# Play Store Published articles for Play Store. This is one page of public article previews, not the complete archive. Follow Next page to continue. Summaries are not the original full articles. ## Starting Android at Khan Academy DevFeed: [Starting Android at Khan Academy]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Khan Academy Published: 2016-02-29T23:00:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Khan Academy]() Topics: [Android](), [android-development](), [Development](), [Library](), [modules](), [ci](), [Mocking]() Tags: [android](), [android-development](), [development](), [engineering](), [libraries](), [mobile](), [mocking](), [module](), [modules](), [news](), [open-source](), [picasso](), [play-store](), [pre-commit](), [retrofit](), [test](), [tests]() ### AI overview Khan Academy describes its first Android app, launched in August 2015, and the engineering practices used to build it. The team adopted established Android and open-source libraries, separated Android-independent core code from the app module, and used fast JVM tests and continuous integration. ### Source excerpt By Ben Komalo The journey of a thousand miles... In March, 2015--almost 1 year ago to the day--we ... Read more ## Rounds.app: Rebuilding an Android Score Pad as a Mobile Website DevFeed: [Rounds.app: Rebuilding an Android Score Pad as a Mobile Website]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Jesse Wilson Published: 2026-01-15T01:57:01Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Public Object]() Topics: [App](), [Website](), [Android](), [Mobile]() Tags: [android](), [app](), [mobile](), [open-source](), [play-store](), [ui](), [website]() ### AI overview The author describes rebuilding Rounds, an Android score pad app originally published in 2012, as the mobile website Rounds.app after 13 years. The work in progress lets users create games, add scores, and share them, but currently has a mobile-only UI, no game deletion, and bugs. ### Source excerpt In 2012, I published an Android score pad app named Rounds to the Play Store. I was quite proud of it! It used an iPod click wheel-style score entry UI and balanced capability with simplicity. Rounds' animated action bar in 2012 I joined Square, did a bunch of open source, ## Preorder StoreShots 📱🎇 DevFeed: [Preorder StoreShots 📱🎇]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Jorge Castillo Published: 2025-08-16T22:28:12Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Effective Android]() Topics: [App](), [.NET Conf]() Tags: [app](), [app-store](), [launch](), [play-store](), [screenshot](), [screenshots](), [service](), [templates]() ### AI overview StoreShots is a new service for generating screenshots for the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The article announces a limited preorder offering with discounted lifetime access, early access, and access to available templates. ### Source excerpt Available for a limited number of people ## Improving an Android app's Google Play rating with in-app review prompts DevFeed: [Improving an Android app's Google Play rating with in-app review prompts]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Jake Lee Published: 2024-12-26T00:00:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Jake Lee's Programming Blog]() Topics: [Android](), [Google Play](), [App](), [Library](), [Google]() Tags: [android](), [app](), [google](), [google-play](), [in-app-review](), [kotlin](), [library](), [play-store](), [reviews](), [time]() ### AI overview This article describes how the Seatfrog app's Google Play rating improved after stability work reduced one-star reviews and an in-app review prompt made it easier for satisfied users to submit ratings. It also discusses using Google Play Console ratings data and per-version averages to assess the results. ### Source excerpt I recently worked on an app, Seatfrog, that had been rated between 1 and 2 stars for months, despite no major issues. The solution? In-app rating prompts! ## Understanding Referrals using Google Play DevFeed: [Understanding Referrals using Google Play]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Michael Evans Published: 2024-06-27T23:41:33Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Gadget Habit]() Topics: [Android](), [API](), [Kotlin](), [Google](), [Coroutines](), [Library](), [App]() Tags: [android](), [api](), [app](), [build](), [coroutines](), [data](), [dependency](), [google](), [google-play](), [guide](), [how-to](), [installreferrerclient](), [integration](), [kotlin](), [library](), [marketing](), [play-store](), [prevent-fraud]() ### AI overview A tutorial on using the Google Play Install Referrer API in an Android application. It explains how install referrer data supports campaign attribution, marketing measurement, and fraud prevention, then shows how to integrate InstallReferrerClient with Kotlin callbackFlow and collect the resulting flow. ### Source excerpt Tracking how users install your app can