Copied from The Google Help Fourms
Written by Rajseh S.
Written by Rajseh S.
This ain't my job but I choose to post the major or most common unresolved issues with the android market here every month.
Shall keep updating this question or thread so that this thread is visible.
If the 'google guides' find this constructive, they might mark this thread as sticky for that month .. and provide answers here or in the respective threads.
Shall keep updating this question or thread so that this thread is visible.
If the 'google guides' find this constructive, they might mark this thread as sticky for that month .. and provide answers here or in the respective threads.
History: The previous post is http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Android+Market/thread?tid=54c909e57df6ea9c&hl=en
Many posted on it are year old issues and still open. Posting again anyway. Few posted in Jan/.../Oct 2010 thread were fully fixed.
Thanks for adding more countries to the two starved lists:
http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-countries-more-sellers-more-buyers.html
http://android-developers.
At least 2.2 aka FroYo users have these new features:
- update apps automatically, depending on permissions
- installation of apps to SD Card as long as the developer enables this
- update apps automatically, depending on permissions
- installation of apps to SD Card as long as the developer enables this
This is supposed to be ready but isn't yet released to the public yet:
- get/buy apps through web interface from a computer to install over internet automatically to your chosen android device. Expecting this to go public in a month or two.
- get/buy apps through web interface from a computer to install over internet automatically to your chosen android device. Expecting this to go public in a month or two.
In any case most are still on earlier (2.1) firmware .
-------- There is some 2k character limit on initial posts. (Erroneously claims to be 8K). Shall post the rest through an update --------
Updates:
1) Far too many have been having issues with app download/installation. This issue has been around since market started but in the recent past (~a month), this has gone to a different degree. Probably associated with the new market app that was silently updated or due to the server changes to accommodate paypal based payment ('welcomed'). In any case pathetic sub-beta performance.
2) Payment processing errors must not show up as download issues.
T-Mobile billing is good. Expanding to add more countries is good (but must be faster). Payment processing errors should not be so common and even when common, these must not show up as 'download issues' or affect downloads. Error reporting needs correction. And errors need to be avoided. (Again hoping the web interface will make things a little better)
T-Mobile billing is good. Expanding to add more countries is good (but must be faster). Payment processing errors should not be so common and even when common, these must not show up as 'download issues' or affect downloads. Error reporting needs correction. And errors need to be avoided. (Again hoping the web interface will make things a little better)
3) Is downloading a file .. okay 1MB in size over Wi-Fi or 3G or even 2G/GPRS such a challenge? Almost every app hits some 'download error issue' and every user is unhappy with some developer for no mistake of theirs.
Yeah wireless connections might be flakey. If kids can code around ftp & bit-torrents for these, can't google - the giant fix this .. given one whole year?
Yeah wireless connections might be flakey. If kids can code around ftp & bit-torrents for these, can't google - the giant fix this .. given one whole year?
4) Apps to SDCARD ... not all have 2.2/Froyo and this not being the default not many devs bother to use the tag explicitly.
5.a) Are unlocked devices expected to have full market access? Many do not have. Why not? We do see that copy protection is taking a shift from forward-locking to app specific license check (LVL). Anyway as of now even in countries supposedly allowing market access, many devices seem to suffer.
5.b) LVL must include package integrity check to rule out tampering at the platform level. This will ensure that tampered packages don't run on devices without mod_ed firmware (rooted). Obfuscation is a work-around only. Not a solution.
6) New firmware build loses full market access. While this too might change with LVL, it is a major issue today. More than once, when a operator/manufacturer OTA updates a new build, the market app falls apart. The server doesn't recognize the market client (app's fingerprint?) and would not serve 'copy-protected' apps. Isn't there a process between Google and those using google products like 'android market' app in their firmware? Is communicating the build key / fingerprint to provision in the market impossible because we are in stone age without Internet? May be.Why is provisioning the market, before everybody using a particular official firmware complains, an impossibility?
(Issues 5.a and 6 could are related in a few cases)
7) Why is the search giant finding it so tough to have an official website with all apps listed + searchable? Buying on web isn't essential but showcasing is.
Visibility is very very poor. And so is sale/distribution. I'll remove this entry when we get to see this working on market.android.com; we did see the beta in Google IO keynote.
