- SIGN UP
If you've got a great app for education, be -part of Google Play for Education to reach even more teachers and students. It's -easy to participate, and you'll be able to offer new or existing Android apps -using familiar tools and processes in Google Play.
- -To get started, review the sections in this document and learn how to make -your apps available through Google Play for Education. Also make sure to read Guidelines for -Apps for information on the safety, usability, and quality standards that -your apps should meet. When your app is ready, you can opt-in to Google Play for -Education from the Developer Console.
- -Note that Google Play for Education is currently available to schools in the -United States only, with support for schools in other -countries to follow. At this time, please include your app in Google Play for -Education only if it is targeting the US K-12 market.
- - -How to Participate
- - - -Google Play for Education is a great way to put your educational apps in front of a -new audience of teachers and students. You can develop and publish using -familiar tools and processes, such as your existing Developer Console account -and your current distribution and pricing settings. It's easy to participate -— the sections below outline the process.
- -1. Understand guidelines and policies
- -To prepare for a successful launch on Google Play for Education, start by -reviewing the guidelines for educational apps in Google Play and the policies -that apply to your apps. See Guidelines for -Apps for details.
- -Also, make sure that your are familiar with the policies that your app must -comply with, including -content -policies, the developer agreement, and Google Play for Education Addendum.
- -2. Design and develop a great app for education
- -A great app for educators and students is designed for classroom use, looks -great on tablets, and delivers a compelling feature set for teachers and -students. If you are developing an app for education, make sure that it is -appropriate for K-12 classrooms, offers educational value, and is refined to -offer a polished, high-quality tablet experience.
- -Assess your app against the criteria listed in Guidelines for -Apps and plan on supporting them to the greatest extent possible. In some -cases you might need to modify your features or UI to support the requirements -of the classroom use-case. It's a good idea to identify those areas early in -development so that you are able address them properly.
- -With Google Play for Education, optimizing your app for tablets is a crucial -part of getting your app ready for distribution to educators. A variety of -resources are available to help you understand what you need to optimize for -tablets — a good starting point is the Tablet App Quality -Guidelines.
- -- Throughout design and development, it's important to have suitable devices - on which to prototype and test your user experience. It's highly recommended - that you acquire 7-inch and 10-inch tablet devices and set up - your testing environment as early as possible. The recommended 7-inch - hardware device that replicates the Google Play for Education environment is - the Nexus 7, which is available from Google Play and other stores. -
- -Proper testing and quality assurance are key aspects of delivering a great -app for teachers and students. Make sure you set up a -proper test environment to ensure that your app meets guidelines under -realistic conditions.
- -3. Opt-in to Google Play for Education and publish
- -Before you opt-in
-To participate in Google Play for Education, you must agree to a Google Play for Education Addendum -to the standard Developer Distribution Agreement.
- -Before you opt-in, review the Addendum completely and make any necessary -modifications to your app.
+Steps to Join
+ ++ If you've got great apps for education and want to reach even more teachers + and students, you can join the Google Play for Education + program in a few simple steps. You do everything using the familiar tools and + processes in Google Play. +
+ ++ Note that Google Play for Education is currently available to K-12 + schools in the United States only. +
+ ++ Register for a Publisher Account +
+ +Once you've built your release-ready APK and tested to ensure that it meets -the app guidelines, -upload it to the Developer Console, create your store listing, and set -distribution options. If you aren't familiar with how to prepare for launch on -Google Play, see the Launch Checklist.
- -When your app is ready to publish, you can opt-in to Google Play for -Education directly from the Developer Console. Opt-in means that you want your app to be -made available to educators through Google Play for Education, including review, -classification, and approval by our third-party educator network. Note that -opt-in does not affect the availability of your app in Google Play Store.
- -Opt-in also confirms that your app complies with Google Play Developer Program -Policies and the Developer Distribution Agreement, -including a Google Play for Education -Addendum. If you are not familiar with these policy documents or the -Addendum, make sure to read them before opting-in.
- -Here's how to opt-in to Google Play for Education for a specific app:
++ If you’re new to Google Play, review the information on getting started with + publishing on Google Play. You’ll gain access to the Developer + Console, where you’ll manage your details, apps, and payments. +
+ ++ Prepare Your Apps +
+ ++
+ By participating in Google Play for Education you’ll be placing your apps + before a new audience of teachers and educators. To address this audience, + there are specific guidelines and policies your apps should meet and specific + design considerations too. +
+ ++ Understand guidelines and policies +
+ ++ To prepare for a launch on Google Play for Education, start by reviewing the + guidelines for educational apps in Google Play and the policies that apply to + your apps. See the Education + Guidelines for details. +
+ ++ Also, make sure that you're familiar with the policies that your app must + comply with, including content + policies, the Developer + Distribution Agreement, and + Google Play for Education Addendum. +
+ ++ Design and develop a great app for education +
+ ++ Great apps for educators and students offer educational + value, are designed for K-12 classroom use, + deliver a compelling feature set, and are refined to offer a + polished, high-quality tablet experience. +
+ ++ Assess your app against the criteria listed in the Education + Guidelines and plan on supporting them to the greatest extent possible. + In some cases you might need to modify the app’s features or UI to support + classroom requirements. It's a good idea to identify any changes early in + development, so that you can address them properly. +
+ ++ With Google Play for Education, optimizing your apps for tablets is crucial. + A variety of resources are available to help you understand what you need to + do — a good starting point is the Tablet App Quality + guidelines. +
+ ++ Throughout design and development, it's important to have suitable devices on + which to prototype and test your user experience. It's recommended highly + that you acquire 7-inch and 10-inch tablet devices and set up your testing + environment as early as possible. The recommended 7-inch hardware device that + replicates the Google Play for Education environment is the Nexus 7, which is + available from Google + Play and other stores. +
+ ++ Comprehensive testing and quality assurance are key aspects of delivering + great apps for teachers and students. Make sure you set up a proper + test environment to, ensure that your apps meet the guidelines under + realistic conditions. +
+ ++ Publish Your Apps +
+ ++
+ Once you have designed, built, and tested your apps, you take two steps to + publish them: +
+ +-
+
- Before you opt-in any apps, agree to the Google Play for Education Addendum. Ensure you + review the Addendum completely and make any necessary modifications to your + apps. + + +
- Publish your apps in the Developer Console as normal, but opt-in to + Google Play for Education. + +
+ Opt-in to Google Play for Education and publish +
+ ++ Once you've built your release-ready APK upload it to the Developer Console, + create your store listing, and set distribution options. If you aren't + familiar with preparing for launch on Google Play, see the Launch Checklist. +
+ ++ When your apps are ready to publish, you opt-in to Google Play for + Education directly from the Developer Console. Opt-in means + that you want your apps to be made available to educators through Google Play + for Education, including review, classification, and approval by our + third-party educator network. Note that opt-in doesn’t affect the + availability of your app in Google Play Store. +
+ ++ Opt-in also confirms that your app complies with Google Play Developer Program Policies and the Developer Distribution Agreement, including a Google Play for Education Addendum. If you are not + familiar with these policy documents or the Addendum, make sure to read them + before opting-in. +
+ ++ Here's how to opt-in to Google Play for Education for a specific app: +
-
-
- In the Developer Console All Applications page, click the app you want to -opt-in. -
- Under Pricing and Distribution, scroll down to find "Google Play for -Education" and the opt-in checkbox. -
- Click the checkbox next to "Include this application in Google Play for -Education." -
- In the first dialog that appears, review the content policies and guidelines - and click "Continue" if your app meets the the policies and guidelines. -
- In next dialog that appears, shown below, find the "Ads" and "In-app purchases" radio - buttons. Check each option that applies. Your app's use of ads or in-app purchases will -be shown to educators when they are browsing your app. -
- Click "Save" to save your Pricing and Distribution changes. +
- In the Developer Console All Applications page, click + the app you want to opt-in. + + +
- Under Pricing and Distribution, scroll down to find Google Play + for Education and the opt-in checkbox. + + +
- Click the checkbox next to Include my app in Google Play for + Education... + + +
- In the first dialog that appears, review the content policies and + guidelines and click Continue if your app meets the the + policies and guidelines. + + +
- In the next dialog that appears, shown below, find the + Ads and In-app purchases radio buttons. + Check each option that applies. Your app's use of ads or in-app purchases + will be shown to educators when they are browsing your app. + + +
- Click Savef to save your Pricing and Distribution + changes. +
Once you save changes and publish your app, the app will be submitted to our -third-party educator network for review and approval. If the app is already -published, it will be submitted for review as soon as you opt-in and save your -changes.
- -Note: Google Play for Education is part of -Google Play. When you publish an app that's opted-in to Google Play for -Education, the app becomes available to users in Google Play right away. After -the app is reviewed and approved, it then becomes available to educators in -Google Play for Education.
- -4. Track your review and approval
- -Google Play for Education provides content to educators in a way that's -properly organized by subject, grade level, and common core standards (where -applicable). To ensure high educational value and proper classification, we work -with a third-party educator network to review and approve apps before making -them discoverable through the Google Play for Education browsing tools.
- -Our third-party educator network will evaluate apps according to educational -value and alignment with K-12 core standards, then assign the metadata for -subject, grade level, and core curriculum that makes them easily browsable for -educators. To understand how your apps will be evaluated, please see the Guidelines for -Apps document.
- -As soon as you opt-in to Google Play for Education and publish, your app is -queued for review by our third-party educator network. The review and approval -process can take four weeks or more. You'll receive notification -by email (to your developer account address) when the review is complete, with a -summary of the review results.
- -At any time, you can check the review and approval status of your app in the -Developer Console, under -"Google Play for Education" in the app's Pricing and -Distribution page. There are three approval states:
++ Once you save changes and publish your app, the app will be submitted to our + third-party educator network for review and approval. If the app is already + published, it will be submitted for review as soon as you opt-in and save + your changes. +
+ ++ Note: Google Play for Education is part of Google Play. When + you publish an app that's opted-in to Google Play for Education, the app + becomes available to users in Google Play right away. After the app is + review + and approval, it then becomes available to educators in Google Play for + Education. +
+ ++ Track your review and approval +
+ ++ As soon as you opt-in to Google Play for Education and publish, your apps are + queued for review by our third-party educator network. The review and + approval process can take four weeks or more. You'll receive notification by + email (to your developer account address) when the review is complete, with a + summary of the review results. +
+ ++ At any time, you can check the review and approval status of your app in the + Developer Console, under "Google Play for Education" in the app's Pricing and + Distribution page. There are three approval states: +
-
-
- Pending — Your app was sent for review and the review -is not yet complete. -
- Approved — Your app was reviewed and approved. The app -will be made available directly to educators through Google Play for Education. -Once your app is approved, you can update it at your convenience without needing -another full review. -
- Not approved — Your app was reviewed and not approved. -Check the notification email for information about why the app was not approved. -You can address any issues and opt-in again for another review. +
- + Pending — Your app was sent for review and the review isn't + yet complete. + + +
- + Approved — Your app was reviewed and approved. The app will + be made available directly to educators through Google Play for Education. + Once your app is approved, you can update it at your convenience without + needing another full review. + + +
- + Not approved — Your app was reviewed and not approved. Check + the notification email send for information about why the app wasn’t + approved. You can address any issues and opt-in again for another review. +
Related Resources
+
If you have questions about the review status of your app, follow the process -discussed in the next section.
- -5. Get support or appeal your review results
+FOR DEVELOPERS
-After your app is reviewed you'll receive an email giving you the -results, including information on whether the app was approved and -what issues may need to be addressed. You'll receive the email at the address -you specified for your developer account.
+ -If your app has issues that need to be addressed, make the necessary -adjustments, upload your app, and then resubmit the app to Google Play for -Education through the Developer Console using process described above. Your app -will be queued for review and you'll receive the review results by email just -as before.
+FOR EDUCATORS
+ ++ The premier store for distributing Android apps and games, with global reach + and tools to + help you gain traction in the marketplace. +
+ +Overview
+ + + +Google Play for Education
+ + + +Related resources
+ + + + +In This Document
--
-
- Content and Maturity -
- Context and Behavior -
- Disclosure -
- Impersonation of System UI -
- Adwalls and Interstitial Ads -
- Interference with Apps and Third-Party Ads -
More Resources
- -- Google Play policies guide how you can use ads in your apps, to help ensure - the best experience for users visiting and downloading apps from the store. -
- -- In general, for the purposes of policy, the content of ads displayed by your - app is considered part of your app. As an app developer, it is your - responsibility to ensure that the content, context, and behavior of ads in - your apps conforms to Google Play policies. -
- -- Before you publish, make sure you understand Google Play ad policies and how - to display ads in conformance with those policies. The sections below - highlight best practices and common examples to help you avoid the most - common types of policy violations. -
- -- For more information about Google Play policies that apply to your apps and - content, please see the Developer Program Policies and Developer Distribution Agreement. -
- - -Content and Maturity
- -- From a policy perspective, ads shown in your app are part of your content - and your app is responsible for any violations. If an ad shown in your app - violates Google Play policies, your app may be suspended or your developer - account terminated. -
- -- For this reason, it's important for you to be be aware of what ads will be - displayed in your app and to manage the ads content according to Google Play - policies. Here are some guidelines: -
- --
-
- - Ads must not violate Content Policy—Ads in - your app must not violate the terms of Google Play’s Content Policy, - including those concerning illegal activities, violence, sexually - explicit content, or privacy violations. - -
- - Ads maturity must be consistent with your app's - maturity—Content shown in your ads must be consistent - with the app’s maturity rating in Google Play. Especially, ads content - should never exceed your app's maturity rating, even if the ads content - by itself complies with general policies. - -
- In the example at right, the app's maturity rating is set to - "Everyone", which is the lowest maturity level on Google Play. By choosing - the "Everyone" maturity level, the developer is declaring that all of the - content in the app, including ads, is suitable for all users - regardless of age. -
- -- The example app violates Google Play policies by displaying ad content with a - higher maturity level—ad content showing gambling, profanity, user - location, suggestive content, or content from another app with higher - maturity exceeds the "Everyone" maturity rating. Because the ad's - maturity is higher than the app's maturity level, the app itself is in - violation of policy. To correct the problem, the developer must either - restrict ads content to "Everyone" level or raise the app's maturity rating. -
- -- For detailed information about how to choose the appropriate maturity level - for your app, or to assess the maturity requirement of ads in your app, see - Rating your application content for Google Play. -
- - -Context and Behavior
- -- If your app displays ads, it should do so in ways that do not interrupt users, - mislead them into clicking on ads, or make changes outside the app without - the user's knowledge or consent. Here are some guidelines: -
- --
-
- - Display your ads within your UI—If possible, - display ads only within your app's UI. This leads to a better user - experience and helps avoid policy violations - - -
- - Don't make changes outside of the app without consent - —Ads must not make changes outside of the app without the user's - full knowledge and consent. - - -
-
- --Ads through system-level notifications- --- Changes outside the app must be reversible—If an - ad makes changes outside the app as described above, the changes (and - origin app) must be evident and easily reversible. For example, the user - must be able to locate and reverse the changes by adjusting settings, - changing ad preferences in the app, or uninstalling the app altogether. -Notification that's part of the app's feature set- -
-
-
- - Notification ads are prohibited—Your app - should not create system-level notifications - containing ads unless the notifications are part of the explicit - feature set of the app. - - -
- - Don't add shortcuts, bookmarks, or icons—Your app - and its ads must not add homescreen shortcuts, browser bookmarks, or icons - on the user's device as a service to third parties or for advertising - purposes. - -
- Above right is an example notification ad that violates ad policy by - providing ads through system level notification. -
-- Below right, the notification ad complies with policy because the - nature of the notification is part of the explicit feature set of the app, - and it also provides attribution of the origin app. -
- -Disclosure of Ads to Users
- -- It's important to sufficiently disclose to users how your app will use ads. - You must make it easy for users to understand what ads will be shown in your - app, where they will be shown, and what the associated behaviors are, if any. - Further, you should ask for user consent and provide options for managing ads - or opt-out. Here are some guidelines: -
- --
-
- - Tell users about your ads—Create a simple, - complete disclosure that tells users how your app uses ads, where the ads - are shown, and how they can manage ad options. Take common-sense steps to - make the disclosure as clear as possible. - - -
-
- --Disclosure in Terms- --- Make sure users know—Present your ads disclosure - is an easy-to-see location, rather than hiding it where users are not - likely to find it. -Disclosure is hidden- -
-
-
- - Ask for consent (opt-in) at launch—Where possible, - include your ads disclosure in the app description as well as in an Ads - Terms, End User License Agreement (EULA), or similar document. Display the - terms at first launch and ask for the user's consent before continuing to - the app. - -
- A recommended approach is to provide an ads disclosure in an End-User License - Agreement (EULA). The disclosure should be clear and succinct and displayed - in a modal dialog that asks the user to agree to the terms before using the - app. -
- -- Above left is an example of ads disclosure that is hidden in a long EULA. The - disclosure information itself is not clearly indicated in the document text - and it's not visible unless the user happens to scroll down far enough in the - EULA. -
-- Above right shows an approach that presents the disclosure in an obvious - and clear manner in a EULA and a dedicated Terms agreement. -
- - -Impersonation of System UI
- - - - - - - - -- Ads must not simulate or impersonate the user interface of any app, or - notification and warning elements of an operating system. Your app must not - display any ad that attempts to impersonate or represent a - system function or UI component. If such an ad is displayed in your app, your - app will be in violation of policy and subject to suspension. Here are some - guidelines: -
- --
-
- - No fake app UI notifications—Ads should not impersonate - the interface of an application for advertising purposes. - -
- - No fake system dialogs or warnings—Any ad that - presents itself as a system dialog or warning and asks for user input is in - violation of Google Play policies. - - -
- - No fake app updates—Ads should not impersonate - system UI for app updates. - -
- Above are examples of impersonations — a pop-up ad that impersonates a - system dialog, an ad that impersonates a system warning, and an ad that impersonates - an application UI. All of these are in violation of policy. -
- - -Adwalls and Interstitial Ads
- -- If your app uses adwalls to drive affiliate traffic, those adwalls must not - force the user to click on ads or submit personal information for advertising - purposes before using the app. -
- -- Forcing a user action in an adwall is not only a poor user experience, it is - a violation of Google Play policies. -
- -- For this reason, all adwalls must give the user the option to - cancel or otherwise dismiss the ad without penalty. Interstitial ads - may only be displayed inside of the app they came with. Forcing the user to - click on ads or submit personal information for advertising purposes in order - to fully use an app is prohibited. -
- -- At left is an example of an app that requires the user to click through the - ad to fully use the app. This is a violation of policy. -
- -- The center example demonstrates an adequate option to let the user dismiss - the ad wall easily by cancelling. This is not a violation of policy. -
- -- At right is an example of an interstitial, modal ad that is displayed outside - of the app. This is a violation of policy. -
- -Interfering with Apps and Third-Party Ads
- -- Ads associated with your app must not interfere with other - apps or their ads. -
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/policies/index.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/policies/index.jd deleted file mode 100644 index fb46055..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/policies/index.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,59 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Google Play Policies and Guidelines -page.metaDescription=Guidelines and tips for creating apps that comply with Google Play content and distribution policies. -@jd:body - -- Before publishing your apps on Google Play, take a few minutes to read and - understand the content and distribution policies that apply to all apps - in the store. These policies help to keep Android and Google Play an enjoyable - and trusted platform for content consumers and developers alike. -
- -- The documents below highlight important policy areas and provide tips to help - you create policy-compliant apps. You'll also find examples and guidance on common - policy questions that can help your app stay clear of practices that can result in - low ratings or even suspensions from the store. -
- -- For complete information about Google Play policies, please see the full - Developer Program Policies and Developer Distribution Agreement documents. -
- -- Spam -
-- Make sure that your app does not present content that is unwanted, - deceptive, repetitive, or unrelated to the core function of the app. -
Learn more » -- Intellectual Property -
-- Tips and examples of how to use intelletual property (IP) properly, - including when to ask permission to use someone else's copyright or - trademark. -
Learn more » -- Ads -
-- Make sure that the ads displayed in your app follow the Google Play Content - Policy and meet the maturity rating that you have selected for your app. -
Learn more » -In This Document
- - -More Resources
- -- Google Play policies protect your intellectual property (IP) as well as that - of other app developers and content creators in the store. The policies and - their enforcements help ensure proper use of copyright, trademarks, and - developer identity in Google Play. -
- -- As an app developer, these IP policies benefit you. At the same time, it's - your responsibility to ensure that your app does not violate the IP of other - developers or content creators. Violations of IP-related policy may result in - suspension of your apps from the store and termination of your developer - account. -
- -- This document introduces several key areas of IP-related policy that you - should understand before publishing on Google Play. In each area you'll find - best practices and examples to help you avoid common types of mistakes and - violations. -
- -- For more information about Google Play policies that apply to your apps and - content, please see the Developer Program Policies and Developer Distribution Agreement. -
- - - -Copyright Infringement
- -- Copyright is the legal right granted to an author or creator for a literary, - dramatic or artistic piece of work. As soon as you create an original piece - of work and fix it in a tangible medium, the work is automatically protected - by copyright law and you are the owner of the copyright. Likewise, when other - people create content, they may own the copyrights for those works. -
- - -How to report infringements
-If you feel your copyright is being infringed, you may file a Digital Millenium - Copyright Act (DMCA) request. Please see copyright procedures for more information.