be tricky, especially when you want to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns or ads. That's where the Google Play Install Referrer API comes in handy--it gives you reliable data about how users found your app. If you're developing an Android application, this guide will walk you through how to set up and use the InstallReferrerClient with Kotlin's callbackFlow to make integration simpler and more maintainable. What is the Install Referrer? The install referrer contains information about the source of the app installation. For example, if a user clicks an ad campaign link that leads to your app's Play Store page, the referrer might include details about the campaign source, medium, or other specifics. Here's how this data can help: Attribution: Identify which campaigns drive installs. Measure Success: Evaluate your marketing efforts' impact. Prevent Fraud: Verify referrer data to avoid fraudulent installs. Setting Up and Using the InstallReferrerClient Step 1: Add the Dependency First, include the Install Referrer library in your build.gradle file: 1 implementation 'com.android.installreferrer:installreferrer:2.2' Step 2: Use callbackFlow for our implementation The InstallReferrerClient is callback-based, but Kotlin's callbackFlow lets you handle this more elegantly. Here's an example: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 import com.android.installreferrer.api.InstallReferrerClient import com.android.installreferrer.api.InstallReferrerStateListener import com.android.installreferrer.api.ReferrerDetails import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.awaitClose import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.callbackFlow fun fetchInstallReferrer(context: Context) = callbackFlow { val referrerClient = InstallReferrerClient.newBuilder(context).build() val listener = object : InstallReferrerStateListener { override fun onInstallReferrerSetupFinished(responseCode: Int) { when (r ## How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform macOS app on GitHub Releases with GitHub Actions DevFeed: [How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform macOS app on GitHub Releases with GitHub Actions]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Marco Gomiero Published: 2024-05-14T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Posts on Marco Gomiero]() Topics: [GitHub Actions](), [Kotlin Multiplatform](), [macOS](), [GitHub](), [releases](), [compose-multiplatform]() Tags: [app-store](), [ci](), [compose](), [compose-multiplatform](), [desktop](), [github](), [github-actions](), [gradle](), [how-to](), [ios](), [kotlin](), [kotlin-multiplatform](), [macos](), [multiplatform](), [play-store](), [releases](), [swiftui]() ### AI overview A tutorial showing how to deploy a Kotlin Multiplatform macOS app outside the Mac App Store using GitHub Releases and GitHub Actions. It describes the deployment context for FeedFlow and introduces the release trigger and initial JDK and Gradle setup. ### Source excerpt SERIES: Publishing a Kotlin Multiplatform Android, iOS, and macOS app with GitHub Actions. Part 1: How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform Android app on Play Store with GitHub Actions Part 2: How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform iOS app on App Store with GitHub Actions Part 3: How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform macOS app on GitHub Releases with GitHub Actions Part 4: How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform macOS app on App Store with GitHub Actions It's been almost a year since I started working on FeedFlow, an RSS Reader available on Android, iOS, and macOS, built with Jetpack Compose for the Android app, Compose Multiplatform for the desktop app, and SwiftUI for the iOS app. ## How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform Android app on Play Store with GitHub Actions DevFeed: [How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform Android app on Play Store with GitHub Actions]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Marco Gomiero Published: 2024-04-30T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Posts on Marco Gomiero]() Topics: [Kotlin Multiplatform](), [GitHub Actions](), [Android](), [Google Play](), [GitHub]() Tags: [android](), [github](), [github-actions](), [how-to](), [kotlin](), [kotlin-multiplatform](), [play-store](), [releases]() ### AI overview A tutorial showing how to use GitHub Actions to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform Android app to Google Play. It covers release triggers based on platform-specific tags and the setup of the repository, JDK, and Gradle, including encrypted Gradle configuration caching. ### Source excerpt SERIES: Publishing a Kotlin Multiplatform Android, iOS, and macOS app with GitHub Actions. Part 1: How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform Android app on Play Store with GitHub Actions Part 2: How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform