From a cursory glance, their apps seem to be of the kind that don't need continuous updates and can be considered complete. Self-contained, offline software that serves a specific purpose: https://search.f-droid.org/?q=SECUSO&lang=en
Unfortunately, Google no longer recognizes this as a valid development strategy. If you want to publish on Google Play, you need to continuously release updates targeting an SDK released within the past year[0]. If you don't, they will send you constant warnings about how your app is violating their policies, they might derank your app, and eventually they'll stop making your app available to new users.
Updating the SDK is not that simple and it often introduces new bugs if you don't read through the full changelog and test thoroughly. I have 3 apps and it already feels like I spend too much time each year updating SDK, I can't imagine updating 30.
They talk about how this somehow improves security and enhances user experience, meanwhile this policy worsens user experience by pushing people towards ad-filled apps that have the resources and courage to release needless updates, and they still publish spyware on their store.
At this point, I've also basically abandoned my Google Play apps. I simply cannot afford the time to keep them up to date for no good purpose.
And it's absurd. They were a perfectly sustainable “business” with a single unobtrusive banner ad (no tracking, no permissions aside from internet), that was more than enough to cover server costs indefinitely, for around a million monthly active users. The ad free versions costed $2 but was actually less financially attractive to me (I only created it to give the 1% of users that said they wanted it the option).
They are replaced by apps with full screen ads, trackers and subscriptions.
xorcist
SECUSO is a shining beacon in the Android app space! Thank you for all your work.
One wishes smartphones was less of a moving target so that the maintenance burden was reasonable. Recompiling all your Windows software every year would seem beyond silly, but here we are.
show comments
muth02446
I am in a similar situation and my solution was to switch to PWAs.
I translated the apps from Java to Dart and rolled my own UI with straight forward HTML.
My apps do not use notifications which seems to be an issue with PWAs.
A real downside for me is the lack of a simple i18n story and
I will likely roll my own.
On the plus side:
* PWAs can be easily packaged into an APK using:
https://www.pwabuilder.com/
* my apps can now be used on IOs and regular web browsers
dotdev
Same thing happened to all my apps. 10 years of games removed due to policy updates that I just couldnt rebuild quickly. Ended up hosting the APKs on my site. Self contained, no third party services but still failed checks.
Google has become more structured and strict in their mobile dev program but still much easier go cope with than Apple when exception handling is required. Apple fails in many fronts in these matters.
_pdp_
On a somewhat related note, I am the founder of a company that relies on integrations with 3rd-party systems. Good luck building for Google, Shopify, Slack, etc without going though absurd number of requirements and sacrificing hard earned revenue just so that your own customers, the one you have managed to acquire yourself (not acquired through the market places of the said channels) can use your product on these platforms.
As a result, we've opted not to list our product on marketplaces in general. Instead, we support custom integrations directly with our customers.
I've also been burned in the past by Apple, Chrome, and Mozilla.
I understand that all of these companies run business and I understand that there are legitimate security and privacy concerns (I used to lead security teams, so this issue is close to my heart), but even so, these platforms often fall short of being truly developer-friendly, especially toward legitimate builders trying to create value - especially when this value is created outside of the said marketplaces.
amelius
What is the partial derivative symbol doing in their email address (last line of the page)?
show comments
suddenexample
I don't particularly agree with Epic's victory in the Google/Epic case, but the one thing I hope it accomplishes is to convince those in charge of the Play Store that it's finally time to have developer-friendly policies (otherwise someone else will). Play Store policies constantly virtue signal about security and privacy while continually making it harder for developers to release high quality apps.
Animats
I get apps only from F-Droid, so this is fine.
brnt
These apps are great. They do exactly what it says on the tin. Pity to hear this, now people will have an even harder time getting nonshit bloatware from the Play store.
liendolucas
Good. Developers should follow suit. Each day I blame myself for having got into what the industry has become: a digital sisyphean nightmare. Either update or die.
show comments
p3rls
Meanwhile every ad my elderly family members get while playing some dipshit game on android is a literal scam and has been for ten fucking years...
