Free Google Play license

Informatix

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I'd like to offer a free license to some people (friends, translators, journalists, etc.) for an app currently on Google Play. It seems it's not possible to do that with the dev console so I'm a bit stuck. If I distribute a modified copy with no license check, the user won't be able to update the app via Google Play and I take the risk to see this copy freely downloadable somewhere someday. How did/would you solve such an issue?
 
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canalrun

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Informatix said:
Maybe I could do that with a price = 0.0 to generate a license, but how do I control the list of allowed beta-testers?
Click to expand...

I was looking into this topic recently in the context of providing versions that could be used by reviewers. I Googled and found that this is a sore point with Google Play; people have been requesting this feature.

The IOS App Store allows something like this, but I did not find any solutions for Google Play.

If you discover something, please share. I am sure there is a lot of interest in something like this.

Barry.
 

thedesolatesoul

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Informatix said:
Maybe I could do that with a price = 0.0 to generate a license, but how do I control the list of allowed beta-testers?
Click to expand...
You have to create a google group (or google+ community). Then your Dev Console will generate a link. Provide that link to your users, they will have to join the community first and then they can download the app (which is going to be listed in the BETA TESTING section of APK).
 

Informatix

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The first time, I didn't notice the new button after uploading the APK in the Beta-Test section.
I understand now how to do:
- I register the email address of the user in my Google group
- I send an email to the user with the opt-in URL (that could be the welcome msg of the group)
- He opens the opt-in dialog (I have to warn him not to take the displayed text into account)
- He clicks on the button to become a tester
- He goes to Google Play and can download the app
I'm a bit worried to have to maintain a different version (one more) and by the fact the user is considered as a tester.
 
C

CidTek

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I don't use the Play store so I'm not familiar with it, but can you offer a 100% discount coupon code? Better yet if the store allowed a limited number of uses of the coupon to prevent it getting out in the wild.
 

Informatix

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No, there's no promo code or discount coupon code. So my only option is to do a "free app day", i.e. a day where the app will have a price set to zero (if Google allows to do that). Friends and family will have to download our app this special day. For translators and reviewers, I will have to provide a special version.
And I'm looking how the other markets work. The solution is maybe elsewhere.
 
C

CidTek

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If you don't mind hosting your own site which is easy and cheap these days, you could always create your own market and keep it away from search spiders through proper use of nolink and nofollow metatags. Also add a password to the download folder.
 

Informatix

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CidTek said:
If you don't mind hosting your own site which is easy and cheap these days, you could always create your own market and keep it away from search spiders through proper use of nolink and nofollow metatags. Also add a password to the download folder.
Click to expand...
Too much work. That implies to create a license manager on the server and on the device. I prefer to use the existing tools.
Apple offers everything needed for a basic marketing of your app. Why not Google?
 

canalrun

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Informatix said:
No, there's no promo code or discount coupon code. So my only option is to do a "free app day", i.e. a day where the app will have a price set to zero (if Google allows to do that)...
Click to expand...

I once resorted to sending personal e-mails and refunding the purchase price via PayPal. I have not seen any way to generate coupons or promo codes. If I send the refund via Google Merchant, I believe the user will be taken off Google's "paid for application list" and won't be notified of updates. From what I have seen if you set the price to "Free" you can no longer make it a "Paid" app (I have only used Free during initial upload, though).

Barry.
 

Informatix

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Informatix said:
a day where the app will have a price set to zero (if Google allows to do that).
Click to expand...

I just checked and Google does not allow to set the price to zero (all currencies have a minimum, it's 0.50 for euros). If I summarize: I cannot install my own app on my phone, I cannot delete it once published, I cannot offer it to anyone... Really amazing!
 
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