Play Store Icon - Watch face - New requirements

[amoledwatchfaces]

Hello everyone, so I’ve been lately getting some warnings for random watch faces.

Warning: Your illustrated artwork does not occupy the entire icon
Your app may face additional enforcement actions, if you do not resolve this issue by August 31, 2023 .

I’m currently using circle png images which I believe are used by majority of developers here
Example:

After reading new Wear OS app quality | App quality | Android Developers

For single watch faces, the icon must do the following:

• Accurately represent the watch face.
• Not include text or graphics that are not part of the watch face experience.

I uploaded another version and removed that ‘glare’ effect from the icon above as per instructions given.

Ok, it’s just WFS made screenshot upscaled to 512x512 (32 bit png) in Photoshop

Update was approved by Google but I received another email, this time for my previous appeal which stated:

Your app xxx
still contains eligibility issues. Please resolve this issue by August 31, 2023 or your app will be removed from Google Play.
Please resolve this issue by August 31, 2023 or your app will be removed from Google Play.

Okaay, this is starting to get serious as I don’t want to have app removed just for this silly reason.

Problem is Play Store developer support is always just some automatic response and they will never provide any meaningful info. We need some Watch face icon example!

Ok, maybe I should follow Google Play icon design specifications | Android Developers (provided in appeal response)

When creating your artwork, ensure it conforms to the following:

• Final size: 512px x 512px
• Format: 32-bit PNG
• Color space: sRGB
• Max file size: 1024KB
• Shape: Full square – Google Play dynamically handles masking. Radius will be equivalent to 20% of icon size.
• Shadow: None – Google Play dynamically handles shadows. See ‘Shadows’ section below on including shadows within your artwork.

This is where it gets confusing. Should we create watch faces icons for Play Store with some background to have ‘Full square’ shape now? Does it make any sense for a watch face app? (They are clearly not applying any round masking as of now)

We have like two months to solve this because we need to update our entire portfolio icons.

Feel free to post here with your findings. Any help is appreciated.

Last note: Maybe someone from Samsung Dev Forum team can reach to Google and ask them for clear example of a watch face Icon which can be used after 31 Aug? That would be great

[r.liechty_SDR]

Change your description to Not Suitable for Rectangular Watches or something like that.

@KocaTurk has something similar. But I bet is the same solution.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

[amoledwatchfaces]

Hi Ron, second Icon was approved. Problem is that the warning is still there. I was thinking it will disappear after watch face approval.

Now it looks like warning will stay there till 31 Aug.

Hard to say if it’s the same issue but I’ll try adding that line to the play listing description.

Edit: more info

Your app’s Play Store listing provided a non-valid Wear OS screenshot aspect such as 1:1 for circular and square screenshots, and 4:5 for rectangular screenshots

Hi. But did you receive it just like that, for a random app? Or you were updating one of the apps and it was part of the rejection? Did you see deadline 31 Aug? This warning stays there even after watch face approval, that’s why I think it’s something different. [Screenshot_20230623-054913]

Your app’s Play Store listing provided a non-valid Wear OS screenshot aspect such as 1:1 for circular and square screenshots, and 4:5 for rectangular screenshots

Yes, I checked now. TRUE. We will need to carefully review any new policy changes.

Tomas

[matze_styles4you]

So i guess we should remove logos too.

PS: Its funny that we have to take care that tiny details (shiny effect) but copy infringement stuff is fine

[amoledwatchfaces]

Yeah, it will be most probably necessary to remove the logos, that is clear, maybe also all tiny details (orange dots, shiny edges etc.)

The question is, should we make Icons without transparent background? (Shape: Full square)

I still don’t understand why every watch face has to have an icon without any graphic modifications. Applications have it easier, since the icon decides everything there. This should certainly not apply to the watch faces.

Anyway, we need a clear example of the Play Store watch face icon. I don’t want to see Google start mass taking apps from the store just because the uploaded icon is a circle instead of a square (so far they haven’t minded)

[amoledwatchfaces]

This is funny too:

When you submit an appeal, you will get a reply from ‘Android Wear’ team member

[enkei_design]

Yeah, looks like logos in icons need to go.

I got a warning message from Google Play Support couple days ago on one of my oldest watch faces. Message was very similar to yours, only this one said “Your app icon contains texts or graphics that are not part of the app experience.” and that it will be removed from Play Store unless this is corrected by September 12.

All of my watch face icons have a small brand logo in one corner, similar to most of watch face devs in Play Store, so it looks like they all need to be changed now.

I tried arguing that an unobtrusive brand logo shouldn’t be considered a “graphic that’s not part of the experience” since it doesn’t cover the watch face itself, and it’s the only way how we can differentiate our watch faces in the store + create some brand recognition.

