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I'm burning my eyelash with this issue.

As everybody know (and I learned it for sure) Android doesn't allow to recover the keystore. So the only option that we have is to generate a new one, as Scoober answer here. So far so good, but the problem is that we can't replace the actual app inside the play store, for the new one, because this doesn't have the keystore as we know.

So the question is: is it possible to unpublish/remove the app from play store, and upload the new one with the same name and package? In other words: is it posible, after all the necessary steps, put the app with the same name or package or both?

I know that 3 year ago, it wasn't possible, but now? google and the developers console changed a lot. so maybe it's.

Hope anyone helps. Thanks in advance.

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Braian Mellor
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2 Answers2

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No you will not be able to upload an app to the Play store with the same package, and signed by a different keystore.

You CAN use the same name, for sure not same package.

Same package must always be signed with the same keystore.

Booger
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  • Ok, that's the answer i need, but what a need to do to use the same name? and how can i do to erase the app. I've unpublished, but not erased. – Braian Mellor Jul 08 '15 at 20:00
  • Name can be duplicated in the store, and doesn't need to be unique like the package AFAIK. – Booger Jul 08 '15 at 20:02
  • I swear I couldn't, but it might unpublication let me create the same name, i don't know. thanks anyway – Braian Mellor Jul 08 '15 at 20:07
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From this answer:

You can create a new keystore, but the Android Market wont allow you to upload the apk as an update - worse still, if you try uploading the apk as a new app it will not allow it either as it knows there is a 'different' version of the same apk already in the market even if you delete your previous version from the market

Do your absolute best to find that keystore!!

When you find it, email it to yourself so you have a copy on your gmail that you can go and get in the case you loose it from your hard drive!

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Joaquin Iurchuk
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  • Thanks, but again, taking out the possibility of getting that keystore, what are my chances of not kill myself on trying a solution? – Braian Mellor Jul 08 '15 at 19:58
  • **No chances** for update your already uploaded app without that keystore. Your users won't be able to update the app via Play Store because if two apps have different keystore then Android understands that is not the same app, so it won't let you replace one by another. Android is designed that way. – Joaquin Iurchuk Jul 08 '15 at 20:00
  • that's pretty awful from android, right? that's not a problem in appStore :( – Braian Mellor Jul 08 '15 at 20:04
  • I think is not awful. From the user's point of view is very secure. Your problem is not the new users but your actual ones. – Joaquin Iurchuk Jul 08 '15 at 20:05
  • ok, but if my house burn it down? all the HD and computer in fire? They should have another option. I still think that appStore make it easy in that way. Maybe appstore make you generate lot of this kind of security files (provisioning profile for dev/distribution, etc etc) but there is always a way to continue with your apps updates. Thanks Joaquin, very helpful – Braian Mellor Jul 08 '15 at 20:11