iOS app on App Store with GitHub Actions Part 3: How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform macOS app on GitHub Releases with GitHub Actions How to publish a Kotlin Multiplatform macOS app on App Store with GitHub Actions It's been almost a year since I started working on FeedFlow, an RSS Reader available on Android, iOS, and macOS, built with Jetpack Compose for the Android app, Compose Multiplatform for the desktop app, and SwiftUI for the iOS app. ## Automating beautiful Screenshots using Jetpack compose DevFeed: [Automating beautiful Screenshots using Jetpack compose]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: sinasamaki Published: 2022-04-20T04:52:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [sinasamaki]() Topics: [Jetpack Compose](), [Testing](), [App]() Tags: [article](), [automated](), [design](), [fastlane](), [jetpack-compose](), [play-store](), [screenshots](), [testing](), [ui](), [ui-testing]() ### AI overview This tutorial explains how to use Jetpack Compose and UI testing to design distinctive app screenshots and capture them automatically with fastlane across app variants and localizations. ### Source excerpt Screenshots are the first impression of the user on our app. Therefore, to put our best foot forward, we need the best designed screenshots to be presented. But graphically designing screenshots is time-consuming. After coming up with a unique design, you still need to apply it to apply to ## How I made beautiful screenshots for Google Play (Developer experience) DevFeed: [How I made beautiful screenshots for Google Play (Developer experience)]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Yahor Urbanovich Published: 2021-07-10T11:24:12Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Stories by Yahor Urbanovich on Medium]() Topics: [Google Play](), [Android](), [App](), [Mobile](), [pixel]() Tags: [android](), [android-studio](), [developer](), [google-play](), [google-play-developer](), [personal-experience](), [photoshop](), [play-store](), [screenshots]() ### AI overview A developer shares a workflow for creating polished Google Play screenshots, comparing device-mockup tools and online services with a do-it-yourself approach using Google Play guidelines, Photoshop, mobile tools, and Android Studio. ### Source excerpt Comparison of the initial and final result Every developer who has an application in Play Store worries about user engagement before the application install. This metric can be simply improved by adding beautiful and informative screenshots. I want to share my own experience of how I made it for my pet project. Let's begin. Originally I prepared screenshots for Google Play using a simple approach: Make a screenshot of the application Add it into Device Mockup to make it more natural Publish to Google Play For this purpose, I used Screener: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.toastcode.screener&hl=en_US The tool is useful, contains a different amount of phone frames and manufacturers, and fully customizable. Screenshot after rendering The main lack for me that the application didn't update since 2018 and doesn't contain new Android devices, especially Google Pixel's latest model. Screener app info from Google PlayFind the other solutions. If you are lazy and don't want to spend your free time, the best way to organize screenshots is through online services. Few of them, which I have tried: https://mockups.pixeltrue.com/ 2. https://previewed.app/ 3. https://theapplaunchpad.com/ 4. https://screen.traction.one/ 5. https://www.launchmatic.app/ The main drawbacks of online services for me: To unlock more themes and functionalities you need to have paid subscription Limited customization Can't adjust the screenshot for mockup, the content cropped unexpectedly from different sides Some services focus only on iPhone or several Android devices How to deal with a problem? Do It Yourself! What we need: Official guidelines Adobe Photoshop and basic editing skills Creativity and inspiration Official Google Play guidelines: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9866151?hl=en The most important for us from the Screenshots section: Edit excess elements in the notification bar before submitting. Do not show service providers or notifications. The ## Aircall Journey to Android App Bundle DevFeed: [Aircall Journey to Android App Bundle]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Julien Salvi Published: 2021-02-18T15:12:51Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Stories by Julien Salvi on Medium]() Topics: [Android](), [APK](), [Gradle](), [Optimization](), [CircleCI](), [feature flags](), [ci]() Tags: [android](), [android-app-bundle](), [androiddev](), [apk](), [ci](), [circleci](), [continuous-integration](), [feature-flags](), [gradle](), [optimization](), [play-store]() ### AI overview Aircall describes migrating its Android app from APK distribution to Android App Bundle to deliver optimized APKs. The