-- Copyright infringement is an improper or unauthorized use of a copyrighted - work. If you publish an app in Google Play that uses another party's copyrighted - works improperly or without permission, your apps can be suspended and your - developer account terminated. -
- -- As you design your app and prepare for publishing, make sure to review Google - Play policies and analyze all of your content. If your app uses or links to - another party's original work, make sure that your app is not infringing on - copyright. Not all uses of another party’s work are infringements on - copyright, and the rules vary by country and can be complex. -
- -- If you are unsure whether your use of another party's work infringes on a - copyright, consider getting legal advice before publishing, or simply request - permission to use the work from the copyright owner. -
- -- Here are some guidelines to help you avoid copyright infringement policy - violations: -
- --
-
- - Respect copyright laws—Do not let your app infringe - on the copyrights of others. That includes linking to other apps or web - sites that contain obviously infringing material (please refer to the Spam in WebViews guidelines), and using icons or images that are obvious infringements. - - -
- - Know your app's content—Before you publish, look - for content that may be protected by trademark or copyright in your app - and get legal advice if necessary. Protected work could typically include - product names, brands, images, music, and similar works. - - -
- - Create original work—If you’re not sure whether - something will violate another party's copyright, the safest approach is to - create something that's completely original, such as images or audio - that you’ve created yourself. When you create your own original content, - you rarely have to worry about infringing on existing copyright. - - -
- - Ask permission to use copyrighted work—If you want - to use another party's copyrighted work in your app, you should ask for - permission from the work's creator or copyright owner and include - appropriate copyright attribution. - -
- A common misunderstanding is believing that your app may use copyrighted - content without permission, provided that you clearly indicate that your app - is not the "official" app that readers may be familiar with. That is not the - case. Even if you let users know that your app is "unofficial", it still - violates Google Play policies if it uses or links to copyrighted content - without permission. Also, this type of "unofficial" app may violate impersonation policies. -
- -- The example app below shows an app that uses screenshots/images of known - artists without their authorization and lists popular songs. The combination - of these may induce users to download music ringtones that infringe on - copyright. This is a violation of Google Play policy. -
- -Impersonation
- -- Impersonation is when an app attempts to imply a relationship to another app - or developer, where no relationship actually exists. -
- -- For example, if your app displays the brand, icon, or title from another app - in order to get to users to download your app, you are leading users to - believe that your app is developed by the same entity as the other app and - offers similar content or experience. This is an impersonation of the other - app and developer, and it is a violation of Google Play policy. If you - publish apps that violate impersonation policies, your apps can be suspended - and your developer account terminated. -
- -- No matter what type of app you offer or what your motivation, don’t try to - imply an endorsement or relationship to another company or product where none - exists. Don’t try to establish your app as the "official" version of another - party's work by prominently featuring their brand names or trademarks in your - app title or description. -
- -- Even if your app description states that your app is an "unofficial" version, - the use of the other app's branding, trademarks, and other content still can - violate policy by presenting content that isn’t yours. -
- -- Here are some guidelines: -
- --
-
- - Don't pretend to be someone else— Don't represent - that your content is produced by another company or organization if that is - not the case. - - -
- - Don't support infringing sites or apps— Don't divert - users or provide links to any other site that mimics Google Play or - represents itself as another application or service. - - -
- - Don't use another app's branding— Don’t try to pass - off your app as the official version of someone else’s property by using a - person or entity (or brand) name in your app title or description. - -
- Below is an example of an "unofficial" app that violates Google Play policy - by impersonating another company and an existing product. Specifically: -
- --
-
- The example app has a name and icon that appear to be impersonating an - existing product. - - -
- The example developer name implies an endorsement or relationship to - another company and their products where none exists. - -
Trademark Infringement
- -- A trademark is a brand that uniquely identifies a product and distinguishes - it from other products. It can be a word, name, symbol, or combination of - those that is intended to identify the source of the product. A trademark is - specifically acquired by a company or other entity through a legal process - and once acquired gives the owner exclusive rights to the trademark usage. -
- -How to report infringements
-If you feel your trademark is being infringed, you can request a content review. -See Removing content from Google for more information.
-- Trademark infringement is improper or unauthorized use of a trademark. Google - Play policies prohibit apps that infringe trademarks. If you publish apps in - Google Play that use another party's trademarks, your apps can be suspended - and your developer account terminated. -
- -- As you design your app and prepare for publishing, make sure to review Google - Play policies and analyze all of your content. If your app uses a trademark - not owned by you, or if you are not sure whether a brand is a trademark, you - should get legal advice before publishing. As with copyright, the rules vary - by country and can be complex. -
- -- Here are some guidelines for avoiding trademark infringement policy - violations: -
- --
-
- - Understand and follow trademark laws—Don't let your - app infringe on the trademarks of others. - - -
- - Know your app's content—Before you publish, look for - brands and potential trademarks used in your app and store listing and get - legal advice if necessary. - - -
- - Use a distinct name—Don't give your app a name that - is confusingly similar to another company's trademark. - - -
- - Don't use trademarks to imply a relationship—Don't - describe your app using another company's trademarks in a way that implies - an endorsement by or affiliation with the other company. - - -
- - Use a distinct app icon and logo—Don't use a - modified version of another company’s trademarked logo. - -
- A common misunderstanding is believing that your app may use a brand or - trademark without permission, provided you clearly indicate that the app is - not the "official" or original app. That is not the case. Even if you let - users know that your app is "unofficial", it still violates Google Play - policies if it uses another party's trademarks. Also, this type of - "unofficial" app may violate impersonation - policies. -
- -- Below is an example app that violates Google Play policies by infringing on - another party's trademarks. Specifically: -
- --
-
- The example app name is confusingly similar to another party's trademark. -
- The example app icon is a modified version of a another party's logo. -
DDA 4.4 Prohibited Actions
- -- When you publish an app on Google Play, you agree to the terms of the - Developer Distribution Agreement (DDA). Section 4.4 of the DDA prohibits certain - types of actions on your part. For reference, you agree that you will not - engage in any activity with the Market, including the development or - distribution of Products, that interferes with, disrupts, damages, or - accesses in an unauthorized manner the devices, servers, networks, or other - properties or services of any third party including, but not limited to, - Android users, Google or any mobile network operator. -
- -- For details, please refer to the complete Developer Distribution Agreement. -
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/policies/spam.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/policies/spam.jd deleted file mode 100644 index f4d303c..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/policies/spam.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,421 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Spam -@jd:body - -In This Document
--
-
- Spam in App Title and Description -
- Spam in Ratings and Reviews -
- Spam in WebViews -
- Spam from Wizards -
- Spam in Messaging -
More Resources
- -- Google Play policies prohibit spam, to help ensure the best experience for - Android users. Please do not publish deceptive, repetitive, or irrelevant - content on Google Play. Not only will it lower your app's rating and cause - negative reviews, it can result in your app being suspended or your developer - account terminated. -
- -- As an app developer, it is your responsibility to ensure that your apps are - free from spam and conform to the Google Play policies highlighted in this - document. Before you publish, make sure that you understand what is - considered spam on Google Play and check your apps for violations, even those - that might be inadvertent. The sections below highlight best practices and - common spam examples to help you avoid the most common types of policy - violations. -
- -- For more information about Google Play policies that apply to your apps and - content, please see the Developer Program Policies and Developer Distribution Agreement. -
- - -Spam in App Title and Description
- -- When you publish an app on Google Play, you should pay special attention to - the app's title and description in its store listing. Those fields are - important because they make your app recognizable to users, and they help to - drive downloads by highlighting what's great about your app. A memorable - title and compelling description are essential to effective marketing, but - you should realize that these must follow Google Play policies, just as your - app content must do. -
- -- Many developers unknowingly violate spam policy in their app titles and - descriptions in ways that are easy to avoid. In general, you can - avoid spam violations in your app title and description by following these - best practices: -
- --
-
- - Highlight what's great about your app—Share - interesting and exciting facts about your app with users. Help users - understand what makes your app special. - - -
- - Describe your app accurately—Make sure the title - and description describe the app function and user experience accurately. - - -
- - Don't use repetitive keywords—Avoid keywords that - are repetitive or excessive. - - -
- - Don't include unrelated keywords or references — - Your description should not be loaded with irrelevant keywords in an - attempt to manipulate ranking or relevancy. - - -
- - Keep it brief—Keep the description succinct and - straightforward. Shorter descriptions tend to give a better user experience - on devices with smaller displays. Excessive length, detail, or repetition - can violate spam policy. - -
- Here's an example app title and description that follows best practices and - does not violate Google Play spam policies. -
- -App Title: | -Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles | -
App Description: | -
- This is the perfect app to have a good time with your children. It - is designed to help kids learn different species of turtles through - cute pictures and amusing puzzle games. -The rules of Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles are quite simple. Have - your child drag images around the screen to fit them into the shaded - region. Phonics is also utilized, as a child can also tap the word - below the image and hear the name pronounced. - |
-
- The sections below highlight common types of policy violations in an app - title and description, illustrated with variations on the best practice - example. -
- -Repetitive keywords
- -- Your app description should not include keywords that are repetitive or excessive. -
- -App Title: | -Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles | -
App Description: | -
- This is the perfect app to have a good time with your children. It is - designed to help kids learn different species of turtles through cute - pictures and amusing puzzle games. -The rules of Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles are quite simple. Have your - child drag images around the screen to fit them into the shaded region. - Phonics is also utilized, as a child can also tap the word below the image - and hear the name pronounced. -KEYWORDS: game, games, fun, funny, child, - children, kid, kids, puzzle, puzzle games, sound, turtle, turtles, sea turtles, - turtles, turtle, turtles, tortoise, tortoises, tortoise, tortoise, turtles, - turtles, turtles, turtles, tortoises, tortoise - |
-
Unrelated keywords or references
- -- The description should not be loaded with irrelevant keywords in an attempt - to manipulate ranking or relevancy in Google Play search results. -
- -- For example, if your app has nothing to do with Lady Gaga, then she shouldn’t - be included in your description. Also, do not add highly searched, irrelevant - keywords that are unrelated to the function of the app. This is in breach of - policy. -
- -App Title: | -Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles | -
App Description: | -
- This is the perfect app to have a good time with your children. It is designed to - help kids learn different species of turtles through cute pictures and amusing puzzle - games. -The rules of Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles are quite simple. Have your child drag - images around the screen to fit them into the shaded region. Phonics is also utilized, - as a child can also tap the word below the image and hear the name pronounced. -This game is as addictive as Angry Birds, more social - than Facebook and Twitter, and has a soundtrack reminiscent of Katy Perry and Lady - Gaga. -KEYWORDS: Angry Birds, Facebook, Twitter, Katy Perry, - Lady Gaga - |
-
Excessive detail, references to your other apps
- -- Your app description should avoid excessive detail and references to your - other apps or products. For example, you should not list all of the details - of content included in the app or its various components, as shown in the - example below. Also, the description should not include any references to - other apps you’ve published. -
- -App Title: | -Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles | -
App Description: | -
- This is the perfect app to have a good time with your children. It is designed - to help kids learn different species of turtles through cute pictures and amusing - puzzle games. -The rules of Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles are quite simple. Have your child - drag images around the screen to fit them into the shaded region. Phonics is also - utilized, as a child can also tap the word below the image and hear the name - pronounced. -Turtles included in the app: Alligator - Snapping Turtle, Asian Box Turtle, Bog Turtle, Common Musk Turtle, Common Snapping - Turtle, Diamondback Terrapin, Eastern Box Turtle, Eastern Mud Turtle, Eastern Painted - Turtle, False Map Turtle, Florida Pond Cooter, Florida Softshell Turtle, Green Sea - Turtle, Map Turtle, Matamata Ornate Box Turtle, Red-bellied Side-necked Turtle, - Red-eared Slider, Smooth Softshell Turtle, Spiny Softshell Turtle, Spotted Turtle, - Western Painted Turtle, Wood Turtle, Yellow-bellied Slider -If you like this app try our other free apps: |
-
Spam in Ratings and Reviews
- -- Ratings and reviews are benchmarks of app quality and users depend on them to - be authentic and relevant. As an app developer, you should not attempt to - artificially influence your app's ratings and reviews or those of your - competitor, such as by posting fake ratings or reviews or including spam - content in app reviews. The sections below provide guidelines for rating and - reviewing apps. -
- -- So that you can stay in touch with any issues that users are having with your - app, you should read through your ratings and reviews on a regular basis. If - you choose to reply to reviews, make sure to keep your reply focused on the - actual issues raised in the user's comments and do not ask for a higher - rating. -
- -- If you see an app or developer reply that doesn’t follow these guidelines, - you can report it. See Inappropriate content in comments and applications for - more information. -
- -Fake or inappropriate ratings and reviews
- -- To help ensure the quality of ratings and reviews, Google Play policies limit - the ways that individuals can use ratings and reviews. In particular, note - that it is a violation of policy to use ratings and reviews to influence the - placement of any app in Google Play. -
- -- As an app developer, make sure that you follow these guidelines: -
- --
-
- - Don't try to manipulate ratings—Do not engage in - attempts to manipulate the ratings, reviews, or ranking of your apps, - either directly or indirectly, or by manipulating the ratings of your - competitors. Do not attempt to artificially boost reviews, ratings, or - installs through any means. - - -
- - Don't solicit ratings through incentives—Do not - offer users any incentives to rate your app, such as offering rewards of - any kind or tying app functionality to rating. - - -
- - Don't rate apps multiple times—Do not review or - rate any app multiple times in an attempt to influence its placement in - Google Play. - - -
- - Don't add improper content to reviews—Do not - include affiliate, coupon, game codes, email addresses, or links to - websites or other apps in your reviews. If you are responding to a user - review, feel free to include references to helpful resources such as a - support address or FAQ page. - -
Soliciting ratings from users
- -- In general, do not offer incentives for ratings. You should - not offer users incentives of any kind for rating your app (or any other app) - on Google Play, and you should not tie your app's functionality or content to - rating in any way. -
- -- It's acceptable to ask users to rate your app without incentives, for - example: "If you like this game, rate us in Google Play!" On the other hand, - it's a policy violation to ask users to rate your app based on incentives, - for example: "Rate this app and get 500 coins" or "Rate this app 5 stars and - get you 500 coins!" -
- - -Spam in WebViews
- -- Apps published on Google Play should provide their own content. Do not - publish an app whose primary function is to reproduce or frame someone else’s - website (unless you have permission). -
- -- Similarly, do not publish an app whose primary function is to drive affiliate - traffic to a website. Although affiliate deals can exist where an app's - primary purpose is delivering its own content or functionality, it's a - violation of Google Play policies to publish an app whose primary (or - only) purpose is to direct affiliate traffic to another website. -
- -App Title: | -Kids puzzle: Desktop Browser for Turtoogle Game | -
Developer: | -AAZZZ (not affiliated with Turtoogle - Inc.) | -
App Description: | -
- Have you ever wanted to use the full, desktop web version of Turtoogle - Game from your phone or tablet instead of the Turtoogle Game mobile app - or Turtoogle Game mobile web site? -This app lets you access Turtoogle Game - on your Android device in the same way as you access the game on your - desktop computer, and with all the same Turtoogle Game features. - |
-
Spam from Wizards
- -- Apps that are created by an automated tool or wizard service must not be - submitted to Google Play by the operator of that service on behalf of other - persons. Such tools often produce too many duplicative or low-quality - apps which crowd the higher-quality apps in the Play Store. -
- -- Please be advised that apps created by an automated tool are only permissible - if the app end-product complies with Google Play policies and is published in - the Play Store through a developer account that is registered and owned by - you. -
- - -Spam in Messaging
- -- Your app may not send SMS, email, or other messages on behalf of the user - without providing the user with the ability to confirm the content and intended - recipient. -
- -- Google Play will aggressively remove applications that are found to send or - modify SMS messages without user knowledge or consent. -
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/badge-files.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/badge-files.jd deleted file mode 100644 index 03ebd01..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/badge-files.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,290 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Google Play Badge Files -@jd:body - - - - - - -The following links provide the Adobe® Illustrator® (.ai) file for the -two Google Play badges.
- -- - -
- - ኣማርኛ (Amharic)
- - Afrikaans (Afrikaans)
- - Беларуская (Belarusian)
- - български (Bulgarian)
- - Català (Catalan)
- - 中文 (中国) (Chinese)
- - 中文(香港) (Chinese Hong Kong)
- - 中文 (台灣) (Chinese Taiwan)
- - Hrvatski (Croatian)
- - Česky (Czech)
- - Dansk (Danish)
- - Nederlands (Dutch)
- - Eesti keel (Estonian)
- - فارسی (Farsi Persian)
- - Tagalog (Filipino)
- - Suomi (Finnish)
- -
- - Deutsch (German)
- - Ελληνικά (Greek)
- - עברית (Hebrew)
- - हिन्दी (Hindi)
- - Magyar (Hungarian)
- - Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- - Italiano (Italian)
- - 日本語 (Japanese)
- - Қазақ тілі (Kazakh)
- - 한국어 (Korean)
- - Latviski (Latvian)
- - Lietuviškai (Lithuanian)
- - Bahasa Melayu (Malay)
- - Norsk (Norwegian)
- - Polski (Polish)
- -
- - Português Brasil (Portuguese Brazil)
- - Românã (Romanian)
- - Pусский (Russian)
- - Српски / srpski (Serbian)
- - Slovenčina (Slovak)
- - Slovenščina (Slovenian)
- - Español (Spanish)
- - Español Latinoamérica (Spanish Latin America)
- - Kiswahili (Swahili)
- - Svenska (Swedish)
- - ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- - Türkçe (Turkish)
- - Українська (Ukrainian)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- - isiZulu (Zulu)
- -
- - -
- - Afrikaans (Afrikaans)
- - ኣማርኛ (Amharic)
- - العربية (Arabic)
- - Беларуская (Belarusian)
- - български (Bulgarian)
- - Català (Catalan)
- - 中文 (中国) (Chinese)
- - 中文(香港) (Chinese Hong Kong)
- - 中文 (台灣) (Chinese Taiwan)
- - Hrvatski (Croatian)
- - Česky (Czech)
- - Dansk (Danish)
- - Nederlands (Dutch)
- - Eesti keel (Estonian)
- - فارسی (Farsi Persian)
- - Tagalog (Filipino)
- - Suomi (Finnish)
- -
- - Deutsch (German)
- - Ελληνικά (Greek)
- - עברית (Hebrew)
- - हिन्दी (Hindi)
- - Magyar (Hungarian)
- - Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- - Italiano (Italian)
- - 日本語 (Japanese)
- - 한국어 (Korean)
- - Latviski (Latvian)
- - Lietuviškai (Lithuanian)
- - Bahasa Melayu (Malay)
- - Norsk (Norwegian)
- - Polski (Polish)
- - -
- - Português Brasil (Portuguese Brazil)
- - Românã (Romanian)
- - Pусский (Russian)
- - Српски / srpski (Serbian)
- - Slovenčina (Slovak)
- - Slovenščina (Slovenian)
- - Español (Spanish)
- - Español Latinoamérica (Spanish Latin America)
- - Kiswahili (Swahili)
- - Svenska (Swedish)
- - ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- - Türkçe (Turkish)
- - Українська (Ukrainian)
- - Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- - isiZulu (Zulu)
- -
Guidelines
- --
-
- Do not modify the color, proportions, spacing or any other aspect of the badge image. - -
- When used alongside logos for other application marketplaces, the Google Play logo - should be of equal or greater size. -
- When used online, the badge should link to either:
-
-
-
- A list of products published by you, for example:
- http://play.google.com/store/search?q=publisherName -
- - A specific app product details page within Google Play, for example:
- http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=packageName -
-
- - A list of products published by you, for example:
For more information, see the -Brand -Guidelines. - - -
To quickly create a badge that links to your apps on Google Play, -use the Googe Play badge generator.
