Push Adguard to Amazon App Store

[ameshkov]

Important things to take into account:

1. Application update - amazon build shouldn't download&apply our apk when update is available
2. We should implement subscriptions within amazon app store.

[TPS]

If you all could push the Beta separately (failing a Play-style testing opt-in) & then keep each religiously updated, that'd be appreciated. ☺

[ameshkov]

Do you mean push it simply as separate app?
I am not sure if it's allowed by amazon.

[ameshkov]

@Revertron has told me that Amazon has pretty similar beta versions feature as Play has. So I guess we can push it there.

[TPS]

It does? This is news to me, as I've never known it to be used! Amazing! So, then, just 1 app listing, with a beta optin for whoever wants it, should suffice.

[TPS]

From #22 (comment)

We cannot push the app to amazon until we integrate with their in-app subscriptions.

Ick, then a separate build than the official website 1? Or just 1 unified 1? I'm starting to feel sorry for thinking this would be a good thing! 😦

[ameshkov]

Yep, it will be a separate build, it cannot be unified. We have already done it once for Google Play.

Anyway, we've almost finished with this task:)

[ameshkov]

@Revertron, error still happens in non-amazon build:

Error connecting to subscription service: java.lang.NullPointerException

[ameshkov]

I've added null check there but not sure if it's right

[ameshkov]

@TPS we've pushed Adguard's beta to amazon app store. If you want to get beta releases we'll need your email.

[TPS]

@ameshkov I've sent a note to @Revertron's e-mail for an unrelated issue, so he, being braver than you or I to post his contact info on GitHub, has my address. ;) & thanks!

Also, is it listed beta only? I see no listing yet.…

[Revertron]

@TPS I've taken your address from support ticket ;) Sent an invitation.

[TPS]

Oh, yeah, that works, too.… ☺

For the sake of the beta testing I've been doing on what will end up as 3 to 4 tickets simultaneously, which beta build is preferred? Direct download or Amazon (as I expect I can't run these in parallel)?

Also, a few odd notes re: that invite itself that you all may not realize:

1. The invite isn't tied to the e-mail address you sent it to, but to the link sent along, which was good in my case, as my Amazon account is slightly different than to what I use with you all for e-mail routing. 😉
2. That link isn't accessible under mobile (only under desktop mode!) — counter-intuitive for an Android app.
3. Since every time you all have a new beta release, you must reissue the test invites, current beta testers must repurchase the app (counterinuitively ;) from that link, even though there's a banner across the top saying, "You puchased this app on" the date 1 last purchased.
4. 24 hours after step 3, Amazon will send 1 a notice that there's an update available — though 1 has probably already updated!
5. a. If there's an update on both the release & the test that are each a newer version than what is installed, Appstore will happily notify & attempt update on each separately, but will install first downloaded update over current installation, then attempt next over the just-installed update. That should work fine (version for release should always be ≤ test), but…

b. Be aware Appstore keeps licensing for each separate — test license doesn't work for release & vice versa — so only manually update version wanted! Don't "Update all" to keep license active.

Now, I agree, none of those are your folks' issues, but, as you expand beta-testing, you should definitely know these!

[Revertron]

@TPS in fact all we need from amazon testing is the subscription and HD icon for the launcher.
You can test subscription by resetting license on you Fire and trying to purchase it from Amazon. Because you are a Tester Amazon will not charge money for such trial.

If the subscription and HD icon are okay - we are going to publish the "normal" apk to Amazon and consider this task done :)

[TPS]

@Revertron I don't own a Fire, but use Amazon Appstore for my general Android device apps, along with GPlay & F-droid, but my only paid apps are via Amazon. Icon looks just fine to me, though.

I went as far as hitting subscription option via Amazon, but aborted out before it could charge the $1.50 monthly. It sure looked like it wanted to charge, so I don't understand

Because you are a Tester Amazon will not charge money for such trial

Also, I thought there was a $9.95 yearly subscription, but I couldn't find that option.…

[Revertron]

@TPS the Fire has it's own launcher with app icons like 512x512 on a main screen. Clearly you can not test it :)

About charging $1.5 - they state that it will look like normal subscription, but without real charging.

About annual subscription - we didn't enable it for now, may be we will enable it in future.

[TPS]

@Revertron Yep, worked as mentioned. ☺ Installed Amazon version on my ARM phone: VPN with premium works fine, & not charged for test subscription. Looks good!

Now we need someone with a Fire device (preferably a tablet, as Amazon discontinued the phone last week).

@Revertron Could you drop the latest build into Amazon? Is it this?

[ameshkov]

Let's test subscription purchase one more time and close this issue.

[TPS]

My subscription that I "purchased" is still active until Oct 15th, so I can't 'til then, I think.