article covers APK size reduction, language, density, and ABI splits, Gradle configuration, and planned Play Feature Delivery, with CircleCI and fastlane mentioned for release automation. ### Source excerpt A couple months, we decided to use Android App Bundle (AAB) to distribute Aircall's Android app in Play Store. After analyzing the Aircall Android application package (APK), we found we could deliver optimized APKs to our users -- an overall size reduction of 60%! In this article, we are going to expose our journey to Android App Bundle from our own motivations to the development within the application and the CI with CircleCI and fastlane to release on the Play Store. Why move to App Bundle? Moving to App Bundle had many advantages. The first and main reason was the APK size optimization, to deliver only what the user needs. After looking at our application file, we found that we embedded all native libraries (.so files) of all supported architectures! We could have used the abi split in our main build.gradle but we would have managed 4 APKs with different version code. We also saw we could reduce the resource assets to match the density of the device where the app is installed. Here is what the Aircall universal APK looks like on the inside: APK analysis with Android Studio Optimizing size was not the only advantage we saw. Migrating to AAB will allow us (a little bit) to save the planet! Indeed, with all the MB saved from the downloads and updates, we are using less storage space and consuming fewer energy resources. You can see our MAD Score below. If it hits 1 million downloads we could save 22 TB of data -- really a huge impact. MAD Score data from the Aircall project We were also excited by our future ability to enable Play Feature Delivery to push features to specific users. Since we are already using feature flags inside our applications, this would let us develop features on-the-go for our users. Gradle configuration Moving to AAB was a very smooth process and did not require a lot of configuration code. To replicate this move, on your build.gradle of your application, add the following block to build an AAB file. You will be able to add the language, densit ## QR Reader Secure - Privacy-Focused and Secure QR Reader DevFeed: [QR Reader Secure - Privacy-Focused and Secure QR Reader]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Marco Gomiero Published: 2020-07-28T00:00:00Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Posts on Marco Gomiero]() Topics: [QR Code](), [App](), [Open Source]() Tags: [app](), [github](), [open-source](), [permission](), [play-store](), [privacy](), [qr-code]() ### AI overview The article announces QR Reader Secure, a simple QR-scanning app developed in response to concerns about intrusive ads and excessive permissions in other QR readers. It requests only camera access, contains no ads or trackers, keeps scanned data on the phone, is free on the Play Store, and is open source on GitHub. ### Source excerpt Last week my parents asked me to download to their phones a simple QR Reader. So I opened the Play Store and I started to search an easy to use application, without lot's of noise (oh, I mean intrusive ads..) and without ulterior motives. Well, I wandered around the Play Store for an hour without finding an answer. Some apps will require all the imaginable permission only to scan a QR code. Come on, why do you need my contacts and my location for the scanning? 🤬 ## How Gameloft uses Crashlytics to lower crash rates and increase engagement DevFeed: [How Gameloft uses Crashlytics to lower crash rates and increase engagement]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Patrick Martin Published: 2020-06-11T00:00:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Firebase Blog]() Topics: [Crashlytics](), [Firebase](), [Mobile]() Tags: [app-quality](), [case-study](), [crash](), [crash-reporting](), [crashlytics](), [firebase](), [games](), [play-store]() ### AI overview A Firebase case study describes how Gameloft uses Crashlytics to aggregate crashes by root cause, assess their impact on players, and prioritize troubleshooting. Gameloft reported a 10% overnight reduction in users experiencing crashes for Overdrive City, along with increased session duration. ### Source excerpt News, tutorials, and updates from the Firebase team. ## Samsung May Reduce App Resolution After Play Store Submission DevFeed: [Samsung May Reduce App Resolution After Play Store Submission]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Shai Almog Published: 2020-06-04T00:00:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [CodeName One]() Topics: [samsung](), [App](), [configuration](), [SDK]() Tags: [app](), [issue](), [performance](), [play-store](), [samsung]() ### AI overview The article investigates a case where an app rendered at a lower resolution on a Samsung device despite the device having a higher native resolution. It attributes the behavior to Samsung classifying the