- - - \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/badges.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/badges.jd deleted file mode 100644 index 9a32921..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/badges.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,355 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Google Play Badges -@jd:body - -Google Play badges allow you to promote your app with official branding -in your online ads, promotional materials, or anywhere else you want a link to your app.
- -In the form below, -input your app's package name or publisher name, choose the badge style, -click Build my badge, then paste the HTML into your web content.
- -If you're creating a promotional web page for your app, you should also use the -Device Art Generator, which quickly -wraps your screenshots in real device artwork.
- -For guidelines when using the Google Play badge and other brand assets, -see the Brand -Guidelines.
- - - - - - - - diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/brand.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/brand.jd deleted file mode 100644 index 0bda561..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/brand.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,193 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Brand Guidelines -@jd:body - - - -We encourage you to use the Android and Google Play brands with your Android app -promotional materials. You can use the icons and other assets on this page -provided that you follow the guidelines described below.
- -Android
- -The following are guidelines for the Android brand - and related assets.
- - -Android in text
- --
-
- Android™ should have a trademark symbol the first time it appears in a creative. -
- Android should always be capitalized and is never plural or possessive. -
- "Android" cannot be used in names of applications or accessory products,
- including phones, tablets, TVs, speakers, headphones, watches, and other devices. Instead use "for Android".
-
-
-
- Incorrect: "Android MediaPlayer" -
- Correct: "MediaPlayer for Android" -
If used with your logo, "for Android" needs to be smaller in size than your logo. - First instance of this use should be followed by a TM symbol, "for Android™".
-
- - Android may be used as a descriptor, as long as it is followed by a proper generic term.
-
-
-
- Incorrect: "Android MediaPlayer" or "Android XYZ app" -
- Correct: "Android features" or "Android applications" -
-
Any use of the Android name needs to include this - attribution in your communication:
-Android is a trademark of Google Inc.- - -
Android robot
- -
- 100x118 |
- 200x237
- Illustrator (.ai)
The Android robot can be used, reproduced, and modified freely in marketing - communications. The color value for print is PMS 376C and the online hex - color is #A4C639.
- -When using the Android Robot or any modification of it, proper attribution is - required under the terms of the Creative -Commons Attribution license:
- -The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and -used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.- -
You may not file trademark applications incorporating the Android robot logo or -derivatives thereof. We want to ensure that the Android robot remains available -for all to use.
- - -Android logo
- -The Android logo may not be used. Nor can this be used with the Android robot.
-The custom typeface may not be used.
- - - - -Google Play
- - -The following are guidelines for the Google Play brand - and related assets.
- -Google Play in text
- -Always include a TM symbol on the first or most prominent instance of Google Play™ -in text.
- -When referring to the mobile experience, use "Google Play" unless the text is clearly -instructional for the user. For example, a marketing headline might read "Download our -games on Google Play™," but instructional text would read "Download our games using the Google -Play™ Store app." - -
Any use of the Google Play name or icon needs to include this - attribution in your communication:
- -Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.- - -
- 48x48 |
- 96x96
- Illustrator (.ai)
-
Google Play Store icon
- -You may use the Google Play Store icon, but you may not modify it.
- -As mentioned above, when referring to the Google Play Store app in copy, use the full name: -"Google Play Store." However, when labeling the Google Play Store icon directly, it's OK to use -"Play Store" alone to accurately reflect the icon label as it appears on a device.
- - -Google Play badge
- - - - - -The "Get it on Google Play" and "Android App on Google Play" logos are badges that you - can use on your web site and promotional materials, to point to your products on Google - Play.
- --
-
- Do not modify the color, proportions, spacing or any other aspect of the badge image. - -
- When used alongside logos for other application marketplaces, the Google Play logo - should be of equal or greater size. -
- When used online, the badge should link to either:
-
-
-
- A list of products published by you, for example:
- http://play.google.com/store/search?q=publisherName -
- - A specific app product details page within Google Play, for example:
- http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=packageName -
-
- - A list of products published by you, for example:
To quickly create a badge that links to your apps on Google Play, - use the Googe Play badge generator - (provides the badge in over 40 languages).
- -To create your own size, download an Adobe® Illustrator® (.ai) file for the - Google Play - badge in over 40 languages.
- -For details on all the ways that you can link to your product details page in Google Play, - see Linking to your products
- - - -Questions
- -To view our full guidelines or for any further brand usage questions, please contact our -Android Partner Marketing team:
--
-
- For North and South America, please contact android-brand-approvals@google.com - -
- For Europe and Emerging Markets, please contact emea-android-brand@google.com - -
- For Asia and Pacific-America, please contact apac-android-brand-approvals@google.com -
After you publish your app, you can bring Android users to your app's product details page by -providing links in your social network posts, ad campaigns, app reviews and articles, your -web site, and more.
- -You can use the resources in this section to create deep links for your online placements. -Google Play badges are an especially great way let Android users know that your app is available -and link them directly to your download page. With the badge generator, they're also easy to make.
- - - - diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/linking.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/linking.jd deleted file mode 100644 index 4fdc5db..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/promote/linking.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,213 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Linking to Your Products -@jd:body - - - -Google Play provides several link formats that let you bring users to your -products in the way you want, from Android apps, web pages, ads, reviews, -articles, social media posts, and more.
- -The link formats let you:
--
-
- Link to a specific app's product details page -
- Link to a list of all of your apps, or -
- Link to a search result of your choice -
- Link to a collection on Google Play -
If you are linking from an Android app, you can also control whether the link -launches the Play Store application or the browser, which takes the user -to the Google Play web site.
- -Linking to a Product Details Page
- -Use the format below to deep-link users directly to a specific app's product -details page. At the product details page, users can see the app description, -screenshots, reviews and more, and then install it.
- -To create the link, you need to know the app's fully qualified package -name, which is declared in the app's manifest -file. The package name is also visible in the Developer Console.
- --
-
- From a web site: -
-
-
http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=<package_name>
-
- - From an Android app: -
-
-
market://details?id=<package_name>
-
-
Here's an example:
- -http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps
For details on how to send the link in an Android app, see Linking from an Android App.
- - - -Linking to a Product List
- -Use the format below to link users to a list of apps published by you. The -product list lets users see all of the apps from a specific publisher, with -ratings, editorial badges, and an Install button for each.
- -To create the link, you need to know your publisher name, which is -available from the Developer Console.
- --
-
- From a web site: -
-
-
http://play.google.com/store/search?q=pub:<publisher_name>
-
- - From an Android app: -
-
-
market://search?q=pub:<publisher_name>
-
-
Here's an example:
- -http://play.google.com/store/search?q=pub:Google Inc.
For details on how to send the link in an Android app, see Linking from an Android App.
- - -Linking to a Search Result
- -Use the format below to link users to a search query result on Google Play. -The search result page shows a list of apps (and optionally other content) that -match the query, with ratings, badges, and an Install button for each.
- -To create the link, you just need a search query string. If you want the
-query to search outside of the Google Play Apps listings, you can remove the
-&c=apps
part of the link URL.
-
-
- From a web site: -
-
-
http://play.google.com/store/search?q=<search_query>&c=apps
-
- - From an Android app: -
-
-
market://search?q=<seach_query>&c=apps
-
-
Here's an example:
- -http://play.google.com/store/search?q=maps&c=apps
For details on how to send the link in an Android app, see Linking from an Android App.
- - - -Linking to a Collection
- -If your app is featured or appears in one of the Google Play Top charts or -collections, you can use the format below to link users directly to the -collection. The collection shows a ranked list of apps in the collection, with -ratings, short descriptions, and an Install button.
- --
-
- From a web site: -
-
-
http://play.google.com/store/apps/collection/<collection_name>
-
- - From an Android app: -
-
-
market://apps/collection/<collection_name>
-
-
Here's an example:
- -http://play.google.com/store/apps/collection/editors_choice
For details on how to send the link in an Android app, see Linking from an Android App.
- - - -Collection | collection_name | -
---|---|
Staff Picks (Featured) | featured |
Editor's Choice | editors_choice |
Top Paid | topselling_paid |
Top Free | topselling_free |
Top New Free | topselling_new_free |
Top New Paid | topselling_new_paid |
Top Grossing | topgrossing |
Trending | movers_shakers |
Best Selling in Games | topselling_paid_game |
Linking from an Android App
- -There are two general formats for links that are accessible to users on -Android devices, The two formats trigger slightly different behaviors on the -device:
- --
-
market://
Launches the Play Store app to load the -target page.
-http://
Lets the user choose whether to launch the -Play Store app or the browser to handle the request. If the browser handles the -request, it loads the target page on the Google Play web site.
-
In general, you should use http://
format for links on web pages
-and market://
for links in Android apps.
If you want to link to your products from an Android app, create an {@link -android.content.Intent} that opens an Google Play URL, as shown in the example -below.
- --Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW); -intent.setData(Uri.parse("market://details?id=com.example.android")); -startActivity(intent); -- - -
Summary of URL formats
- -The table below provides a summary of the URIs currently supported by the Google Play (both on -the web and in an Android application), as discussed in the previous sections.
- -For this result | -Web page link | -Android app link | -
---|---|---|
Show the product details page for a specific app | -http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=<package_name>
- | market://details?id=<package_name> |
-
Show apps by a specific publisher | -http://play.google.com/store/search?q=pub:<publisher_name> |
-market://search?q=pub:<publisher_name> |
-
Search for apps using a general string query. | -http://play.google.com/store/search?q=<query> |
-market://search?q=<query> |
-
Placeholder...
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/publish/console.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/publish/console.jd deleted file mode 100644 index 3831e51..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/publish/console.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,198 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Developer Console -@jd:body - - -Once you've registered and -received verification by email, you can sign in to your Google Play -Developer Console, which will be the home for your app publishing operations and -tools on Google Play. This sections below introduce a few of the key areas -you'll find in the Developer Console.
- -Your account details
- -The account details page is where you specify basic information about yourself -or your company in a developer profile. The information in your developer profile -is important because it identifies you to Google Play and also to your customers.
- -During registration you must provide the information for your profile, but you can -go back at any time to edit the information and change your settings.
- -Your developer profile contains:
--
-
- Your developer name — the name you want to show users on your store -listing page and elsewhere on Google Play. -
- Your developer contact information — how Google can contact you if -needed (this information isn't exposed to users). -
- Your developer website URL — shown to users on your store listing page -so they can learn more about your company or products. -
On the account details page you can also register for a merchant account, set -up test accounts for Google Play licensing, and more.
- -Multiple user accounts
- -If you are working with a team, you can set up multiple user accounts to -access different parts of your Developer Console. The first account registered -is the account owner, with full access to all parts of the Console. The -owner can add user accounts and manage what parts of the Console they -have access to. For example, an owner can grant users access to publishing and -app configuration, but not access to financial reports.
- - -Linking your Merchant Account
- -If you want to sell apps or in-app products, you can link your Google -Wallet merchant account to your developer profile. Google Play uses the linked -merchant account for financial and tax identification and monthly payouts of -sales.
- -Your store listing details
- -The Developer Console lets you set up a colorful storefront page for your app -called the Store Listing page. Your Store Listing page is the home -for your app in Google Play — it's the page users see on their mobile -phones or on the web when they want to learn about your app and download it. -
- -You can upload custom brand assets, screen shots, and videos to highlight -what's great about your app, and you can provide a localized description, add -notes about the latest version, and more. You can update your store listing at -any time, even if you don’t have a new version of your application.
- -Uploading and publishing
- -From the Developer Console you can quickly upload a release-ready APK and -publish it when you're ready. The app is a draft until you publish it, -at which time Google Play makes your store listing page and app available to -users. You can unpublish the app at any time.
- -Distribution controls
- -In the Developer Console you can manage what countries and territories the -app is distributed to and, for some countries, you can choose what carriers you -want to target.
- -You can also see the list of devices that your app is currently available to, -based on any distribution rules declared in its manifest file.
- -Selling and pricing your products
- -The Developer Console gives you tools to set prices for your apps and in-app -products. Your app can either be free to download or priced (charged before -download).
- -See Supported locations for distributing applications for a list of countries where you can distribute or sell your app,
--
-
- If you publish your app as free, it must -remain free. Free apps can be downloaded by any users in Google -Play. -
- If you publish it as priced, you can later change it to free. Priced apps can be -purchased and downloaded only by users who have registered a form of payment -in Google Play. -
In addition, you can sell in-app products and subscriptions in your app, -whether the app is free or priced. You can set prices separately for priced apps, -in-app products, and subscriptions.
- -If you are selling a priced app or in-app products or subscriptions, the -Developer Console lets you set prices in a large number of different currencies. -When users around the world visit your store listing, they see the price -of your app in their own currency. For most countries, the price you set is the -final price charged to users, inclusive of taxes.
- -To help you manage your prices, the Developer Console provides an autofill -capability that uses recent exchange rates to populate the prices in all -supported currencies. You can change prices for apps and in-app products at any -time, just by saving changes in the Developer Console.
- -In-app Billing
- -In-app Billing
-For details on how to implement In-app Billing, see the -In-app Billing -developer documentation.
In-app Billing is -a Google Play service that lets you monetize your apps in more ways by selling -in-app products and subscriptions. In-app products are one-time purchases, while -subscriptions are recurring charges on an monthly or annual basis.
- -From the Developer Console you can create product lists for in-app -products and subscriptions, set prices, and publish.
- -User reviews and crash reports
- -Google Play makes it easy for users to submit reviews of your app for the -benefit of other users. The reviews are also extremely important to you, since -they give you usability feedback, support requests, and important functionality -issues direct from your customers.
- -The Developer Console also lets you see crash reports, with stack trace and -other data, submitted automatically from Android devices, for debugging and -improving your app.
- -App statistics
- -The Developer Console gives you detailed statistics on the install -performance of your app.
- -You can view installations of your app measured by unique users, as well as -by unique devices. For user installations, you can view active installs, total -installs, daily installs and uninstalls, and metrics about user ratings. -For devices, you can see active -installs as well as daily installs, uninstalls, and upgrades.
- -You can zoom into the installation numbers along several dimensions, -including Android platform version, device, country, language, app version, and -carrier (mobile operator). You can see the installation data for each dimension -on a timeline charts.
- -At a glance, these charts highlight your app’s installation peaks and -longer-term trends, which you can correlate to promotions, app improvements, or -other factors. You can even focus in on data inside a dimension by adding -specific points (such as individual platform versions or languages) to the -timeline.
- -Upload apps, build your product pages, configure prices and - distribution, and publish. You can manage all phases of publishing - on Google Play through the Developer Console, from any web browser.
- - -Android and Google Play give you a worldwide audience for your app, with an -addressable user base that's growing very rapidly in countries such as Japan, -Korea, India, Brazil, Russia, and elsewhere.
- -To maximize your app's distribution potential and earn high ratings from -users around the world, we strongly encourage you to localize your app.
- -Localization involves a variety of tasks throughout your app's development -cycle, and advance planning is essential. Some of the tasks include -translating your UI strings and localizing dates and times, layouts, text -direction, and finally your Google Play store listing.
- -This document helps you identify key aspects of localization to prepare for -and the tasks you'll need to perform, to get your app ready for a -successful worldwide launch on Google Play.
- - -1. Identify target languages and locales
- -A basic but important step in preparing for localization is identifying the -countries where you will distribute your app and the languages spoken there. -Google Play lets you distribute your app broadly to hundreds of countries, reaching -users who speak a variety of languages.
- -For international users, you can manage your app on three main dimensions: -country, locale, and language. Of those, language is the key consideration for -localization, although locale is also significant because of differences in -formats for dates, times, currencies, and similar information. Users control -both the language and locale used on their Android devices and in turn those -affect the display of your app, once installed.
- -Typically, you would decide which countries to target first, based on overall -market size and opportunity, app category, competitive landscape, local pricing -and financial factors, and so on. Then, based on your country targeting, you -would determine the languages you need to support in your app.
- -You will need to decide when to localize into some or all of the languages in your targeted countries. In some countries it might make most sense to deliver an app -in a major regional or international language only, rather than in all locally -spoken languages. Similarly, based on overall market size, you might decide to -deliver your app in only a small number of key languages and offer English or -another language for other countries. You can add more languages in the future -as your app's userbase grows.
- -Localizing your app is particularly important in countries where there is a -large market opportunity and English or another international language is not -widely used. Once you have identified your target languages, you can focus your -development, translation, testing, and marketing efforts to these markets.
- - -Related resources: -
|
-
2. Design for localization
- -After you've determined your target languages for localization, assess what -you'll need to do to support them in your app and plan the work early. Consider -the vocabulary expansion, script requirements, character spacing and wrapping -constraints, left-to-right and right-to-left support, and other potential -factors in each language. - -
Design a single set of flexible layouts
- -As you create your layouts, make sure that any UI elements that hold text are -designed generously. It’s good to allow more space than necessary for your -language (up to 30% more is normal) to accommodate other languages.
- -Also, elements should be able to expand horizontally or vertically to -accommodate variations in the width and height of UI strings or input text. Your -text strings should not overlap borders or the screen edge in any of your target -languages.
- -If you design your UI carefully, you can typically use a single set of -layouts for all of the languages you support. See Building a Flexible -UI for more information.
- -Use alternative layouts where needed
- -In cases where your UI can't accommodate text in one of your target -languages, you can create an alternative -layout for that language only. -Android makes it easy to declare sets of layouts and other resources to load for -specific languages, locales, screen sizes, and so on, simply by tagging them -with the appropriate resource qualifiers.
- -Although you can use alternative layouts to work around isolated issues, they -can also make your app harder to maintain over time. In general, using a single, -more flexible layout is preferred.
- -Support RTL layouts and text
- -If you are distributing to countries where right-to-left (RTL) scripts are used, -should consider implementing support for RTL layouts and text display and -editing, to the extent possible.
- -Android 4.1 introduced limited support for bidirectional text, allowing apps -to display and edit text in both left-to-right (LTR) and right-to-left (RTL) -scripts. Android 4.2 added full native support for RTL layouts, including layout -mirroring, so that you can deliver the same great app experience to all of your -users.
- -At a minimum, for Android 4.2 users, it's simple to add basic RTL layout -mirroring, which goes a long way toward meeting the needs of RTL users.
- -Use system-provided formats for dates, times, numbers, and -currencies
- -Where your app specifies dates, times, numbers, currencies, and other -entities that can vary by locale, make sure to use the system-provided formats, -rather than app-specific formats. Keep in mind that not every locale uses the -same thousands separator, decimal separator, or percent sign.
- -Android provides a variety of utilities for formatting and converting -patterns across locales, such as {@link android.text.format.DateUtils DateUtils} and -{@link java.text.DateFormat DateFormat} for -dates; {@link java.lang.String#format String.format()} or {@link java.text.DecimalFormat DecimalFormat} for -numbers and currency; {@link android.telephony.PhoneNumberUtils -PhoneNumberUtils} for phone numbers; and others.
- -If you hard-code your formats based on assumptions about the user's locale, -your app could encounter problems when the user changes to another locale. The -easiest and most reliable approach is to always use system-provided formats and -utilities.
- -Include a full set of default resources
- -Make sure that your app can run properly regardless of language or locale by
-providing a complete set of default resources. The app's default resources are
-those that are not marked with any language or locale qualifiers, for
-example those stored in res/drawable/
and res/values/
.
