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I have app development company to build my app, and recently when we published the app I noticed the Package name is "com.developers_company.myapp_name"

How important is it to change this to "com.myapp_name"? And should I insist on this or keep it as it is if it has no effect on me in the future?

Also, if a change is to be made, how much time would it require

App includes: web view, payment gateways, login (Facebook,twitter, Google) etc etc

Hanzala
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Abdulla Alradhi
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4 Answers4

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recently when we published the app I noticed the bundle ID is "com.developers_company.myapp_name"

[...]

How important is it to change this to "com.myapp_name"?

package Id (bundle Id is name used on iOS) does not really matter except for the moments you see it like in the case of play store links. Yet, the only thing that technically matters is to make it unique among all published apps (which it is the case, otherwise you would not be able to publish).

However, as you already have app published, you are not able to change your package Id. It's already sealed. Forget it. The only thing you can do if you insist of having different package it is to withdraw current app from the store and publish the new one (even if the only thing that differs is the package Id). So if you want to do that and your user base is yet tiny, better hurry up.

Marcin Orlowski
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According to the App Marketing Podcast episode, App Store Optimization for Google Play: Top 10 Factors, the package name is an important factor for App Store Optimization (ASO).

This Medium URL / Package as a Search Ranking Factor in Google Play Store [ASO — App Store Optimization] reiterates this too.

I'm assessing whether it is worth uploading a new instance of my beta app with < 50 users in order to change the package name to include important keywords.

AdamHurwitz
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It shouldn't matter. In case you still wish to change, you have to unpublish your app and publish it as a new app. This is because Google identifies your app through you bundle ID, or package name as it is called. So you cannot repeat 2 package names.

Sanath Kashyap
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Sanath Kashyap has a good point, let me get into stuff he did not mention.

How important to have the right bundle ID: not that important. What is, is that you have the Keystore credentials that are used to create the App. If you are going or planning to use an other company to create your App, it probably is a good idea to remove the "developers_company" from the ID.

To make this change is not that much work. Probably under an hour depending on how much code is in there. Needs to create new App with ID, then port / copy all stuff over.

The way to get an App into the store is this:

  1. Create App
  2. Create Singed APK, you need a KeyStore for this. And keep this KeyStore, because with this you have access to create an Singed APK, Google uses this to check if you are the lawful owner of that App! Also used for updates. Other KeyStore / App name combo means a different app for Google Play Store.
  3. Upload App to Play Store / other store. Google uses Developer Account credentials for this.

tldr: You need the code / project, KeyStore and Google Developer Account to have / keep full owner ship of you App.

Community
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Flummox - don't be evil SE
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  • Thank you so much, would you please help me understand what Keystore credentials are? The app is submitted under my Google Developer account by the 3rd party, does that give me full access to keystore credentials? – Abdulla Alradhi Nov 13 '16 at 06:10