I need to identify certain builds of my app permanently. The reason is, 
that these will be pre-installed in certain devices and they need some 
different tracking parameters.

I don't want to create a new app for this - the app has to be the same as 
the "normal" one, which can be downloaded from Google Play.

Before any app update, the solution is clear - just create 2 different 
builds, with same package name and signature, one goes directly to be 
preinstalled on the devices and other to Google Play.

But the preinstalled apps have to receive updates, and AFAIK, all 
differences will be overwritten.

Possible solutions which come to my mind:

   - 
   
   Pre-installed build saves a preference. Problem: the user can clear the 
   preferences at any moment. This has to be reliable.
   - 
   
   Server side identification. Problem: the app doesn't require user login 
   to be used - so there would be only left the IMEI, which has to be sent to 
   the server the first time to say "I'm preinstalled", but this would need 
   server changes, which are unwanted + not sure about legal implications of 
   sending IMEI (maybe a hash - but still, this isn't nice).
   - Identify the app through the place it's stored. But I don't know where 
   people will store these pre installed apps. I assume they go in the same 
   place as normal apps. They are not system apps / firmware. So I guess this 
   is also not a possibility.



   -  Different settings in the manifest: The whole manifest, as well as 
   the code, seems to be overwritten on updates, so I guess this is also not a 
   possibility.


Is there any other way to identify my installation subset. Maybe I'm 
missing something very basic. Or what do you advice, generally?

Thanks in advance.

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