GOOD news About Companion App

Hello Everybody
I have good news to share if you havent seen or heard yet.

The install button has re appeared back on my new watchfaces . I found it out today. This means lot of installation issues will be resolved at User end. I am pretty sure because this is a new watchface published on 23 Jun and the latest watchfce published on 3 July as well.

I also bought 1 watchface from Ballozi Watchfaces and tested this. The watchface installed without even opening companion app direct from Android playstore app.

When i opened companion app and opened link that takes you to watchface on watch showed no issues about payments. Watchface showed already installed.

See my screenshots and also see the button now shown. I see now install button available for all my watchfaces in android playstore app.


Screenshot_20220710_180930_vending

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I was able to see and download some new watch faces today as well. I had to select the watch face manually to make them visible on my watch.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

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Ron i have seen a huge bump on number of downloads 2000 in just 1 day starting from the time the download button reappeared yesterday as well :slight_smile:

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I didn’t need to use it for the Ballozi app but for Matteo’s app It was stuck on Installing soon.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

The best way i have found to get watchface immediately installed on watch was to switch only wifi on and bluetooth off .

This way watchfaces were immediately installed . Somehow when watch is connected to phone. The watchface get installed at time when watch is not on use and charging.

Something i noticed is when with your smartphone, access play store and go to your watch faces profile and then click to show all apps for me it will display only 3 watch faces out of 10 i have listed.

It is weird because in the past all of them were showing up but now only 3 and i have a companion app for all of them.

Happened to anyone else or have a clue why it is happening?

I can see them when i open my developer link in phone playstore app but few of them are only shown like in 1st image if i scroll left to right i see few more and when i press the arrow i see rest

but not those around 5 to 7 i saw while scrolling before touching the arrow for All Apps to see complete listing

I have some watchfaces with old companion app and some with new , all are shown except they appear with a strange behavior i have mentioned this was not present before.

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Out of curiosity, what version of play store are you running where this worked for you? I just published my first watch face, and it still has the dreaded “your device isn’t compatible with this version” covered in many very long threads on these forums I have been reading through.

It appears the issue is with the android version of the play store app, not the web version of it, so my guess is they will need to update the play store app to fix this, which may be on the backend, or may be a client update.

My phone is currently running Version 31.4.10-21 [0] [PR] 459807488. You can find it by long hold on the play store icon and choose the information button.

I also haven’t gone down the path of making a companion app yet which seems to be the only real plausible workaround for now, maybe just having the companion app published alongside the watch face is letting this work for you?

Hi Ben,

Usually if it shows you just need to click the other devices. What is the name of your App, I can see if it appears for me.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

i would like to inform you that i am using older playstore vsrsion 29 on my Note 20 Ultra and this issue was at server end from Google.

I can assure you because i have been following it since day 15 Apr it started to be fixed around 18 July. And i my same playstore now shows install on wear os devices button on every watchface that has companion app present along qith the watchface app.

You need a Companion Helper app to make it appear compatible on phone playstore app.

but link will still be visible if you will close playstore and on 2nd time the install button appears . see below my screenshot this watchface doesnt have companion app but still shows install link

when playstore app is closed and watchface opened again.

You need a companion App or you will be mostly invisible in the store for most users when using the Smartphone Play Store App. In that case i think 99% of all users will not able to find you with a classic user experience.

With the companion App …
1st: … the MONSTER RED “your device isn’t compatible with this version” message will disappear.
2nd: … the users don’t need to click the “Watch Face Filter” to find your watch faces.
3rd: … you will get registered for the latest/best watch face ranking.
4th: … your developers page is not empty anymore.

Finally. We are forced to build a “fake/empty” phone App to solve all these Play Store issues. Its so dumb. :man_facepalming: I’m just waiting for the day when we all get banned for tricking. :rofl:

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Now there seems to be problems with the Companion app. As always, I created a Companion app. By clicking on SGWatchDesign, my playstore page appears. Reason for the rejection … violated the guidelines on the subject of ‘’ ads that aren’t clearly labeled ‘’

Remove your link to portfolio page will solve that problem.

I did, let’s see if it helps

Thank you for good information.
I made the app with your help.
But when I tap it it says “item not fount”.

Can you check our file if the watchface link is wrong?
Please refer to the file link below.

Hi There :slight_smile:

The item not found will be shown if clicked when the watchface part has not been published.

it will display like my screenshot when you will click in watchface helper app

after you have published the watchface along with the helper app part and is available then it will work

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All issues have been resolved.
Thank you so much.
I wish you all good luck in your days.

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We still need to create a companion app in order for watchface to be visible at Play store?

Yes you still need companion app to make your watchface visible in Android phone Google playstore app plus to get rid of device not compatible message.

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I think it is fixed now and they are visible in the Watch category but maybe not general play store search.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

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