Google overhauls Android developer console
In response to developer frustration, the company unveils an app publishing system it says is easier to use.
Developers have uploaded more than 675,000 apps to the Google Play store -- but along with them, they have registered their fair share of complaints about the process.
The current system can make it hard to see whether an app has published to the store, they said. The workflow asks them to fill in information they may not yet have ready. The design of the developer console can be confusing.
Google hopes to remedy those concerns today with a new developer console that it says is friendlier to developers.
"At its core, the Developer Console is how you put your app in front of hundreds of millions of Android users around the world, and track how your app is doing," the company said in a blog post. "We hope that with a streamlined publishing flow, new language options, and new user ratings statistics, you'll have better tools for delivering great Android apps that delight users."
The new console offers an updated look, faster loading and navigation, and a variety of new analytics. Charts and graphs abound. Want to slice user data by device, country, language, carrier, Android version or app version? The console makes it possible.
A handful of features from the old console don't work in the new one; Google said it would let users switch back and forth between versions. The company also teased additional changes to come, saying the new console would "create a foundation for the exciting features we have planned for the future."
Making developers happy is a big part of building a successful software platform. The new console is one more way Google will try to keep developers loyal to Android.