Google play wear os companion app

Any tips how to pair the API to Android devices?

I’ve received a reply from Google Play Developer Support on the above issue, plus that I cant view the rates and comments left by customer. In a nutshell, his reply is that both my device and that of my customer’s is not compatible with GooglePlay :frowning_face:

I think these are not the only two models affected. Considering more new lineup of Watches and Phones will be launched in the near future, its best Samsung and Google sit together soon.

I may be over simplifying this. I have never tried to sell a watch face on Play Store but aren’t you missing the advance Watch Face selection. As I read it, it says it isn’t compatible with your galaxy phone and of course it isn’t.

What am I missing?

Ron

Hi Ron, could you elaborate this?

Although I’m not an IT savvy person, I dont think this “unsupported” app issue is rocket science for a giant like Google Play (or Samsung). It looks more of an arrangement that non Samsung devices / apps gets priority in Google Play.

Hi Alithir,

When you submit your watch face you have to go to activate Wear OS in advanced settings or you get unavailable devices

One other thread said they got the unavailable and had to reset the Advanced Settings to get published.

It probably uses most downloads in the algorithm and the older Wear OS apps and ones that have a companion App for Android are going to have the most downloads

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

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I’ve done that for all my Watch app on Play Console > Advance Settings > Opt in Wear OS > upload screenshots on JPG and > agree to its policy.

I will receive an IRAC certification notice next day and goes Live shortly after. The Developer page works fine on PC, but blank on Phone device. My phone (Samsung S10+) is not supported. I believe there more Samsung devices that are not supported for Google Play. Hence some publishers have resorted to creating a Companion App.

Yes, this is what most publishers are doing. They create their own companion app. I dont know, maybe the Galaxy Wearable companion app needs an update to detect all those things Google mentions e.g. “android.hardware.type.watch”

I think Tony Morelan is working on a Blog that will include some help in being published on Play Store but I don’t have any timeline. I’ll probably try to publish my test version at some time so I can understand the process better. But I do understand the frustration everyone is having.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

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Great, looking forward to it. In the meantime, here’s something I stumbled upon on my Google Play Console about the “unsupported devices”. I surely don’t understand it, or the workaround for it. But trust someone in this Forum does.

Sharing correspondence between myself and Google Play Developer Support. As a non IT person I could not comprehends their explanation, maybe someone in this forum or in SDP might.

Question 1

Hi, I have published 20 Wear OS watch face apps on my Developer page, which I can view clearly and download Active apps. However, when I and other users access my page via their Android devices, its blank. Meaning no apps are visible, unbale to download or rate or leave comment (review).

I understand these are due to “unsupported device issue”. But I’m perplexed that 13,840 devices are affected - that’s almost the whole world.

I build my app’s using Watch Face Studio powered by Samsung, test it on my Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 (Wear OS) and my phone is Samsung Galaxy S10+. How can I work around to have all the 13,840 devices are supported on my Google Play Console?

Answer 1

Hi Developer,

Thanks for contacting Google Play Developer Support Team.

There can be a lot of reasons or implementation in order for your app to become unavailable for the majority of devices. Starting with your API target, it seems your app only targets API 28 as your minimum SDK in which this will prevent devices with lower SDK from installing your app. You may check this link for your guidance on how to configure your minSDK and maxSDK.

Another thing is to properly include all the required features in order to support the device, you may find which features are currently missing or need to be removed by checking the information on your device catalog, please check this link for additional details.

For more information regarding the missing features/app development questions ,I recommend using our Android Developers site.

If you have any other questions about using the Play Console, please let me know and I’ll be happy to help.

Regards,
(XXX)
Google Play Developer Support

Question 2

Hi (XXX), thank you for the feedback.

I’ve read your reply several times and would like to verify my understanding.

  1. Firstly, I am a developer of Wear OS using Watch Face Studio to build a working .aab files. Usually there are no issues with my Wear OS apps, gets passed and published on my store front (Developer page).

  2. When I access my Developer page via Windows PC, I can see all my 20 apps. However, when I access the same site with my Android device, the page is blank. I understand my Android device is amongst 13,840 devices that are not supported for Google Play.

  3. Should I understand correctly, you are saying that this is because my Wear OS was build with an API target 28+ and as such there are 13,840 Android deices out there that has yet to catchup?

  4. And therefore, I must rebuild my Wear OS app with a minimum SDK (e.g. API 21) in order for more Android devices can see my apps on my Developer Page of Play Store?

Thank you

Answer 2

Hi Developer,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, that is correct. For more guidance, you may follow the Android Wear 2.0 App Distribution documentation. Key steps are listed below:

  1. Set your APKs to minSdkVersion 23 or higher and use the runtime permissions model.

  2. Target your APKs to watches by requiring “android.hardware.type.watch”

  3. Specify whether your APKs are standalone and can run on watches paired to iPhones.

If you have any other questions about using the Play Console, please let me know and I’ll be happy to help.

Regards,

(XXX)

Google Play Developer Support

HI Alithir.

You must build Wear 2.0 (API level 28) or higher. that is what is supported on Wear OS powered by Samsung. WFS will set that minimum SDK to 28 for you as well as permissions etc in the Manifest file it creates.

Play Store is not that familiar with standalone wear OS apps. they are expect something that requires a companion app on the mobile so be sure to list it as standalone.

Try this from your computer browser open Google Play Store click on the settings Icon and look at My devices if your watch isn’t there then you’ve never logged into Play Store from your watch and it won’t show as an available device. It it shows as an available device as you should be OK. The first time you search for your app from the mobile you may have to click on other devices in order to see the watch as available.

Everything looks pretty detailed

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

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Hi Ron, thanks for the feedback.

Yes, both my phone and watch appears on Google Play web browser.

Ok, I’ll search around how to set it as “standalone”.

Now I am now curious, can you initiate the install from the PC browser?
Is there install button on the app page? I have it there for phone apps…

Yup, from Web browser all is fine. All the problem are with Android;

  1. Developer Page empty
  2. Specific app page has “incompatibility” message

Thanks

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I have read some of your questions @ALITHIR what I have observed so far in Playstore is that they don’t have anything particular like watch faces when you upload your new watch face it ask for name and in categories it give Two options only App and Games not watch face so eventually you click on App now it treat your watch face as an app not a watch face, when you do all steps and uploaded it on playstore it detect devices from your watch face manifest file which generated in .aab file what that give is it’s only for watches not phone that is the reason you dont see your watch faces on Playstore app for Android but u can see on Playstore app of your Watch. That’s why ppl create empty Android apps as well so playstore feels like its for Phone and Watch both so it shows that on both Playstore apps. About Reviews its a common practice for Playstore to remove reviews for no reason even on Android apps i used to create on Android Studio reviews used to be remove on their own specially if they are 5 stars. Reason behind this is as Playstore believe they are fake review developers bought them so it remove it on it’s own even they be real :stuck_out_tongue: I hope i have cleared some of your confusions.

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Thank you gmpanh for the explanation. Yes I understand better on why many Android devices cant access Google Play watch face Developer page - because it’s an App for Android. Hence the reason why Developers create a companion app to show their watch faces.

I respect the knowledge, skills and efforts made by these publishers who have created the Companion App. Pending Google Play fix this issue, I hope someone will help publish a guide/tutorial how to create and upload. A “Companion App For Dummies” (like me) :slight_smile:

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