I have an app that I released a couple years ago (plus another legacy app that I maintain for one of my company’s clients). My game has a long-ish title, but it was fine until some asshat at Google decides that 33 characters is too long. On top of that, every time I’m forced to update the target SDK, I need to spend several hours figuring out a bunch of new build errors. This is not how I wanted to spend my vacation time.

  • Skull giver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nlEnglish
    423·
    11 months ago

    Google wants you to update the target SDK so the privacy measures added in the latest version of Android get applied to your app. I’m with them on this, the Play Store is full of abandonware that crashes on launch and Google needs to do something about it. Some app developers also intentionally targeted older APIs so they could still track users and mess with their devices, which is obviously not something Google should support.

    They’re also taking action by not listing apps targeting an API level two levels below the latest API level on updated devices. Only devices running the target SDK will be able to install the app if you target too low an API level. I again am in favour of this, because Google’s earlier attempts to get developers to comply with their (meagre) privacy preservation tools have failed miserably. Plus, it solves the “all apps crash just after the release of a new Android version” problem by only listing compatible apps for new phones.

    If developers can’t or don’t want to update the target SDK (Termux, for example), they can pick another app store. I believe Amazon’s app store doesn’t have these requirements in case you’re looking for a new home for your app. From my (user) point of view, if you’re using Google’s platform to distribute your app, the least you can do is a yearly test and update to make sure everything still works on new devices.

    I’m not sure what the point is in banning long names, that seems rather arbitrary. I’m guessing they’re redesigning the Play Store and super long names are messing up their layout?

    • rambaroo@lemmy.worldEnglish
      66·
      11 months ago

      No, I get why people are pissed at Google. They pull this shit constantly with their APIs. They do a garbage job of designing the initial API and then spend the next 5-10 years making mandatory breaking changes to it. They suck. Easily the most overrated engineers on the planet.

      And lol go to another app store? Is that a joke? They have a blatant monopoly on Android users.