64

I have just written a game for the Google Play Store and would like to remind my customers to leave feedback on the market for the application (especially the demo version). Is there any way to launch the market intent in a mode that will take the user to the feedback / comments section of the page?

I already use this approach for linking my demo to the paid application... 

Intent goToMarket = null;
goToMarket = new Intent(
                   Intent.ACTION_VIEW,
                   Uri.parse("market://details?id=com.paulmaidment.games.flagsoftheworld"));
startActivity(goToMarket);

Is there a best practice?

Additionally, is there any way to track referrals from my demo application so that I can try to calculate some kind of a conversion rate? (that is, how effective the demo application is at generating sales.)

A P
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Paul Maidment
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  • All you can do is to redirect the user to your Google Play details page, e.g. with [AppRater](https://github.com/delight-im/AppRater), similar libraries, or manually. You cannot further navigate the user in the Google Play app. – caw Nov 17 '14 at 20:09

3 Answers3

81

Note that in order to make the activities flow more expected for the end user, you should consider adding some intent flags. I suggest:

String appPackageName= getPackageName();
Intent marketIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("market://details?id="+appPackageName));
marketIntent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_HISTORY | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_WHEN_TASK_RESET|Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK|Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
startActivity(marketIntent);

This way, when the user is pressing back, he will get to your application and not stay on the market (if he was there before). Also, if the user has opened your app again (after it was gone to the background), the market won't show up.

You can also add a try catch for the startActivity() call, so that you will be able to show the website of the app if the market is not available (either uninstalled somehow, or because the device's company didn't include it).

EDIT: another alternative is How to use Intent.ACTION_APP_ERROR as a means for a “feedback” framework in Android?

Community
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android developer
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13

I'm not sure if its possible for an intent to take a user directly into the feedback/comments section. The developer guide does not mention that possibility.

As for tracking referrals you might want to check out this http://code.google.com/mobile/analytics/docs/android/#android-market-tracking

Arno den Hond
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  • as of Android ICS (4.x) , you can go directly to the send-feedback dialog, but it's the one that is used for bug reports. not sure about the consequences of using it. i've updated my answer to include it too in case anyone wishes to try it out. – android developer Sep 26 '13 at 12:30
  • It does not mention in the google play Linking to Google play resource : https://developer.android.com/distribute/marketing-tools/linking-to-google-play – mabc21 Apr 21 '20 at 04:03
0

Is there a best practice?

We now have the Google Play In-App Review API for this.

Additionally, is there any way to track referrals from my demo application so that I can try to calculate some kind of a conversion rate?

Try the Google Play Install Referer API.

dominicoder
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