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What are the Android app publishing mistakes, hidden rules, or long-term lessons that most developers only realize after years on the Play Store?
I’m about to publish my Android app on the Play Store.
What are the critical mistakes, hidden rules, or long-term lessons you only realize after years of experience as an Android developer?
Any “wish I knew this earlier” advice would help.
https://redd.it/1qm9drm
@reddit_androiddev
GPL Groovebox Tablet App looking for feedback
Hi! I've been working on a groovebox app called Loom, and it's ready for testing before being published on the Play Store. I am releasing it for free under a GPL license. The source code is available at https://github.com/Co-oscillator/loom-groovebox
I've spend hundreds of rounds of testing to include as many features from my personal wish list as possible. There are 9 different engines for sound with recordable parameters, 8 tracks of audio, and a 64 step sequencer with parameter locks, probability, and other tweaks. I did use an AI coding assistant, but the design, features, bug hunting, and workflow were all done by a human (me).
There are 15 different effects that can be applied per track. There are midi playing pads that support scales, editable arpeggio patterns, and a dynamic chord progression generator. I've also created a few ways to manipulate samples that I haven't seen anywhere else.
I'm uploading some feature videos here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvNSI4zHY7Vl\_Y0R5Nw7KOzNhBHdRgWc2&si=NGx-c-PGAlfJgYuG
If you're interested in testing this I'd be thrilled for the feedback! You can email loomgroovebox@gmail.com, or join the Google Group at loom-groovebox-testing@googlegroups.com.
https://redd.it/1qlxj79
@reddit_androiddev
Naming my app that prevents you from forgetting warranty expiry dates!
https://preview.redd.it/s139m5276bfg1.png?width=395&format=png&auto=webp&s=8424f241e115d2dea8164316211cd44ce8ecfdd2
https://preview.redd.it/x5uuz4276bfg1.png?width=391&format=png&auto=webp&s=6398b771d351133b9d1b00f32a9a1d80a8235e15
Hey everyone! 👋
I’m a beginner developer working on a Flutter app, and I'm stuck on the name. I’d love your input!
The Problem: We all buy expensive gadgets or appliances, throw the receipt in a drawer, and forget about it. Then, when it breaks, we realize the warranty expired literally last week.
The Solution (My App): My app is an offline-first warranty manager. You snap a picture of the receipt, select the category, and set the date. The most important feature: The app proactively notifies you (5 days and 1 day before) before the item expires. It helps you "save" your warranty so you can get repairs done or renew the plan in time.
Current Idea: Right now, I'm calling it "Warranty Vault," but I feel like that sounds too passive—like a dusty box where you just store things. I want a name that highlights the alerts/reminders feature.
Which of these sounds best to you?
1. Warranty Watch (Implies it's looking out for you)
2. Expiry Guard (Focuses on preventing the expiration)
3. SaveMyWarranty (Focuses on the benefit)
4. Warranty Alarm (Focuses on the notification)
5. Vaulty (My original "friendly" name)
Or if you have a better suggestion, please let me know!
https://redd.it/1qlokoe
@reddit_androiddev
All in one dev utility app for Power User
Hi everyone 👋 I’m an Android developer building an all-in-one utility app for Android developers.
I’ve recently added a Dex Reader + Decompiler that lets you inspect classes, methods, and fields directly in a built-in code viewer, along with a Manifest Viewer and Tech Stack detection to quickly understand how an app is built.
The app already bundles several dev utilities in one place, including bulk uninstall, device info, APK extraction, and an APK manager. The goal is to reduce context switching by keeping common Android dev tools inside a single app.
It’s designed as a practical, developer-focused toolbox that supports real Android workflows.