-If your app attempts to load a resource that isn't available in the current
-language or in the default set, the app will crash.
Whatever the default language you are using in your app, make sure that you -store the associated layouts, drawables, and strings in default resource -directories, without language or locale qualifiers.
- -Related resources: -
|
-
3. Manage strings for localization
- -It's important to manage your app's UI strings properly, so that you deliver -a great experience for users and make localization straightforward.
- -Move all strings into strings.xml
- -As you build your app, remember that it's a best practice to keep all of your
-UI strings in a single file that's easy to update and localize. Declare
-all of your strings as resources in a default strings.xml
-file. Do not hard-code any strings into your compiled code—hard-coded
-strings are much more difficult to extract, translate, and load properly.
-
-
If you keep all of your default strings in a strings.xml
file,
-you can quickly extract them for translation, and once the translated strings
-are integrated back into your app with appropriate qualifiers, your app can load
-them without any changes to your compiled code.
If you generate images with text, put those strings in strings.xml
as well,
-and regenerate the images after translation.
Follow Android guidelines for UI strings
- -As you design and develop your UI, make sure that you pay close attention to -how you talk to your user. In general, use a succinct and compressed style -that is friendly but brief, and use a consistent style throughout your UI. -
- -Make sure that you read and follow the Android Design recommendations for writing style and word choice. -Doing so will make your app appear more polished to the user and will help users -understand your UI more quickly.
- -Also, always use Android standard terminology wherever possible—such as -for UI elements such as "Action Bar," "Options Menu," "System Bar," -"Notifications," and so on. Using Android terms correctly and consistently -makes translation easier and results in a better end-product for users.
- -Provide sufficient context for declared strings
- -As you declare strings in your strings.xml
file, make sure to describe the
-context in which the string is used. Add comments before each string that may
-need clarification. This information will be invaluable to translators and will
-help you manage your strings more effectively over time.
For example, background information to provide might include:
- --
-
- What is this string for? When/where is it presented to the user? -
- Where is this in the layout? For example, if it’s a button, translations are -less flexible than if it were a text box. -
Here's an example:
- -<!-- The action for submitting a form. This text is on a button that can fit 30 chars --> -<string name="login_submit_button">Sign in</string>- -
Mark message parts that should not be translated
- -Often strings contain contain text that should not be translated to other -languages. Common examples might be a piece of code, a placeholder for a value, -a special symbol, or a name. As you prepare you strings for translation, look -for and mark text that should remain as-is, without translation, so that -translators do not change it.
- -To mark text that should not be translated, use an
-<xliff:g>
placeholder tag. Here's an example tag that ensures
-the text “%1$s” will not be changed during translation (otherwise it could break
-the message):
<string name="countdown"> - <xliff:g id="time" example="5 days>%1$s</xliff:g>until holiday -</string>- -
When you declare a placeholder tag, always add an id
attribute
-that explains what the placeholder is for. If your app will later replace the
-placeholder value, be sure to provide an example attribute to clarify the expected
-usage.
Here are some more examples of placeholder tag usage:
-<resources xmlns:xliff="urn:oasis:names:tc:xliff:document:1.2"> - <!-- Example placeholder for a special unicode symbol --> - <string name="star_rating">Check out our 5 - <xliff:g id="star">\u2605</xliff:g> - </string> - <!-- Example placeholder for a for a URL --> - <string name="app_homeurl"> - Visit us at <xliff:g id="application_homepage">http://my/app/home.html</xliff:g> - </string> - <!-- Example placeholder for a name --> - <string name="prod_name"> - Learn more at <xliff:g id="prod_gamegroup">Game Group</xliff:g> - </string> - <!-- Example placeholder for a literal --> - <string name="promo_message"> - Please use the ”<xliff:g id="promotion_code">ABCDEFG</xliff:g>” to get a discount. - </string> - ... -</resources>- - -
Related resources: -
|
-
4. Translate UI strings and other resources
- -Translating your app's UI strings and resources to your target languages is -the key phase of localization, and it's the one that requires the most care and -planning.
- -In general, it's recommended to work with a professional translator to ensure -that the work goes smoothly, stays on schedule, and results in a high-quality -product that will enhance the value of your app. If you are considering machine -translations as an alternative, keep in mind that automated translations are less -reliable than high-quality professional translations and may not produce as good an -experience for your users.
- -Prepare for translation
- -Getting high-quality translation output depends in part on your input. To get
-ready for translation, make sure that your strings.xml
file is well organized,
-well commented, and accurate.
Here are some ways to prepare your strings for translation:
--
-
- Make sure your strings are formatted correctly and consistently. -
- Follow the strings recommendations listed in Manage -strings for localization, above. -
- Clean up the
strings.xml
file and remove unused strings.
- - Place comments in the file to identify the owner, origin, and the version -of the file, as well as any special instructions for translators. -
- Identify existing translations, if any, and include those in an outgoing -zip file or other package that you will send to translators. -
- Identify drawables or other resources that require translation and include -them in the outgoing package for translators. -
- Create a terminology list that explains the meaning and usage of key terms -used in your product, your market, or the underlying technology. Add the list to -the outgoing package. -
Additionally, consider translating your app's store listing details — -app title and description, release notes, and so on — as -well as other international marketing materials.
-Send your strings for translation
- -Early in the development cycle, contact professional translation vendors for -your target languages to get an idea of cost, lead time required, turnaround -time, and so on. Then select a vendor and secure their services, making sure to -include multiple iterations in the cost as a safeguard. Google Play can help you -do this — see Purchase professional -translations, below.
- -As soon as your app's UI strings and design are stable, work with your -development team to extract all of the strings and other resources from the app -and package them together for the translator. If appropriate, you can version -the outgoing package for later identification.
- -When the outgoing package is ready, send it to the translator or share it -with them over a cloud platform such as Google Drive. Keep a record of what you -sent and when you sent it, to cross-reference against returning translations and -billing invoices from the translator.
- -When your translations are complete, take a preliminary look at the -translations. Check that all files were translated, check for potential encoding -issues, and make sure that declaration formats are intact.
- -If everything looks good, carefully move the localized directories and files -back into your app's resources. Make sure to tag the directories with the -appropriate language and locale qualifiers so that they'll later be loaded -properly.
- -After the translations are merged back into your app, start testing the localized app.
- -Purchase professional translations through Google Play
-
App Translation Service
-
-App Translations in Google Play
- -Hear from developers who have used the Google Play App Translation Service in Developer -Stories: Localization in Google Play.
- -To make it easy to export your app's strings and import -the finished translations into your project, try the -ADT Translation Manager Plugin.
Google Play App Translation Service can help you quickly find and purchase translations of your app. -In the Developer Console, you can browse a list of third-party vendors who are -pre-qualified by Google to offer high-quality translation at competitive prices. -You can upload the strings you want translated, select the languages you want to -translate into, and select your translation vendor based on time and price.
- -Once you've purchased translations, you'll receive an email from your vendor. -Your translations are a direct business agreement between you and your vendor; -you'll need to work directly with the vendor to manage the translation process and -deliverables and resolve any support issues.
- - -5. Test your localized app
- -Once you've received your translated strings and resources and moved them -back into your app, you need to test the app to make sure that it's ready for -distribution to your international users.
- -Manual testing can help you discover localization issues in your layouts and -strings that can affect user satisfaction and, ultimately, your app's user -rating.
- -Set up a test environment
- -To test your localized app, you'll need to set up an environment consisting -of multiple devices (or virtual devices) and screen sizes, based on the markets -and form factors you are targeting. Note that the range of devices in specific -regions might be different. If possible, match your test devices to the actual -devices likely to be available to users.
- -Look for common localization issues
- -On each test device, set the language or locale in Settings. Install and -launch the app and then navigate through all of the UI flows, dialogs, and user -interactions. Enter text in inputs. Some things to look for include:
- --
-
- Clipped text, or text that overlaps the edge of UI elements or the -screen -
- Poor line wrapping -
- Incorrect word breaks or punctuation -
- Incorrect alphabetical sorting -
- Incorrect layout direction or text direction -
- Untranslated text — if your default strings are displayed instead of -translated strings, then you may have overlooked those strings for translation -or marked the resources directory with an incorrect language qualifier. -
For cases where your strings have expanded in translation and no longer fit -your layouts, it's recommended to simplify your default text, simplify your -translated text, or adjust your default layouts. If none of those resolves the -issue, you can create a custom layout for the language.
- -Test for default resources
- -After you've tested your app in all of your supported languages and locales, -make sure to test it again in an unsupported language and locale. This -will help you make sure that your app includes a full set of default strings and -resources, so that your app is usable to all users, regardless of their -preferred language.
- -Review with native-language speakers
- -During or after testing, it's recommended that you let native speakers review -your localized app. One way to do that is through beta testing with regional -users — Google Play can help you do this. See Plan a beta -release for more information.
- - -Prepare for international launch
- -Getting your app translated is a key part of localization, but to help your -product attract users and gain visibility, you should prepare for launch in your -target countries and create a broader launch and marketing plan for -international users.
- - -Localize your Google Play listing
- -Localize your Google Play listing
-Highlight what's great about your app to all of your users! Localize your -listing in the Developer Console:
--
-
- App title and description -
- App screenshots on phones and tablets -
- Promotional graphics and videos. -
If you want your app to be successful in international markets, it's -essential to localize your Google Play store listing. You can manage your -localized listing in the Developer Console.
- -Well before launch, decide on your app title, description, promotional text, -marketing names and programs, and other text and images. Send your -listing text and images for translation early, so that you have them ready when -beta testing begins. When your translated text is available, you can add it -through the Developer Console.
- -Also, since you've made the effort to create a great localized app, let users -know about it! Take screenshots of your UI in each language, for phones and 7- -and 10- inch tablets. You can upload screenshots to the Developer Console for -each language you support. These will be of great value to users browsing your -app listing in other languages.
- -It's also essential to create localized versions of your promotional graphics -and videos. For example, your app's feature graphic might include text that -should be translated, for maximum effectiveness, or you might want to take a -different visual approach in one country than you do in another. You can create -different versions of your promotional graphics for each language and upload -them to the Developer Console. If you offer a promotional video, you can create -localized versions of it and then add a link to the correct localized video for -each language you support.
-Plan a beta release in key countries
- -Easy beta testing
-Google Play now lets you set up groups of alpha and beta testers, anywhere -around the world. Check out this powerful feature next time you sign in to the -Developer Console.
-Before launching your app, it's always valuable to get real-world feedback -from users — even more so when you are launching an app in a new language, -country, or region. In those cases, it's highly recommended that you distribute -a pre-release version of your app to users across your key markets and provide -an easy means for them to provide feedback and report bugs.
- -Google Play can help you set up a beta program for your app. After you sign -in to the Developer Console and upload your APK, you can set up groups of users -for alpha testing and beta testing the app. You can start with a small group of -alpha testers, then move to a larger group of beta testers. Once users are -added, they access your app's store listing and install the app. User feedback -from alpha and beta testers goes directly to you and is not posted as public -reviews.
- -The feedback you receive will help you adjust your UI, translations, and -store listing to ensure a great experience for users.
- -Plan for international marketing
- -For highest visibility across countries, consider an international marketing -or advertising campaign. The scope of the campaign might vary based on the -budget you can support, but in general it's cost-effective and productive to do -regional or country-specific marketing at launch and after.
- -Create localized Google Play badges
- -If you are preparing international marketing, make sure to include a localized Google Play -badge to tell users you're on Google Play. You can use the badge generator -to quickly build localized badges that you can use on web sites or marketing -materials. High-resolution assets are also available.
- -Create Localized Device Art
- -If you feature product shots of your app running on Android devices, make -sure that those shots look great and reflect the latest in Android devices. To -help you create high-quality marketing materials, use the drag-and-drop Device Art Generator to -quickly frame your screen shot on a Nexus device.
- -Check your Optimization Tips
- -As you prepare for launch, make sure to sign into the Developer Console and check -your app's Optimization Tips. The Optimization Tips let you know when you are missing parts of your localized store listing and provide other helpful reminders for a successful localized launch.
- -Support International Users after Launch
- -After you launch your app internationally, you should be prepared to support -users in a variety of languages and time zones. The extent of your international -user support depends on your budget, but at a minimum you should watch your -ratings, reviews, and download stats carefully after launch. - -
Here are some suggestions:
- --
-
- Use the app stats in the Developer Console to compare your downloads, -installs, and uninstalls, and ratings across languages and countries—If -your downloads or ratings are not keeping up in specific languages or countries, -consider options for improving your product or changing your marketing approach. - -
- Check reviews regularly—Google Play translates all user reviews for -you, so you can stay in touch with how international users feel about your app, -what features they like and what issues are affecting them. By watching reviews, -you can spot technical issues that may affect many users in a particular -country, then fix and update your app. -
- Respond to reviews if possible—It's good to engage with -international users in their language or a common language if possible. If not, -you can try using translation tools, although results may not be predictable. If -your app gets very popular in a language, consider getting support help from -native-language speakers. -
- Make sure there's a link to any support resources on your web site. -Consider setting up language-specific user groups, Google+ communities, or other -support forums. -
By following these practices for localizing your app, promoting and marketing -to international users, and providing ongoing support, you can attract many new -users to your app and maintain their loyalty.
- -Make sure to read the Launch -Checklist to learn more about how to plan, build, and launch your app on -Google Play.
diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/publish/preparing.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/publish/preparing.jd deleted file mode 100644 index b9dd0e0..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/publish/preparing.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,681 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Launch Checklist -page.tags="publishing","launch","Google Play", "Developer Console" -@jd:body - -Checklist
--
-
- 1. Understand the publishing process -
- 2. Understand Google Play policies -
- 3. Test for core app quality -
- 4. Determine your content rating -
- 5. Determine country distribution -
- 6. Confirm the app's overall size -
- 7. Confirm app compatibility ranges -
- 8. Decide on free or priced -
- 9. Consider In-app Billing -
- 10. Set prices for your apps -
- 11. Start localization early -
- 12. Prepare promotional graphics -
- 13. Build the release-ready APK -
- 14. Plan a beta release -
- 15. Complete the product details -
- 16. Use Google Play badges -
- 17. Final checks and publishing -
- 18. Support users after launch -
Before you publish your app on Google Play and distribute it to users, you -need to get the app ready, test it, and prepare your promotional materials.
- -This document helps you understand the publishing process and get ready for a -successful product launch on Google Play. It summarizes some of the -tasks you'll need to complete before publishing your app on Google Play, such as -creating a signed, release-ready APK, understanding the requirements of the app, -and creating the product page and graphic assets for your app.
- -The preparation and publishing tasks are numbered to give you a rough idea of -sequence. However, you can handle the tasks in any sequence that works for you -or you can skip steps as appropriate.
- -As you move toward publishing, a variety of support resources are available to -you. Relevant links are provided in each step.
- - -1. Understand the publishing process
- -Before you begin the steps in this checklist, you should take a moment to -read and understand the overall publishing workflow and become familiar with how -the process works. In particular, you or your development team will need to -prepare your app for release using a process common to all Android apps. -The Publishing -Workflow documents provide the details on how publishing works and how to -get an APK ready for release.
- -Once you are familiar with publishing in general, read this document to -understand the issues that you should consider when publishing an app on Google -Play.
- -Related resources: -
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-
2. Understand Google Play policies and agreements
- -Make sure that you understand and follow the Google Play program policies -that you accepted when registering. Google Play actively enforces the policies -and any violations can lead to suspension of your app or, for repeated -violations, termination of your developer account.
- -Related resources: -
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-
3. Test for Core App Quality
- -Before you publish an app on Google Play, it's important to make sure that -it meets the basic quality expectations for all Android apps, on all of the devices that you -are targeting. You can check your app's quality by setting up a test -environment and testing the app against a short set of core app quality criteria. -For complete information, see the Core App Quality Guidelines. -
- -If your app is targeting tablet devices, make sure that it delivers a rich, compelling -experience to your tablet customers. See the Tablet App Quality Checklist -for recommendations on ways to optimize your app for tablets.
- -Related resources: -
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-
4. Determine your app's content rating
- -Google Play requires you to set a content rating for your app, which informs -Google Play users of its maturity level. Before you publish, you should confirm -what rating level you want to use. The available content rating levels are:
- --
-
- Everyone -
- Low maturity -
- Medium maturity -
- High maturity -
On their Android devices, Android users can set the desired maturity level -for browsing. Google Play then filters apps based on the setting, so the content -rating you select can affect the app's distribution to users. You can assign (or -change) the content rating for your app in the Developer Console, so no changes -are required in your app binary.
- -Related resources: -
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-
5. Determine country distribution
- -Google Play lets you control what countries and territories your app is -distributed to. For widest reach and the largest potential customer base, you -would normally want to distribute to all available countries and territories. -However, because of business needs, app requirements, or launch dependencies, -you might want to exclude one or more countries from your distribution.
- -It's important to determine the exact country distribution early, because it -can affect:
--
-
- The need for localized resources in the app -
- The need for a localized app description in the Developer Console -
- Legal requirements for the app that may be specific to certain -countries -
- Time zone support, local pricing, and so on. -
With your country targeting in mind, you should assess what -your localization needs are, both in your app and in its Google Play listing -details, and start the work of localization well in advance of your -launch target date.
- -See Localization -Checklist for key steps and considerations in the localizing process.
- -Related resources: -
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-
6. Confirm the app's overall size
- -The overall size of your app can affect its design and how you publish it on -Google Play. Currently, the maximum size for an APK published on Google Play is -50 MB. If your app exceeds that size, or if you want to offer a -secondary download, you can use APK Expansion Files, -which Google Play will host for free on its server infrastructure and -automatically handle the download to devices.
- --
-
- The maximum size for an APK published on Google Play is 50 MB. -
- You can use up to two (2) APK Expansion Files, each up to 2 GB in size, for -each APK. -
Using APK Expansion files is a convenient, cost-effective method of -distributing large apps. However, the use of APK Expansion Files requires some -changes in your app binary, so you will need to make those changes before -creating your release-ready APK.
- -To minimize the size of your app binary, make sure that you run the -Proguard tool on your code when -building your release-ready APK.
- -Related resources: -
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-
7. Confirm the app's platform and screen compatibility ranges
- -Before publishing, it's important to make sure that your app is designed to -run properly on the Android platform versions and device screen sizes that you -want to target. - -
From an app-compatibility perspective, Android platform versions are defined
-by API level. You should
-confirm the minimum version that your app is compatible with (<minSdkVersion>
),
-as that will affect its distribution to Android
-devices once it is published.
For screen sizes, you should confirm that the app runs properly and looks
-good on the range of screen sizes and densities that you want to support. You
-should confirm the minimum screen-size and density support that your app
-declares (<supports-screens>
),
-since that can affect its distribution to
-Android devices once it is published.
To get a better understanding of the current device penetration of Android -platform versions and screen sizes across all Android devices, see the Device Dashboard -charts.
- -Related resources: -
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-
8. Decide whether your app will be free or priced
- -On Google Play, you can publish apps as free to download or priced. Free apps -can be downloaded by any Android user in Google Play. -Paid apps can be downloaded only by users who have registered a form of payment -in Google Play, such as a credit card or Direct Carrier Billing.
- -Deciding whether you app will be free or paid is important because, on Google -Play, free apps must remain free.
- --
-
- Once you publish your app as a free app, you cannot ever change it to being -a priced app. However, you can still sell in-app products and -subscriptions through Google Play's In-app Billing service. -
- If you publish your app as a priced app, you can change -it at any time to being a free app (but cannot then change it back to -priced). You can also sell in-app products and subscriptions. -
If your app is be priced, or if you'll be selling in-app products, -you need set up a Google Wallet merchant account before you can publish.
- -Related resources: -
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-
9. Consider using In-app Billing
- -Google Play In-app -Billing lets you sell digital content in your applications. You can use the -service to sell a wide range of content, including downloadable content such as -media files or photos, and virtual content such as game levels or potions. -In-app Billing service lets you sell one-time purchases and subscriptions from -inside your app. This can help you to monetize the app over its installed -lifetime.
