Concern about Google Play APK Expansion Files

Solar2D Android
#21

Thanks for your response Brent, I’ll try to gather more information about this.

#22

Hi, I just finished building my Android App and when I tried to upload the .apk to Google Play I received an error message saying I needed expansion files. How do I create the expansion file? 

#23

Hi @ameka.ali,

Please check out the appropriate sections of the following guides:

  1. http://docs.coronalabs.com/guide/distribution/buildSettings/index.html#expansion-files

2) http://docs.coronalabs.com/guide/basics/configSettings/index.html#licensing

Hope this helps,

Brent

#24

Thank you, that seemed to work. It created a .apk and an .obb file. But, now I’m getting an error message saying I build with the signature key, “debug” and it needs to be “release”. I didn’t get any other options in the drop down before I build other than “debug”.

Keystore: debug

Key Alias: androddebugkey"

How do I change the signature key?

#25

Hi @ameka.ali,

OK, the next step is to generate your own private release keystore. Please refer to the following guide under “Signing for Release Build” for instructions:

http://docs.coronalabs.com/guide/distribution/androidBuild/index.html

Take care,

Brent

#26

Thanks Brent. I have generated my release key. 

I found this tutorial on the forum that was useful to generate the release key too:

http://coronalabs.com/blog/2014/08/26/tutorial-understanding-android-app-signing/

#27

Hello Brent:

  I think I have the same problem like @george.faraj

 My APK is 11.4 MB and the OBB is 72.5 MB. This is my build version 23 using CORONA 2511. In my build before 23, I build the APK with older version of CORONA SDK. I think the APK expansion is working file. But for this build version 23 using CORONA 2511, Google play said my download size is 140MB. Will that be a mistake by Google or by Corona Build 2511? Can you check this for us. My customer was complain about the double size of my app.

Bob

#28

Actually, bobyeh.1390, I don’t think that’s the same issue I was having. My app shows with the correct size in Google Play. It was in my phone’s Application Manager that I saw the wrong size.

I’ve actually tested this further and I haven’t been able to reproduce it. It might have just been a really rare case.

What you’re experiencing seems to me like you’re probably setting up your APK with 2 expansion files, instead of just the one. There’s the “main” expansion and then there’s the “patch” expansion. Ensure that you’re always uploading your expansion file as the “main” expansion. The main expansion file will default to the last expansion file you uploaded, if you don’t change it.

There’s an easy way to check whether this was the issue. If you go to your application in the Google Play Developer Console and go to the APK tab, click on the build version that has the wrong size. Look under “Expansion files” in the popup window. If that lists 2 files then that’s your issue. Upload a new APK and upload the expansion file in the right slot and you should be good to go.

Hope that helps,

George

#29

Hi, george.faraj:

 Thank you for your response. You are right, my mistake.

 Sorry, Brent.

Bob