If you’re curious, it’s available on Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dastanapps.androiddevtools
https://redd.it/1qljp4n
@reddit_androiddev
You can now use ChatGPT Codex in Android Studio with first-party support
Steps:
1. Install Android Studio Panda 1 | 2025.3.1 Canary 5 (or later; 2025.3 or higher seems to be required)
2. Install "JetBrains AI Assistant" from the plugin marketplace
3. Open the AI chat sidebar and sign in with your ChatGPT Plus or higher account or configure an API key
Source: https://blog.jetbrains.com/ai/2026/01/codex-in-jetbrains-ides/#get-started-with-codex-in-your-ide
https://redd.it/1qkvtmo
@reddit_androiddev
CameraX or Camera2 API + PreviewView does not the show the same field of view as equivelent zoom on default camera application viewfinder?
Hi all,
I've tried both Camera2 and Camera X API + PreviewView for the UI to create a viewfinder for an application. However, as you'll see below, the viewfinder seems to be zoomed in vs the default camera app's viewfinder. /:
This is on a Pixel 7. I can also confirm that 1x zoom is as zoomed out as it can be without switching to the wide angle lens (not desirable in my use case since that causes fisheye-ing effect) -- confirmed by covering up the wide-angle lens and only using the main lens for testing.
Has anyone come across this issue or knows why this is happening? The zooms are 1:1. Is there some kind of default attributes attached to PreviewView that its rendering it this way? I can't seem to find anyone else experiencing this.
Device: Pixel 7
OS: Android 16
MY OWN Application
Pixel 7 Default Camera Application
https://redd.it/1qkyqdd
@reddit_androiddev
Create Beautiful Animated Device Mockups in Seconds
https://redd.it/1qkqu4w
@reddit_androiddev
Built an AI spam blocker that has NO internet permission.
​
It’s called Polaris. It uses an on-device neural engine to filter spam notifications. It’s under 3MB, open-source friendly (no tracking), and completely offline. I’d love you to try it and try to break the model!
If you can download and appreciate with a review, that will be great.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navstandard.spamdetector
https://redd.it/1qko3we
@reddit_androiddev
Why UDP is King for Remote Mouse Apps: How I fixed cursor lag and "ghosting"
I’ve been building a WiFi Mouse app, and I wanted to share some technical insights on how I finally achieved "silky smooth" cursor movement. If you’re building any real-time input sharing tool, you might find this journey useful.
# 1. The TCP Pitfall (and the TCP_NODELAY Band-aid)
Initially, I started with **TCP**. It’s reliable, right? Wrong for this use case. I immediately hit "stuttering" issues. This was mostly due to **Nagle’s Algorithm**, which buffers small packets to save bandwidth—a disaster for mouse coordinates.
Enabling `TCP_NODELAY` (disabling Nagle) helped significantly, but it still wasn't perfect. Because TCP is a stream-oriented protocol that requires ACKs and handles retransmission, any slight network hiccup causes "Head-of-Line Blocking." Your cursor stops, then jumps forward as the buffered packets finally arrive.
# 2. Switching to UDP: 2x Performance Boost
I recently rewrote the transmission layer to use **UDP**. Since we don't need to wait for ACKs or worry about retransmission, the perceived latency was cut nearly in half. In the context of a mouse, "lost" data is better than "late" data.
# 3. Three Rules for Implementation
If you're implementing this, here are the three optimizations that made the biggest difference:
* **Move it off the UI Thread:** This is obvious but critical. Never let network I/O block your touch event processing.
* **The Power of** `HandlerThread,` I found `HandlerThread` to be the best choice here. It provides a dedicated Looper for background tasks, allowing me to queue up movement events without the overhead of creating new threads constantly.
* **Drop Old Data (Preventing "The Tail"):** This was the "Aha!" moment. If the network is congested, don't let the queue build up. If a new movement packet comes in and the previous one hasn't sent yet, **discard the old one.** It's much better to have a tiny "jump" in position than to have the cursor "ghost" or "crawl" across the screen trying to catch up to events that happened 500ms ago.
**The result?** A remote cursor that feels like it’s physically plugged into the PC.
I’m currently looking for testers to push the limits of this new UDP implementation. If you’re interested in trying the beta, check the comments!
https://redd.it/1qklt2s
@reddit_androiddev
Ffmpeg
I can't find any reliable ffmpeg build .