app as a game after Play Store submission and lowering its resolution or density to improve performance. The article suggests contacting Samsung to request reclassification. ### Source excerpt A few weeks ago we got this question on stackoverflow. At first I didn't think this issue was special... But as the investigation continued it became clear that we're facing a weird issue... The issue started innocently enough. A device whose native resolution is high was rendering the UI in low resolution. This can happen because of a new DPI setting or configuration in a new SDK. But the odd thing was this: if the app's package name was changed the resolution went back to normal! ## A Closer look at Slices on Android DevFeed: [A Closer look at Slices on Android]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2018-05-31T13:11:02Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Posts on Adam Bennett]() Topics: [Android](), [SDK](), [Google](), [App](), [Framework]() Tags: [algorithms](), [android](), [app](), [blog](), [career](), [compose](), [developer-preview](), [development](), [engineering](), [finance](), [functional](), [google](), [google-assistant](), [google-io](), [growth](), [java](), [jetpack](), [kotlin](), [money](), [opinions](), [play-store](), [sdk](), [search](), [slices](), [software](), [startups](), [thoughts](), [training](), [tutorial]() ### AI overview This article examines Android Slices introduced around the Android P Alpha release and explains their relationship to App Actions. It describes how App Actions can connect apps with Google Assistant, Search, and the Play Store, using recognized user intents and app deep links to support queries such as cryptocurrency price requests. ### Source excerpt In the lead-up to Google IO 2018 and after peering into the Android P Alpha release, some people noticed a mysterious new "Slices" class within the P SDK docs. There was a lot of speculation as to what Slices actually did, and Sebastiano Poggi at Novoda did a great deep-dive into what was known at the time. ## Understanding Attribution in Firebase Analytics DevFeed: [Understanding Attribution in Firebase Analytics]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Todd Kerpelman Published: 2017-04-27T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Firebase Blog]() Topics: [Firebase](), [App](), [Android](), [iOS]() Tags: [advertising](), [adwords](), [analytics](), [android](), [app-store](), [best-practices](), [firebase](), [google-analytics](), [ios](), [play-store](), [privacy](), [tutorials]() ### AI overview This Firebase tutorial explains attribution: comparing ad campaigns by the value of the users they bring, not just by click volume. It describes how advertising identifiers help networks track ad clicks through app installation and how Firebase Analytics can measure campaign performance. ### Source excerpt News, tutorials, and updates from the Firebase team. ## Pirate Metrics: Making Money with Firebase DevFeed: [Pirate Metrics: Making Money with Firebase]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Parul Soi Published: 2017-02-03T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Firebase Blog]() Topics: [Firebase](), [SDK](), [dashboards]() Tags: [admob](), [advertising](), [analytics](), [best-practices](), [e-commerce](), [firebase](), [google-analytics](), [growth](), [metrics](), [play-store](), [product](), [revenue](), [sdk](), [trends](), [tutorials]() ### AI overview This article explains how to use Firebase to track and improve revenue as part of the Pirate Metrics series. It covers automatic tracking for in-app purchases through a connected Play Store account, event tracking for E-commerce purchases, revenue dashboards and purchase-based audiences, and AdMob integration for analyzing advertising revenue and trends. ### Source excerpt News, tutorials, and updates from the Firebase team. ## Enabling Night Mode on Android Nougat DevFeed: [Enabling Night Mode on Android Nougat]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Michael Evans Published: 2016-08-23T22:27:01Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Gadget Habit]() Topics: [Android](), [Code](), [Shell](), [Command-line interface](), [App](), [ui]() Tags: [adb](), [android](), [app](), [code](), [developer](), [feature](), [play-store](), [source](), [ui]() ### AI overview This tutorial explains how to restore access to Night Mode settings on Android Nougat by launching the System UI Tuner activity with the appropriate intent extra through adb. It also presents a Play Store app that performs the process with a single button. ### Source excerpt If you're like me, you loved the Night Mode feature that was added to the Nougat Developer Preview a few months ago. You might have been disappointed when you found out that it was missing in later preview builds, and was probably going to be removed because it wasn't ready. When the source code for Nougat was released this morning, my friend Vishnu found this