I also asked if they can confirm if it’s specifically the brand logo that’s causing this issue, which was pointless of course, as the response was:

“Thanks again for contacting Google Play TV Team.”

• off to a great start, Google

“As much as I’d like to help, I’m not able to provide any more details or a better answer to your question. In our previous email, I made sure to include all the information available to me.”

• all this information was literally:
  “App Icon image is required to be the accurate representation of the watch face. App should not include text or graphics that are not part of the watch face experience.”

Long story short - They don’t care, and we need to remove everything from our app icons by September 12, apparently.

[adrianrogalski]

Hi,
I dont know if it’s the same but I got same problem too.
In my opinion Google Play has a little bit right - if reality is what I think.

I always made icons looks like:

Then I’ve tried to add my logo to icon:

and I recieved:
“Your app icon contains texts or graphics that are not part of the app experience. ”

and they are right - this icon dosn’t represent how my watch face looks like - because Ive add just logo.

So I’ve tried this one - like many devs:

So here we got part of watch with watch face - but logo placment suggests that is NOT part of watch face - because its placed over watch itself and watch face.

I changed all my icons in that way, and never get warning or any problems. Hope that I never get

Anyway, be sure that your screenshot of watch face didnt has any additional graphics that suggests customers they are part of watch face - light glares, fake glass etc…

And yes, Im really tired of all problems with Google Play… We develop small apps, but in large quantities.

Cheers!

[Matteo_Dini]

I have pretty much all icons like your last one with watch + logo and I’m getting those warning messages.

I sent simple screenshots upscaled to 512px, without logos or anything, but I always get the same message.

Google isn’t yet clear on how it actually wants icons.

[adrianrogalski]

I see, so final conclusion is that they want to change something, but they still dont know what… why Im not surprised ?

[r.liechty_SDR]

@Matteo_Dini

I have pretty much all icons like your last one with watch + logo and I’m getting those warning messages.

I believe this is the same as Galaxy Store except we allow a message to the review team saying what you added. It is because the image comparing tools don’t work correctly when the icon is partially covered.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

[Matteo_Dini]

@r.liechty_SDR

I believe this is the same as Galaxy Store except we allow a message to the review team saying what you added. It is because the image comparing tools don’t work correctly when the icon is partially covered.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

We hope to get more instructions on this side from Google… Again, we are going to trial and error… Seller Portal was another world…

Thanks!

[r.liechty_SDR]

@amoledwatchfaces

Hello everyone, so I’ve been lately getting some warnings for random watch faces.

By the Way The Publish requirements regarding mentioning Wear OS, no additional graphics on the Icon and such are listed HERE

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

[Matteo_Dini]

@adrianrogalski

I see, so final conclusion is that they want to change something, but they still dont know what… why Im not surprised ?

I hope that in a few months they will tell us that we were part of a candid camera…

[amoledwatchfaces]

@amoledwatchfaces

After reading new Wear OS app quality | App quality | Android Developers

Hi Ron, I mentioned it in my original post.

[adrianrogalski]

I’m afraid that we’re more likely to hear that it’s an experiment testing the limits of nerve endurance among the creators of watch face…

[amoledwatchfaces]

So I changed my watch face Icon back to this one

And after like 4 hours here is the result:

Either they are just testing something or I don’t know. It is the same icon that was previously rated as bad.

Edit: looks like there are two warnings connected to Icons:

1. Your illustrated artwork does not occupy the entire icon
2. Your app icon contains texts or graphics that are not part of the app experience.

I only received first of these two with that ‘slightly enhanced’ Icon.

[r.liechty_SDR]

@amoledwatchfaces

I only received first of these two with that ‘slightly enhanced’ Icon.

I don’t work for the Play Store but my thought is they are using an image search to look for IP infringement and that is why the icon can not have any differences.

In case anyone was not aware there is an International IP site where you can register your designs but I got lost in it.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

[amoledwatchfaces]

@r.liechty_SDR

I don’t work for the Play Store but my thought is they are using an image search to look for IP infringement and that is why the icon can not have any differences.

May be, but I’m not so sure when I see watch faces with names like Nike, ROLEX, Breitling etc. being published without any issues, even protected logos are used.

[Matteo_Dini]

Their messages and explanations are quite difficult for the watch face icons to understand.

Here are just examples of app icons and not watch faces icons:

(Google Play icon design specifications  |  Android Developers)

Before driving us crazy also from this side, it would be nice if they could make a CLEAR example in their pages with watch face icons.

I too am getting warnings about icons that DO NOT have logos or anything and others that HAVE logos.