I tried this `https://github.com/moizhassankh/ffmpeg-kit-android-16KB\` but hardware acceleration isn't working.
https://redd.it/1qkdnd6
@reddit_androiddev
Can i run Android studio with 8GB of RAM for my jetpack compose assignment.??
Ive asked google and its said 16gb is recommended but 8 is still doable.
https://redd.it/1qka44y
@reddit_androiddev
I built a free launch stack for mobile app developers
https://redd.it/1qk2i1b
@reddit_androiddev
Automatic Instagram follower bot using Droidrun #DroidrunDevSprint
https://redd.it/1qk2fza
@reddit_androiddev
Free and open source
https://redd.it/1qjyeso
@reddit_androiddev
Google Play app suspended after repeated rejections (metadata + CSAE) — appeal already submitted, looking for technical insight
Hi all,
Posting after exhausting official channels and submitting an appeal. I’m looking for technical insight from developers who’ve handled similar Google Play enforcement cases.
# Background
* Individual Google Play developer account
* \~14 other active apps currently live and compliant
* App category: Matrimony / dating (18+)
# Timeline & Issues Raised by Google
1. **Metadata policy**
* Long description included wording like “Join thousands of families…”
* Short description used “Trusted”
* Interpreted as testimonials / performance claims
* Metadata has since been rewritten to neutral, functional language
2. **Child Safety Standards (CSAE)**
* App requires published standards prohibiting CSAE
* A compliant policy page existed previously
* During a website migration, the policy URL changed and the Play Console link was not updated
* Resulted in a missing policy page during review
* A new permanent CSAE policy page is now live and compliant
3. **Enforcement Process**
* After multiple rejections, the app was suspended citing “Repeated app rejections”
# Steps Already Taken
* Metadata fully revised and cleaned
* CSAE policy page restored at a permanent URL
* Internal checklist created to prevent future metadata and compliance misses
* Appeal submitted via Play Console
* Google Play Help Community thread created here: **\[link to your support thread\]**
# Questions for experienced developers
* In cases where suspensions result from procedural issues (metadata + missing compliance page), have appeals been successful?
* Is it safer to accept the suspension and not re-publish, rather than using a new package name?
* Any guidance on minimizing account-level risk after a suspension like this?
I’m not disputing policy interpretation — just trying to understand best practices going forward while keeping the account in good standing.
Thanks for your time.
https://redd.it/1qju51a
@reddit_androiddev
Voyager on AndroidTv
Hello, I am trying to port on android tv a projects that uses voyager. I have been trying to create the navigation bar with android tv's tabRow but every time I interact with a page the focus resets. Does anyone if voyager doesen't support focus?
https://redd.it/1qlwdmj
@reddit_androiddev
Receipt printer I borrowed is in a cloud-lock. I'm trying to make an app that prints receipts via cloud.
I have a thermal receipt printer here, and I'm trying to print a receipt from my application. However, I cannot connect to the printer, but I can ping it. I'm guessing that it was cloud-locked (I don't even know about this.). Please help, deadline is so near.
Things I've tried:
Downloaded the official tester and driver on PC.
Tried to print test (it's queueing but not printign). I've tried simple python and android apps for test prints but nothing comes out of the printer.
https://redd.it/1qls5h4
@reddit_androiddev
Help Wanted: Reverse Engineering Changan (B561) Infotainment – Missing strings for English Localization
I am currently working on a localization project for a Changan UNI-Z PHEV (B561 Platform) running Android 9. My goal is to translate the infotainment system from Chinese to English using Runtime Resource Overlays (RRO), but I’ve hit a significant roadblock regarding where the strings are actually stored.
The Current Situation: I have enabled ADB via Developer Mode and successfully pulled the core system APKs to my laptop for analysis.
