GOOD:
Enable wear os release -----> Review by tester ------> Review OK [CHECK OK] ------> DEVICES SUPPORTED (ALL OK)
ISSUE
Enable wear os release (ACTIVE) -----> No review by tester -----> Review OK [NO CHECK] ------> DEVICES SUPPORTED + [NO CHECK] = not visible in play store.
Previously it was “DEVICES NOT SUPPORTED” because there was [NO CHECK] for review. After @r.liechty_SDR contacted them they made a new cosmetic fix ---->
ACTIVE will immediately make “DEVICES SUPPORTED”
[CHECK OK] is still missing ! that’s why release is not visible on play store even with ACTIVE + DEVICES SUPPORTED.
In my opinion, Google took the fix from the wrong side, instead of fixing the error at the beginning (ACTIVE / IN REVIEW) and thus allowing testers to verify the application, they only fixed the consequence of this error at the end of the string so the application appears fine, but it lacks real verification by the tester, so it is not visible on the play store.
Let’s see how many Samsung Developers are currently not able to fully publish their watch faces apps due to Play Console - Wear OS release type instant “ACTIVE” issue.
I’ve also recently joined the club, unfortunately.
Posted a watch face last week, opted-in to Wear OS and the Wear OS status immediately changed to “Active”, with all devices showing as “Supported” immediately - no review process whatsoever. It’s been over a week now, and the watch face still can’t be found in the Play Store mobile app at all.
I’ve contacted Google support but they don’t seem to fully understand the issue, and keep trying to force simple “cookie-cutter” solutions which don’t work or don’t apply to this unusual issue at all.
@r.liechty_SDR you seem to have been able to get in touch with someone from Google who actually made a small change, but they applied only a “cosmetic” fix to the supported device status, which didn’t really help solve anything.
The issue seems to be in the Play Console when opting-in to Wear OS, specifically the process that should automatically send an app to the review team. Instead, it seems like it just automatically marks the app as “Active”, without sending the app for actual review, resulting in “approved” (but non-reviewed, therefore non-approved) apps which are invisible in the store…
Can you contact them again with this new info from the forum, perhaps it could help?
More and more devs are getting affected by this every day. It’s not some small irrelevant bug, we’re literally unable to post new apps properly. It should be a high-priority fix for Google.
It’s a really absurd problem.
Google’s response to this problem is also absurd.
Google doesn’t respect all app developers.
not proactive in problem solving
They give the developer a warning with their own nonsensical judgment.
Well if this is anything to go by we should be able to offer play store apps some time around Oct 2022
Google I/O '22 From what I understand, Google will officially be announcing the Pixel 6a + “teasing” the Pixel Watch. Pixel 6a launch (in most markets) pushed to July 28th. Pixel Watch will be formally announced and launched with Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in October.
In summary, in order not to create too much confusion, with the new “bug” of Play Console - the end user is not able to:
Purchase and / or search the watch face from Play Store app on the phone.
It can only do this from a web browser on a PC or on the watch’s Play Store app.
This means losing most of the visibility and not being able to promote Watch Faces created with Watch Face Studio.
Samsung’s WFS Team has done a very respectful job with WFS to promote the new GW4s as well and, personally, I will never stop thanking them … Google is totally giving a damn, in all respects.
Yes, this way its possible, but before it was debatable to use an empty application that had to be paid for, at least then a drop-down was displayed.
Now the user would really only know to buy an empty mobile app and then will be forced to manually search for the same app on the watch. I don’t know if a lot of people would start reporting this to circumvent the Google Play principles (inappropriate content)
I also think that our apps will not be easily searchable in the store - they will be found only when writing the full name. No natural search will work as it will be a purely mobile app (user searching for “watch face” will not find it, selecting “watch” filter wont show him this app.
And the last problem. New apps are not easily found on Play Store (Watch). Google search algorithm needs some time & downloads to settle.
I regret the good old days on the Galaxy Store. Too bad Samsung left us on this odyssey. I get a lot of feedback from users who would like to go back to two years ago when there was no Wear OS and Play Store.
I have noticed that even the old apps on the Play Store cannot be downloaded using the mobile app. The dropdown to select the device is now gone. Also, the app does not transfer itself to the watch anymore…
So basically there is no way for a user to download any watch faces from the play store using the mobile app…this is quite bad!
The drop down menu is still there in my Google Play Store app.
I typed the name of my watch face, then search results appear. Then on top left I saw the drop down menu to choose phone or watch. My watch face was there.
I think everyone will have this bug on the Play Console sooner or later. At this rate, even WFS will become useless if you can’t release watch faces on Play Store.
Correct, I am developing apps with Android Studio and I can confirm it’s unrelated to WFS.
Anyway, I had enough and stopped developing the watch for more than a month and I became available to work on other platforms that allow me to develop quality software and express my creativity instead of constantly dealing with problems that I have no control over and I am much happier as a result.
I am not saying this in a “passive-aggressive” manner - it’s just a fact (nobody is listening anyway and I consider dear Ron one of our own) and I’m really sorry for those whose well-being is dependent on it, Mainly because I recognize here really talented developers - have purchased watch faces from many of you here, but since the EVA8 firmware update my GW4 been lying in a drawer and I am using my old Tizen watch because I need a watch that will show the correct time (just absurd).
I will return to develop for the watch only when the corporations solve all the problems, it’s a shame because I enjoyed developing software for the watch, I think Wear Os has great potential, especially in terms of syncing in front of the phone and rich API`s, and I say this after knowing Tizen in-depth, and it was also an operating system with potential. When they announced that Samsung’s watch is returning to Wear Os I thought to myself it was a great business decision, but now I think Samsung made a mistake and it will only lose as a result, as it has no control over Google’s procedures and they are also going to release a new watch that probably will be promoted at the expense of GW, not to mention the fact that Samsung also made profits on the Galaxy Store (I guess relative to other business worlds it’s a small profit but it’s still a profit)…Currently, I have 3 apps that I keep in “open testing” status in Google Play because there is no point in publishing them and getting negative feedback as a result of not being able to download the watch version and/or ambient mode not working as expected.
I honestly hope for everyone here that things will work out in the near future and it will be possible to engage in development and creation instead of all this nonsense that is constantly popping up.
Same problem here. I will stop developing Watch Faces for Google for now. Google is constantly asking us developers for new things (data protection, query all packages videos, image formats, quality guidelines, etc.). However, Google itself does not manage to create a good, clear and functioning platform with Samsung. I think Samsung should do something about this as well. But even Samsung doesn’t seem to be able to do a decent job after 8 months. (By the way: Greetings to the review team at Samsung, who have now rejected me as a developer for the 4th or 5th time without any reason). You are semi-professional.
From what I understand, Google will officially be announcing the Pixel 6a + “teasing” the Pixel Watch. Pixel 6a launch (in most markets) pushed to July 28th. Pixel Watch will be formally announced and launched with Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in October.
