Within the Android Management API - Managed Play Store, there are collections which can contain specific applications. How are these collections supposed to be used? I felt like the documentation was lacking in this area. I am trying to figure out how these collections work in comparison to putting applications into a policy. With a managed device, is it expected that these collections show up in the device's Play Store?
The Organize apps page lets IT admins organize apps into collections (also called clusters). For example, an IT admin can create an Essentials collection for frequently used apps or an Expenses collection for apps related to tracking expenses, logging travel, etc. Collections are displayed in the Play Store homepage on user's devices.
On user's devices, the Play Store app only displays apps from a collection that are available for the user (or device), which means that if an app is not included in your policy, it will not appear on the user’s device
To integrate IFrame into your console please check this (documentation)[https://developers.google.com/android/management/apps#add_the_iframe_to_your_console]
I try to explain it better:
Firstly, set your playstoremode to WHITELIST
Then, in your policy include all the apps as AVAILABLE or FORCE_INSTALLED which you selected in your cluster (collections)
Related
I am developing Xamarin.Forms application which will be used for Android and iOS. It will have access to full functionality with a paid subscription.
I researched about subscriptions policy for Play Market and App Store and they require to use their in-app billing if an application gives access to some of its functionality only with a subscription.
But if, for example, user buys the subscription in Android app and then wants to use iOS app - what is the best way to handle this? Since subscriptions are created separately on Play Market and App Store side they need to be somehow synced?
That's probably a problem that was solved a ton of times, but I can't find how to do it
This is explicitly allowed on the platforms, e.g., here's an excerpt from Apple's App Review Guidelines:
3.1.3(b) Multiplatform Services: Apps that operate across multiple platforms may allow users to access content, subscriptions, or
features they have acquired in your app on other platforms or your web
site, including consumable items in multi-platform games, provided
those items are also available as in-app purchases within the app.
As to how to do this: Basically you have to have user authentication and a backend that ties a subscription status to a user ID. Also, the backend needs to keep the subscription status up to date by refreshing the subscriptions with the stores (Apple App Store, Google Play Store).
(If you weren't using Xamarin, I'd recommend using RevenueCat for this (disclaimer: I work there), but we don't have a Xamarin SDK so I don't think
that that's a possibility)
The most recent update to my app on Google Play was rejected because the app "contains ad content that is not appropriate for children".
App update rejected
More specifically it was rejected because the app is rated 3+ but it showed an ad for Bigo Live, a social app rated 12+.
Bigo Live ad in the app
I know the solution is to block ads of this kind using MoPub Content Blocking. But the question is, what IAB category does it fall under?
Use Content Blocking in mopub and block this app:
Content blocking at the account level is the one-stop place to apply advertising filters across your account. Here, you can block advertiser URLs, install ads for specific apps, and general ad categories across all the apps in your account. You can always override these account-wide settings at the app level if you want to set unique content filters for individual apps.
Also, if you app is not targeted toward kids you can got to Google Play Console > App Content > Target audience and content > and chose higher target age
In regards to the Android Management API and the managed Google Playstore, is there a GET request to retrieve all of the applications within a collection?
For example, if I have these three applications added to the My Work App collection within the managed Google Play iFrame, is there a GET request to access the applications within this collection? If there is another way to retrieve the collection data please advise.
Currently, there is no way to retrieve all the applications in your app collection. If it is possible for you to share your use case, it may be helpful in finding a solution to your problem.
Just wondering if someone can clear this up for me as its kind of a grey area and not sure what to do.
I have a website that is split into frontend and api and has a subscription service provided by stripe on the api. I am now making apps in ionic for both apple and google stores but Im unsure of how the payments will work on the platforms, ideally i would like to just stick to using stripe but Ive been reading about both stores and this is where I need guidance.
From what I have read it seems to be that I have to use google play billing and apples alternative. Do I have to use these for the apps going into their respective stores or can I continue to use stripe within the apps? As i see it its a multi platform saas. So why cant I just send the card info to my api for charging?(I know theres alot of security involved and its not as trivial as I make it out to be)
Ive been reading conflicting statements from multiple sites and Im just not sure which is correct and the docs on google play billing make no reference to this. Its a multiplatform service so can I just send on the card details to my api
But what I have found is that apple have this
3.1.3(b) Multiplatform Services: Apps that operate across multiple platforms may allow users to access content, subscriptions, or features they have acquired elsewhere, including consumable items in multi-platform games, provided those items are also available as in-app purchases within the app. You must not directly or indirectly target iOS users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase, and your general communications about other purchasing methods must not discourage use of in-app purchase.
Which to me states that I have to use Apple Pay and make no reference to my other payment methods for fear of being refused from the store.
I can't comment for Apple. For Google Play the best place to answer this sort of question is the Developer policy center. In the Monetization and Ads section it says
Developers offering products within another category of app downloaded on Google Play must use Google Play In-app Billing as the method of payment, except for the following cases:
Payment is solely for physical products
Payment is for digital content that may be consumed outside of the app itself (e.g. songs that can be played on other music players).
You should read all of the linked page and decide what category the stuff you are selling falls into.
I want to publish an app witch contains a WebView to my site only
and thats the whole app. Like Mobile Web app but comes from the stores.
Does app store or Play Store allow apps that have a WebView only to my site?
Yes, you can published an app which contains just a WebView of your own website. Please note that according to Google Play Developer Program Policies, it's not allowed to publish apps that provide a WebView of a website you don't own or administer:
Do not post an app where the primary functionality is to:
Provide a webview of a website not owned or administered by you (unless you have permission from the website owner/administrator to do so)
Reference: http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html
According to Apple's App Store Review Guidelines,
apps which are just web views are not allowed:
4.2 Minimum Functionality
Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website. If your app is not particularly useful, unique, or “app-like,” it doesn’t belong on the App Store.
Reference: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#functionality
Yes You can but when you implement webview in your application few things must keep in mind
Webviews and Affiliate Spam
We don’t allow apps whose primary purpose is to drive affiliate traffic to a website or provide a webview of a website without permission from the website owner or administrator.
Here are some examples of common violations:
An app whose primary purpose is to drive referral traffic to a website to receive credit for user sign-ups or purchases on that website.
Apps whose primary purpose is to provide a webview of a website without permission:
Google play Developer Policy Center link