- -If your are looking for more ways to monetize your app and build engagement, -you should consider In-app Billing. The service has become very popular with -both users and developers. To use In-app Billing, you need to make changes to -your app binary, so you will need to complete and test your implementation -before creating your release-ready APK.
- -Related resources: -
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-
10. Set prices for your products
- -If your app is priced or you will sell in-app products, Google Play lets you -set prices for your products in a variety of currencies, for users in markets -around the world. You can set prices individually in different currencies, so -you have the flexibility to adjust your price according to market conditions and -exchange rates.
- -Before you publish, consider how you will price your products -and what your prices will be in various currencies. Later, you can set prices -in all available currencies through the Developer Console.
- -Related resources: -
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-
11. Start localization
- -With your country targeting in mind, it's a good idea to assess your localization -needs and start the work of localizing well in advance of your target -launch date.
- -There are at least three aspects of localization to consider:
- --
-
- Localizing the strings, images, and other resources in your app -
- Localizing your app's store listing details on Google Play -
- Localizing the app's graphic assets, screenshots, and videos that accompany your store listing. -
See Localization Checklist for key steps and considerations in the localizing process.
- -To localize your store listing, first create and finalize your app title, description, -and promotional text. Collect and send all of these for localization. You can optionally -translate the "Recent Changes" text for app updates as well. Later you can add your localized -listing details in the Developer Console, or you can choose to let Google Play auto-translate -your listing details into the languages you support.
- -A key part of making your app listing attractive to a global customer base is -creating localized versions of your promotional graphics, screenshots and -videos. For example, your app's feature graphic might include text that should -be translated, for maximum effectiveness. You can create different versions of -your promotional graphics for each language and upload them to the Developer -Console. If you offer a promotional video, you can create localized versions of -it and then add a link to the correct localized video for each language you -support.
- -When your translations are complete, move them into your app resources as needed and test -that they are loaded properly. Save your app's translated listing details for later, -when you upload assets and configure your product details.
- -Related resources: -
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12. Prepare promotional graphics, screenshots, and videos
- -When you publish on Google Play, you can supply a variety of high-quality -graphic assets to showcase your app or brand. After you publish, these appear on -your product details page, in store listings and search results, and elsewhere. -These graphic assets are key parts of a successful product details page that -attracts and engages users, so you should consider having a professional produce -them for you. Screen shots and videos are also very important, because they show -what your app looks like, how it's used or played, and what makes it different.
- -All of your graphic assets should be designed so that they are easy to see -and highlight your app or brand in a colorful, interesting way. The assets -should reference the same logo and icon as users will actually find in the All -Apps launcher once they have downloaded the app. Your graphic assets should also -fit in well with the graphic assets of other apps published by you, which will -be also be displayed to users on your product details page.
- -To help you market your app more effectively to a global audience, Google -Play lets you create localized versions of your promotional graphics, -screenshots, and videos and upload them to the Developer Console. When a user -visits your app's store listing, Google Play displays the promotional graphic, -screenshots and video that you've provided for the user's language.
- -To localize your promotional graphics, you can translate any embedded text, use -different imagery or presentation, or change your marketing approach to best address the needs -of users in specific languages. For example, if your feature or promotional graphic -includes and embedded product name or tag line, you can translate that text -and add it to a localized version of the promotional graphic.
- -Because your localized graphic assets and videos are so important, you should get -started on creating them and localizing them well in advance of your target -publishing date.
- -Note: Localized promotional graphics and videos -are supported only in the new Developer Console design.
- -Related resources: -
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-
13. Build and upload the release-ready APK
- -When you are satisfied that your app meets your UI, compatibility, and -quality requirements, you can build the release-ready version of the app. The -release-ready APK is what you you will upload to the Developer Console and -distribute to users. - -
The process for preparing a release-ready APK is the same for all apps, -regardless of how they are distributed. Generally the process includes basic code cleanup -and optimization, building and signing with your release key, and final testing. -When you are finished preparing your application for release, you'll have a signed -APK file that you can upload to the Developer Console for distribution to -users.
- -For complete details on how to create a release-ready version of your app, -read Preparing for -Release.
- -Once you have the release-ready APK in hand, you can upload it to -the Developer Console. If necessary, you can replace the APK with a more -recent version before publishing.
- -Related resources: -
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-
14. Plan a beta release
- -Easy beta testing
-Google Play now lets you set up groups of alpha and beta testers, anywhere around the world. Check out this powerful feature next time you sign in to the Developer Console.
-Before launching your app, it's always valuable to get real-world feedback -from users — even more so when you are launching a new app. It's highly -recommended that you distribute a pre-release version of your app to users -across your key markets and provide an easy means for them to provide feedback -and report bugs.
- -Google Play can help you set up a beta program for your app. After you sign -in to the Developer Console and upload your APK, you can set up groups of users -for alpha testing and beta testing the app. You can start with a small group of -alpha testers, then move to a larger group of beta testers. Once users are -added, they access your app's store listing and install the app. User feedback -from alpha and beta testers goes directly to you and is not posted as public -reviews.
- -The feedback you receive will help you adjust your UI, translations, and -store listing to ensure a great experience for users.
- -15. Complete the app's product details
- -On Google Play, your app's product information is shown to users on its -product details page, the page that users visit to learn more about your app and -the page from which they will decide to purchase or download your app, on their -Android devices or on the web.
- -Google Play gives you a variety of ways to promote your app and engage with -users on your product details page, from colorful graphics, screenshots, and -videos to localized descriptions, release details, and links to your other apps. -As you prepare to publish your app, make sure that you take advantage of all -that your product details page can offer, making your app as compelling as -possible to users.
- -You should begin planning your product page in advance of your target launch -date, arranging for localized description, high-quality graphic assets, -screenshots and video, and so on.
- -As you get near your target publishing date, you should become familiar with -all the fields, options, and assets associated with the product details configuration -page in the Developer Console. As you collect the information and assets for the -page, make sure that you can enter or upload it to the Developer Console, until -the page is complete and ready for publishing.
- -After you've set your app's geographic targeting in the Developer Console, -remember to add your localized product details, promotional graphics, and so on, for all of the -languages that you support.
- -If your app is targeting tablet devices, make sure to include at least one screen -shot of the app running on a tablet, and highlight your app's support for tablets -in the app description, release notes, promotional campaigns, and elsewhere.
- -Related resources: -
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-
16. Use Google Play badges and links in your promotional -campaigns
- -Google Play badges give you an officially branded way of promoting your app -to Android users. Use the Google Play Badge -generator to quickly create badges to link users to your products from web -pages, ads, reviews, and more. You can also use special link formats -to link directly to your product details page, to a list of your products, or to -search results.
- -To help your app get traction after launch, it's strongly recommended that you support -launch with a promotional campaign that announces your product through many channels as -possible, in as many countries as possible. For example, you can promote the launch -using ad placements, social network or blog posts, video and other media, interviews -and reviews, or any other channel available.
- -Related resources: -
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-
17. Final checks and publishing
- -When you think you are ready to publish, sign in to the Developer Console and take a few moments for a few -final checks.
- -Make sure that:
- --
-
- Your developer profile has the correct information and is linked to the proper Google Wallet merchant account (if you are selling products). -
- You have the right version of the app uploaded. -
- All parts of your Product Details are ready, including all graphic assets, screenshots, video, localized descriptions, and so on. -
- You have set your app's pricing to free or priced. -
- You have set country (and carrier) targeting and priced your products (if appropriate) in buyer currencies -
- "Compatible devices" shows that your app is actually reaching the devices that you are targeting. If not, you should check with your development team on the apps requirements and filtering rules. -
- You have provided the correct link to your web site and the correct support email address. -
- Your app does not violate content policy guidelines. -
- You have acknowledged that your app meets the guidelines for Android content on Google Play and also US export laws. -
Your app is now ready to publish!
- -If you are releasing an update, make sure to read the requirements for publishing updates.
- -When you are ready, click the Publish button in the Developer Console. Within a few hours, your app will become available to users and your product page will be appear in Google Play for browsing, searching, or linking from your promotional campaigns.
- -Related resources: -
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-
18. Support users after launch
- -After you publish an app or an app update, it's crucial for you to support -your customers. Prompt and courteous support can provide a better experience for -users that results in better ratings and more positive reviews for your -products. Users are likely to be more engaged with your app and recommend it if -you are responsive to their needs and feedback. This is especially true after -publishing if you are using a coordinated promotional campaign.
- -There are a number of ways that you can keep in touch with users and offer -them support. The most fundamental is to provide your support email -address on your product details page. Beyond that, you can provide support -in any way you choose, such as a forum, mailing list or a Google+ page. The -Google Play team does provide user support for downloading, installing and -payments issues, but issues that fall outside of these topics will fall under -your domain. Examples of issues you can support include: feature requests, -questions about using the app and questions about compatibility settings.
- -After publishing, plan to:
--
-
- Check your ratings and reviews frequently on your app's product details -page. Watch for recurring issues that could signal bugs or other issues. -
- Be mindful of new Android platform version launches, as compatibility -settings for your apps might need to be updated. -
- Put a link to your support resources on your web site and set up any other -support such as forums. -
- Provide an appropriate support email address on your product details page -and respond to users when they take the time to email you. -
- Beyond the automatic refund window offered by Google Play, be generous with -your own refund policy, as satisfied users will be more likely to purchase in -the future. -
- Acknowledge and fix issues in your app. It helps to be transparent and -list known issues on your product details page proactively. -
- Publish updates as frequently as you are able, without sacrificing quality -or annoying users with too-frequent updates. -
- With each update, make sure to provide a summary of what's changed. You can -enter this information in the Developer Console. Users will read it and -appreciate that you are serious about improving the quality of your app. -
Related resources: -
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-
Help topics
--
-
- Developer Registration -
- Supported Locations for Distributing Apps -
- Policy and Best Practices -
- Developer Support -
Get Started
- - -You can set up to start publishing on Google Play in only a few minutes. Here's how you do it:
- --
-
- Register for a Google Play publisher account -
- If you will sell apps, set up a Google Wallet Merchant Account -
- Explore the Google Play Developer Console and learn about the tools for publishing -
Register for a publisher account
- -The first step is to visit the Google Play Developer Console and register for a publisher account.
- -Here's what you will do during registration:
- -Tips
--
-
- You need a Google account to register. You can create one during the process. -
- If you are an organization, consider registering a new Google account rather than using a personal account. -
- Review the developer countries and merchant countries where you can distribute and sell apps. -
-
-
- Visit the Google Play Developer Console at https://play.google.com/apps/publish/. -
- Enter basic information about your developer identity — developer -name, email address, and so on. You can modify this information later. -
- Read and accept the Developer Distribution Agreement that applies to your -country or region. Note that apps and store listings that you publish on Google Play must comply -with the Developer Program Policies and US export law, -
- Pay a $25 USD registration fee using Google Wallet. If you don't have -a Google Wallet account, you can quickly set one up during the process. -
When your registration is verified, you’ll be notified at the email address you specified during registration.
- -Set up a Google Wallet Merchant account
- -If you want to sell products on Google Play — priced apps, in-app products, or subscriptions — you will also need to set up a Google Wallet Merchant Account. You can do that at any time, but make sure to first review the list of merchant countries.
- -To set up a Merchant account from the Developer Console:
- --
-
- Sign in to your Google Play Developer Console at -https://play.google.com/apps/publish/ -
- Open Financial reports on the side navigation. -
- Click Setup a Merchant Account now. -
This takes you to the Google Wallet site to sign up as a Merchant; -you'll need information about your business available to complete this step.
- -Explore the Developer Console
-When your registration is verified, you can sign in to your Developer Console, which will be the home for your app publishing operations and tools on Google Play.
diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/quality/core.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/quality/core.jd deleted file mode 100644 index 9e23bcc..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/quality/core.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,804 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Core App Quality Guidelines -@jd:body - -Quality Criteria
- - -Testing
- - -You Should Also Read
- - - -App quality directly influences the long-term success of your app—in -terms of installs, user rating and reviews, engagement, and user retention. -Android users expect high-quality apps, even more so if they've spent money on -them.
- -This document helps you assess basic aspects of quality in your app through a -compact set of core app quality criteria and associated tests. All -Android apps should meet these criteria.
- -Before publishing your app, make sure to test it against these criteria to -ensure that it functions well on many devices, meets Android standards for -navigation and design, and is prepared for promotional opportunities in the -Google Play Store. Your testing will go well beyond what's described here—the -purpose of this document is to specify the essential characteristics -of basic quality so that you can include them in your test plans.
- -If your app is targeting tablet devices, make sure that it delivers a rich, -compelling experience to your tablet customers. See the Tablet App Quality -Checklist for recommendations on ways to optimize your app for tablets.
- - -Visual Design and User Interaction
- -These criteria ensure that your app provides standard Android visual design -and interaction patterns where appropriate, for a consistent and intuitive -user experience.
- -- Area - | -- ID - | - - -- Description - | -- Tests - | -
---|---|---|---|
Standard design | -- UX-B1 - | -
- App follows Android Design guidelines and uses common UI patterns and icons: -
|
- CR-all | -
Navigation | -- UX-N1 - | - -
- App supports standard system Back button navigation and does not make use of any custom, on-screen "Back button" prompts. - |
- CR-3 | -
- UX-N2 - | -
- All dialogs are dismissable using the Back button. - |
- CR-3 | -|
- UX-N3 - | -- Pressing the Home button at any point navigates to the Home screen of the device. - | -CR-1 | -|
Notifications | -- UX-S1 - | -
- Notifications follow Android Design guidelines. In particular: -
|
- CR-11 | -
- UX-S2 - | - -
-
- App uses notifications only to: -
|
- CR-11 | -
Related resources: -
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-
Functionality
- -These criteria ensure that your app provides expected functional behavior with the appropriate level of permissions.
- -- Area - | -- ID - | - - -- Description - | -- Tests - | -
---|---|---|---|
Permissions | -- FN-P1 - | -App requests only the absolute minimum permissions that it needs to support core functionality. - | -CR-11 | -
- FN-P2 - | -App does not request permissions to access sensitive data (such as Contacts or the System Log) or services that can cost the user money (such as the Dialer or SMS), unless related to a core capability of the app. - |
- ||
Install location | -- FN-L1 - | -
- App functions normally when installed on SD card (if supported by app). - -Supporting installation to SD card is recommended for most large apps (10MB+). See the App Install Location developer guide for information about which types of apps should support installation to SD card. - |
-
- SD-1 - | -
Audio | -- FN-A1 - | - -- Audio does not play when the screen is off, unless this is a core feature (for example, the app is a music player). - | -CR-7 | -
- FN-A2 - | -- Audio does not play behind the lock screen, unless this is a core feature. - | -CR-8 | -|
- FN-A3 - | -- Audio does not play on the home screen or over another app, unless this is a core feature. - | -CR-1, CR-2 |
- |
- FN-A4 - | -- Audio resumes when the app returns to the foreground, or indicates to the user that playback is in a paused state. - | -CR-1, CR-8 | -|
UI and Graphics | -- FN-U1 - | -
- App supports both landscape and portrait orientations (if possible). -Orientations expose largely the same features and actions and preserve functional parity. - Minor changes in content or views are acceptable. - |
- CR-5 | -
- FN-U2 - | -
- App uses the whole screen in both orientations and does not letterbox to account for orientation changes. -Minor letterboxing to compensate for small variations in screen geometry is acceptable. - |
- CR-5 | -|
- FN-U3 - | -
- App correctly handles rapid transitions between display orientations without rendering problems. - |
- CR-5 | -|
User/app state | -- FN-S1 - | -
- App should not leave any services running when the app is in the background, unless related to a core capability of the app. -For example, the app should not leave services running to maintain a network connection for notifications, to maintain a Bluetooth connection, or to keep the GPS powered-on. - |
- CR-6 | -
- FN-S2 - | -
- App correctly preserves and restores user or app state. -App preserves user or app state when leaving the foreground and prevents accidental data loss due to back-navigation and other state changes. When returning to the foreground, the app must restore the preserved state and any significant stateful transaction that was pending, such as changes to editable fields, game progress, menus, videos, and other sections of the app or game. -
|
- CR-1, CR-3, CR-5 | -
Related resources: -
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-
Performance and Stability
- -To ensure a high user rating, your app needs to perform well and stay -responsive on all of the devices and form factors and screens that it is -targeting. These criteria ensure that the app provides the basic performance, -stability, and responsiveness expected by users.
- -- Area - | -- ID - | -- Description - | -- Tests - | -
---|---|---|---|
Stability | -- PS-S1 - | -- App does not crash, force close, freeze, or otherwise function abnormally on any targeted device. - | -CR-all, SD-1, HA-1 | -
Performance | -- PS-P1 - | -- App loads quickly or provides onscreen feedback to the user (a progress indicator or similar cue) if the app - takes longer than two seconds to load. - | -- CR-all, SD-1 - | -
- PS-P2 - | -- With StrictMode enabled (see StrictMode Testing, below), no red flashes (performance warnings from StrictMode) are visible when exercising the app, including - during game play, animations and UI transitions, and any other part of the app. - | -- PM-1 - | -|
Media | -- PS-M1 - | -- Music and video playback is smooth, without crackle, stutter, or other artifacts, during normal app usage and load. - | -- CR-all, SD-1, HA-1 - | -
Visual quality | -- PS-V1 - | -
- App displays graphics, text, images, and other UI elements without noticeable distortion, blurring, or pixelation. - -
|
- CR-all | -
- PS-V2 - | -
- App displays text and text blocks in an acceptable manner. - -
|
-
-
Related resources: -
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-
Google Play
- -To launch your app successfully on Google Play, raise its ratings, and make -sure that it is ready for promotional activities in the store, follow the -criteria below.
- -- Area - | -- ID - | -- Description - | -- Tests - | -
---|---|---|---|
Policies | -- GP-P1 - | -- App strictly adheres to the terms of the Google Play Developer Content Policy and does not offer inappropriate content, does not use intellectual property or brand of others, and so on. - | -- GP-all - | -
- GP-P2 - | -
- App maturity level is set appropriately, based on the - Content Rating Guidelines. - -Especially, note that apps that request permission to use the device location cannot be given the maturity level "Everyone". - |
- - GP-1 - | -|
App Details Page | -- GP-D1 - | -
- App feature graphic follows the guidelines outlined in this - blog post. Make sure that: - -
|
-
- - GP-1, GP-2 - | -
- GP-D2 - | -- App screenshots and videos do not show or reference non-Android devices. - | -GP-1 | -|
- GP-D3 - | -- App screenshots or videos do not - represent the content and experience of your app in a misleading way. - | -||
User Support | -- GP-X1 - | -Common user-reported bugs in the Reviews tab of the Google Play page are addressed if they are - reproducible and occur on many different devices. If a bug occurs on only a few devices, - you should still address it if those devices are particularly popular or new. - | - -- GP-1 - | - -
Related resources: -
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Setting Up a Test Environment
- -To assess the quality of your app, you need to set up a suitable -hardware or emulator environment for testing.
- -The ideal test environment would -include a small number of actual hardware devices that represent key form -factors and hardware/software combinations currently available to consumers. -It's not necessary to test on every device that's on the market — -rather, you should focus on a small number of representative devices, even using -one or two devices per form factor.
- -If you are not able to obtain actual hardware devices for testing, you should -set up emulated devices (AVDs) -to represent the most common form factors and -hardware/software combinations.
- -To go beyond basic testing, you can add more devices, more form factors, or -new hardware/software combinations to your test environment. You can also -increase the number or complexity of tests and quality criteria.
- - -- Test Procedures -
- -These test procedures help you discover various types of quality issues in -your app. You can combine the tests or integrate groups of tests together in -your own test plans. See the sections above for references that associate -specific criteria with specific tests.
