Hi all, as in a few weeks it will be possible to sell application from germany I was thinking some time to keep my currently free version and offer an enhanced paid version. I only wanted to support one version of code. The idea was to have a preference setting to enable the paid options in the code. So I tried to get a secure way to set this preference. In my opinion the above shown way works, but everyone can just write a package that meets the package name of the license and install it. To get access to the private preference of the free version of the program, I will use signature based permission and a very easy content provider. These steps will lead to a full version:
1. Install the free version 2. Install the licensing application for the free version. This one needs to have the same signature as the free version. 3. When starting the paid app, it gets the simple content provider from the free app (secured with signature based permissions) and sets the flag for the license in the preferences of the free app 4. You can use the free app with all features. 5. After 24 hours the license app has to be run again to make sure it was not refunded. (can be done automatically with an intent) 6. The license app may be uninstalled to safe memory What do you think about this approach? Did I miss anything? Any huge security leaks? If this work I will publish the code for the licensing app so that every app can get the same licensing behaviour. @Google: Btw, I think the best thing would be to handle such licensing within the market, because this would be the easiest for the user. Until this is done we have to do such workarounds. Mirko On 17 Mrz., 16:56, StefanK <[email protected]> wrote: > There is probably a possibility to still keep the ratings if you leave > the app free, let it expire (or go to a limited functionality after a > several days or so). If users want to get it back to full features - > they have to buy an unlock key. The unlock key is nothing more than a > paid application that has no functionality. Your free application will > just have to check if the paid is installed and unlock itself. > > This approach (if possible) has lots of advantages: > > 1. You can keep the ratings from the free app > 2. You support only one app (not free and paid). > 3. You can give your users potentially longer trial than the 24 hours > Google allows. > 4. No need to port settings from the free to the paid one. > 5. You potentially avoid issues with crashes caused by copy protection > as you will copy protect only the paid app that has not real > functionality, > > This is a bit unconventional approach, but it may work. > > On Mar 16, 7:44 pm, Keith Wiley <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I don't *think* that's possible. Assuming the signature/package is > > tied to the market app, there is no way to convert a previously free > > app to a paid app. A brand new app must be installed instead, if I've > > understood thing so far. I think a new app must have a new package > > and an old app can't be changed from free to paid. > > > Can anyone clarify or straighten this out for us? > > > On Mar 16, 4:26 pm, sm1 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I'm not 100% sure but if my understanding of how Android Market works > > > is correct, what you may want to do is keep the same package (aka. > > > signature) for your paid app as the package that you had before, with > > > the comments and ratings, and make a *new* package for the free app., > > > and the new free app will start at zero comments and zero ratings, but > > > you could write about that in it's description, i.e., "previous > > > version had a rating of x stars." > > > > and you could verify it by posting on this forum: > > > >http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Android+Market > > > > Let us know what you find. > > > cheers, > > > good luck with your app. > > > > On Mar 16, 11:02 am, Keith Wiley <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I have had a free version of my app available for several months. > > > > With the new features I am about to release in the latest version, and > > > > with paid apps now possible, I intend to split the app into a free > > > > lite/trial version and a paid full version. I am aware that I must > > > > create a new app with a new signature for the full version b/c I can't > > > > change the current free app to a paid one. I don't mind this, but, is > > > > there any way I can transfer the thousands of feedback and ratings I > > > > have accumulated so far to the paid version even though it will have a > > > > totally new signature? > > > > > If there is no way to do this then, permit me to say, I am a little > > > > miffed. :-/ > > > > > ...but I'm holding out hope that I missed this somewhere, that's it's > > > > possible. Am I right? I'm sorry if I missed the explanation for how > > > > to do this. > > > > > Thank you very much. > > > > > Cheers! --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