Launcher: `com.chinatsp.launcher`
Settings: com.chinatsp.settings
AC/Climate: `com.os.airconditioner`
Framework: framework-res.apk
The Problem: When I decompile these APKs (using JADX-GUI or MT Manager), the standard res/values-zh-rCN/strings.xml and arrays.xml files are almost entirely empty skeletons. They contain basic Android boilerplate (e.g., "Navigate Home," "Bluetooth"), but none of the car-specific menu items like "Drive Mode," "Energy Flow," or "ADAS Settings" that I see on the 14.6-inch screen.
What I've Checked So Far:
1. Framework: Checked framework-res.apk in /system/framework/. It also only contains generic Android strings.
2. Assets Folder: No .json, .xml, or .i18n files in the assets/ directory of the apps.
3. Partitions: Browsed /system/app/, /system/priv-app/, and /oem/.
4. Overlays: Checked /vendor/overlay/ and /product/overlay/. No active RROs seem to be forcing Chinese text.
My Questions for the Community:
1. Hidden Dictionaries: Does Changan/OnStyle use a proprietary HMI engine that pulls text from a central "Resource" APK or a native library (.so)?
2. Encapsulation: Is it possible the strings are hardcoded in the .dex (Smali) files or stored in a binary format within a specific "Skin" or "HMI" APK I haven't found?
3. Search Tips: What is the best grep or strings command I can run via ADB to identify which file currently holds a specific Chinese string (e.g., searching for "能量流" - Energy Flow)?
I am comfortable with ADB, Smali patching (if needed), and building RROs. If anyone has experience with the Changan B561 platform or localized Chinese Android Automotive forks, any advice on where these strings are "hiding" would be greatly appreciated.
https://redd.it/1qlkhy3
@reddit_androiddev
License Testing - I don't get it
I'm in the final stages of deploying an app to the Play Store, and I need to do some trial scenario testing. I can't really figure out how to do it. At first I thought there was literally no way to detect that a user is on a trial, but there is an offer ID that can encode that. However, I had already consumed a trial before making that modification, now I need to test that I successfully parse that code. But here are the constraints now -
A user/tester can only use a trial offer once that is associated with a base product
Various sources say the way to do it is to create multiple test users i.e. multiple google accounts. On creating my second Google account, I get the error that my telephone that I have to use to verify has been "used too many times".
You will also see advice to create multiple test offers, but this also doesn't work because they need to be based on the same product to be a valid test and any offer has the constraint that once the base product has been subscribed the offer is disabled.
Honestly, do they want you to make apps on the store? This is the worst experience I have ever come across, literally everythign from creating builds to configuring countries, to mystery approval processes that you don't know when will start or end, to repeated restatements of NO I AM NOT USING ADVERTISER ID. Seriously I have not exited that loop yet.
Is there a place in the console where I can simply emulate various states transpiring and manually promote through the phases for testing? There's an accelerated testing but honestly it just doesn't seem to work for me. It does multiple renewals (why? that's not the thing i need to test) and then just cancels. I need to test 3 days before trial expiration, grace periods, overlapping offline verification while a subscription is in an unknown state. Google seems to make it impossible to do what needs to be done to get through this process.
There's a Play Billing Lab app that sounds promising but I can't get it to attach to my test user so it basically doesn't do anything.
Somebody help a brother out here. Is there a tutorial I haven't found that you liked?
https://redd.it/1qlc19d
@reddit_androiddev
Login Auth and Real Time Sync
Hi,
I have a calendar app that I'd like users to sign-up/login via email and then send invite code to other users via email so that they can view the same calendar.
I'm currently using firebase for the authentication, however how do I go about the live sync and invite code for users?
Also side question, is there an alternative to firebase that I can use?
Thank you
https://redd.it/1ql1bt6
@reddit_androiddev
Production Acess / Automate testing app during 12 days
Hi everyone,
My request is quite simple, has anyone already thought of a solution / found a solution to automate the 12 days of testing?
Would it even be possible?
