My Google user is currently on a closed Alpha list for an app X. So
every time I open my Google Play Store I can download the current alpha version of app X.
The problem is: I now have to test the production version of X for a test. How can I "change" the version I'm willing to download? Do I have to remove myself from the "alpha testers" list so that I'm able to download the production version again?
Is there an easier way to just switch the version I want to download? I just can't find a way on my mobile device.
The only way you can switch to the production version is:
- opt-out of receiving the Alpha version from the opt-in page you got sent when you first joined the alpha
Alternative strategies other people use:
- you could use Multiple Android users. https://source.android.com/devices/tech/admin/multi-user
If you have one user on the device which is in alpha, and one which isn't (each with a separate GMail account) then if one user installs the App you will get the Alpha version and if the other user installs the app you won't.
Related
I have a first version 1.0.2 of an app, in the Internal testing section of the Google Play console. I have successfully downloaded the app via the Google Play app in my Android smartphone.
I am now trying to update the app, but in I get the "Your Android App Bundle is signed with the wrong key." error. There are multiple solutions suggested for this error, I am about to embark on them...
In the meantime, I succeeded in uploading a version 1.0.5 of my app to the Pre-registration tab. It is ONLY in that tab and I can't find any way to share it with other tabs, or to download it to the smartphone. I'm not sure this it the best place for it, for the moment I am testing the app myself, I don't have an army of people to release the app to. That version 1.0.5 is listed at the bottom of the Pre-registration page, under App bundles for supported devices.
I don't see how I can transfer that version 1.0.5 to the other tabs of the console and download it. It does not appear when clicking the Add from Library command in other tabs. In Internal Testing there's a Promote Release command to move the releases there to Closed testing, but in Pre-registration I can't find any such command to move the release anywhere else.
We had an app on play store for a while on beta and we didn't go to production. When we finally released production version after a year or so, we had a ton of existing users still on the beta program. We want to move those users to the production version of the app and remove the beta program entirely. How to do this?
I have seen the option of removing the beta testing program. If I do so, what happens to existing users? Do they get the new prod update or they have to download the app manually again? How do I seamlessly transition them to the production version of the app without having them to download the app again/have automatic updates working as is?
my x version is on full rollout on play store but my new users are still downloading the older versions.
Whenever we are uploading any new version on play store, older version automatically deactivate or we need to do it manually?
No, we don't need to deactivate the older versions. It takes sometimes for your new release to be updated in users' Play Store app (sometimes it can take up to several days). It is normal, you do not need to be worried to much. After users download your older version(s), they will be prompted to update your app to newer version soon.
If you only have one version of the application in your release, then that is enough for users to move to the new version.
However, you will often see a few installs of old versions. One is P2P app sharing. Currently ShareIt, Xender and Files Go when they P2P share versions of apps can use Google Play to install them (see the blog post). These will appear in your statistics as installs of old versions, but the users will eventually get updated. The security metadata has an expiry time, so versions older than 3 months will never be installed.
You might also see old versions being installed for users who had an old version and do backup of one phone and restore to a new phone.
I'm currently working on sandboxing some of my applications and it looks like I'll have to get rid of a few features just to satisfy the Mac App Store sandboxing (and other) rules.
Obviously users won't be happy about losing features and I fear they won't blame Apple for making stupid rules and we developers will have to bear the brunt of the anger.
In this vein, I'm thinking about building a system that means that if a user buys the Mac App Store version, s/he'll get the "normal" distribution version for free.
Since I have no idea what the email of the people buying my apps on the Mac App Store is and I don't want to have to handle such cases "by hand", I'd like to find a way of doing so automatically.
I've been thinking about just looking on the hard disk, finding an installed version of the program from the Mac App Store and then unlock the "distribution" version as well.
I'm just not certain whether this doesn't break Mac App Store rules..
is looking for the MAS receipt okay in terms of the MAS rules?
can I verify the MAS receipt using the same mechanism as is embedded in the MAS version of my program?
Is anybody else thinking along these lines?
Best regards,
Frank
I do something like this to enable Mac App Store customers to easily beta test new versions of my app downloaded from my website while still enforcing licensing. Upon startup of the MAS version of my app, I copy its receipt into /Library/Application Support/MyAppName/. Beta versions of the non-MAS version of my app include the same receipt validation code as the MAS version. They look for a receipt in the App Support folder, and validate it, running in licensed-mode if the receipt is valid.
I've been doing this since shortly after the launch of the Mac App Store, as have other developers with no problem. What you describe should be just fine.
I am wondering how to build the follwoing scenario:
- I have one app which can be bought in the Mac App Store
- Because this app cannot use sandboxing which will me soon mandatory, I won't be able to update it in the Mac App Store.
- I want to continue to provide updates to these users but it will be outside MAS updates
- How can I check if the application has been legally acquired ?
Thanks for your help
I do something like this to enable Mac App Store customers to easily beta test new versions of my app downloaded from my website while still enforcing licensing. Upon startup of the MAS version of my app, I copy its receipt into /Library/Application Support/MyAppName/. Beta versions of the non-MAS version of my app include the same receipt validation code as the MAS version. They look for a receipt in the App Support folder, and validate it, running in licensed-mode if the receipt is valid.
I believe that MAS receipts are tied to the machine used to buy/download the app, so your users won't be able to transfer receipts between computers. The way to attack this problem might be to issue regular licenses to users who successfully validate a MAS receipt on at least one machine. There's an opportunity for cheating here, but I don't think it's any different than the weaknesses inherent in whatever licensing scheme you use.