejected with the following feedback:
Apps in Designed for Families must include metadata text and images
that accurately reflect the app experience.
I have read all the guidelines and policies and I cant work out where I am going wrong! I have revised the short and full description and I feel they fully reflect the app. The images are all screen shots from game play so they should accurately reflect the experience.
I have changed the "family category" to be "Brain Games" as this is the best fit for the app. I m happy to include the full description and short description and the images that i have used for the release but I didnt want to bombard the thread with to much information...
Have I totally missed understood the feedback??? is it actually referring to the metadata in the androidManifest?
I know there are lots of thread about getting rejected from the play store but none of those address this particular issue.
Thanks for reading I hope someone can help as I am really stuck!
We experienced this problem with 2 apps:
First App: I received a message saying that my update was rejected because of the violation on the Family program alleging that it was crashing or giving an error (pretty generic message without any detail at all), I enter in contact on the support form and they send an email asking for me to read the terms and to update my APK number and submit again, I read the terms, I already had complied with everything so I replied saying that, we already comply with everyhting and we tested the APK and OBB installation and game play, all good, please send more details, they replied copying and pasting the same message, I once more insisted and asked for them to explain the problem, they replied asking for update my APK version and submit again, I said this will solve no crashes, please explain what is the problem and the support called Sara highlighted in the message asking to update the APK version, kind of talking with a machine that do not responded what I asked, but I updated my APK version, submitted again and... Worked. Why? For some reason they will not explain, my guess is they just marked my APK as dirty as an attempt to remove apps that the developers don't update, there's no other logical thing I can think off.
Second App: This one I didn't had a happy end as the previous one, I tried the technique of updating the APK version 6 times, none worked, I asked help on the form (many times), they just copy and paste the message about read the Terms, I started to insist for some details, provided them with many proves that my APK+OBB files sent to Google Play are working fine, and asked for any clue about this "problem", like a device model and Android Version that they experienced it (isn't the minimum they suppose to provide us?) but after requesting this many times, for the first time the support guy called Arthur didn't copied and pasted and finally wrote an email, his answer was:
Hi Developer,
Thanks again for contacting the Google Play Team.
As much as I'd like to help, due to policy, I’m not able to provide any more information or a better answer to your question. In our previous email, I made sure to include all the information available to me.
If you have a different question about Google Play policies, please let me know.
Regards,
Arthur
The Google Play Team
It means, he has no information at all about what is the problem, I've trying to solve this for 2 months, our flagship game is threatened of been removed from the store and they can't even explain why, the support team can just copy and paste a generic message without any understanding of our problem and we have no other channel to ask for help.
I'm really disappointed with Google for such poor support for developers.
Well maybe you are missing something, may you are not, and even what Ricky Levi wrote about his case could be just a matter of sending again and none of his changes made any difference. All this process is a mess and there's no channel we can ask for help. (Well technically we can ask for help, the problem is the person that will reply has no idea of your problem and can only copy and paste a non sense message)
In my case it was:
API level was really really low ( 22 vs latest 26+ )
Adding more images to the Play store
Adding privacy policy to the store listing ( at the bottom of the page )
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I am preparing myself to submit my first app to the Google Play Store, and have the following questions regarding the process, which might have been covered or not covered before, so I apologize if there are any duplicates beforehand, because I could not understand some of them.
In submission of an app to the Play Store, what is the expected time duration which it will get accepted or rejected?
Because I do not live in an area where Google Payments is accessible, what are the payment schemes that I can get for my app?
Is it possible to submit a complete rewrite of the same app as an update at a later date? If so, is there a specific method (e.g. signing schemes)
Thank you in advance.
From my experiences to avoid rejection or suspension do not put copyright protected contents on your apps and store listing.
Do not make apps that having harmful behavior.
If you collect user data make sure you have a well documented privacy policy.
Try to avoid spam words for your app name (like flappy,candy crush, clash of clans etc.. Avoid these words)
Avoid putting ads against their policy
Be clear with the UI. Don't confuse user with UI elements that leads to any kind of promotional contents without proper description.
