Yalpstore: Downloads for apps are not counted/Play Store web says app is not installed on device

[artas182x]

There is missing ContentSyncRequestProto which is responsible for sending currently installed apps on device. Without this downloads are not counted for developers.

Actual behaviour

When you open Play Store page for example on PC, it says that app is not installed or device. App downloads are not counted on Play Developer Console, so It is harmful for developers.

[LuccoJ]

It may be "harmful for developers" (though I always want to be like "citation needed" at this general idea), but if I wanted my device to phone home to Google with things like the complete list of apps I have installed... I'd just use the actual Google services and apps, not F-Droid, microG and Yalp.

[yeriomin]

That's true. Yalp Store probably is harmful for developers (just like every other web site or app which offer apks from Play Store for download). I also agree with @LuccoJ. There seems to be a conflict of interest between users and developers here.

So in my opinion this feature request...

• if implemented, brings more harm than good.
• is hardly doable. I don't know how to fill some fields of ContentSyncRequestProto, I don't even know the api endpoint this message is sent to. It exists in microg source, but it seems to be unused. It is not a part of purchase/download process in the Play Store app, judging by the live requests. It is probably one of those requests which Play Store app sends from time to time, regardless of what the user does.
• is not testable by me. I don't have access to Play Developer Console and don't have any apps published in Play Store.
• will not work properly with built-in account, even if everything mentioned above is solved. Obviously, multiple downloads using Yalp Store built-in account will not result in increase of the installation count. Apps are linked to account, not device.

I'd like to know how to do it (just because I'm curious) but I probably wouldn't implement it in Yalp Store. So why do you think ContentSyncRequestProto specifically is required for the installation to be counted? What else do you know about it?

[LuccoJ]

Since I may have sounded too harsh, anyway, I would like to point out (probably not for those already here, but for the record) that Yalp Store downloads are still counted as downloads as far as Play is concerned, since Play API are used; so, developers and Google may not be able to know whether I personally decide to uninstall their app, but they will still know how many people have downloaded it.

They will also get their money (and their "bought" statistics) if I decide to buy it, since Yalp Store does download paid apps, as long as they have been paid in advance using Play's interface.

To me, this seems like a reasonable compromise between developer and user interests: on the other hand, developers get their money for their apps, and Google keeps count of the downloads; users use these apps without their device being intruded into with "uninstall statistics".

[artas182x]

Recently, Google has added something like installs on active devices. Device which doesn't send ContentSyncRequestProto isn't counted in these statistics, which are responsible for putting app in rankings on GP front page. Also device which didn't send request in last 30 days is deleted from statistics to prevent app rank "boosting". YalpStore should at least send list of apps downloaded and installed currently by YalpStore.

You can read about statistics counting here: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/139628#use

I agree that there seems to be a conflict of interest between users and developers here.

@yeriomin I know that ContentSyncRequestProto, because I analysed traffic from Android device and I see that this request is always sent after installation. It contains all device data. I know that Google counts if app is actually installed, not only when download event has finished. In old versions of Play Store I was able to recreate this request and it worked (counted installs properly), however now Google Play changed their API and it doesn't work anymore.

[stale[bot]]

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