[TPS]

Another thing I just noticed: In the app, on the "Manage License" page, there's a note about sharing this single license across all Amazon-installed versions? If true, can it somehow also be shared across non-Amazon-installed versions (perhaps by putting licensing info in online AG account or some such)? That would make that $1.50 a month an awesome deal! If this isn't what's meant, then maybe reword that?

[ameshkov]

As I understand you need an amazon underground app for this to work properly. And if you already have an amazon underground app then why not installing amazon version of Adguard?:)

[TPS]

AFAIK, Amazon Underground apps have premium features enabled for users at no additional charge, &, @ this point in time, no charge @ all! (I've no understanding of Amazon's explanation of how anyone gets paid — any1 smarter than me is welcome to try if they promise to use words of ≤ 3 syllables. ;) Also, I'll let you all file the bug to explore enrolling AG in this, as more direct competition to AB+.

I'm not talking about this @ all re: AG! I just wanted a bit of clarification of the "Manage License" page on the Amazon build. ☺ & perhaps #93 has some relation to this, also.

[ameshkov]

Finally, it is available:
http://www.amazon.com/Performix-Adguard-for-Android/dp/B0158CTKR8

[TPS]

@ameshkov @Revertron A few notes:

1. I had to purchase from the above link (again), but this is a separate app link than the test at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0158CTQ2C/ apparently, though 1 updates the other.
2. The internal updater still wants to update to 2.1.177, which doesn't (yet?) exist on Amazon.
3. Updating to .176 (which does exist) immediately invalidated my testing license, which is fine, but…
4. There's no mention of the yearly subscription (yet?), which is what I was hoping to enroll.

Should I file separate bugs for 2 & 4? Or should just exist as a kind of tracking bug?

[Revertron]

@TPS The problem is that between builds of amazon and our website version the filters were updated and our build system incremented version.
I submitted the build with new (177) version to amazon, it will resolve the issue.

There is no yearly subscription now.

[ameshkov]

There's no mention of the yearly subscription (yet?), which is what I was hoping to enroll.

Let's file a bug for it, but I can't yet give you an ETA on this.
Do you really think it's important to users to have an annual subscription?

[TPS]

@Revertron Thanks for the update! ☺

@ameshkov I've responded in my filed bug, #93 ☺

[TPS]

@ameshkov I've received beta update notification directly for https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdguardForAndroid/releases/tag/v2.5.70-beta for my tablet, but still no word from Amazon for that beta for my phone.... Is it in process from your end? Nevermind, it just updated. I've gotta learn to wait that extra couple of hours before I post. 😉

[ameshkov]

Yeah, amazon is slow as always:)

[TPS]

Here we go again: 14 72+ hours & counting since https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdguardForAndroid/releases/tag/v2.6.67-beta, but no update with Amazon.… I'll update when/if I finally receive it.

[ameshkov]

Huh, i hope it will be available today

[TPS]

@ameshkov I was reading through #17 (comment) because of #568, & it occurred to me that maybe my standing invite that you sent a long time ago might be expired (since still no update! 😢), so can you resend that invite via Amazon?

[ameshkov]

@TPS seems that this is our mistake, the new version just was not submitted to beta test (it is in some intermediate "ready to submit" state now)

[TPS]

I'll let you know when it pops ↑.

[TPS]

Installed & running now.… Thanks!

[TPS]

@ameshkov @Revertron @AdguardTeam The ß version is officially missing from Amazon.…

What happened?!

[ameshkov]

@TPS it is stuck in "processing" state for some unknown reason. Can't remove or re-upload it. We've sent a message to Amazon support today, but they are not really fast, you know.

[ameshkov]

Ah, also while trying to do something, we've removed the previous beta build. It didn't help, but it might've resulted in the total beta absence..

[TPS]

Now Appstore wants to update, but it shows it's going to update from v2.9.70 to v2.9.70, which makes me think it wants to update ß → release, which has generally been unrecoverable (can't return to ß from release w/o uninstall/reinstall, @ least last time, which is no good w/o #119→ #133).

Can you confirm the version it wants to update to is release v2.9.70 or ß v2.9.111?

[TPS]

Another problem:

For now I'm able to bypass w/ See Details, but that's unlikely to last past the 15th, when the app knows the license has expired.

[TPS]

Thanks, @AdguardTeam, I just got my new Tester invite.

It's updating to ß v2.9.110, though 2.9.111 is detailed as "A hotfix for the v2.9.110 that contained a critical error." Based on that, I don't want to actually complete the update, just to cripple my AG installation!

Please advise!

[TPS]

Thanks, @AdguardTeam, I've now v2.9.111, & all is well. 🙇