interesting snippet in the SystemUI source (better known to end users as the System UI Tuner): 1 2 3 4 5 boolean showNightMode = getIntent().getBooleanExtra( NightModeFragment.EXTRA_SHOW_NIGHT_MODE, false); final PreferenceFragment fragment = showNightMode ? new NightModeFragment() : showDemoMode ? new DemoModeFragment() : new TunerFragment(); Long story short, if you pass the right extras to this activity, and you'll get access to the Night Mode settings (as well as the infamous Quick Tile!). Fortunately for us, this is pretty trivial to accomplish with adb via adb -d shell am start --ez show_night_mode true com.android.systemui/.tuner.TunerActivity, but not everyone who wants this feature is familiar with adb. So I published an app to the Play Store that does exactly that - click one button, and get access to those settings! You can find the app on the Play Store here. ## Android Material Design tools and techniques from a MaterialFest talk DevFeed: [Android Material Design tools and techniques from a MaterialFest talk]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2015-02-08T00:00:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Antonio Leiva]() Topics: [Android](), [Material Design](), [recyclerview](), [App](), [Code]() Tags: [android](), [app](), [code](), [github](), [material-design](), [play-store](), [recyclerview]() ### AI overview This article recaps a MaterialFest talk on applying Material Design in Android. It covers AppCompat and Toolbar, Lollipop transitions and ripples, RecyclerView, CardView, Palette, animations, scroll effects, and activity transitions, with links to slides, example code, and a Play Store app. ### Source excerpt Everything Android, Kotlin and other random topics ## How Fragment for Android Asks Users for Ratings and Reviews DevFeed: [How Fragment for Android Asks Users for Ratings and Reviews]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2014-09-05T07:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Blogs on Ryan Harter]() Topics: [Android](), [App](), [ui]() Tags: [android](), [app](), [fragment](), [play-store](), [review]() ### AI overview The article explains how the Fragment for Android team designed a non-intrusive prompt for app ratings. It places a rating button in the interface rather than showing a generic dialog, and delays showing it until the app has been launched three times and the user reaches the Export screen. ### Source excerpt One of the most important factors in determining whether or not people will buy your app is the rating. Especially if your app isn't free, people will generally check the ratings and reviews before downloading your app. And if your app is a paid app, ratings and reviews can mean success or failure for your app. When launching Fragment for Android, our first though was making a kick ass app, but then we needed to think about how to ensure that users remembered to go back to the Play Store to share their experience by rating the app. It's quite common for apps to display a generic dialog after a while prompting the user to rate the app, but we thought we could make this experience better. ## Droid of the Day is History DevFeed: [Droid of the Day is History]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Mike Wolfson Published: 2014-07-07T19:28:28Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [My Big Appetite - Mike Wolfson]() Topics: [Android](), [App](), [Agile](), [Software](), [Large Screen](), [ui]() Tags: [agile](), [android](), [android-apps-play-market-dotd](), [app](), [development](), [play-store](), [software](), [tablet](), [ui]() ### AI overview The author announces the end of active development for Droid of the Day, an Android app that began as a hobby project and grew into a full-time job. The post reflects on supporting its user base, using frequent Agile releases, and expanding the app with a catalog, tablet layouts, internationalization, and other features. ### Source excerpt After 3 years of running my daily app, I have decided to move onto other projects. DOTD is not DeaD! I plan to leave it in the Play Store, as a catalog of great Apps. I won't be doing much active development, or selecting new apps to feature. I first started this as a hobby, to have a 'real' app to show off during the Google IO conference in May of 2011. Since starting, I have turned the hobby into a full time job, and realized many opportunities. Having DOTD has been a wonderful experience. It has been very educational supporting an app with a decent sized user base. Being able to do this during the explosive growth phase of Android has been very rewarding (and challenging). I specifically picked a concept that requires active development (and content creation). My intention was to use the 'Agile' methodology of software creation (delivering frequent releases). I released an update on average every 3 weeks (with a new feature or refinement in each one). The app was constantly being upgraded. Being able to release apps to the Play