PSV Requirements

PSV Submission Method

For apps published on Google Play, to help you ensure they are being distributed in as many stores as possible, we suggest that you use the PSV submission method. To do this, there are 3 aspects you need to ensure:

• Package Name
• Signature
• Vercode

Package Name

Every Android app has a unique application ID that looks like a Java package name, such as com.random.example. This ID, known as Package Name or App Package Name, uniquely identifies your app on the device and in Catappult.

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Use the same app package name as in Google Play!

Why?:

• Different packages create confusion in the app stores: What is the valid package?;
• It creates confusion in the user, that may have the same game installed two times on the device: Which one is valid/official?;
• A single package simplifies the distribution of the game distribution leading to more users.

For more information on your app package name, you can click here.

Signature

Your app’s signature is a certification method where you can prove that you can sign an APK with the same signature as the app you are trying to certify.

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When signing your APK, please use the same signature as in Google Play!

Why?:

• Android devices outside China come with Google Play Protect, an anti-malware system from Google;
• If there is a signature that is not known, a pop-up is shown by Play Protect creating fear in the user and reducing conversion;
• It is a best practice recommended by Google Play (Link) since this way Google Play Protect knows that the APK comes from the legitimate owner of the application.

The signature must match the one on the app you are trying to prove ownership of.​ For more information on how to sign your APK, click here. To see how to get your app's Google Play signature, click here.

Vercode

The vercode number is used to determine whether one version of the APK is more recent than another, with higher numbers indicating more recent versions. This is not the version number shown to users; that number is set by the versionName setting.

The Android system uses the vercode value to protect against downgrades by preventing users from installing an APK with a lower vercode than the version currently installed on their device.

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Use a higher vercode in the APK than the one on Google Play!

Why?:​

• Google Play is shipped in most of the Android-based system mobiles outside China;​
• Google Play, by default, updates automatically the applications on the Android device;​
• If the vercode is not higher, it will be silently replaced by the Google Play version;​
• Ensure that you benefit from Catappult's higher revenue share given to developers.