From a cursory glance, their apps seem to be of the kind that don't need continuous updates and can be considered complete. Self-contained, offline software that serves a specific purpose: https://search.f-droid.org/?q=SECUSO&lang=en
Unfortunately, Google no longer recognizes this as a valid development strategy. If you want to publish on Google Play, you need to continuously release updates targeting an SDK released within the past year[0]. If you don't, they will send you constant warnings about how your app is violating their policies, they might derank your app, and eventually they'll stop making your app available to new users.
Updating the SDK is not that simple and it often introduces new bugs if you don't read through the full changelog and test thoroughly. I have 3 apps and it already feels like I spend too much time each year updating SDK, I can't imagine updating 30.
They talk about how this somehow improves security and enhances user experience, meanwhile this policy worsens user experience by pushing people towards ad-filled apps that have the resources and courage to release needless updates, and they still publish spyware on their store.
[0] https://developer.android.com/google/play/requirements/targe...
At this point, I've also basically abandoned my Google Play apps. I simply cannot afford the time to keep them up to date for no good purpose.
And it's absurd. They were a perfectly sustainable “business” with a single unobtrusive banner ad (no tracking, no permissions aside from internet), that was more than enough to cover server costs indefinitely, for around a million monthly active users. The ad free versions costed $2 but was actually less financially attractive to me (I only created it to give the 1% of users that said they wanted it the option).
They are replaced by apps with full screen ads, trackers and subscriptions.
SECUSO is a shining beacon in the Android app space! Thank you for all your work.
One wishes smartphones was less of a moving target so that the maintenance burden was reasonable. Recompiling all your Windows software every year would seem beyond silly, but here we are.
I am in a similar situation and my solution was to switch to PWAs. I translated the apps from Java to Dart and rolled my own UI with straight forward HTML.
My apps do not use notifications which seems to be an issue with PWAs. A real downside for me is the lack of a simple i18n story and I will likely roll my own.
On the plus side: * PWAs can be easily packaged into an APK using: https://www.pwabuilder.com/ * my apps can now be used on IOs and regular web browsers
Same thing happened to all my apps. 10 years of games removed due to policy updates that I just couldnt rebuild quickly. Ended up hosting the APKs on my site. Self contained, no third party services but still failed checks.
For context, something similar happened to an iOS game: https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/15/developer-angry-t...
Google has become more structured and strict in their mobile dev program but still much easier go cope with than Apple when exception handling is required. Apple fails in many fronts in these matters.
On a somewhat related note, I am the founder of a company that relies on integrations with 3rd-party systems. Good luck building for Google, Shopify, Slack, etc without going though absurd number of requirements and sacrificing hard earned revenue just so that your own customers, the one you have managed to acquire yourself (not acquired through the market places of the said channels) can use your product on these platforms.
As a result, we've opted not to list our product on marketplaces in general. Instead, we support custom integrations directly with our customers.
I've also been burned in the past by Apple, Chrome, and Mozilla.
I understand that all of these companies run business and I understand that there are legitimate security and privacy concerns (I used to lead security teams, so this issue is close to my heart), but even so, these platforms often fall short of being truly developer-friendly, especially toward legitimate builders trying to create value - especially when this value is created outside of the said marketplaces.
What is the partial derivative symbol doing in their email address (last line of the page)?
I don't particularly agree with Epic's victory in the Google/Epic case, but the one thing I hope it accomplishes is to convince those in charge of the Play Store that it's finally time to have developer-friendly policies (otherwise someone else will). Play Store policies constantly virtue signal about security and privacy while continually making it harder for developers to release high quality apps.
I get apps only from F-Droid, so this is fine.
These apps are great. They do exactly what it says on the tin. Pity to hear this, now people will have an even harder time getting nonshit bloatware from the Play store.
Good. Developers should follow suit. Each day I blame myself for having got into what the industry has become: a digital sisyphean nightmare. Either update or die.
Meanwhile every ad my elderly family members get while playing some dipshit game on android is a literal scam and has been for ten fucking years...
"Malware detected" yeah I know where, too.
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