My app is currently on the Google Play Store, but I’m thinking of uploading it to some other stores (like Amazon, Appbrain etc).
Never done this before and this is my first app, so a bit in the dark
My two (related) questions are:
How does one go about keeping track of different versions across the different app markets? I mean do you have to manually upload a new apk to all stores when you push out an update out, or is there a piece of software that would allow me to manage this more easily or even better a service that will help me? (Free preferably).
In a similar vein, do you have to manage actual different apk’s for each app store because my app contains code to take the user to the Play Store for them to rate it. So if they get it from another store, I assume I have to alter the code to take them the the store they downloaded it from? Sounds like a nightmare!
Other stores may not bring u great number of downloads. No need to put so much effort. You can push updates once in 6 months on other stores.
Your life will be too difficult if u have different URL for rate button. You can better not have rate button for other stores. This can be done by detecting if play stores is installed or not. Just Google and u will get the code to detect play store from stack overflow.
Thanks for your reply. I’m not sure I understand fully. If the Play Store is installed that won’t help me determine where it was installed from? Lets say the user has the Play Store installed, but they got the app from the Amazon Store, then I would have a rate-me button that took them to the App’s Play Store listing even though they didn’t get it from there - is that what you mean?
good catch. if device has both amazon and play store installed and you always send users to play store (if it is installed) then users who downloaded from amazon will rate your app on play store.
The best bet will be to ask user from where he/she downloaded the app/game by using a dialog box
Others play store will not allow you to publish the app if your APK contians any Google URL.
I had tried with slideme. I have disabled the rate and share buttons. But Google URL was kept in the code. They detected it and popped me error during publishing process.
May be they have changed their system now. You can try and post your experience back.
You can detect which store was used to install the app and direct users to the appropriate url. I can’t remember exactly how (I’m standing at a bus stop) but later I’ll look it up in my code or on Google.
The tricky bit is knowing what gets returned for the various app markets. I think I check if the returned value contains “samsung”, “amazon” or “androidpit” and direct to the relevant url. If not I use the google play url.
