CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidgoogle-play
Frank LaRosa
Frank LaRosa

Reputation: 3623

Google Play Upload Failed

I was recently hired to rewrite an existing Android project. The old project was published to Google Play, but I do not have access to the source files or the certificate that was used to sign it.

I finished my project, but I'm unable to publish it as a replacement for the old version because I signed mine with a different certificate. Google Play is also complaining because I used a different package name than the original project.

Is there any way around these roadblocks?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 241

Answers (3)

tc.
tc.

Reputation: 33592

  • It's a different app if it has a different package name; this is fundamental to Android. Package names are how you refer to a specific app in code and how you search for a specific app, among other things. If you want it to be the same app, keep the same package name!

  • If it is signed with a different certificate, it can't be installed as an upgrade. This is presumably so you can't install an app with the same package name as another app and read its private data — you have to delete the app (and its data) first (the benefit is limited, of course: you can uninstall the real app and install a lookalike malicious app and steal the user's data that way). This is a bit of a limitation in Android (it doesn't handle certificate expiry, for one) and might be fixed at some point, but I don't expect it to happen any time soon.

I've been in the same situation before — the original developer lost the signing key for one app but not the other. We changed the package name and released it as a new app.

Upvotes: 0

user.rok69
user.rok69

Reputation: 81

As you changed its package name....the only option you have to publish it as a new app on google play

Upvotes: 2

Blackbelt
Blackbelt

Reputation: 157487

It is a new application from GooglePlay perspective. So you can only publish it as new application

Upvotes: 3

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