I have a very stupid problem. We created an application in Google Play, filled with all required information - translations, screenshots, etc.
Now for testing reasons, we uploaded the first .apk with a different package name (another already existent app).
The question: How can I delete this .apk!?
It seems not to be possible! I only find an option to delete the application, but I guess that this will delete the whole thing, the descriptions, screenshots, etc.
When I try to upload .apk with the correct package name, it says, I can't, because the package name has to be the same.
Thanks
Just read more carefully in future.
Please note that package names for app files are unique and permanent,
so please choose wisely. Package names cannot be deleted or re-used in
the future. Keep in mind that if you've lost your keystore, you'll
have to publish the app with a new package name and a new key. You
should also update the description of the original app and unpublish
it.
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/113469?hl=en
You can Only Unpublish your applications which will make it invisible to the people on google play but it will be still visible to you in the developer console
Related
I'm attempting to upload a build of an Android app to Google Play. I created a new keystore and signed it, but I get this error "You need to use a different package name" when I try to upload it.
I suspect that what happened is that another member of my team did this already but failed to commit their keystore file to version control. The app has never been published before, it is a new app.
I need a quick fix for this -- I won't be able to reach the team member who may have done this for several days. I tried removing the build that had been uploaded, but that didn't help.
Can I delete the entire app from Google Play and start over?
Can I change the package name? I've heard that this will work, but I'm not really sure what it entails. Do I have to actually change the package name of every class in my source code?
Thanks,
Frank
You can delete the application in the following cases
- Published apps or games that haven't been installed on any devices
- Published apps or games that no users are entitled to re-install
from here
also google does not allow uploading an app with a different signature and the same package name. What you can do now is to change the entire package name and this can be done easily in Android studio
More details
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9023647
I lost the keystore of my Android app. The app was only published in the Alpha Track for a limited list of testers. No Production Track yet.
I contacted Google about it and they told me to
unpublish the app, which I did
change the package name, which I did in the Android manifest
In the Alpha track I still see the previous release with the status of fully implemented
After that I did the following
Clicked on Make Release
Clicked on Upload APK
Uploaded the new APK
RESULT: I get the error that I uploaded an APK that has been signed with another certificate than previous APKs.
What am I missing here? Do I need to change the package name somewhere else as well? Or do I also have to change the android:versionCode and android:versionName?
Thanks!
Ok, I found the way to solve this. For anyone who has the same question, here are the steps that you should follow:
Unpublish the app in the Google Play Console
In the store listing tab, change the name of your app
Create a new app
Re-use the same name for that new app by putting it in the store listing form
That's it. Hopefully you don't have too many (or none) users who already downloaded your app. Otherwise you'll have to let them know about the change.
I'm burning my eyelash with this issue.
As everybody know (and I learned it for sure) Android doesn't allow to recover the keystore. So the only option that we have is to generate a new one, as Scoober answer here.
So far so good, but the problem is that we can't replace the actual app inside the play store, for the new one, because this doesn't have the keystore as we know.
So the question is: is it possible to unpublish/remove the app from play store, and upload the new one with the same name and package?
In other words: is it posible, after all the necessary steps, put the app with the same name or package or both?
I know that 3 year ago, it wasn't possible, but now? google and the developers console changed a lot. so maybe it's.
Hope anyone helps.
Thanks in advance.
From this answer:
You can create a new keystore, but the Android Market wont allow you
to upload the apk as an update - worse still, if you try uploading the
apk as a new app it will not allow it either as it knows there is a
'different' version of the same apk already in the market even if you
delete your previous version from the market
Do your absolute best to find that keystore!!
When you find it, email it to yourself so you have a copy on your
gmail that you can go and get in the case you loose it from your hard
drive!
No you will not be able to upload an app to the Play store with the same package, and signed by a different keystore.
You CAN use the same name, for sure not same package.
Same package must always be signed with the same keystore.
I have opened a Google Play developer account 4 days ago and submitted my first app. It has passed over 60 hours since submission; yet the app is nowhere to be found in Google Play. Neither in the search results; nor at the direct link. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lostaliens.crocusgames.lostaliens)
I have opened a ticket to the support and in the mean time resubmitted my APK. (Uploaded to the production, not beta or alpha)
Now I wonder if it is OK to submit the same APK with different package name and display name to Google Play. I just want to see if it will get through. I will unpublish the other one, once one of them actually goes in the market. However, I have no idea if this is against the TOS or something. Obviously, I don't want to be blocked/banned from the market.
I know this is complicated; but as an inexperienced developer; I need all the help I can get.
Thanks in advance.
As per GooglePlay guidelines, you can't upload the same .apk twice without changing either the package name or Version Code.
When you upload a .apk to GooglePlay, it checks whether the corresponding package name already exists in the market or not. If doesn't exist, you can upload it else you can't.If you want to upload a update of the same app, then you have to increment the Version Code in the manifest file and create a signed apk and then upload it.
If you change the package name as you have mentioned, GooglePlay will treat it as a totally different application.So you can upload it without any problem.
for reference
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/113476?hl=en&ref_topic=3450986
This is not a programming question but I feel SO is the right place to put it in.
There is an android app in the market. Our job is to upgrade the app in a huge way. There is so much to change to the point where we decided to start a new project from scratch.
My question is: in order to be able to replace (upgrade) the existing app in the Play store, What should we do? Keep the same package name? or the sign key is enough? or both? or what?
Thanks for your help and sorry if this is not the right place.
You must have both the same package name and the same signature key. Also, if it has any sort of intents/actions that can be launched from other applications, you may want to keep those the same (in case a user has setup a shortcut to them).
Package name is how the Play Store determines one app from another. They have to be unique for each app. You can't change it after you've uploaded the original if you're wanting to upgrade the existing app.
The signing key is how the Play Store verifies that you are the original developer. If you ever lose or change this key you will absolutely not be able to update the original application!
in order to be able to replace (upgrade) the existing app in the Play store, What should we do?
You need both "same package name and the same signing key"
Or if you want to change any of this, You always have option to unpublish your application from Play store.(From developer console you can unpublish it)
and then u can upload a new app.