Steps Before Updating Your Old Android App

We need some additional information to build your new app. With this information we can create the app in such a way that it's considered an update to your existing app. That means you can publish the new app version in the Google Play Store and your users automatically get the app update. They won't have to search for your app again to download it.

Package Name and Version Code

Open the Google Play Console

In your app overview copy the package name of your app (highlighted in the next screenshot) and enter it in the text field below.

Select your App.

Click "Production".

Click the "Releases" tab.

Click "Show summary" on the latest release.

Copy the version code number and enter it in the field below.

Signing Keys

Every Android app needs to be signed before it can be published in the Play Store. You can imagine the signing keys as a sort of password that you use to prove that the app was created by you. All updates to the app need to be signed with the same key to again prove that the update was created or authorized by you.

Consequently we will need your signing keys to sign the new app version we create for you.

Finding Your Signing Keys

Your signing keys consist of three parts:

• the keystore file (a file with the ending .jks, occasionally maybe also other file types)
• the keystore password
• the key password

Unless you already have the signing keys, you will need to get your signing keys from whoever developed your current app version. If you used an app builder software, you will need to ask the support of that company to send you the signing keys.

Alternative: Reset Your Signing Keys

If you can't get your signing keys from your previous developer, you might be able to let Google reset them. To check if this is possible, please follow these steps:

Open the Google Play Console

Click "App Integrity" on the left.

You should see the message "Releases signed by Google Play".

If your app is very old, you might not have enabled Google Play Signing. In that case, you can't reset your signing key.

Click "App signing".

Click "Request upload key reset".

Select the reason why you need to reset your key.

Download the new signing key we have generated for you.

Upload your new key in the Play Console.

Click "Request" at the bottom.

Open your webtoapp.design dashboard and download the signing key file in the .jks format from the "Android Signing Key" section.

Upload the .jks file in the field "Signing Key File" below.

Copy the signing key password and the key store password from the dashboard to the respective fields below.