In response to my own question and for the public record: Everybody who downloads a published (free) app still has access to the unpublished market page by opening the direct market page URL. You can still download it from scratch when the app is not there on your device and you can also update it.
It's pretty convenient, because I can still roll out updates for an unpublished app. People are apparently not notified through the Google Play app about it, but my app has its own update notification feature, so that's no big deal. On Monday, August 5, 2013 12:31:11 PM UTC-5, Nobu Games wrote: > > I wonder if this is still true, since Google Play changes the rules every > now and again. Unfortunately I cannot find any official statement on that > matter. > > My problem right now is that I participated in an AppGratis campaign and I > had to unpublish my app. However, people are still reporting bugs and I > need to roll out updates somehow without re-publishing that AppGratis app > on Google Play. Most users are not tech-savvy enough for side-loading APKs. > > So are the following assumptions correct: > > 1. User downloads published app from Google Play > 2. App is unpublished from Google Play > 3. App gets updated while still being unpublished > > A) User gets update through Google Play > B) User only gets updates as long as the originally downloaded app is > installed on the phone > C) User does not get updates / cannot install app when she decides to > uninstall or switches the Android device > > > > On Wednesday, May 2, 2012 10:18:16 AM UTC-5, MagouyaWare wrote: >> >> It is my understanding that once a user has downloaded your app they will >> ALWAYS have access to it in Google Play... Unpublishing it only affects >> users that have not already downloaded/installed the app. >> >> Thanks, >> Justin Anderson >> MagouyaWare Developer >> http://sites.google.com/site/magouyaware >> >> >> On Wed, May 2, 2012 at 4:14 AM, Marcin Orlowski <webnet....@gmail.com>wrote: >> >>> I always though unpublishing app takes it away from users so they >>> neither can install it or update. And I also thought unpublished apps are >>> simply gone from user perspective so they cannot see them in Market. But >>> now I see one of my apps is still being commented (even today) even it is >>> unpublished for couple of days What do I miss? >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Android Developers" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to android-d...@googlegroups.com >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en >> >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
