The private key doesn't match the current app certificate with a Google Play Sign key

Question

I'm stuck on this issue with Google Play Sigin. I'm between these two companies, one of them is building an app and sends the apk/aab to me and I have to publish it in the google play store for the another company.

The problem is I have to publish to an existing app as a new update but they have forgotten the keystore for that app, so I created a new keystore for it. But no matter what I do I can't make this keystore work.

What can I try next?

Things I tried:

• I used Android Studio to generate a new a new keystore and alias
• I generated a upload certificate.pem
• I encrypted the keystore in Android Studio generated a private key.pepk

Enthronement

Answer 1

Is the app already enrolled in "Play signing"? You can check this in the "App integrity" page of the Play Console.

If yes, then that's good news, it means Google Play manages the app signing key and what you sign the app with is the app upload key which can be reset: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9842756#reset

If not, then there's nothing you can do but create a new app with a new package name. The app signing key has to remain the same across all the versions of your app or users would not be able to upgrade (it's an Android security feature). If you're not enrolled in Play signing, then only you has the signing key so Google can't help you recover it.

Kurrajong

unfortunately the person who created the app in the first place, hadn't sigined in google signing key. thanks alot for your help, i'll try to create another app. – Enthronement