Thank.
https://redd.it/1qkvjhv
@reddit_androiddev
My First 1000 installations in 3 weeks time.Happy to see good response from the users.
https://preview.redd.it/1tcu42l9c3fg1.png?width=1459&format=png&auto=webp&s=37249533d3afda815be13c6131aacba5867af7e1
My game orbit hopp ,it took months to develope and now it is performing well, long way to go.
https://redd.it/1qkpaay
@reddit_androiddev
Getting 0-10k downloads isn't luck, it's basic ASO and app quality-My experience with Google Play
I see so many posts saying "ASO is dead," and "it's impossible to get users without ads."
I get the frustration, but I don't think that's true.
I've published 7 games on Google Play. Most of them flopped hard. But I managed to scale two of them to 20k+ downloads purely organically. No ads, no paid influencers.
Looking back at my hits vs my flops, the difference wasn't luck. It was usually one of these 5 things I messed up:
1. Don't build something that people aren't searching for. Most devs build what they want, not what people need. If you build a very specific tool that nobody is typing into the search bar, no amount of ASO will save you. I check the autocomplete suggestions before I write a single line of code. If Google doesn't suggest it, nobody is looking for it and most ASO tool give crappy keyword data.
2. Don't compete with giants, compete with outdated apps.
If you build a generic Weather App in 2024, you will die against million-dollar ad budgets. I only target niches. If the competition has ugly screenshots and old UI, you can win simply by having a better-looking store listing.
3. Ranking for the wrong intent hurts your visibility.
I used to celebrate when I ranked for a high-volume keyword. But if you rank for "Quick Math Games" when your app is a hardcore puzzle, users will click, realize it's not what they wanted, and bounce. Google sees this "Bounce Rate" and drops your rank. It’s better to have 100 visitors looking for exactly what you built than 1,000 visitors looking for something else.
4. If your app crashes, Google will hide it.
This is the big one. If your crash rate is over \~1%, Google basically removes your app from organic rankings. It’s not a "shadow ban," it’s just quality control. You can have the best keywords in the world, but if your Vitals are bad, you won't get traffic.
5. Marketing won't fix a bad App.
I had one game that got decent traffic, but everyone uninstalled it within 2 minutes. I kept trying to find more users, but the reality was the game just wasn't fun. If your Day-1 retention is under 20%, Google will stop sending you new users. You have to fix the product before you fix the growth.
ASO and getting 10-50 downloads a day not magic. It’s just grind.
The only Metrics that you need for first 1k downloads and all are available on Google Play
1. Store listing visitors (logo and keyword)
2. Conversion rate(screenshots, keyword relevance)
3. Crash rate(bug free app)
4. Dau/Mau (Retention)
I did write up a full documentation of this workflow with all my checklists and benchmarks. Full disclosure: It is a paid guide (link is in my profile).
I’m not selling any secrets everything in there is stuff you can learn yourself if you dig through enough forums. I’m just charging for the 10+ hours it took me to compile my benchmarks, ranges, and checklists into a single structured workflow.
If you have the time to research, you don't need the guide. The 5 points above are 90% of the battle.
https://redd.it/1qknlre
@reddit_androiddev
What's your workflow for shipping app updates to the play store?
My process has been creating the release aab locally, create a new release in play console, then uploading the aab into the new release. Are there any CI tools you an recommend for a solo developer to automate this process?
https://redd.it/1qkhd68
@reddit_androiddev
Post-capture image redaction on Android (open-source learning project)
Many Android apps capture images that may contain faces or sensitive text
(e.g. marketplaces, receipts, compliance-sensitive flows).
While looking into this, I found that most approaches either rely on
manual post-processing steps or paid SDKs.
As a learning project, I built a small open-source Android SDK that applies
privacy masking immediately after an image is captured — before it is
uploaded or stored.
The SDK:
\- takes a captured Bitmap / File / Uri
\- detects faces and text on-device
\- returns a masked image so only the redacted result is persisted or shared
This project is mainly to learn about Android SDK design and open-source
practices, and I’d really appreciate feedback on the approach or API design.
