Author/Director of Product Management, Google Play Alex Musil

In the previous # 11weeksofAndroid series, we covered contacts and identity, privacy and security, Android 11 compatibility, development languages, Jetpack, and Android developer tools. This installment focuses on Google Play app distribution and monetization. You won’t miss anything as we bring you # 11weeksofAndroid, a deep dive into the key technology points of Android.

This issue of 11 Weeks of Android focuses on app distribution and monetization on Google Play. We are committed to improving the Android platform.

Google Play works closely with developers to provide an amazing online experience for billions of Android users. From the beginning, we have been committed to providing the most practical tools and data analytics that will enable you to attract more users and further grow your business. Recently, we’ve introduced even more features and improved on existing ones to continue to help you succeed.

knowledge

  1. We’ve released three online videos about the beta of the new Google Play Administration Center, which you can watch directly below.
  2. We’ve shared the latest improvements to the App Bundle and plan to require new apps and games to be released In the second half of 2021 through this format. If you need to learn more about the In-App Review API to request in-app ratings and reviews, we’ll cover that In Friday’s post. Stay tuned.
  3. In order to increase user trust in the platform, we have made several product updates and shared a more transparent subscription policy. We’ve also expanded the feature set to help you attract and retain users, and launched the Play Billing Library 3, which will be required by developers starting in mid-2021.
  4. Google Play Pass announced support for nine new markets last month. With the innovative revenue model, the combined revenue from the games is 2.5 times the revenue from Google Play Store sales alone, without reducing the revenue from the Play Store. You can find out more and express your interest here.

Google Play admin center beta

The new Google Play admin center beta was released a few months ago at play.google.com/console, and we’d like to thank everyone for their feedback. As we continue to optimize the beta, we’ve also released some key updates, including:

  • Much-anticipated multi-browser performance improvements;
  • New mobile menus and titles for a more responsive experience;
  • Inbox (your Google Play admin center information center) and updated subscription reports.

We’ve released the following three videos to give you a quick look at the new content and changes in the Google Play Administration Center:

If you’re just getting started, Dan White, lead engineer in the Google Play Administration Center, walks you through the new features of Inbox, Policy Status, App Content, and Enhanced Team Management.

You can view the video of Welcome to the New Play Administration Center from the following link:

  • Tencent video link: https://v.qq.com/x/page/z3137fm4ety.html
  • Bilibili video collection link: https://www.bilibili.com/medialist/play/ml1042157758/p1

Google Play user experience designer Matt McGriskin guides you through a new testing and release workflow that will give you the confidence you need to launch your app.

The Easily Manage App Releases video can be accessed from the following link:

  • Tencent video link: https://v.qq.com/x/page/l313780c6me.html
  • Bilibili video collection link: https://www.bilibili.com/medialist/play/ml1042157758/p1

Finally, Google Play engineer Ryan Fanelli shares best practices for app store optimization and Outlines a new user acquisition report to help you reach a wider audience.

You can link to the Google Play Console video to expand your audience:

  • Tencent video link: https://v.qq.com/x/page/g31378fy795.html
  • Bilibili video collection link: https://www.bilibili.com/medialist/play/ml1042157758/p1

You can also enroll in the Google Play Administration Center course at the Google Play App Success Academy. Also, if you do not already use 2-step Verification, add two-step Verification to your Google Play administration center as soon as possible, which will be mandatory later this year.

Android App Bundle

We’re proud that Android App Bundle has become so ubiquitous in App and game launches. We will continue to improve and make our App Bundle a better publishing format:

  • Play Asset Delivery brings the benefits of app bundles to games, allowing developers to reduce Delivery costs, reduce the size of their games and improve the user experience.
  • You can now scale back your resources when building modular applications;
  • When the app bundle reaches the distribution APK stage, modules will now merge automatically by default at install time.
  • In Android Studio 4.0, the dependencies between features have been stabilized.

If you have not already converted to the App Bundle, we have published the FAQ for Play App Signing (a must for app bundles) as well as guidelines for testing app bundles to help you make the switch. You can learn more about the latest improvements to App Bundle development, testing, and release in today’s two articles.

As we announced at the Android 11 Beta launch, we plan to require new apps and games to be released on Google Play through the Android App Bundle in the second half of 2021. This means that we will also deprecate the APK Extension File (OBB) and make Play Asset Delivery the standard for publishing games over 150MB.

In-App Review API

Ratings and comments are an important way for developers to engage with their users, so in-app comments are a long-awaited feature. Now, the new In-App Review API will address your need to choose when to prompt users for reviews and get the most valuable feedback. The Google Play core library now offers an in-app evaluation API.

We also released a unified example of the Play Core API, including in-app reviews as well as on-demand feature modules and in-app updates. Learn how to use these APIs with Play Core Kotlin extension artifacts to make it easier for Kotlin users to use Play Core.

Google Play Commerce

We have made a series of updates to Play Commerce aimed at building trust through a clearer and easier payment experience. Our User Trust Policy, which we announced in April, provides users with greater transparency, a safer trial experience, and an easier undo.

We have also launched the Play Billing Library 3, which supports cash payments, a better subscription promotion code exchange experience, and purchase attributions. Starting August 2, 2021, Play Billing Library 3 must be mandatory for all new applications.

You can also watch the video, with more information from Mrinalini Loew, Team Project Manager at Google Play Commerce.

  • Watch video: What’s New with Google Play Commerce

We will be publishing more tutorials on how Google Play Billing is used in the near future, so stay tuned.

Google Play Pass

Google Play Pass offers an ad-free and in-app purchase Play experience, allowing developers to earn more money and connect with potential audiences. Since its launch last September, Play Pass has added more than 200 new games, ranging from puzzle and racing games to utilities and child-friendly apps. We’re also proud to celebrate Super Glitch Dash and Element’s “Play Pass Launch.”

A substantial catalogue of games provides a rich user experience and a sustainable revenue stream for developers through innovative monetization models. Overall, games on the Play Pass generate more than two and a half times the revenue of games only on the Play Store in the United States.

In its latest developer story, FunPlus adds a monetisation channel from scratch through Google Play Points, adding more than 200 new transaction orders per day for its games.

Last month, we launched Google Play Pass in nine new markets and offered users the option of an annual subscription or existing monthly subscription.

At the same time, we announced that developers with in-app subscriptions will be able to recommend their apps for Play Pass. If you’re building a great experience for Google Play Pass, you’re welcome to learn more about it and express your interest in participating.

Begin to learn

If you’d like to get to the highlights of this episode faster, check out App Distribution and Ways to Monetize. Test your understanding of key knowledge points to get a limited edition virtual badge.

Thank you for following 11 Weeks of Android! We hope these latest content and resources will help you succeed on Google Play.

More resources

You can watch this full video resource or check out the full playlist of # 11WeeksofAndroid video content, or you can read the article to learn more about the topic on the official website. We will continue to focus on more new areas, so please stay tuned. If you have any questions or need any help, please go to the WeChat comment area or “contact us”. Thank you for being with us!