What is the practical method to remove an obsolete app in Google Play so no user accidentally install it?
Years ago I unlisted a few Google Play apps because they were obsolete and are no longer working with the current version of our service.
Still screenshots of these apps appear in Google search results, especially in the image search results.
These results come from third party sites that most likely profit from ads by cloning content from google play store. Example of these sites are apkpure, mobogenie, downloadapk, apkzip, apkgk.
These sites link back to the unlisted app in Google Play making it appear legit.
Google is very clear that you can't delete an app.
Is there a practical method to "delete" the app?
I've considered replacing all images in the Google Play listing with text such as "DO NOT INSTALL".
If you unpublish it, new users can't install it, even if they find it through search results.
Related
I open https://play.google.com/ and make a search by keyword and see my app on 5 positions.
Then I open app Google Play on Android and make search by the same keyword and see my app in 10 positions.
It turns out that each has its own issue? How then do services like appfollow.com track position?
Positioning is based on a lot of factors, including your browsing history, location, language, cache and more... It is normal to have a shift in between web Play Store and app Play Store.
Web Play Store is more reactive, you will see changes more often and before the app (due to the cache system included in the app).
AppFollow uses the Google Play API, which is even wider in possibility when you give them access to your account (specially in ranking) and also some web scraping.
If you want to know more about ASO (App Store Optimization), you might be interest by those links:
https://thetool.io/aso-app-store-optimization (Initially a paid tool, but has very good articles about ASO and its factors)
and also
https://appsamurai.com/app-store-optimization-aso-guide/
I have developed an App and published the same in google play store console. Even after many days the app is not getting listed in play store while searching using App Name.
I have tried searching using the project name. Its shows my app while searching.
It's normal. It need time, interactions and downloads to scale the list.
Don't worry
Please enlarge the image and the answer is there
Yesterday i have uploaded my App on google play console. Today in the console it showing that my app is published. When i click on "show" in Google Play it shows my app. But:
there is no another app showing in suggestion
as well as when i click on my account in google play it shows that the account not found on google play
The issue is that in google console it also not showing statistics of my app.
This is a link to my App but when click on account NightmareSolution it not found on server
As #Muhammad Babar suggested, you need to wait since it may take some days until you see the app in Google Play Store properly. Please check this link for the list of duplicate questions. When you first publish your application, you need to be patient and wait for Google Play to update and process your application.
I have just published my app to Google Play Store but I couldn't seem to search for it in the store and it will only appear when I search by developer name. Every time I search by the name, other apps with similar name tend to appear and my app won't even appear at the bottom. Why wouldn't it even appear at the bottom and how can I make it show?
It can sometimes take a little while for Google's app search index to update, especially for new apps. Give it a few days, if it still doesn't appear contact Google Play developer support.
I want to put my app on google play store but not open to search. I just want to use play store link to give anyone I want. I don't want my app to be listed on any search on play store.
I think you can use the Alpha/Beta program: googleplay support
In general it works as following:
Create an App
Log into the Developer Console and upload an APK. No need to publish it yet.
Check out the ‘Beta’ tab now, which should show this handy message:
Using your developer account (it must be the primary google developer account), create a Google+ Community.
Add your Community to the list of testers by clicking “Manage list of testers” and pasting the Community’s url.
Click again on “Manage list of testers” and there you will find a URL to share with your Community.