Android App Bundle

Dictionary App Builder
1

Hi fellow team mates or Ian,

We just had 3 Apps ‘removed’ from Google Play. One of them has had about 13,000 downloads. The issue:Missing or inaccurate target audience information. As requested, I tried specifying the minimum Android version to Android 9 (API 28). It was built successfully.

I tried specifying it to Android 10 (API 29) and it was also built successfully. However during the build process, below are the messages I got:

WARNING: minSdkVersion (29) is greater than targetSdkVersion (28) for variant “debug”. Please change the values such that minSdkVersion is less than or equal to targetSdkVersion.
WARNING: minSdkVersion (29) is greater than targetSdkVersion (28) for variant “release”. Please change the values such that minSdkVersion is less than or equal to targetSdkVersion.

However both versions could not be realeased. Below are the 2 messages I got.

Unoptimized APK
Warning:

This APK results in unused code and resources being sent to users. Your app could be smaller if you used the Android App Bundle. By not optimizing your app for device configurations, your app is larger to download and install on users’ devices than it needs to be. Larger apps see lower install success rates and take up storage on users’ devices.

Resolution:

Use the Android App Bundle to automatically optimize for device configurations, or manage it yourself with multiple APKs.

Device support removed

Warning:
Deactivation of this APK will result in your app being available for new installs on fewer types of devices.

Tip:
If this is an unintended change, then retain this APK in the new release or ensure that your new APKs support all currently supported devices.

Statistics also showed that previously:
8177 Phone devices were supported. But now 8011 (98%) NOT SUPPORTED any longer.
2147 Tablet devices were supported. But not 2147 (100%) NOT SUPPORTED any longer.

When I clicked to see the details, I was shocked but not surprised that most of the phones and tablets were very old or brands that I have never heard before. Then I remembered that most people in our region in Indonesia cannot afford a branded but not necessarily expensive mobile phone. A lot of them buy cheaper Chinese ones. I think this is a very important issue I overlooked. Especially now that Google has raised their development standards, how can SIL DAB keep up. Does the Andorid App Bundle Optimization requirement integrate with the latest version of DAB? (APK vs AAB)

Really appreciate your urgent help/suggestion as we worked with the Indonesian government on this project. This App downtime affects thousands of teachers and students.

Blessings,
Ping

2

I am not the expert on this as I have not directly used Playstore.

You can ignore the Unoptimized APK warning as that is correct it is not optimised so that it can be shared with other users. Most other ap need you to get it from the Play Store. Look for a way around this. Some one else had this problem the other day and found a way around the warning. It is only a warning not an error.

Can someone else help with the other issues.

3

Thanks Ian,

Yes, I ignored the warning but it the Google Developer Console won’t let me upload the latest APKs anymore.

Thanks, will try to figure it out.

Ping

4

My minimum Platform is set to API 14. Setting it so high means many devices with older Android versions can’t use it. Unless there is a technical reason for not having a lower platform it is best to leave it at 14.

5

Ian the man,

Yes I am aware of that. Especially in poor developing countries where people rarely upgrade their phones.

However, as of Aug 2019 minimum Google API level is 28. Otherwise not allowed upload to Store. So i am guessing many SIL Apps have been removed already.

6

I think we are talking about two different things. What you build and submit to Google needs to be a minimum of 28 but the minimum you set in SAB is not the same thing. What you set in SAB:
image
allows older phones can use the app even though it is built with API 28.

1 Like
7

Hmmm… let me work on that when I get home. Txs bro.

8

Ian, fixed. You are right. Its 2 different things. Told u mate, Ian da man.

G’day,

Ping

9

Great, glad it is okay now.

10

Hello Ping,

Do you have to pay to use the Android App Bundle?

Kevin Walters