- -- Type - | -- Test - | -- Description - | -
---|---|---|
Core Suite | -- CR-0 - | -Navigate to all parts of the app — all screens, dialogs, settings, and all user flows. - -
|
-
- CR-1 - | -From each app screen, press the device's Home key, then re-launch the app from the All Apps screen. - | -|
- CR-2 - | -From each app screen, switch to another running app and then return to the app under test using the Recents app switcher. - | -|
- CR-3 - | -From each app screen (and dialogs), press the Back button. - | -|
- CR-5 - | -From each app screen, rotate the device between landscape and portrait orientation at least three times. - | -|
- CR-6 - | -Switch to another app to send the test app into the background. Go to Settings and check whether the test app has any services running while in the background. In Android 4.0 and higher, go to the Apps screen and find the app in the "Running" tab. In earlier versions, use "Manage Applications" to check for running services. - | -|
- CR-7 - | -- Press the power button to put the device to sleep, then press the power button again to - awaken the screen. - | -|
- CR-8 - | -- Set the device to lock when the power button is pressed. Press the power button to put the device to sleep, then press the power button again to - awaken the screen, then unlock the device. - | -|
- CR-9 - | -- For devices that have slide-out keyboards, slide the keyboard in and out at least once. For devices that have keyboard docks, attach the device to the keyboard dock. - | -|
- CR-10 - | -- For devices that have an external display port, plug-in the external display. - | -|
- CR-11 - | -Trigger and observe in the notications drawer all types of notifications that the app can display. Expand notifications where applicable (Android 4.1 and higher), and tap all actions offered. | -|
- CR-12 - | -Examine the permissions requested by the app by going to Settings > App Info. - | -|
Install on SD Card | -- SD-1 - | -
- Repeat Core Suite with app installed to device SD card (if supported by app). - -To move the app to SD card, you can use Settings > App Info > Move to SD Card. - |
-
Hardware acceleration | -- HA-1 - | -
- Repeat Core Suite with hardware acceleration enabled. - -To force-enable hardware acceleration (where supported by device), add |
-
Performance Monitoring | -- PM-1 - | -
- Repeat Core Suite with StrictMode profiling enabled as described below. Pay close attention to garbage collection and its impact on the user experience. - |
-
Google Play | -- GP-1 - | -- Sign into the Developer Console to review your developer profile, app description, screenshots, feature graphic, maturity settings, and user feedback. - | -
- GP-2 - | -- Download your feature graphic and screenshots and scale them down to match the display sizes on the devices and form factors you are targeting. - | -|
- GP-3 - | -- Review all graphical assets, media, text, code libraries, and other content packaged in the app or expansion file download. - | -|
Payments | -- GP-4 - | -- Navigate to all screens of your app and enter all in-app purchase flows. - | -
-Testing with StrictMode -
- -For performance testing, we recommend enabling -{@link android.os.StrictMode} in your app -and using it to catch operations on the main thread and other threads that could -affect performance, network accesses, file reads/writes, and so on.
- -You can set up a monitoring policy per thread using
-{@link android.os.StrictMode.ThreadPolicy.Builder} and enable all supported monitoring in the
-ThreadPolicy
using
-{@link android.os.StrictMode.ThreadPolicy.Builder#detectAll()}.
Make sure to enable visual notification of policy violations
-for the ThreadPolicy
using {@link android.os.StrictMode.ThreadPolicy.Builder#penaltyFlashScreen() penaltyFlashScreen()}.
App quality directly influences the long-term success of your app—in -terms of installs, user rating and reviews, engagement, and user retention. -Android users expect high-quality apps, even more so if they've spent money on -them. At the same time, users enjoy and value apps that put a priority on -continuous improvement.
- -Before you publish an app on Google Play, it's important to make sure that -your app meets the basic quality expectations of users, across all of the form -factors and device types that the app is targeting. The documents in this -section help you assess your app's fundamental quality and address any -issues that you find.
- -- Core App Quality -
-- A set of core quality criteria that all Android apps should meet on all targeted devices. -
Learn more » -- Tablet App Quality -
-- A set recommendations for delivering the best possible experience to tablet users. -
Learn more » -- Improving App Quality -
-- Tips on continuously improving your app's quality, ratings, reviews, downloads, and engagement. -
Learn more - » -Checklist
--
-
-
- 1. Test for Basic Tablet App Quality -
- 2. Optimize your layouts -
- 3. Use the extra screen area -
- 4. Use assets designed for tablets -
- 5. Adjust fonts and touch targets -
- 6. Adjust homescreen widgets -
- 7. Offer the app's full feature set -
- 8. Target Android versions properly -
- 9. Declare dependencies properly -
- 10. Declare tablet screens support -
- 11. Showcase your tablet UI -
- 12. Follow publishing best practices - -
Testing
- -Before you publish an app on Google Play, it's important to make sure that the app meets the basic expectations of tablet users through compelling features and an intuitive, well-designed UI.
- -Tablets are a growing part of the Android installed base that offers new -opportunities for user engagement -and monetization. If your app is targeting tablet users, this document helps -you focus on key aspects of quality, feature set, and UI that can have a -significant impact on the app's success. Each focus area is given as checklist -item, with each one comprising several smaller tasks or best practices.
- -Although the checklist tasks below are numbered for convenience, -you can handle them in any order and address them to the extent that you feel -is right for your app. In the interest of delivering the best possible product -to your customers, follow the checklist recommendations -to the greatest extent possible.
- -As you move through the checklist, you'll find links to support resources -that can help you address the topics raised in each task.
- - -1. Test for basic tablet app quality
- -The first step in delivering a great tablet app experience is making sure -that it meets the core app quality criteria for all of the devices -and form factors that the app is targeting. For complete information, see the Core App Quality Guidelines. -
- -- Before publishing, also ensure that your app passes several basic - technical checks and launch criteria, such as: -
- --
-
- Targets appropriate Android versions -
- Specifies any hardware dependencies properly -
- Declares support for appropriate screens -
- Uses all of the available screen space -
- Screenshots are uploaded to Google Play -
If your app is already uploaded to the Google Play Developer Console, you - can see how it is doing against these checks - by visiting the Optimization - Tips page.
- - -2. Optimize your layouts for larger screens
- -Android makes it easy to develop an app that runs well on a wide range of -device screen sizes and form factors. This broad compatibility works in your -favor, since it helps you design a single app that you can distribute widely to -all of your targeted devices. However, to give your users the best possible -experience on each screen configuration — in particular on tablets -— you need to optimize your layouts and other UI components for each -targeted screen configuration. On tablets, optimizing your UI lets you take -full advantage of the additional screen available, such as to offer new features, -present new content, or enhance the experience in other ways to deepen user -engagement.
- -If you developed your app for handsets and now want to distribute it to -tablets, you can start by making minor adjustments to your layouts, fonts, and -spacing. In some cases — such as for 7-inch tablets or for a game with -large canvas — these adjustments may be all -you need to make your app look great. In other cases, such as for larger -tablets, you can redesign parts of your UI to replace "stretched UI" with an -efficient multipane UI, easier navigation, and additional content.
- -Here are some suggestions:
- --
-
- Provide custom layouts as needed for
large
and -xlarge
screens. You can also provide layouts that are loaded based -on the screen's shortest -dimension or the minimum -available width and height.
- - At a minimum, customize dimensions such as font sizes, margins, spacing for -larger screens, to improve use of space and content legibility. -
- Adjust positioning of UI controls so that they are easily accessible to -users when holding a tablet, such as toward the sides when in -landscape orientation. -
- Padding of UI elements should normally be larger on tablets than on handsets. A -48dp rhythm (and a 16dp -grid) is recommended. -
- Adequately pad text content so that it is not aligned directly along screen edges.
-Use a minimum
16dp
padding around content near screen edges.
-
In particular, make sure that your layouts do not appear "stretched" -across the screen:
- --
-
- Lines of text should not be excessively long — optimize for a maximum -100 characters per line, with best results between 50 and 75. -
- ListViews and menus should not use the full screen width. -
- Use padding to manage the widths of onscreen elements or switch to a -multi-pane UI for tablets (see next section). -
- Related resources -
- --
-
- - Metrics - and Grids—Android Design document that explains how to create - layouts based on density-independent grids. - - -
- - Devices - and Displays—Android Design document that explains how to - design a UI that works well on different devices and - screen sizes. - - -
- - Supporting Multiple - Screens—Developer documentation that explains the details of - managing UI for best display on multiple screen sizes. - - -
- - - Configuration examples—Examples of how to declare layouts and - other resources for specific screen sizes. - -
3. Take advantage of extra screen area available on tablets
- -Tablet screens provide significantly more screen real estate to your app, -especially when in landscape orientation. In particular, 10-inch tablets offer a -greatly expanded area, but even 7-inch tablets give you more space for -displaying content and engaging users.
- -As you consider the UI of your app when running on tablets, make sure that it -is taking full advantage of extra screen area available on tablets. Here are -some suggestions:
- --
-
- Look for opportunities to include additional content or use an alternative -treatment of existing content. -
- Use multi-pane -layouts on tablet screens to combine single views into a compound view. This -lets you use the additional screen area more efficiently and makes it easier for -users to navigate your app. -
- Plan how you want the panels of your compound views to reorganize when -screen orientation changes. - -
- While a single screen is implemented as an {@link android.app.Activity} -subclass, consider implementing individual content panels as {@link -android.app.Fragment} subclasses. This lets you -maximize code reuse across different form factors and across screens that -share content. -
- Decide on which screen sizes you'll use a multi-pane UI, then provide the
-different layouts in the appropriate screen size buckets (such as
-
large
/xlarge
) or minimum screen widths (such as -sw600dp
/sw720
).
-
- Related resources -
- --
-
- - Multi-pane - Layouts—Android Design guide for using multi-pane UI, including - examples of how to flatten navigation and integrate more content into - your tablet UI. - - -
- - Planning for Multiple - Touchscreen Sizes—Android Training class that walks you through - the essentials of planning an intuitive, effective navigation for tablets - and other devices. - - -
- - Designing for - Multiple Screens—Android Training class that walks you through - the essentials of planning an intuitive, effective navigation for tablets - and other devices. - -
4. Use Icons and other assets that are designed -for tablet screens
- -To ensure your app looks its best, provide icons and other bitmap -assets for each density in the range commonly supported by tablets. Specifically, you should -design your icons for the action bar, notifications, and launcher according to the -Iconography guidelines and -provide them in multiple densities, so they appear at the appropriate size on all screens -without blurring or other scaling artifacts.
- -Density | -Launcher | -Action Bar | -Small/Contextual | -Notification | -
---|---|---|---|---|
mdpi |
-48x48 px | -32x32 px | -16x16 px | -24x24 px | -
hdpi |
-72x72 px | -48x48 px | -24x24 px | -36x36 px | -
tvdpi |
-(use hdpi) | -(use hdpi) | -(use hdpi) | -(use hdpi) | -
xhdpi |
-96x96 px | -64x64 px | -32x32 px | -48x48 px | -
xxhdpi |
-144x144 px | -96x96 px | -48x48 px | -72x72 px | -
Your app should supply a version of each icon and bitmap asset that's optimized -for at least one the following common tablet screen densities:
- --
-
hdpi
- xhdpi
- xxhdpi
-
Other tips:
- --
-
- When possible, use vector shapes for your icon designs so you can scale them -without loss of detail and edge crispness. -
- Use density-specific -resource qualifiers to ensure that the proper icons are loaded for each screen density. -
- Tablets and other large screen devices often request a launcher icon that is one density -size larger than the device's actual density, so you should provide your launcher -icon at the highest density possible. For example, if a tablet has an {@code xhdpi} screen, -it will request the {@code xxhdpi} version of the launcher icon. -
- Related resources -
- --
-
- - Iconography— - Design guidelines and tips about how to create various types of icons. - - -
- - Providing - Resources—Developer documentation on how to provide - sets of layouts and drawable resources for specific ranges of device - screens. - - -
- - Supporting - Multiple Screens—API Guide documentation that - explains the details of managing UI for best display on multiple screen - sizes. - - -
- - Supporting Different - Screens—Android Training class that takes you - through the process of optimizing the user experience for different - screen sizes and densities. - -
5. Adjust font sizes and touch targets for tablet screens
- -To make sure your app is easy to use on tablets, take some time to adjust the -font sizes and touch targets in your tablet UI, for all of the screen -configurations you are targeting. You can adjust font sizes through styleable attributes or dimension -resources, and you can adjust touch targets through layouts and bitmap -drawables, as discussed above.
- -Here are some considerations:
--
-
- Text should not be excessively large or small on tablet screen sizes and -densities. Make sure that labels are sized appropriately for the UI elements they -correspond to, and ensure that there are no improper line breaks in labels, -titles, and other elements. -
- The recommended touch-target size for onscreen elements is 48dp (32dp -minimum) — some adjustments may be needed in your tablet UI. Read Metrics and -Grids - to learn about implementation strategies to help most of your users. To -meet the accessibility needs of certain users, it may be appropriate to use -larger touch targets. -
- When possible, for smaller icons, expand the touchable area to more than -48dp using {@link android.view.TouchDelegate} -or just centering the icon within the transparent button. -
- Related resources -
- --
-
- - Metrics - and Grids —Android Design document that explains how to arrange - and size touch targets and other UI elements on the screen. - - -
- - Typography—Android - Design document that gives an overview of how to use typography in your - apps. - - -
- - Supporting Multiple - Screens—Developer documentation that explains the details of - managing UI for best display on multiple screen sizes. - - -
- - Supporting - Different Densities—Android Training class that shows you how - to provide sets of layouts and drawable resources for specific ranges of - device screens. - -
6. Adjust sizes of home screen widgets for tablet screens
- -If your app includes a home screen widget, here are a few points to consider -to ensure a great user experience on tablet screens:
- --
-
- Make sure that the widget's default height and width are set appropriately -for tablet screens, as well as the minimum and maximum resize height and width. - -
- The widget should be resizable to 420dp or more, to span 5 or more home -screen rows (if this is a vertical or square widget) or columns (if this is a -horizontal or square widget). -
- Make sure that 9-patch images render correctly. -
- Use default system margins. -
- Set the app's
targetSdkVersion
to 14 or higher, if -possible.
-
- Related resources -
- --
-
- - Adding the - AppWidgetProviderInfo Metadata —API Guide that explains how to - set the height and width dimensions of a widget. - - -
- - App Widget - Design Guidelines—API Guide that provides best practices and - techniques for designing and managing the size of widgets. - -
7. Offer the app's full feature set to tablet users
- -Let your tablet users experience the best features of your app. Here are -some recommendations:
- --
-
- Design your app to offer at least the same set of features on tablets as it does on -handsets. -
- In exceptional cases, your app might omit or replace certain features on
-tablets if they are not supported by the hardware or use-case of most tablets.
-For example:
-
-
-
- If the handset uses telephony features but telephony is not available on the -current tablet, you can omit or replace the related functionality. -
- Many tablets have a GPS sensor, but most users would not normally carry -their tablets while running. If your phone app provides functionality to let the -user record a GPS track of their runs while carrying their phones, the app would not need to -provide that functionality on tablets because the use-case is not -compelling. -
- - If you will omit a feature or capability from your tablet UI, make sure -that it is not accessible to users or that it offers “graceful degradation” -to a replacement feature (also see the section below on hardware features). -
8. Target Android versions properly
- -To ensure the broadest possible distribution to tablets, make sure that your -app properly targets the Android versions that support tablets. Initial support for -tablets was added in Android 3.0 -(API level 11). Unified UI -framework support for tablets, phones, and other devices was introduced in Android 4.0 (API level 14) and is -supported in later versions. - -
You can set the app's
-range of targeted Android versions in the manifest file, in the
-<uses-sdk>
element. In most cases, you can target Android versions properly by setting the element's targetSdkVersion
attribute to the highest API level available.
At a minimum, check the <uses-sdk>
- element to make sure that:
-
-
targetSdkVersion
is declared with value 11 or higher (14 or higher is recommended), OR
- minSdkVersion
is declared with value 11 or higher.
- - If a
maxSdkVersion
attribute is declared, it must have a value of 11 or higher. Note that, in general, the use ofmaxSdkVersion
is not recommended.
-
- Related resources -
- --
-
- - Android API - Levels—Introduces API levels and how they relate to compatibility. - A reference of available API levels is included. - -
- - Supporting Different Platform Versions—Training class showing how to declare support for - minimum and target API levels in your app. - -
9. Declare hardware feature dependencies properly
- -- Handsets and tablets typically offer slightly different hardware support for - sensors, camera, telephony, and other features. For example, many tablets are - available in a "Wi-Fi" configuration that does not include telephony support. -
- -- So that you can distribute a single APK broadly across your full customer - base of phones and tablets, make sure that your app doesn't declare - requirements for hardware features that aren't commonly available on tablets. - Instead, properly declare the hardware features as not required in the app - manifest, as described below. -
- --
-
- In your app manifest, locate any
<uses-feature>
-elements. In particular, look for hardware features that might not be -available on some tablets, such as: - --
-
android.hardware.telephony
-android.hardware.camera
(refers to back camera), or
-android.hardware.camera.front
-
-
- - Declare the
<uses-feature>
-elements as not required by including theandroid:required=”false”
-attribute. - -- For example, here's the proper way to declare a dependency on -
- -android.hardware.telephony
, such that you can still - distribute the app broadly, even to devices that don't offer telephony: -<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.telephony" android:required="false" />
-
- - Similarly, check the manifest for
<permission>
elements that -imply hardware -feature requirements that not be appropriate for tablets. If you find such -permissions, make sure to explicitly declare a corresponding -<uses-feature>
element for the features and includes the -android:required=”false”
attribute.
-
- After declaring hardware features as not required, make sure to test - your app on a variety of devices. The app should function normally when the - hardware features it uses are not available, and it should offer "graceful - degradation" and alternative functionality where appropriate. -
- -- For example, if an app normally uses GPS to set the location but GPS is not - supported on the device, the app could let the user set the location manually - instead. The app can check for device hardware capabilities at runtime and handle - as needed. -
- -- Related resources -
- --
-
- - Permissions - that Imply Feature Requirements—A list of permissions that may - cause unwanted filtering if declared in your app's manifest. - -
-
-
<uses-feature>
—Description - and reference documentation for the<uses-feature>
- manifest element. -
-
- - - Testing - the features required by your application—Description of how to - determine the actual set of hardware and software requirements (explicit or - implied) that your app requires. - -
10. Declare support for tablet screens
- -To ensure that you can distribute your app to a broad range of tablets, your app should -declare support for tablet screen sizes in its manifest file, as follows:
- --
-
- A
-
<supports-screens>
- element, if declared, must not specifyandroid:largeScreens="false"
- orandroid:xlargeScreens="false"
.
- - For apps targeting
minSdkVersion
value less than 13, a -<supports-screens>
- element must be declared with bothandroid:largeScreens="true"
and -android:xlargeScreens="true"
.
-
If the app declares a
-<compatible-screens>
-element in the manifest, the element should include attributes that specify
-all of the size and density combinations for tablet screens that the
-app supports. Note that, if possible, you should avoid using the
-<compatible-screens>
-element in your app.
