Tag Archives: Google Play SDK Console

Build better, safer SDKs with Google Play SDK Console

Posted by Yafit Becher – Product Manager

SDKs offer a wide range of benefits for app developers, but they can also impact apps in ways that aren’t always easy to identify or control. That’s why, in 2021, we launched Google Play SDK Console and invited some of the most widely adopted SDKs to join, empowering SDK providers to improve the performance, quality, and security of their SDKs.

SDK Console allows SDK providers to access usage statistics, crash and ANR (application not responding) reporting, and tools to help them guide app developers in adopting SDK versions that fix quality issues and comply with Play policies.

Based on the success of our early access program for both SDK providers and app developers, today we’re pleased to make SDK Console available to all SDKs, as long as they're distributed from a canonical Maven repository source that we can verify.

Improve communication between SDK providers and app developers

Without clear communication between SDK providers and app developers, problems can be hard to identify and slow to resolve. SDK providers don’t always know how their SDKs are performing in the wild, so app developers often have to wait for bug fixes or use outdated SDK versions.

SDK Console bridges this gap by giving SDK providers visibility into usage and adoption stats, crash and ANR reporting, and a communication channel with app developers. With access to crash and ANR reporting across apps, SDK providers can identify and solve issues before they escalate into customer complaints.

Once resolved, SDK providers can report back to the developers with the reason for the crash and how to solve it. SDK providers can also receive a full stack trace report directly from app developers, ensuring all information is shared for a quick fix.

Screenshot of ANR reporting in SDK Console
click to enlarge

SDK providers can also encourage app developers to upgrade to newer SDK versions or provide guidance for a particular SDK version. SDK Console lets SDK providers add notes to their versions, report them as outdated, and for SDK versions that are very behind and have little usage, give app developers 90 days to update their SDK version, after which they would no longer be allowed to publish new app releases with those SDK versions.

Screenshot of prompt to report version as outdated in SDK Console
click to enlarge

Build with confidence with insights and timely updates

Many SDK providers struggle to collect usage and adoption data for their SDKs, making it difficult to make informed decisions about their future development efforts. SDK Console fills in these gaps by providing detailed usage and adoption stats by app category, country, or even SDK version.

Screenshot of market share metrics available in SDK Console
click to enlarge

As part of our commitment to a safe user experience, Google Play policies are constantly evolving. While it’s essential for maintaining a secure ecosystem, we know that keeping track of these updates can be a challenge for SDK providers. SDK Console will help simplify this process by notifying SDK providers about policy issues within the platform.

Get started with SDK Console

SDK Console is free for all SDK providers. Head over to Google Play SDK Console to get started.

How Stripe leveraged Google Play to build an SDK for Tap to Pay on Android

Posted by the Stripe and Android teams

What is Stripe Terminal and what does it offer Android developers?

Stripe Terminal is a set of tools for accepting in-person payments, including developer

interfaces, card readers, and logistics management. Android developers can build in-person commerce experiences with the Terminal Android SDK and the Tap to Pay on Android SDK. The Terminal Android SDK allows users to go to market with Stripe’s pre-certified card readers, and the Tap to Pay on Android SDK enables merchants to accept contactless payments on their existing compatible Android devices. The Tap to Pay on Android SDK eliminates the need for additional hardware, allowing POS providers and their users to quickly scale, increase revenue, and reach new markets. Both SDKs integrate seamlessly with the Stripe platform, so businesses can manage online and in-person payments in one place. Existing Terminal users have integrated Tap to Pay on Android with the Stripe Terminal SDK in just a couple of weeks.

Moving image of a transaction being completed on an Android device with Tap to Pay on Android SDK

Stripe has used Google Play SDK Console since the product’s launch in 2020 to monitor the performance of our SDKs, including the Terminal Android SDK and Android SDK for online payments. Google Play SDK Console is a platform for widely-used commercial SDKs to share important updates with developers—such as critical issues related to recent releases—and provide precise mitigation instructions for out-of-date SDK versions. Features of Google Play SDK Console such as usage statistics, crash reporting, and version reporting make it possible for SDK providers such as Stripe to streamline communication with customers and help keep a pulse on the health of their SDKs.

How have Google Play features shaped the development of the Tap to Pay on Android SDK?

Security was key to the development of the Tap to Pay on Android SDK due to the need to secure sensitive card data for the acceptance of contactless payments on a broad range of consumer devices. We originally incorporated the SafetyNet Attestation API into our broader security strategy for Terminal to address the need for device attestation. Looking ahead to 2023, we plan to use the new Play Integrity API, which replaced SafetyNet Attestation and offers device attestation and other integrity services. The Play Integrity API will also help us meet the recently published PCI MPoC (Mobile Payments on COTS) standard for mobile payment acceptance solutions. This standard requires Stripe to verify that Android applications using the Tap to Pay on Android SDK are unmodified, and that those applications have been installed from a trusted source like the Google Play Store. The Play Integrity API will not only help us meet industry standards, but will also mitigate the risk that a compromised device or application could be used to collect payments, which protects Stripe users and upholds the security of payments made using the Tap to Pay on Android SDK.

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In addition to security, ubiquity across Android devices has also been a driving force in the development of the Tap to Pay on Android SDK. A fundamental goal for Stripe was to build a solution that would work on a wide range of consumer and enterprise Android devices. The decision to use the Play Integrity API was therefore also largely influenced by the appeal of Google Mobile Services and the wide range of functionality afforded by its associated APIs and applications.

What is Stripe planning next for the Tap to Pay on Android SDK?

We’re excited to partner with Google as an early adopter of the Play Integrity API for SDKs. This will allow the Stripe SDK to access the Play Integrity API with an API key, streamlining the experience for developers using the SDK as they won’t have to separately integrate with the Integrity API. Google plans to offer this to more SDKs in 2023.

Where can I learn more about Stripe’s Tap to Pay on Android SDK?

Visit our Tap to Pay page for more information. Tap to Pay on Android is currently available through the Stripe Terminal Android SDK in the US, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. Reach out here to start building.