8) Multiple things repeatedly requested by many .. these too do affect market experience:
11/1/10
a) Commenting system in market client must improve, developer must be able to reply to specific comments and/or contact users.
b) Backing up apps (and associated data) and one click sync and optional quick update is essential to have a smooth market use experience. (FroYo gets closer to the solution but isn't there yet)
c) Copy-protection ...licensing based on keys is a good step forward but could we have it around an open sourced market client and client-server API?
d) Google apps account must be usable with the market
e) Multiple versions of the same package must be allowed in the market as the SDKs are not backward compatible. Yeah reflection etc are cool but even Google doesn't have googles, navigation and other new apps for cupcake users. Certainly not a hardware constraint.
f) Allow deep links in app description for developers and please increase the word/char limit there. If fear of devs submitting keywords as long description is the issue, provide a details sub-section that you may not index on search at all.
g) the dev console should give better statistics (and may be an anonymous id to converse with commenters). Too bad to rely on third party websites even for deep statistics.
h) market API and checkout sale point API must be openly published for developers to gather information quickly.
i) adult content means different stuff to different people; provide ways to mark apps as suitable for 12+ and a filter in the client. a platform level global-lock would also be useful. In the current state, kids can't be allowed to play with the phone / market app. Allow crowd rating of app's adult content level along with general rating stars.
j) ask for a pin before allowing to buy an app. I want my young cousin to explore the device but talk to me before buying apps. (With enterprise additions for other apps in FroYo, market too should update to demand pin before purchase)
k) market does need to expand to many more countries for both buyers and sellers (This has been dead slow)
l) it must be possible to target specific devices and device features (sdkversion, screen-size and existing tags don't suffice) with the same app package in market (In this aspect we are getting closer but still gaps remain)
m) search history in market client app must be controlled (clearable) by user easily (in FroYo?)
n) In app purchases must not come through workarounds
o) Refund policies need attention. Developers are put in a very delicate situation here.
p) More filters and subsections have been requested by many in market client app
q) many would like to 'request an app' through market client (& web not the forum)
r) ability to instantly block all apps listed in the market from a particular developer account on individual phones and then flag so later for server to identify the rogue developer (not just a rogue app)
s) developers would like a way to gift an app ... not to bypass checkout and get paid elsewhere but to encourage testers, reviewers etc without having to ship unprotected apps by other means
t) would paypal bring in-app payment to android? Hope. And hope this is available through checkout itself too.
At least initially, I shall refrain from posting 'when a feature/country will be added' sort of questions/issues here. There are many more issues important to many. Sorry for not posting those here.
Others who think there are other fundamental issues affecting many people, please feel free to reply to this post.
I'll update the post or at least keep those new ones for the next month's summary.
11/1/10 b) Backing up apps (and associated data) and one click sync and optional quick update is essential to have a smooth market use experience. (FroYo gets closer to the solution but isn't there yet)
c) Copy-protection ...
d) Google apps account must be usable with the market
e) Multiple versions of the same package must be allowed in the market as the SDKs are not backward compatible. Yeah reflection etc are cool but even Google doesn't have googles, navigation and other new apps for cupcake users. Certainly not a hardware constraint.
f) Allow deep links in app description for developers and please increase the word/char limit there. If fear of devs submitting keywords as long description is the issue, provide a details sub-section that you may not index on search at all.
g) the dev console should give better statistics (and may be an anonymous id to converse with commenters). Too bad to rely on third party websites even for deep statistics.
h) market API and checkout sale point API must be openly published for developers to gather information quickly.
i) adult content means different stuff to different people; provide ways to mark apps as suitable for 12+ and a filter in the client. a platform level global-lock would also be useful. In the current state, kids can't be allowed to play with the phone / market app. Allow crowd rating of app's adult content level along with general rating stars.
j) ask for a pin before allowing to buy an app. I want my young cousin to explore the device but talk to me before buying apps. (With enterprise additions for other apps in FroYo, market too should update to demand pin before purchase)
k) market does need to expand to many more countries for both buyers and sellers (This has been dead slow)
l) it must be possible to target specific devices and device features (sdkversion, screen-size and existing tags don't suffice) with the same app package in market (In this aspect we are getting closer but still gaps remain)
m) search history in market client app must be controlled (clearable) by user easily (in FroYo?)
n) In app purchases must not come through workarounds
o) Refund policies need attention. Developers are put in a very delicate situation here.
p) More filters and subsections have been requested by many in market client app
q) many would like to 'request an app' through market client (& web not the forum)
r) ability to instantly block all apps listed in the market from a particular developer account on individual phones and then flag so later for server to identify the rogue developer (not just a rogue app)
s) developers would like a way to gift an app ... not to bypass checkout and get paid elsewhere but to encourage testers, reviewers etc without having to ship unprotected apps by other means
t) would paypal bring in-app payment to android? Hope. And hope this is available through checkout itself too.
u) developers would like to publish apps with fixed foreign currency cost than converted numbers. For instance conversion of $1.50 might look like £1.10 based on conversion on that day. But selling it as £0.99 (exactly) does seem to boost sales.
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Yes, I do love the Android platform and have high regards for the entire team, great job guys; but these issues with market seem to be basic yet ignored/forgotten/unresolved as though tough, impossible or useless. Please!
At least initially, I shall refrain from posting 'when a feature/country will be added' sort of questions/issues here. There are many more issues important to many. Sorry for not posting those here.
Others who think there are other fundamental issues affecting many people, please feel free to reply to this post.
I'll update the post or at least keep those new ones for the next month's summary.
And do forgive my grammar/spellings/language/formatting/...