- Related resources -
- --
-
- - Declaring - Screen Size Support—Developer documentation that explains the - details of managing UI for best display on multiple screen sizes. - -
11. Showcase your tablet UI in Google Play
- -- After you've done the work to create an rich, optimized UI for your tablet - app, make sure that you let your customers know about it! Here are some key - ways to promote your tablet app to users on Google Play. -
- -- Upload screenshots of your tablet UI -
- -- Tablet users want to know what your app is like on a tablet device, not on a - phone. If you developed a tablet app, make sure to upload screenshots - of your tablet UI to the Google Play Developer Console. Here are some guidelines: -
- --
-
- Your screenshots should show the core functionality of your app, not a - startup or sign-in page. Wherever users will spend most of their time, that's - what you should show in your screenshots. - - -
- Add screenshots taken on both 7-inch and 10-inch tablets. - - -
- It's recommended that you add screenshots taken in both landscape and - portrait orientations, if possible. - - -
- Use screen captures if possible. Avoid showing actual device hardware in your - screenshots. - -
- The recommended resolution of your tablet screenshots is 1280 x 720 - or higher in each orientation. - - -
- You can upload as many as 8 screenshots of your tablet UI for 7-inch tablets - and an additional 8 for 10-inch tablets. - -
- Update your app description and release notes -
- --
-
- In your app description, make sure to highlight that your app offers - tablet-optimized UI and great features for tablet users. Consider adding some - detail about how your tablet UI works and why users will like it. - - -
- Include information about tablet support in the app's release notes and - update information. - -
- Update your promotional video -
- -- Many users view an app's promotional video to get an idea of what the app is - like and whether they'll enjoy it. For tablet users, capitalize on this - interest by highlighting your app's tablet UI in your promotional video. Here - are some tips and guidelines: -
- --
-
- Add one or more shots of your app running on a tablet. To engage with - tablet users most effectively, it's recommended that you promote your tablet - UI in approximately equal proportion to your phone UI. - - -
- Show your tablet UI as early as possible in the video. Don't assume that - tablet users will wait patiently through a feature walkthrough on a phone UI. - Ideally, you should engage them immediately by showing the tablet UI within - the first 10 seconds, or at the same point that you introduce the phone UI. - - -
- To make it clear that you are showing a tablet UI, include shots of your - app running on a hand-held tablet device. - - -
- Highlight your app's tablet UI in the video's narrative or voiceover. - -
- Feature your tablet UI in your promotional campaigns -
- -- Make sure to let tablet users know about your tablet UI in your promotional - campaigns, web site, social posts, advertisements, and elsewhere. Here are - some suggestions: -
- --
-
- Plan a marketing or advertising campaign that highlights the use of your - app on tablets. - -
- Show your tablet app at its best in your promotional campaigns—use the Device Art Generator to - quickly generate a high-quality promotional image of your app running on a - 7-inch or 10-inch tablet, in the orientation of your choice, with or without - drop-shadow and screen glare. It's as simple as capture, drag, and drop. - - -
- Include a Google Play badge in your online promotions to let users link - directly to your app's store listing. You can generate a badge in a variety - of languages using the Badge Generator. - -
- Related resources -
- --
-
- - Publishing - Checklist - —Recommendations on how to prepare your app for publishing, test - it, and launch successfully on Google Play. - - -
- - Google Play - Developer Console—The tools console for publishing - your app to Android users. - -
- - Google Play - Badge Generator—Create "Get it on Google Play" badges for your - app in a variety of languages with a single click. - -
- - Device Art - Generator—Drag and drop tool that lets you instantly create production- - ready art showing your app running on a tablet device. - -
12. Follow best practices for publishing in Google Play
- -Here are some best practices for delivering a successful tablet app on Google Play.
- -Check out your app's Optimization Tips
- -The Google Play Developer Console now offers an Optimization Tips page that -lets you quickly check how your app is doing against basic guidelines for tablet app -distribution and quality. To visit the page, sign into the Developer Console, -load the app from All Applications, and click Optimization Tips in -the left navigation.
- -How to send feedback
- -Please use the link below to send -feedback or request a manual review of your Optimization Tips.
- -Make sure to read the relevant sections of the Tablet App Quality -Guidelines prior to sending feedback.
- - -The Developer Console creates your app's Optimization Tips page -by running a series of checks to verify basic quality -criteria. If it finds any issues, it alerts you to them as "To Do" -items in the Optimization Tips page.
- -If you've developed a tablet experience for your app, make sure -to visit the Optimization Tips page to see how your app is doing -against the basic checks. If there are any issues listed, we -recommend addressing them in your app and uploading a new binary for -distribution, if needed.
- -If the Optimization Tips page lists "To Do" issues that you feel don't -apply to your app or affect its quality on tablets, please notify us -using the Designed for Tablets Contact Form ». We -will review your app and update your Optimization Tips page as -appropriate.
- - -Confirm the app's filtering
- -After you've uploaded the app to the Developer Console, check the APK's Supported Devices list to make sure that the app is not filtered from tablet devices that you want to target.
- -Distribute as a single APK
- -- It's recommended that you publish your app as a single APK for all screen - sizes (phones and tablets), with a single Google Play listing. This approach - has several important advantages. -
- --
-
- Easier for users to find your app from search, browsing, or promotions - - -
- Easier for users to restore your app automatically if they get a new - device. - - -
- Your ratings and download stats are consolidated across all devices. - - -
- Publishing a tablet app in a second listing can dilute ratings for your - brand. - -
- If necessary, you can alternatively choose to deliver your app using Multiple APK Support, - although in most cases using a single APK to reach all devices is strongly - recommended. -
- -Related resources
--
-
- Publishing - Checklist— - Recommendations on how to prepare your app for publishing, test it, and launch - successfully on Google Play. -
- Google Play Developer - Console—The tools console for publishing your app to Android users. -
Setting Up a Test Environment for Tablets
- -To assess the quality of your app on tablets — both for core app quality -and tablet app quality — you need to set up a suitable -hardware or emulator environment for testing.
- -The ideal test environment would -include a small number of actual hardware devices that represent key form -factors and hardware/software combinations currently available to consumers. -It's not necessary to test on every device that's on the market — -rather, you should focus on a small number of representative devices, even using -one or two devices per form factor. The table below provides an overview of -devices you could use for testing.
- -If you are not able to obtain actual hardware devices for testing, you should -set up emulated devices (AVDs) -to represent the most common form factors and -hardware/software combinations. See the table below for suggestions on the emulator -configurations to use.
- -To go beyond basic testing, you can add more devices, more form factors, or -new hardware/software combinations to your test environment. For example, you -could include mid-size tablets, tablets with more or fewer hardware/software -features, and so on. You can also increase the number or complexity of tests -and quality criteria.
- - - -Type | -Size | -Density | -Version | -AVD Skin | -
---|---|---|---|---|
7-inch tablet | -large or-sw600 |
-hdpi ,tvdpi |
-Android 4.0+ (API level 14 and higher) | -WXGA800-7in | -
10-inch tablet | -xlarge or-sw800 |
-mdpi ,hdpi ,xhdpi |
-Android 3.2+ (API level 13 and higher) | -WXGA800 | -
One of the goals of Google -Play game services is to allow developers to focus on what they’re good at -as game developers — creating great gaming experiences for their users, by -building on top of what Google is good at: mobile and cloud services. Integral -to that is an easy integration process, one that provides a whole host of -features with little engineering work required.
- -The gaming studios below understood the opportunity that Google Play game -services unlocked, and are starting to see real results following their -successful integrations.
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- - - -About the developer
--
-
- Concrete Software, - makers of PBA - Bowling Challenge -
- Added support for multiplayer, leaderboards and achievements through Google Play game - services -
Results
--
-
- Session lengths have increased more than 15% -
Concrete Software added several -features from Google Play game services into one of their top titles, -PBA -Bowling Challenge, including support for multiplayer, leaderboards, and -achievements.
- -So far, their users have loved the new additions: average session length -is up more than 15%. Keith Pichelman, CEO of Concrete Software, explains:
- -"The Google Play game services were straightforward and easy to implement. We -had been researching options for multiplayer services, so when Google Play game -services came out, it was an easy decision for us. Not only were they easy to -integrate, but the features have worked flawlessly.
- -"PBA Bowling Challenge now has real-time multiplayer which our users instantly -were thrilled with; you can see in the reviews how people immediately raved about -the new game experience.
- -"We also included achievements, leaderboards, and most recently cloud -synchronization from the Google Play game services as well. Using the game -services in PBA Bowling Challenge was a huge success, enough so that we are now -going back to our other titles, adding the features to them as well."
-Glu: It’s a must-have for all titles
- - - -About the developer
--
-
- Glu - Mobile, creators of Eternity - Warriors 2 -
- Has already integrated 5 titles with Google Play game services -
Results
--
-
- In Eternity Warriors 2, 7-day user retention is up 40% -
- 20% increase in play sessions per day as well -
Glu was one of the first developers -to integrate Google Play game services, with -Eternity -Warriors 2. Based on this first success, Glu has integrated game services -into several more games, including Samurai vs. Zombies 2, Frontline Commando: -D-Day, Contract Killer 2, and Zombies Ate My Friends.
- -Already supported in Eternity Warriors 2, they’ve seen a 40% increase in 7-day -user retention and a 20% increase in play sessions per day. Sourabh Ahuja, Glu's -Vice President of Android Development, explains:
- -“Multiplayer, leaderboards, achievements — these are all things that we -had to build individually for our titles. The availability of these features in -Google Play game services helps us make our games stickier, and it’s awesome that -it comes directly from Google.
- -"It’s flexible enough that we were able to make it interoperable with our -in-house systems. We look forward to utilizing game services extensively across -our portfolio."
-Vector-Unit: An awesome multiplayer experience
- - - -About the developer
--
-
- Vector - Unit, creators of Riptide - GP2 -
- Added multiplayer to Riptide GP2 through Google Play game services -
Results
--
-
- With an easy multiplayer solution, they were able to focus on the - gameplay -
- Early reviews of Riptide GP2 called multiplayer “one of the sweetest - cherries on top!” -
Vector Unit just launched their -latest title, Riptide -GP2, with Google Play game services integration, and it has one of the strongest -integrations of multiplayer yet. Early reviews call multiplayer “one of the sweetest -cherries on top!”.
- -Ralf Knoesel, CTO of Vector Unit, tells more about how they've used Google Play game -services:
- -“We wanted to provide a really compelling multiplayer experience for our users, and -Google Play game services allowed us to do just that. With multiplayer, you can show off -your skills and your custom-tuned hydro jet in 4-way online battles with friends and -players around the world.
- -"By providing an easy way to power this multiplayer experience, we were able to focus -on making the gameplay come alive — like the stunts, which are more daring and -slicker than ever (with more of them to master), or the realistic detail of the water -splashing against the camera lens.”
- -Android developers, their apps, and their successes with Android and Google Play.
- -Developer Story: Kiwi, Inc.
- -- Android-first developer Kiwi, Inc. has had 5 titles in the top 25 grossing on Google Play, including Shipwrecked: Lost Island, Monsterama Park, and Hidden Object: Mystery Estate. Hear how Google Play helped them double revenue every six months with features like instant updates, staged rollouts, and more.
-Developer Story: Colopl
- -- The creators of Kuma The Bear, Japan-based Colopl, talk about how Google Play and Android allowed them to grow their business to become one of the most profitable games publishers in APAC to date.
-Developer Story: redBus.in
- -- Bangalore-based developers redBus.in are bringing the sophistication and convenience of air-travel booking to bus transit. Hear how Android is helping them deliver a superior travel experience to millions of daily bus riders in India.
-Developer Story: Smule
- -- The creators of AutoRap, Magic Piano, and Songify talk about their experiences launching on Android, the explosive global growth they’ve seen on Google Play, and some of the techniques they use to market and monetize their products effectively across the world.
-Developer Story: Robot Invader
- -Robot Invader chose
- Android and Google Play as the launch platform for their first game,
- Wind-up
- Knight.
-
- Hear from the developers how Android helped them reach millions of users - and more than 100 device models with a single app binary, then iterate rapidly to ensure - a great user experience. -
-- As you build your app and distribute it across the world through Google Play, - localization becomes an increasingly important tool to reach more users. - Localization involves a variety of tasks, but - most important is creating quality translations of your app's UI strings and - marketing materials. -
- -- Managing the translation process across multiple languages can be a - challenge, especially if you need to locate translators on your own. That’s - why Google Play offers the App Translation Service right from the Developer - Console. It's a single place where you can go to source professional - translators, get cost estimates, and then send your strings and other - materials for translation. -
- -- Here are some stories from developers who have used Google Play's App Translation - Service to localize their apps and the results they've seen as they've - expand their offerings beyond a single language. -
- - - -Zombie Ragdoll: Improved user engagement
with localized versions
-
-
-
- About the app
- --
-
- Zombie Ragdoll -
- A fun zombie-based physics game -
Localization Results
- --
-
- Increased engagement because of appeal of the localized version -
- 80% of installs came from users of non-English languages -
- The 2013 Google I/O talks about Building Android - Apps for a Global Audience and What’s New for - Developers in Google Play inspired developers at RV AppStudios to go global - from very beginning for their new game, Zombie Ragdoll. They launched Zombie - Ragdoll in August 2013, localized into 20 languages. -
- -- They quickly saw the impact of their decision to ship simultaneously in - multiple languages through increased non-English installs and improved - engagement with users worldwide. In addition, they started getting - significant usage in countries where their apps had not been as popular - before. They are seeing great traction in countries like Vietnam, Russia, - Philippines and Thailand. -
- -- Vivek Dave, founder of RV AppStudios, credits the success of Zombie Ragdoll - to localization: -
- -- "The value of localization is clear, it helps discoverability and helps - connect with the users in other countries. So when the localization - opportunity arose, we immediately jumped on it. Android is worldwide, and we - would be severely limiting ourselves if we focused on English as the only - language. -
- -- "The App Translation Service offered in the Google Play Developer Console is - extremely easy to use and the pricing is very attractive. Developers with - limited localization experience can easily create, upload, and translate - their app." -
- - -- RV AppStudios not only localizes the text within the game, but also localizes - the game assets to a specific country/culture. Dave says, “Users want a - personalized experience, and by offering a localized game with translation of - text and graphic assets, we believe users will connect at a much deeper level - with the game.” -
- - -SayHi Chat: Install growth and user engagement
- from professional translations
-
-
-
- About the app
- --
-
- SayHi Chat, - Love, Meet, Dating -
- A social app to help you find people nearby -
Localization Results
- --
-
- 120% growth in language installs for new languages added -
- ~20% increase in revenue and ~50% increase in User Reviews in the new - languages -
- The SayHi Chat app started out only in Japanese, Chinese and English. It soon - became one of the most popular apps in Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The - SayHi team realized it was time to launch in more languages, as the language - barrier was restricting how fast SayHi could grow globally.
- -Yan Shi, senior - developer at SayHi, says: "We checked Google Analytics for our DAU and user - growth numbers in each country, we also looked at total Android and iOS users - in those markets before finalizing our next set of languages. -
- -- SayHi used the App Translation Service to launch in 13 additional languages - in August 2013 and immediately saw 120% increase in install rates. In - addition, they are seeing their app ranked in Top 10 apps in countries like - Poland and Italy. -
- -Notably, they saw steady growth in Spain after replacing their previous - non-professional Spanish translation with a professional one produced through - the App Translation Service.
- -- Yan Shi adds, “The App Translation Service is really easy to use and - the completion time for translation requests is very good.” -
- -G4A Indian Rummy: Benefitting from ease-of-use and
fast turnaround time
-
-
-
- About the app
- --
-
- G4A Indian Rummy -
- A card game in which the players try to form sets and sequences of cards -
Localization Results
- --
-
- Double the number of users in French and German languages -
- 300% increase in user engagement with localized version -
- Games4All (G4A) is the developer of Indian Rummy and a variety of games that - they distribute broadly to users around the world. After noticing that - certain apps had become especially popular in specific countries, they - decided to localize those apps. Initially they used a local agency to do - the translation and got great results — the number of users in - that language increased tremendously when they released the localized - version. -
- -- Building on that success, G4A expanded their localization goals but - found that translation quality varied across their vendors and costs limited the - language/game combinations they could try. That's when G4A decided to try the - App Translation Service. -
- -- Founder Pieter Olivier says, "When we heard that the App Translation - Service was available in the Developer Console, we jumped at the opportunity. - We've now been using the App Translation Service for several months and found - that the cost per translation is much lower than with local companies and the - process is much easier." -
- -So far, G4A has translated the game Indian Rummy into five languages through - the App Translation Service.
- -- Olivier continues, "The first thing we did was convert all of our texts into - the strings.xml format. After that using the service was extremely easy and - straightforward. In contrast, our previous experiences with translation - agencies were much more difficult: files often required extensive conversion - operations to make them usable, and turnaround times varied wildly. -
- -- "With the App Translation Service, the turnaround time is usually measured in - days instead of weeks that we were used to with traditional translation - agencies." -
- -More and more, developers are investing in a full tablet experience -for their apps and are seeing those investments pay off big. The increased -screen area on tablets opens up a world of possibilities, allowing for more -engagement with the user — which can mean an increase in usage as well as -more monetization opportunities. And with the growing wave of Android tablets that -continue to hit the market, it’s an important piece of any developer’s mobile -offering.
- -Here are some stories from developers who are seeing real results as they -expand their offering to include Android tablets.
- - -Remember The Milk: Lifting installs with tablet design
- - - -About the app
- - --
-
- Remember The Milk -
- A feature-packed to-do list app; never forget the milk (or anything else) again -
Tablet Results
- --
-
- 83% jump in tablet installs following update -
- Nexus 7 is most popular Android device for app -
- Single APK for phones and tablets -
When the Android tablet guidelines - came out in 2012, the team at Remember The Milk had already been thinking about - a redesign for their feature-packed - to-do list app. Omar Kilani, Co-founder of Remember The Milk, explains how - updating - their app to meet the tablet guidelines lead to an 83% jump in tablet installs:
- -“We took this as an opportunity to think about how we were going to approach - Android tablets differently from a user experience perspective. The guidelines - were a helpful resource, and with the extra screen real estate tablets afford, - users have the opportunity to see all of their data in context and drill down - on more items. All of this is accomplished using a single APK on Play, even though - the phone and tablet versions each capture completely different use cases for us.”
- -“In the month after updating, we saw our tablet installs on Google Play jump 83%, - and the Nexus 7 is now the most popular Android device amongst our users. For us, - designing for tablets was an investment that has really paid off.”
- -The team also came out with a number of other goodies — including a new set of - widgets and richer notifications, and more ways to provide an immersive experience - for their users.
-Mint: More screen real estate = more engagement
- - - -About the app
- - --
-
- Mint.com Personal Finance by Intuit Inc. -
- Financial management app targeting 7- to 10-inch tablets and phones -
Tablet Results
- --
-
- Able to offer richer UI features -
- Much higher user engagement -
- Longer sessions — more Android tablet users have sessions longer than 5 minutes -
When Intuit was thinking about -expanding their Mint mobile offering to include a version optimized for Android -tablets, they knew that taking the layout that worked for phones and simply -showing an enlarged version wouldn’t take full advantage of the opportunities -that tablets afford.
- -“We knew we had a lot more real estate, and we wanted to provide a more -immersive experience for our users” said Ken Sun, Intuit Group Product Manager -at Mint.
- -Intuit’s Mint app, which has a 4-star rating on Google Play, brings a number -of features to Android tablets that aren’t available for phones, including a -more visual presentation of personal financial data.
- -“Whereas our app for phones is used throughout the day for quick sessions, -we’ve seen a larger percentage of our tablet usage happen in the evening, for -much longer sessions,” said Sun. “People are doing a lot more than just checking -their spending. They’re looking at historical trends, re-categorizing -transactions, analyzing the data and setting financial goals for the future -— digging much deeper and being more thoughtful. One example is how much -users are interacting with their own budgets in the tablet app. Customer budget -operations (view, edit, drill-down, etc.) are 7x higher on Android tablets than -they are on phones.”
- -Fifty percent more Android tablet users have Mint sessions of 5 minutes or -longer than they do on phones. “We’ve found that phone usage is indicative of a -customer’s regular financial check-in, while tablet usage points towards more -analysis and interaction with that customer’s personal financial data. This is -the sort of immersive engagement experience we were looking for; the tablet and -phone apps serve as great complements to each other."
-TinyCo: Monetization opportunities abound on tablets
- - - - -About the app
- --
-
- Tiny Village by TinyCo -
- Game targeting 7- to 10-inch tablets and phones -
Tablet Results
- --
-
- 35% higher average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) -
- Consistent increase in user retention -
- 3x increase in downloads to Android tablets in the last 6 months -
- -
Over a year ago, app developer TinyCo, makers of a suite of games such as -Tiny Monsters, decided to prioritize launching across multiple platforms -effectively. They chose Android as one of their primary launch platforms because -of its large installed base and global reach. They also knew that the growing -base of Android tablet users represented a huge opportunity.
- -Tiny Village was their first title to take advantage of the strategy, and -it proved to be a winning one — especially in terms of Android -tablets.
- -“With continued optimization of the gameplay experience and a genuine -commitment to our Android offering through our Griffin engine, all of our -metrics started to rise,” said Rajeev Nagpal, Head of Product at TinyCo. In -fact, they’ve seen Android tablet downloads more than triple in the last six -months.
- -One of the first things they noticed about usage of Tiny Village on -tablets was an increase in average revenue per paying user (ARPPU)—about 35% -higher than on smaller-screen devices such as phones. Additionally, average -revenue per user ARPU is now about 35% higher as well. “The game is just much -more immersive on tablet.”