Source:
https://github.com/jtl4098/SnapSafe
https://redd.it/1qkb8el
@reddit_androiddev
Kotlin or Flutter for job security and satisfaction + fintech?
Hi all, I'm a mid level developer, primarily vue/ts/node JS ecosystem and trying of moving to app development.
I see a lot of arguments here and there about native or multiplatform. Many say to generally stay away from Flutter and some say the KMP is still too new.
I've been looking at fintech for a while and can see some use Kotlin and Swift native, mainly big companies that are established and startups stick to multi platform ones like Flutter.
Any suggestions? I guess my primary goal is to get really good at a technology and stick to it + not hate it like I do with JS (Long story, but js fatigue is real).
What im seeing is that Kotlin also opens doors up for backend development while dart and Flutter is a niche? Thanks
https://redd.it/1qk7e1l
@reddit_androiddev
Need help extracting data from ID cards using OCR in Android (Kotlin)
Hi, I’m working on an Android project with Kotlin, and my client asked me to take a photo of the ID cards of people who will be working. I decided to look for alternatives and tried taking a temporary photo of the IDs and scanning them with an OCR, like Google’s ML Kit library, to extract the first name, last name, and ID number. This would be enough for the system, but right now I can’t get it to work properly: there’s always some error, like the last name being saved in the first name field, or if the image is uploaded in a different rotation, it saves completely wrong data. I don’t know what to do.
Has anyone done something similar? Is there a library that could help me?
https://redd.it/1qk3ap8
@reddit_androiddev
Can I monetize an Android app with banners without using Google Play Billing?
Hi everyone,
I’m building a simple Android app that shows a feed of local events. I want to monetize it in the simplest way possible: by displaying sponsor banners that say something like “Advertise Here” with contact info (phone, WhatsApp, email, or website).
My question is:
Can I charge sponsors directly outside the app (PayPal, bank transfer, etc.) for these banners?
Or does Google Play consider this a “digital product” and force me to use Google Play Billing?
I just want the app to remain free for users and avoid any Play Store violations.
Thanks for your advice!
https://redd.it/1qjydo4
@reddit_androiddev
Seeking advice: My open-source code was stolen, admitted by the thief, and Google Play reinstated their app"
https://redd.it/1qjxcaw
@reddit_androiddev
Architecture patterns for using Model Context Protocol (MCP) in Android UI Automation/Testing
Hi everyone,
I am currently conducting a technical evaluation of mobile-next/mobile-mcp (a Kotlin Multiplatform implementation of the Model Context Protocol) for my company. Our goal is to enable LLM agents to interact with our Android and iOS application for automated testing and QA validation.
I’ve done a POC and I wanted to open a discussion on the architectural trade-offs others might be facing with similar setups.
[Let me know in the comments if i should do any POC with any mcp for mobile app testing\]
My Current Observations:
The speed of test creation is the biggest pro.
However, I am aware of the inherent non-determinism (flakiness) of LLM-generated actions. We are accepting this trade-off for now in exchange for velocity, but I have a major concern regarding long-term maintenance.
The Discussion Points:
1. "Self-Healing" vs. Maintenance
In a traditional setup, if a View ID changes, the test fails, and we manually update the script. With an MCP-driven architecture, does the Agent context effectively "update" itself?
My concern: If the test fails, how are you handling the feedback loop? Does the Agent retry with updated context, or do we end up maintaining complex prompt-engineering files that are just as hard to maintain as Espresso code?
2. Real-world Pros/Cons
Has anyone here moved past the POC stage with MCP on Android?
Pros: rapid exploration, uncovering edge cases manual scripts miss.
Cons: latency of the LLM roundtrip, context window limits when passing large View hierarchies.
I’m interested to hear if anyone is using this strictly for internal tooling/debugging or if you are actually relying on it for CI pipelines.
Thanks!
https://redd.it/1qjucqd
@reddit_androiddev
