Android Question Need some experience with releasing an app in Google Play

[schimanski]

Hello!

I need some help with releasing my app in Google Play. My primary idea was it to release my app first for free, so that users could test and check the app for a while. Later i wanted to make it to a payable app. But the problem is, that an app, which is once for free, it could not set later to a payment app. So my first question: If I delete the whole app out of Google Play, is it possible to upload a new payment one with the same package name as the old free version?

If this is not possible, my second idea is to make a free and a payment version of my app. But my app uses the google cloud messaging (gcm)-service and i know, that an gcm-ID is, among other things, created out of the package name. If a user gets first the free version with packagename 1 and later the pro version with packagename 2, he gets another gcm-ID. Is there a way to avoid these circumstances?

I'm not sure, how to make it right. The problem of my app is, that it is not easy to administrate the app, so i don't want, that someone pays for the app, but can't use it later....

 

[lemonisdead]

Hello,

Could a solution be the Android In-App Purchase ? After some days of tests, the app could stop running till the user buys an extension. And you won't have to change any package name
Hope this could help

 

[schimanski]

Good idea! Thanks for this solution. I will try it...

 

[schimanski]

One more question:

I can't find something about the package name in Google Play. Has the package name to be unique or is it possible to release more than one app with the same package name? For example, my app exists in a holo-light and a holo-dark design. If i could lauch both designes with the same package in google play, the user can switch between the two versions without doing any administrativ work...

Thanks for help...

 

[WAZUMBi]

You cannot release an app with the same package name under the same developer account.

Maybe:

my.app and my.app.pro

 

[schimanski]

O.k, thanks for answer...

 

[DonManfred]

You cannot release an app with the same package name under the same developer account.

Maybe:

my.app and my.app.pro

You cannot release an app with the Same packagename! IT does Not matter even if they Are from two different developers. Packagenames must be unique

 

[Computersmith64]

One more question:

I can't find something about the package name in Google Play. Has the package name to be unique or is it possible to release more than one app with the same package name? For example, my app exists in a holo-light and a holo-dark design. If i could lauch both designes with the same package in google play, the user can switch between the two versions without doing any administrativ work...

Thanks for help...

If you are using different themes, but the app is the same, then you shouldn't really release it as 2 different apps. You should have both themes available in a single app & provide the user with a means of selecting the theme they want.

- Colin.

 

[schimanski]

Thanks for answer, but it is not possible to let the user select the theme, because the holo-themes are set in the manifest and the manifest can't change at runtime...

 

[Computersmith64]

Thanks for answer, but it is not possible to let the user select the theme, because the holo-themes are set in the manifest and the manifest can't change at runtime...

Well according to a quick search I did on Google, you can change the theme at run-time (although it might not be possible using B4A), plus you might want to look at this as a possible workaround -> http://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/change-theme-via-code-transparent-bars.40787/#post-256277

 

[schimanski]

Yes, that is something what i'm looking for. I will try it for my app. Thanks...