App approval time may vary according to their job loads and types of app you are submitting, Apps now go through both machine and human verification, usually games get faster approval than apps. Average time I feel is around 4 - 5 hours for initial launch, updates get faster approval.
They give enough time to repair the problems.
App Rejections are easier to get through but App suspension are difficult.
It is hard to win a dispute with Google :)
Especially if you get a copyright issues you can't even pass machine verification and can't argue with algorithms ;)
Now it's much more easier because they have human verification too. They point out most of the problems. Before that it was a total mess. They reply with some pre generated generic replys
Good luck with your venture.
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I'm finding a great many people buy my Android app in the google market and immediately return it for a refund. That works fine with physical goods, but for virtual goods, they have now acquired the app for free!
Has anyone else noticed this fatal flaw in the Google Android market for apps? What other markets are there without this problem?
Peter
Yes you are correct. As per Android Market policies if an user uninstalls the application that he has bought with 24 hrs he is eligible for a full refund. I think this policy might be for the benefit of end users. The user is given access to the app only after he pays for it and unlike physical goods he wont be able to examine it before. He may like or dislike it once he starts using it. But in this case he needs to first uninstall the application so that he can ask for refund.
http://market.android.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=134336
I am sure that not all users will take this approach and as a developer i wont be interested in asking money for my application that an user is not happy of.
You're right, but it isn't a market flaw. I really like this feature 'cause I wouldn't like to buy an app and then discover it's totally useless.
If you're experiencing a lot of users buying and then returning your app, you should probably search for the reason of such a behavior. Probably they don't like your app. If I'm right you might get some feedback at uninstall time why the user did such a step. Analyze this feedback to improve your app!
One special feature of my app is that it delivers the source code to the SD card, on first being run. There is no way to recall that on uninstall. I can probably address most of the situation by not writing the source until 24 hours have passed. (Yes, yes, and checking for the clock being moved forward, if I want to inhibit all the cheaters).
I'm going to withdraw my app from the market, until I can implement this protection. – Peter vdL
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Edit: I voted to close this question as it is off-topic. I asked it when I didn't know any better.
What's your experience distributing Android apps outside of the Android Market?
Which alternative markets an Android developer should consider? Any success/horror stories?
SlideME is worth taking a look at. My app is available on both Google's Market and SlideME. I also provide a plain download link to an APK file for people not interested in "markets".
There also are:
AppsLib http://appslib.com/ (Archos)
AndAppStore http://andappstore.com
Insyde Market http://www.insydemarket.com/
Camangi Market http://www.camangimarket.com
FileDir http://filedir.com (All apps in one place)
And probably some other..
Zedge will promote your app in Zedge Discovery Network. Registering here before the public release might give your app some buzz.
Other popular promotion and app sites: androlib.com, appbrain.com, androidpit.com and getjar.com
I have used AndAppStore and got between 1K-10K downloads for some apps. However, all those apps got much more downloads from the Android Market. I have yet to know an alternate market that produces more downloads than the official one.
AppsLib is interesting because it targets the unofficial Android tablet Archos 5 IT.
I have had decent success on a few of the alternate markets, but the total downloads of all of the alternate markets that I have seen are somewhere around 10% of the downloads on the main market. That doesn't mean that these people can't download from the main market, I just think that people like choices. I think the majority of my SlideMe purchases are from the USA, which surprised me.
I personally think that 10% is worth a little time. I also have faith that I'll eventually make the $100 minimum of SlideMe, but it could be a while.
Then Amazon came out with their app market and that is a game-changer.
Start with these:
Amazon
SlideMe.net
GetJar.net
There are DOZENS of others that I've checked out, and am in the process of blogging about. Start with the three above, however.
In my experience as of March 2013 I have found the following app stores most useful for distribution in terms of maximum downloads:
Samsung
Google Play
SlideMe
I also tried out InMobi App Publish today and did a small review here, it promises to distribute you app to 130+ store globally.
I have found Amazon, GetJar, CNet not to perform so well.