Android app is published, but not visible anywhere in Google Play

Question

I have tested this app on the Android emulators, phones, tablets, and Google TV. Its works. When I published it Google Play, the app is not visible. Below is the manifest

Answer 1

it might take some time to index it. Until that you might not find it in the search. It is also posible that you don't see it because it doesn't match the device you use to search for it. Or the country you're in.

Answer 2

Since you've waited a sufficient amount of time and it should appear, you can try checking your APK to see what default permissions and features your app requires using aapt:

$ aapt d badging your.apk

Make sure that what is listed for features is not filtering your device. You can mostly do this on Google Play too, but I have seen a few differences where Google Play will show that it is available for older devices, but it actually will not install.

Also, as suggested by @ricvieira, you should do a query in a web browser to see if your app shows up at all.

Answer 3

Try seraching with exact name in double quotes ""

like for eg: "ZipDrive"

Answer 4

Here is my first hand experience. I published my first app on the Google play store (GPS) on October 15th. Was pretty excited to locate on GPS. But yes the same experience, it didn't show up.

Then here is the series of events: 1. Day 1 to Day 3 When searched using double quotes "Cool Tic Tac Toe", I could see at the bottom of the search list - at the last almost after 200 items, but yes it was there which made me happy.

2. Day 4 onwards - I removed the quotes and searched by app name with the spaces i.e. Cool Tic Tac Toe, it showed up almost at the bottom. In the mobile or tablet version of Play Store app, you will see filters like "New" "4.5" or "4.0" for ratings. So when I used the filters New and 4.5 in the play store app, it started showing up almost in the first few pages.

3. Day 6-7 My app now shows up at the top (in top 10) when I put the exact app name without any quotes and without using any filters - this is very good sign. So far I have about 100 downloads (most from my friends and family and not from any real user I would imagine as no one in the world will really search my app with its full name.

I realize visitors of GPS would not know my app name, they will search with a generic key word like Tic Tac Toe and not Cool Tic Tac Toe

Day 7 onwards - today(8th day) I search my app with generic name Tic Tac Toe in GPS, it doesn't show up ANYWHERE, not even at the bottom. This is a little disappointing, but I do hope it will crawl up and start showing somewhere. HOWEVER If I add the filters "New" and "4.5" it does show up in top 25. This I think is a good sign. I will update more on this if I see any related behavior.

Hope this helps give some idea to my fellow developers who have put their first app in GPS and trying to locate it in the ocean of many millions of other apps.

Answer 5

Just try it on your browser setting the link:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yourpackagename  

even if it's not indexed in the search, if it's published you will find it, if not, somethings wrong then

Answer 6

I ran into this problem (or a similar one). I submitted my app on the internal test track and soon after, in the Google play Console, it said my app is Published and provided a link to go to Google Play Store to download the app. However, when I clicked the link, it would tell me the requested URL could not be found. I also could not find the app in the Google Play Store by searching for it.

The solution:

Apparently, I had to add myself to the testers group and more importantly - opt in. I found the opt-in link in Google play Console:

1. On the left, click "Release Management"
2. "App releases"
3. Go to the version you have uploaded and click "MANAGE".
4. Click on "Manage testers". There, you will find an opt-in URL.