store without friction made this possible. The initial release had the following functionality: View a free Android with a link to download it from the 'Android Market' - that's it, you couldn't view previous days, or do anything other than view today's app The app today has the following functionality: Historical app catalog (with 1200 apps as of today) Holo Compliant UI Tablet specific layouts and optimizations Internationalization (translations in Italian, German, Dutch. Hindi, and Spanish) Tons of features and options specific to creating lists of Apps based on user suggestions ... - a long list of features many which I never would have envisioned in the beginning If I had all the time in the world, there are many things I would like to do. Monetizing is not one of those - I never really wanted the responsibility that comes with money (I can do that during my day job). This was intended to be a hobby app, I wanted to see how far I coul ## Creating an Android Project DevFeed: [Creating an Android Project]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2014-02-07T07:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Blogs on Ryan Harter]() Topics: [Android Studio](), [android-development](), [Android](), [App](), [ide](), [Development]() Tags: [android](), [android-development](), [android-studio](), [app](), [development](), [ide](), [identifier](), [module](), [play-store](), [sdk]() ### AI overview A tutorial in a Start to Finish series explains how to create a new Android project using Android Studio. It covers the project setup screen, including the application name, module name, package name, project location, and minimum required SDK. ### Source excerpt This is the third post in my Start to Finish series. Last time I talked about source control with Git. We've talked about basic tools, and about source control, so now we're ready to get into actually creating an Android app. In this part of the series, we're going to create a new project using Android Studio. Android Studio is Google's Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that we will use to create our Android app. While it's still in early preview release status, it will be replacing Eclipse as the main Android development IDE, so we'll go ahead and just start there. ## What to Expect When Being Featured on Google Play DevFeed: [What to Expect When Being Featured on Google Play]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2013-08-20T07:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Blogs on Ryan Harter]() Topics: [Google Play](), [Android](), [Google](), [App](), [Development]() Tags: [android](), [app](), [developer](), [development](), [google](), [google-play](), [play-store](), [project](), [release]() ### AI overview A freelance Android developer recounts how Hashnote was developed, released, and later selected for the Play Picks section on Google Play. The article describes the app's minimalist note-taking features, early user response, feature requests, and the fixes requested before its promotion. ### Source excerpt It's been a few weeks since my last post, in large part because of all of the work I've been doing for Hashnote. For those who don't know, in the beginning of August Hashnote was featured on Google Play in the Play Picks section. Here's how it went. Before In January of 2012, I decided to leave my 9 to 5 and start my own business as a freelance Android developer. I had landed a large client and started working on some cool projects. One of the benefits of this was that it gave me some more time to work on my own projects. I had recently sold my BGR app to Boy Genius Report, so I needed a new project. ## How to Improve App Ratings by Communicating with Users and Asking at the Right Time DevFeed: [How to Improve App Ratings by Communicating with Users and Asking at the Right Time]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2013-07-22T07:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Blogs on Ryan Harter]() Topics: [App](), [Google]() Tags: [app](), [google](), [play-store]() ### AI overview The article argues that app developers can improve ratings by responding personally to user emails, asking for ratings after users have had time to use the app, and maintaining solid app quality. It discusses the AppRate library and its timing limits, including install age, launches, and recent crashes. ### Source excerpt App ratings are an extremely factor in any app. No matter what app store you are on, people value the opinions of other users. Google has always said that high Play Store ratings are an important factor in getting your app featured. I won't pretend that I know a magic bullet to get endless 5 start reviews, but here are a few things I've learned along the way. Communicate I get emails from my users. I invite that by putting a 'Contact Us' button on the about screen in Hashnote. Often times these are simple questions or requests, but I make a concerted effort to respond to every user email I get.