- -In addition to an increase in monetization metrics, they’ve also seen a -consistent increase in retention over other platforms. “These are really -important metrics for games — if you can get users to both stay around -longer and spend more while they’re there, you have a recipe for success.”
-Instapaper: Riding the growing wave of Android tablets
- - - - - -About the app
--
-
- Instapaper by Mobelux -
- Content-browsing utility that targets 7- to 10-inch tablets and phones -
Tablet Results
- --
-
- Tablets are now 50% of the app's installed base. -
Instapaper for Android is an app -for saving web content to read later. Developer Mobelux decided that creating a -great UI for Android tablet users would be an essential part of their initial launch -plan.
- -The app launched at the beginning of the summer of 2012, just in time to -take advantage of a new tide of Android tablets, including the Nexus 7 tablet. The app has since seen huge -popularity among tablet users, in particular, on Nexus 7. On the day that -pre-orders of Nexus 7 began arriving, Mobelux saw a 600% jump in downloads of -its app on Google Play.
- -“We saw a promising new set of Android tablets about to hit the market -and wanted to position ourselves to be ready for them” said Jeff Rock of -Mobelux. “It was a market that others were hesitant to explore, but the decision -to prioritize tablets has paid off very well for us.”
- -Since that initial 600% jump in downloads, Instapaper for Android has -continued to see a successful run on Android tablets. In fact, Android tablets -now represent about 50% of their installed base. “With more and more Android -tablets coming online, we’re excited to see how our investment in Android -tablets continues to pay off.”
-+ Start publishing on Google Play in minutes by: +
+ +-
+
- Registering for a Google Play publisher account + + +
- Setting up a Google Wallet Merchant Account, if you will sell apps or + in-app products. + + +
- Exploring the Google Play + Developer Console and publishing tools. + +
+ When you're ready, use the Start button to go to the Developer Console. +
+ ++ Register for a Publisher Account +
+ ++
+ Tips +
+ +-
+
- You need a Google account to register. You can create one during the + process. + + +
- If you are an organization, consider registering a new Google account + rather than using a personal account. + + +
- Review the + developer countries and + merchant countries where you can distribute and sell apps. + +
-
+
- Visit the Google Play + Developer Console. + + +
- Enter basic information about your developer identity + — name, email address, and so on. You can modify this information + later. + + +
- Read and accept the Developer Distribution Agreement for + your country or region. Note that apps and store listings that you publish on + Google Play must comply with the Developer Program Policies and US export + law. + + +
- Pay a $25 USD registration fee using Google Wallet. If + you don't have a Google Wallet account, you can quickly set one up during the + process. + + +
- When your registration is verified, you’ll be notified at the email + address you entered during registration. + +
+ Set Up a Google Wallet Merchant Account +
+ ++
+ If you want to sell priced apps, in-app products, or subscriptions, you’ll
+ need a Google Wallet Merchant Account. You can set one up at any time, but
+ first review the list of
+ merchant countries.
+
+ To set up a Google Wallet Merchant Account:
+
+
-
+
- + Sign in to your Google Play Developer Console at https://play.google.com/apps/publish/. + + +
- Open Financial reports on the side navigation. + + +
- Click Setup a Merchant Account now. + +
+ This takes you to the Google Wallet site; you'll need information about your + business to complete this step. +
+ ++ Explore the Developer Console +
+ ++
+ When your registration is verified, you can sign in to your Developer + Console, which is the home for your app publishing operations and tools on + Google Play. +
+ +Related Resources
+
Strategies
--
-
- Listen to Your Users -
- Improve Stability and Eliminate Bugs -
- Improve UI Responsiveness -
- Improve Usability -
- Professional Appearance and Aesthetics -
- Deliver the Right Set of Features -
- Integrate with the System and Third-Party Apps -
- Pay Attention to Details -
You Should Also Read
- - --With thousands of new apps being published in Google Play every week, it's important to look for any available way to get the most visibility and the highest ratings possible. One way of improving your app's visibility in the ecosystem is by deploying well-targeted mobile advertising campaigns and cross-app promotions. Another time-tested method of fueling the impression-install-ranking cycle is simply: improve the product!
--A better app can go a very long way: a higher quality app will translate to higher user ratings, generally better rankings, more downloads, and higher retention (longer install periods). High-quality apps also have a much higher likelihood of getting some unanticipated positive publicity such as being featured in Google Play or getting social media buzz.
--The upside to having a higher-quality app is obvious. However, it's not always clear how to make an app "better". This document looks at some of the key factors in app quality and ways of improving your app over time, after you've launched the app.
- -Listen to Your Users
--Most ways of measuring the "success" of an app are dependent on user behavior. User-related metrics such as number of downloads, daily active installs, retention rates, and so on highlight the importance of users. If you aren't doing so already, it's a good idea to start thinking of your app's quality as it relates to your users.
--The most obvious way to listen to users is by reading and addressing comments on your app in Google Play. Although the comments aren't always productive or constructive, some will provide valuable insight on aspects of your app that you may not have consciously considered before. It's important to remember that users have the opportunity to change their ratings and comments about an app as much as they'd like.
--One way to reach users and help them address their concerns is to set up your own support and discussion destination(s). There are some great support tools out there that can put you in touch with your users directly, from forums such as Google Groups to comprehensive customer support products and destinations. Once you get set up with such a tool, make sure to fill in the support link in your Google Play product details page — users do click through to these.
--Another way to better listen to your users is by having a public beta or trusted tester program. It's crucial to have some amount of real user testing before releasing something in Google Play. Fortunately, you can distribute your apps to users outside of Google Play via a website; this website can require a login or be publicly accessible — it's entirely up to you. Take advantage of this opportunity by offering your next planned update to some early adopters, before submitting to Google Play. You'll be surprised by how many little, yet impactful, improvements can come out of crowd-sourced, real-user testing.
- - -Improve Stability and Eliminate Bugs
- --The effect of overall app stability of ratings and user satisfaction is very well-known and there are many tools and techniques for testing and profiling your app on different devices and user scenarios.
--One noteworthy and yet relatively underused tool for catching stability issues such as crashes is the UI/Application Exerciser Monkey (Monkey). Monkey will send random UI events to your app's activities, allowing you to trigger user flows that can uncover stability problems.
--Also, with the Google error-reporting features built into most Android devices, users now have a way to report application crashes to developers. The error reports show up in aggregate in the Google Play Developer Console. Make sure to read these reports often and act on them appropriately.
--Last, keep an external bug and feature request tracker and let users know how to find it. This will enable them to engage with the app at a closer level, by following features and bugs that affect them. User frustration with app problems can be effectively managed with diligent issue tracking and communication. Some of the community support tools listed above offer issue tracking features, and if your project is open source, most popular repository hosting sites will offer this as well.
- -Improve UI Responsiveness
--One sure-fire way to lose your users is to give them a slow, unresponsive UI. Research has shown that speed matters... for any interface, be it desktop, web, or mobile. In fact, the importance of speed is amplified on mobile devices since users often need their information on the go and in a hurry.
--You can improve your apps's UI responsiveness by moving long-running operations off the main thread to worker threads. Android offers built-in debugging facilities such as StrictMode for analyzing your app's performance and activities on the main thread. You can see more recommendations in Writing Zippy Android Apps, a developer session from Google I/O 2010,
- -More resources
- --A great way to improve UI performance is to minimize the complexity of your layouts. If you open up hierarchyviewer and see that your layouts are more than 5 levels deep, it may be time to simplify your layout. Consider refactoring those deeply nested LinearLayouts into RelativeLayout. The impact of View objects is cumulative — each one costs about 1 to 2 KB of memory, so large view hierarchies can be a recipe for disaster, causing frequent VM garbage collection passes which block the main (UI) thread. You can learn more in World of ListView, another session at Google I/O.
--Lastly, pointed out in the blog post Traceview War Story, tools like traceview and ddms can be your best friends in improving your app by profiling method calls and monitoring VM memory allocations, respectively.
- - -Improve Usability
--In usability and in app design too, you should listen carefully to your users. Ask a handful of real Android device users (friends, family, etc.) to try out your app and observe them as they interact with it. Look for cases where they get confused, are unsure of how to proceed, or are surprised by certain behaviors. Minimize these cases by rethinking some of the interactions in your app, perhaps working in some of the user interface patterns the Android UI team discussed at Google I/O.
- --As you are designing or evaluating your app's UI, make sure to read and become familiar with the Android Design guidelines. Included are many examples of UI patterns, styles, and building blocks, as well as tools for the design process.
--In the same vein, two problems that can plague some Android user interfaces are small tap targets and excessively small font sizes. These are generally easy to fix and can make a big impact on usability and user satisfaction. As a general rule, optimize for ease of use and legibility, while minimizing, or at least carefully balancing, information density.
- --Another way to incrementally improve usability, based on real-world data, is to implement Analytics throughout your app to log usage of particular sections. Consider demoting infrequently used sections to the overflow menu in the Action bar, or removing them altogether. For often-used sections and UI elements, make sure they're immediately obvious and easily accessible in your app's UI so that users can get to them quickly.
--Lastly, usability is an extensive and well-documented subject, with close ties to interface design, cognitive science, and other disciplines.
- -Professional Appearance and Aesthetics
--There's no substitute for a real user interface designer — ideally one who's well-versed in mobile and Android, and ideally handy with both interaction and visual design. One popular venue to post openings for designers is jobs.smashingmagazine.com, and leveraging social networks can also surface great talent.
--If you don't have the luxury of working with a UI designer, there are some ways in which you can improve your app's appearance yourself. First, get familiar with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks, or some other raster image editing tool. Mastering the art of the pixel in these apps takes time, but honing this skill can help build polish across your interface designs. Also, master the resources framework by studying the framework UI assets and layouts and reading through the resources documentation. Techniques such as 9-patches and resource directory qualifiers are somewhat unique to Android, and are crucial in building flexible yet aesthetic UIs.
--Before you get too far in designing your app and writing the code, make sure to visit the Android Design site and learn about the vision, the building blocks, and the tools of designing beautiful and inspiring user interfaces.
- -Deliver the Right Set of Features
--Having the right set of features in your app is important. It's often easy to fall into the trap of feature-creep, building as much functionality into your app as possible. Providing instant gratification by immediately showing the most important or relevant information is crucial on mobile devices. Providing too much information can be as frustrating (or even more so) than not providing enough of it.
--Again, listen to your users by collecting and responding to feature requests. Be careful, though, to take feature requests with a grain of salt. Requests can be very useful in aggregate, to get a sense of what kinds of functionality you should be working on, but not every feature request needs to be implemented.
- -Integrate with the System and Third-Party apps
--A great way to deliver a delightful user experience is to integrate tightly with the operating system. Features like Home screen widgets, rich notifications, global search integration, and {@link android.widget.QuickContactBadge Quick Contacts} are fairly low-hanging fruit in this regard.
- -For some app categories, basic features like home screen widgets are par for the course. Not including them is a sure-fire way to tarnish an otherwise positive user experience. Some apps can achieve even tighter OS integration with Android's contacts, accounts, and sync APIs.
--Third-party integrations can provide even more user delight and give the user a feeling of device cohesiveness. It's also a really nice way of adding functionality to your app without writing any extra code (by leveraging other apps' functionalities). For example, if you're creating a camera app, you can allow users to edit their photos in another app before saving them to their collection, if they have that third-party application installed. More information on this subject is available in the Android Training class Interacting with Other Apps.
- -Pay Attention to Details
--One particular detail to pay close attention to is your app's icon quality and consistency. Make sure your app icons (especially your launcher icon) are crisp and pixel-perfect at all resolutions, and follow the icon guidelines as much as possible. If you're having trouble or don't have the resources to design the icons yourself, consider using the Android Asset Studio tool to generate a set.
diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/strategies/featuring.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/strategies/featuring.jd deleted file mode 100644 index 4c4e67e..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/strategies/featuring.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Preparing for Featuring -@jd:body - -Placeholder...
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/strategies/index.jd b/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/strategies/index.jd deleted file mode 100644 index 3794bbf..0000000 --- a/docs/html/distribute/googleplay/strategies/index.jd +++ /dev/null @@ -1,33 +0,0 @@ -page.title=Success Strategies -page.metaDescription= -header.hide=1 -footer.hide=1 - -@jd:body - - - - - -- Preparing for Featuring -
Your Apps on Google Play
-The most visited store in the world for Android apps. Cloud-connected and always synced, - it's never been easier for users to find and download your apps.
- --
-
Growth Engine
- A billion downloads a month and growing. Get your apps in front of millions of users at Google's scale.
- Read More › -Build Your Business
Sell your app in over 130 countries. Flexible monetization options with in-app purchase, subscriptions, and more.
- Read More ›
- Distribution Control
Deliver your apps to the users you want, on the devices you want, on your schedule.
- Read More ›
-
+ In-app advertising offers a quick and easy way to incorporate a monetization + option into both your freemium, premium, and subscription apps.
+ +Using AdMob + and the Google + Mobile Ads SDK included in Google Play Services, you’re able to add + advertising into your apps, with just a few lines of code. +
+ ++ When including ads in your apps you should consider: +
+ +-
+
-
+
+ Placement within your apps — Well placed ads will + optimize your revenue by making it more likely that users will ‘click + through’. Poorly placed ads can result in low click-through rates, and in + the worse cases poor rating and users rapidly abandoning your apps. You + can get advice on how to best place ads from the developer training on + using + ads. +
+
+
+ -
+
+ Ad formats — Every app offers a different type of + experience for users, so it’s important to consider the format of ads + you’re using to ensure it’s compatible with the experience. While banner + ads may work well for a flashlight utility app, an immersive gaming app + may benefit more from a video interstitial. Mismatched ad formats may + negatively affect your users’ experience and ad revenue, so try to select + formats that fit well with the content and flow of your apps. +
+
+
+ -
+
+ Maximizing your performance — Ensure you’re optimizing + your advertising revenue by maximizing your CPMs and fill rate. + Often ad providers will cite very high CPMs but will have a low fill rate + that can severely decrease your effective CPM, so look at both of these + figures. Also consider using a + mediation solution if you’d like to use multiple ad providers in your + apps. Look for solutions that offer yield management or + network optimization features to serve the highest paying ad for each + impression. +
+
+
+ -
+
+ Exercising control options — A variety of ads promoting a + broad selection of other services or apps may show up within you apps. + Depending on your goals and the type of experience you want to provide + your users, it may make sense to + block certain advertisements from appearing. Some developers don’t + want apps in a similar category showing to their users, but some don’t + mind. +
+
+
+ -
+
+ Cross promoting your other apps — Ads can be used for + more than just earning revenue. Consider using + house ads within your apps to create awareness and promote your + entire portfolio of apps. When launching new apps, an easy way to quickly + attract users is to promote directly to your existing customers. +
+
+
+ To start monetizing with ads sign up for AdMob and integrate + the Google + Mobile Ads SDK into your apps. If you also need to manage direct deals + with advertisers, consider using + DoubleClick for Publishers Small Business. +
+ +Related resources
+ With Google Wallet Instant Buy, you've the added flexibility of selling + physical goods and services, such as clothing or movie tickets, through your + apps using Instant Buy for + Android in the US. +
+ ++ You can use this option where your app is the store-front for retail or + webtail operations. However, you can also combine it with your premium and freemium apps by offering + related products. +
+ ++ Your customers purchase goods and services with any Google Wallet payment + method — credit card, gift card, or Wallet balance. Google Wallet + Instant Buy helps you minimize user data entry by enabling your payment flow + to retrieve information directly from the user’s wallet. +
+ ++ You also keep your existing payment infrastructure and leverage Google Wallet + to optimize your payment flow — users can make purchases in as a few as + two clicks and the flow is simplified with features to retrieve information + directly from the user’s wallet and intelligent auto-completion of addresses. + To get started, set up a Merchant + Account. +
+ ++ Related Resources +
+ ++
+ Users are more likely to download free apps and games compared to priced + ones. However, we provide you with a number of ways to monetize free apps, + using In-app + Billing. With this tool you can sell digital goods that are: +
+ +-
+
- Durable — once purchased the item will always be available to the + user, such as additional app features. + + +
- Consumable — items that might be used progressively or expire after + a period of time, such as a game booster or news subscription. + +
+ A basic approach is to offer a free download with limited features or full + features for a limited time. Then use an in-app purchase to unlock the full, + unlimited app. +
+ ++ A more advanced approach is to offer a range of features and content items + through in-app purchases. For example, in games you can offer users new + levels, playing pieces, or other game features. In apps you can offer + features or functionality that enhance the user experience either by + extending existing features or offering new ones. Using this approach you can + generate a continuing revenue stream from each app install. +
+ ++ Any item offered as an in-app purchase can also be offered as a subscription. +
+ ++ To get started with In-app Billing you need to set-up a Google Wallet + Merchant + Account from Developer Console. You then define in-app + products in the Developer Console, integrate the In-app Billing API into + your apps, and add the mechanisms to unlock features or deliver content. +
+ ++ Related Resources +
+ ++
+ There are many ways to make money with your apps on Google Play, and we offer + a variety of tools to make it easy. Take advantage of Google Play’s + phenomenal growth by using one or more of the business models available. +
+ ++ To get started, set up your Merchant Account + from your Developer Console. This will not only help you get paid, but also + help you track where your money is coming from. +
+ +Related resources
+ + +For more information, see Get Started with Publishing.
+href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/start.html">Get Started with Publishing.If you already have a publisher account on Google Play, use your Developer Console to set up licensing.
diff --git a/docs/html/guide/components/index.jd b/docs/html/guide/components/index.jd index 37fb7e9..811d015 100644 --- a/docs/html/guide/components/index.jd +++ b/docs/html/guide/components/index.jd @@ -1,7 +1,9 @@ page.title=App Components page.landing=true page.landing.intro=Android's application framework lets you create rich and innovative apps using a set of reusable components. This section explains how you can build the components that define the building blocks of your app and how to connect them together using intents. +page.metaDescription=Android's application framework lets you create rich and innovative apps using a set of reusable components. This section explains how you can build the components that define the building blocks of your app and how to connect them together using intents. page.landing.image=images/develop/app_components.png +page.image=images/develop/app_components.png @jd:body diff --git a/docs/html/guide/practices/screens_support.jd b/docs/html/guide/practices/screens_support.jd index 8c76411..dbe6c1a 100644 --- a/docs/html/guide/practices/screens_support.jd +++ b/docs/html/guide/practices/screens_support.jd @@ -1,4 +1,7 @@ page.title=Supporting Multiple Screens +page.metaDescription=Nanaging UIs for the best display on multiple screen sizes. +meta.tags="multiple screens" + @jd:bodyFor example, if your app requires portrait orientation, you should declare
-<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.screen.portrait"/>
so that only devices
+<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.screen.portrait"/>
so that only devices
that support portrait orientation (whether always or by user choice) can install your app. If your
application supports both orientations, then you don't need to declare either.
Both orientations are assumed not required, by default, so your app may be installed diff --git a/docs/html/guide/topics/resources/index.jd b/docs/html/guide/topics/resources/index.jd index 386abf5..b85170b 100644 --- a/docs/html/guide/topics/resources/index.jd +++ b/docs/html/guide/topics/resources/index.jd @@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ page.title=App Resources page.landing=true page.landing.intro=It takes more than just code to build a great app. Resources are the additional files and static content that your code uses, such as bitmaps, layout definitions, user interface strings, animation instructions, and more. page.landing.image=images/develop/resources.png +page.image=/images/develop/resources.png +page.metaDescription=Developer guide about how to use resources in your Android apps. @jd:body diff --git a/docs/html/guide/topics/resources/localization.jd b/docs/html/guide/topics/resources/localization.jd index 7288aeb..e86d4c9 100644 --- a/docs/html/guide/topics/resources/localization.jd +++ b/docs/html/guide/topics/resources/localization.jd @@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ parent.link=index.html
See also
-
-
- Localization Checklist +
- Localization Checklist
- Providing Resources
- Layouts
- Activity Lifecycle @@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/resources/accessing-resources.html">Accessing Resou
Localization Checklist
For a complete overview of the process of localizing and distributing an Android application, -see the Localization +see the Localization Checklist document.