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Genuine question: why not distribute them yourself (e.g. on GitHub)? If more and more developers do this, it will be like pc software. We don't have to accept

Genuine question: why not distribute them yourself (e.g. on GitHub)? If more and more developers do this, it will be like pc software. We don't have to accept a storefront (on Android at least).

PradeetPatel 5y ago
It has been established that distributing APK anywhere else (Github, etc.) other than the Play store would have a drastic impact on the exposure and discoverability of the app, which will lessen user engagement and revenue stream. Disclaimer: I'm not an app developer, but works in PR and marketing.
- grishka 5y ago
  Established by whom? Many people host their apps on Google Play just so they don't subject their users to warnings about "installing apps from unknown sources" and for convenient updating. > user engagement and revenue stream Well, if you're making an app for the sole purpose of making charts go up...
  - PradeetPatel 5y ago
    A sizeable portion of Android users are not technology savvy, the "installing apps from unknown sources" message will deter some of them. >Well, if you're making an app for the sole purpose of making charts go up... Unless the app is a hobby project, most people would put maximizing their potential revenue stream and marketability of their product as a high priority.
    - jaimex2 5y ago
      Depends on your motive. Some people just make useful apps with no motivation beyond that. Discussions about the old Internet made me go back to developing and using the web like its 1999. It's quite liberating. If the tool is good it doesn't need the crap stores to hoist it up. I could care less about the tech unsavy.
- dataflow 5y ago
  I think you answered the question of "why distribute on the Play store", not the question of "why not distribute on GitHub". Presumably you could do both?
  - nextweek2 5y ago
    We had an app in the store and a download on our product page. Months in, a new update and Google banned the app forever with no recourse. You can distribute it but not as you. T&C violation. We had to create a new app and remove the download.
    - dataflow 5y ago
      The heck. Thanks for sharing that. How is that even legal? Do you happen to remember what clause it violates?
      - nextweek2 5y ago
        I had to go look it up, the clause was: Issue: Violation of Malicious Behavior policy With this as the explanation: Potentially malicious external APKs within the App. The App had a link to our website on it's dashboard, our website had a download for all installers (we're cross-platform) and it was the same APK but because of potential for it being malicious, they suspended the app with no recourse. (We did remove the APK download, but couldn't update the App to remove the link to the website) This was in 2018 and we had been in the store for about a year at that point. It was a patch update that triggered it.
- rkagerer 5y ago
  I would love an alternative Android store that's curated to filter out the 90% of crApps that show up for me these days in the Play store. Along with a checkbox to exclude those with ads, in-app purchases and other such tricks.
  - mod50ack 5y ago
    Apps on F-Droid/IzzyOnDroid are FOSS and usually pretty good. As for things from Google Play, Aurora Store has some filter capabilities, although the app has some glitchiness.
  - rvoje 5y ago
    Theres always https://www.apkmirror.com/ https://www.apkmirror.com/
- vanderZwan 5y ago
  That's a valid insight in general, but I don't see how that is relevant to apps that are free and have "no adverts or in-app tricks".
  - stuaxo 5y ago
    Some free apps don't mind being niche, for others having lots of users is more important. There are benefits to both. API churn seems to kill both, but if you can support your app properly having lots of users will certainly alert you to issues more quickly.
- badpenny 5y ago
  Not having the APK available anywhere has an even more drastic impact.
WhyNotHugo 5y ago
It doesn't reach users. On iOS, that's not even an option. On Android, that's hidden behind some scary checkboxes that state they're only for developers. Side-loading apps like this is advertised as "insecure" and "dangerous" so as to discourage people form doing so.
- herbst 5y ago
  This is not entirely true anymore. I can whitelist apps to install apps instead of making it on a per app level. So I can simply add stores and only confirm the 'danger' message once
Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
You also wouldn't be able to use push notifications, and modern Androids heavily restricts background app running.

Genuine question: why not distribute them yourself (e.g. on GitHub)? If more and more developers do this, it will be like pc software. We don't have to accept a storefront (on Android at least).

PradeetPatel 5y ago

It has been established that distributing APK anywhere else (Github, etc.) other than the Play store would have a drastic impact on the exposure and discoverability of the app, which will lessen user engagement and revenue stream. Disclaimer: I'm not an app developer, but works in PR and marketing.

grishka 5y ago
Established by whom? Many people host their apps on Google Play just so they don't subject their users to warnings about "installing apps from unknown sources" and for convenient updating. > user engagement and revenue stream Well, if you're making an app for the sole purpose of making charts go up...
- PradeetPatel 5y ago
  A sizeable portion of Android users are not technology savvy, the "installing apps from unknown sources" message will deter some of them. >Well, if you're making an app for the sole purpose of making charts go up... Unless the app is a hobby project, most people would put maximizing their potential revenue stream and marketability of their product as a high priority.
  - jaimex2 5y ago
    Depends on your motive. Some people just make useful apps with no motivation beyond that. Discussions about the old Internet made me go back to developing and using the web like its 1999. It's quite liberating. If the tool is good it doesn't need the crap stores to hoist it up. I could care less about the tech unsavy.
dataflow 5y ago
I think you answered the question of "why distribute on the Play store", not the question of "why not distribute on GitHub". Presumably you could do both?
- nextweek2 5y ago
  We had an app in the store and a download on our product page. Months in, a new update and Google banned the app forever with no recourse. You can distribute it but not as you. T&C violation. We had to create a new app and remove the download.
  - dataflow 5y ago
    The heck. Thanks for sharing that. How is that even legal? Do you happen to remember what clause it violates?
    - nextweek2 5y ago
      I had to go look it up, the clause was: Issue: Violation of Malicious Behavior policy With this as the explanation: Potentially malicious external APKs within the App. The App had a link to our website on it's dashboard, our website had a download for all installers (we're cross-platform) and it was the same APK but because of potential for it being malicious, they suspended the app with no recourse. (We did remove the APK download, but couldn't update the App to remove the link to the website) This was in 2018 and we had been in the store for about a year at that point. It was a patch update that triggered it.
rkagerer 5y ago
I would love an alternative Android store that's curated to filter out the 90% of crApps that show up for me these days in the Play store. Along with a checkbox to exclude those with ads, in-app purchases and other such tricks.
- mod50ack 5y ago
  Apps on F-Droid/IzzyOnDroid are FOSS and usually pretty good. As for things from Google Play, Aurora Store has some filter capabilities, although the app has some glitchiness.
- rvoje 5y ago
  Theres always https://www.apkmirror.com/ https://www.apkmirror.com/
vanderZwan 5y ago
That's a valid insight in general, but I don't see how that is relevant to apps that are free and have "no adverts or in-app tricks".
- stuaxo 5y ago
  Some free apps don't mind being niche, for others having lots of users is more important. There are benefits to both. API churn seems to kill both, but if you can support your app properly having lots of users will certainly alert you to issues more quickly.
badpenny 5y ago
Not having the APK available anywhere has an even more drastic impact.

WhyNotHugo 5y ago

It doesn't reach users. On iOS, that's not even an option. On Android, that's hidden behind some scary checkboxes that state they're only for developers. Side-loading apps like this is advertised as "insecure" and "dangerous" so as to discourage people form doing so.

herbst 5y ago
This is not entirely true anymore. I can whitelist apps to install apps instead of making it on a per app level. So I can simply add stores and only confirm the 'danger' message once

Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago

You also wouldn't be able to use push notifications, and modern Androids heavily restricts background app running.