Convert the android app in Google Play for Samsung Store

Question

Recently (After July 1st), I have a new app in Google play. But I came to know that from July 1st onwards Samsung is not going to accept the App which are not using the Samsung SDK.

Question

Though I do not need any special features in the Samsung SDK they forcing me to use it. I have to utilize the user base in Samsung Store. What is the easy way to make my app to be compatible with Samsung Store. Share your experience.

Can we simply use the SDK and not implement any features will work ?

Thanks in Advance ! enter image description here

enter image description here

I'm currently facing the same problem. I even re-packaged their own SPen sample app and uploaded the binary but still the sdk wasn't recognized. Have you been able to publish your app? — Nana Ghartey, Aug 10 '14 at 22:03

Nana Ghartey · Accepted Answer · 2020-03-17T21:51:24.877

After spending hours trying to resolve the problem, I finally got the solution after contacting the Samsung Engineers. They checked out my APK's content and according to them:

"Regarding your inquiry, we would like to inform you that if the following use-feature exists in the manifest file, it is considered that the application uses S Pen SDK. (uses-feature name="com.sec.feature.spen_usp" android:required="true"/) Please note that you need to change ( and ) to < and > in your manifest file. However the uses-feature does not exist in the manifest of your application, so it is considered that the application does not use the S Pen SDK."

After adding the feature to the app's manifest, the portal detected the SDK (Please See image), and I was able to publish the app. Note that I didn't include the SPen sdk jars to the app, neither did I reference any Samsung library within the app.

<uses-feature android:name="com.sec.feature.spen_usp" android:required="true"/>

EDIT: The app has been accepted but after second try. The first was rejected because under the Category section, I chose "Galaxy Specials > S Pen". They told me to change it to "Galaxy Specials > Other" since it had no S Pen functionality. So make sure you set accordingly.

enter image description here

Update 2020:

Under the Category section in "App Information" just choose "Galaxy Specials > Multi Window".

Then in your manifest add these:

    <uses-feature android:name="com.sec.feature.spen_usp" android:required="true"/>

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
       ......>
        <!-- for samsung multiwindow -->
        <uses-library
            android:name="com.sec.android.app.multiwindow"
            android:required="false" />
        <meta-data android:name="com.sec.android.support.multiwindow" android:value="true" />
        <meta-data
            android:name="com.sec.android.multiwindow.DEFAULT_SIZE_W"
            android:value="480dip" />
        <meta-data
            android:name="com.sec.android.multiwindow.DEFAULT_SIZE_H"
            android:value="800dip" />
        <meta-data
            android:name="com.sec.android.multiwindow.MINIMUM_SIZE_W"
            android:value="200dip" />
        <meta-data
            android:name="com.sec.android.multiwindow.MINIMUM_SIZE_H"
            android:value="400dip" />
        <meta-data
            android:name="com.samsung.android.sdk.multiwindow.enable"
            android:value="true" />
        <meta-data
        android:name="com.samsung.android.sdk.multiwindow.multiinstance.enable"
            android:value="true" />
        <meta-data
            android:name="android.intent.category.MULTIWINDOW_LAUNCHER"
            android:value="true" />
        <meta-data
            android:name="com.sec.android.intent.category.MULTIWINDOW_LAUNCHER"
            android:value="true" />
        <activity
            android:name=".SplashActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme"
            android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation|screenSize">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
                <!-- for samsung multiwindow -->
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.MULTIWINDOW_LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>

.....

Your app should be approved now using this approach. Thanks

Super !. Did they accept your APK and published it in store ? — iappmaker, Aug 13 '14 at 02:57
I have successfully submitted my app in Samsung store. keeping my fingers crossed for the review update. — iappmaker, Aug 13 '14 at 07:12
Will my app be acceptable in Samsung App store after downloading samsung sdk and adding uses-feature?Please check out this.. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/37030395/making-your-app-acceptable-in-samsung-app-store ? — Android Developer, May 04 '16 at 18:49
Yes it will. Samsung app store actually recommends this approach — Nana Ghartey, May 05 '16 at 07:44
@NanaGhartey So i just need to add samsung SPen sdk jar and and add the above user-feature to ensure that my app will be accepted in samsung app store..I don't need to use any feature from samsung sdk.. — Android Developer, May 05 '16 at 10:17
You don't need to add any sdk jar if you don't use its features in your app — Nana Ghartey, May 05 '16 at 12:18

Vrashabh Irde · Answer 2 · 2014-08-12T06:10:59.987

Samsung says this:

We would like to inform you that all application submitted to Samsung after July 1st are all categorized as Galaxy Special since they all developed using Samsung SDK. So, in your case, you can select the main category as “Galaxy Special” and the subcategory according to your application. And if all the subcategories do not suit your application, please kindly select “Other”.

Also, please note that you must develop the application with one or more Samsung SDK which supports Galaxy Specials

Basically there is no clear deifinition of how to use the Samsung sdk, maybe you can just add it to the dev environment, and build with it in path. More to come, will update when I find more. I'm looking into this too.

More info: http://forums.andromo.com/discussion/1202/unable-to-publish-on-samsung-store-starting-july1/p1#sthash.AB6dfsvB.dpuf

UPDATE

Well the samsung forum hasnt been helpful either, so I think the best thing to do is to go through the usage documentation and do the bare minimum for now.

http://developer.samsung.com/forum/board/thread/view.do?boardName=SDK&messageId=270685

I tried adding their SDK but did not used any feature in it and created the APK but still that APK is not uploaded. It got failed in upload step itself. May be you can update this answer when you found any suitable solution — iappmaker, Aug 10 '14 at 07:28

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 12 '16 at 05:49

@NanaGhartey has the perfect solution of this question. Hence, I want to add something more as I faced some difficulties.

First, you've to add this permission in your manifest.

<uses-feature android:name="com.sec.feature.spen_usp" android:required="true"/>

You've to check if you've implemented anything related to google play games in your application.
Amazon app store accepts debug build of apk. Amazon might have some automatic signing the application. But, in case of Samsung app store, you need to sign it yourself, with the keystore, alias, password and others things you needed to publish your application in google play store. Just sign in with the credentials you used to publish your app in google play store and then submit the application.

I submitted the debug build in the samsung app store like I did for Amazon and they generated an error that says, this is a debug build. Then I generated a release build with the google play store credentials and then submitted. It was accepted!

score -1 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 10 '14 at 11:12

-1

If you add the SDK but do not reference it, it will probably not be included in your build depending on your settings. Then it will fail the test when you upload it to Samsung.

You can force the compiler to include it through your settings, or (and more friendly to Samsung) implement a very minor SDK feature (such as checking for a Samsung camera or the Samsung App Manager). You don't even really need to do anything special or amazing, just "use" an SDK feature - and there are many.

There are many apps that are criticized for only including very minor SDK features in order to qualify and participate in the Samsung store (or so it is rumored...).

answered Aug 10 '14 at 11:12

Jim

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I even tried to put the example they have provided in my App, but it is of no use.. – iappmaker Aug 10 '14 at 12:29
I have added the spen SDK and the used the sample as given by Samsung. Now when I added it to Samsung store, it still says that there is no Samsung SDk. I have attached the screenshots to the question. – iappmaker Aug 10 '14 at 16:41

Convert the android app in Google Play for Samsung Store

Question

4 Answers4