hey @darylwilkes0149
in order to achive our package name structure you need to do the following:
So we can’t use this app anymore with new Google Play rules?
what are the new rules? did i miss something important?
I think it’s still usable
It has the most basic functions
However, only google knows better, unfortunatelly
Hi,
I started to think about - do I still need companion app ?
Watch faces are visible in Play Store., and the only one problem is that installing is not so obvious, because - first thing we can see its that mobile isnt compatibile with that app, but one click and there is “more devices” with install button.
Correct me please If Im wrong, but do we still need this companion apps?
What other benefits does this app offer that I haven’t thought of?
I have chosen to use a companion app because I think the installation process is still very difficult to understand for the average user. It was confusing to me until I figured out what was going on, so I make the assumption that if I had trouble understanding it, so will at least some other people in the world. The only benefit I really see in using the companion app is that I can give users a faster way to install the watch face, but that is a big benefit in my opinion.
In several of my tests trying to install watch faces from the Play Store, if I started the install from my phone, it would eventually install on my watch, but never right away, so I was left wondering if something was “broken” or didn’t work correctly. In my companion app, I provide a button to send the play store link of the watch face from the companion app directly to their watch so all they have to do is press the install button on their watch. That method always seems to install right away, so I’m happy with that result.
I have read that some people are wondering if Google is going to kill watch face companion apps soon with this recent push to get rid of “useless” apps, but I think we’ll probably be fine as long as our companion apps are providing convenience to the user and are more than just a single button on a blank screen.
I’ll get there eventually but not all of us are skilled programmers/Android Developers so as someone without a companion app currently, I feel like I am even more on the outside looking in. On top of that Google has made it super hard for faces to get noticed let alone downloaded. Having said that, does it really come down to the average user not understanding that if they see the message that says the app is not compatible with their phone, they are going to just move on? I hope not…and why can’t Google do something about this?? It should not be more than a couple of tweeks for them? I also have to say how many “average users” have cut their teeth on the unlimited number of free watch/ free face coupons that come across the various social media on a daily basis? That should be enough for the average user to figure out how to install a face properly one would think. Maybe I am just giving the “average user” too much credit?
For People to get the most out of a Smart Watch they will just have to be Quite Smart :::)))
Am I correct in understanding that I can create a Watch Face companion only after the Watch Face is published for Wear OS?
Not necceseraly. It can be created and released independently from watch face as long as it has the same package name
