I know next to nothing on the subject, but I won't let that stop me :) If this has been sitting here for three hours with no response I might as well pipe in...
If you think the app might make some real money you might want to think about registering an account with a business name and virtual mailbox address. I didn't read the whole thread above, but that comes up early in the thread as one option.
IMO, most users will ignore it if it's not on Play store, they have never heard of side-loading or F-Droid or alternative app stores and dealing with trying to get them to install an APK or otherwise, no thank you.
Boy am I glad I published my app before the 20 tester rule came in, and am slowly moving everything to a corporation to deal with having to make an address and phone number public -- this is primarily due to Apple and EU "trader" rules.
If you plan on making any real money, I would bite the bullet and go with org/corp.
I’ve personally decided to just ignore Android all together for my app. As a solo developer that is all in on the Apple ecosystem, supporting Android just doesn’t appeal to me.
Would it be possible to port your app to WASM and support Android via a browser?
It would actually be quite easy to verify, even though there are always workarounds.
They could text or call the number you provide and give you a code that you have to enter into your developer account for verification. They could do the same with the address by sending a code via postal mail.
I doubt they’ll go to the trouble, but it would be trivial for them to verify.
Yeah, the new Google Play requirements around Personal accounts are extremely hostile to solo developers. The "simple" workaround is to start a company with a virtual address, and sign up for an Organization account. They'll still publish your company's address, but at least you won't have that ridiculous 20-tester rule.
I don't have much experience with alternative app stores - and I suspect most of your users won't have either. It's hard enough to monetise on Google Play as it is, let alone on an app store that significantly fewer users.
I know next to nothing on the subject, but I won't let that stop me :) If this has been sitting here for three hours with no response I might as well pipe in...
Reddit link discussing topic:
https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/comments/17w3pgz/google_...
If you think the app might make some real money you might want to think about registering an account with a business name and virtual mailbox address. I didn't read the whole thread above, but that comes up early in the thread as one option.
IMO, most users will ignore it if it's not on Play store, they have never heard of side-loading or F-Droid or alternative app stores and dealing with trying to get them to install an APK or otherwise, no thank you.
Boy am I glad I published my app before the 20 tester rule came in, and am slowly moving everything to a corporation to deal with having to make an address and phone number public -- this is primarily due to Apple and EU "trader" rules.
If you plan on making any real money, I would bite the bullet and go with org/corp.
I’ve personally decided to just ignore Android all together for my app. As a solo developer that is all in on the Apple ecosystem, supporting Android just doesn’t appeal to me.
Would it be possible to port your app to WASM and support Android via a browser?
Curious, how well can they verify this info, why not submit some fake address to preserve privacy?
It would actually be quite easy to verify, even though there are always workarounds.
They could text or call the number you provide and give you a code that you have to enter into your developer account for verification. They could do the same with the address by sending a code via postal mail.
I doubt they’ll go to the trouble, but it would be trivial for them to verify.
Yeah, the new Google Play requirements around Personal accounts are extremely hostile to solo developers. The "simple" workaround is to start a company with a virtual address, and sign up for an Organization account. They'll still publish your company's address, but at least you won't have that ridiculous 20-tester rule.
I don't have much experience with alternative app stores - and I suspect most of your users won't have either. It's hard enough to monetise on Google Play as it is, let alone on an app store that significantly fewer users.