May I change the package name of my published app on Google Play
android, apk, google-play
Solution
According to this blog post from Android Developers blog, no, you cannot change package name unless you're okay with publishing it as a new app in Play Store:
Once you publish your application under its manifest package name, this is the unique identity of the application forever more. Switching to a different name results in an entirely new application, one that can’t be installed as an update to the existing application.
Android manual confirms it as well here:
Caution: Once you publish your application, you cannot change the package name. The package name defines your application's identity, so if you change it, then it is considered to be a different application and users of the previous version cannot update to the new version.
If you're okay with publishing new version of your app as a completely new entity, you can do it of course - just remove old app from Play Store (if you want) and publish new one, with different package name.
Problem
I have an android app in the Google Play Store. I am working on a new rev and want to change the package name. Is that allowed? My application does not have a big audience yet. Is there a way to replace it? As in, may I discontinue the existing one, and replace it with a new one?