Apps Google 14-day Notification Email

[GameTheory]

Recently google has been sending developers a 14-day notification email. This email is asking that if your app title starts with the word "Android" that you change it.

Here's a copy of the email...

Spoiler

REASON FOR WARNING: Violation of the Android branding guidelines.

To demonstrate and achieve compliance, please perform one of the following actions within 14 days of this notice, or your app will be suspended on Google Play:

Edit the title of your app by removing "Android" as the prominent brand name. Instead, use "(title of app) for Android" as an alternative.

Here's an example:

• Incorrect: "Android MediaPlayer"
• Correct: "MediaPlayer for Android"
• Or, unpublish the listing from further availability on Google Play.

Before publishing applications, please ensure your apps' compliance with the Developer Distribution Agreement and Content Policy.

Thank for your understanding,
Google Play Developer Support

I received the email for one of my apps. My app is named after my website which hosts stuff I create for android phones. To comply I switched the title to "MyAppName for Android", but left the actual app package name as "Android MyAppName".

The email only mentions to change the "title" which is what you see in the play store, but does not say anything about changing the "app package name".

Wouldn't changing the "title" only and not the "app package name" make our apps compliant since that's all that google asked to be changed?

Any advice on this matter would be appreciated. I understand the android forums app is also being asked for a title change like many other apps.

More info here...
Will Google really ban Android Forums from the Google Play Store?

 

[scary alien]

Hey GameTheory :wavey:!

I got the very same email for one of my apps...and the title is all that I ended-up (reluctantly) changing (although I did sprinkle the little "™" trademark symbol after "Android" in the name and in my app descriptions where I referenced it just in case).

I don't think that changing the package name was the gist/intent of the email--just the title.

The title is a basically just a marketing thing and the package name is the real identify of the app. In fact, you actually can't "change" your package name of your app without basically re-uploading it as new version (you'd then have two versions of your app).

Most folks probably have no idea about an app's package name, nor do I think Google actually cares what the package name is.

Hope that helps!

 

[GameTheory]

You don't know how relieving your reply is. I've been pretty worried about this. I did not want to upload it as a new app under a different name and wasn't sure about my changing of the title only.

Thank you so much!

Cheers!