Delete an unpublished app from Google Play

Question

I create a new app in my Google play account. I did not publish it yet. It is just ready to publish.

Is there any way to delete it permanently from my account since it is not published yet?

I can not find any remove or delete button. I read here and here, but I couldn't find any delete button.

---

What about if the app is published only to alpha, or perhaps beta - in those cases can you reuse the package name?

Antitoxin

see answer here #18670411 – Wo

OP clearly said he "did not publish" it yet. – Mcmillian

Answer 1

There is an unofficial delete which might possibly be a bug/glitch in the old android developer console. The instructions are below.

1. Switch back to old developer panel
2. Select application for deletion and make sure that it's description and all necessary publishing components are filled out. (you may use fake info)
3. Save application as a draft. DO NOT PUBLISH
4. Select the APK tab
5. Press delete on the current activated APK and your draft application should be deleted. You might need to press "Switch to advanced" for this screen to show.

CRUCIAL - Application must not have been published before.

Unimproved

Exactly, the process worked fine, but now if I switch to new design. what will happen? the deleted apps will be deleted there also? – Antitoxin

Yes it will be deleted there as well. – Unimproved

@Unimproved Once I publised my app in playstore. When I realised my keystore missed, I decided to remove my app and again create new app with same name. Now I dont see delete option for old apk. Oly seen as deactivate. What can I do? Plz help me... – Zonked

There is no option to revert back to old developer panel nowaday. Not working. – Ethnarch

Answer 2

There is not possible to delete an application from google console but you can request to delete an app. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contact/publishing

Chacha

Answer 3

You can delete an app anytime before it is published. Note this answer was given before the OP specified that his app had not yet been published.

After it has been published, it "owns" its unique packagename forever in the Google PlayStore app naming hierarchy like com.yourdomain.yourapp.

There is no "deleting" this packagename after publication. That would cause mayhem.

Google Analytics, for example needs this permanent unique id. Hostile developers could take over your packagename by forcing you to delete it with bad review attacks.

The package name itself is not really a public-facing asset. If all you want to do is "reboot" your app (ie start again with zero downloads and reviews) then just unpublish (retire) the old packagename and republish the apk under a new packagename.

The right way to publish your app is using the alpha and beta streams in the dev console which do not retain reviews.

The only problem with this is the rule about once an app (package) is priced as free, it remains forever free, meaning you have to republish under a new package name to price a free beta.

Paid betas are only possible if you already have successful apps.

PlayStore publication policies are in constant flux (there is now a manual review policy). You may wish to take your concerns to them directly - they do respond.

I am sure every developer wants to delete and republish an app after finding out that it won't run on device X, because device X manufacturer has tweaked Android, causing device X owners to give the app unfair reviews.

This is also a way to avoid giving people free upgrades to your apps forever, which is not realistic, esp. given piracy stats. Owners often reboot to start fresh after a major upgrade.

You may want to adopt a packagename with a major version codename baked in, like the big boys do it (mountainlion, xenial, marshmallow, etc) like com.yourdomain.yourapp.codename.

X is usually Samsung

Vonvona

hi Dominic, thanks for your great expertise. I have a critical question: "After it has been published, it "owns" its unique packagename forever" ..... in that sentence, what about if it is only published to alpha? beta? what counts as "published" ? thanks! – Tipi

Google "delete playstore alpha" #20652410 See Google Play Store TOS for further details. – Vonvona

hi Dominic - thanks, FWIW, I studied the QA and the doco - to me it is still not actually clear how to answer the question "is alpha 'published' ?" :O Anyway thanks again enjoy the bounty – Tipi

Why don't you publish an alpha and try to delete it? Then you will have your answer. My point is that these semantic definitions are in the purvey of the Play Store policies, and subject to variance. I could give a definitive answer, but it may not be true in the future. Thanks for the bounty, pushed me over 1000 and top 2% this week! Aww yaaa ... – Vonvona

Answer 4

Not. there is no way, you only can unpublish and make it invisible for users but in the developer console you will se ever and ever

Aftergrowth

Wrong, there is a way. See above. – Unimproved

this is a hacky way, not an official way. As you can see it says might possibly be a bug/glitch in the old android developer console – Aftergrowth

"Not. there is no way" although this might be a "hacky" way it is still a way. :) – Unimproved

Answer 5

The responses above are outdated. The Developer Console offers now a "Delete app" link, right below the name of the application (for applications that have never been published).

More info: How to delete the published app from developer console android

Endways

Answer 6

Try contacting google play support from the following link:

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contactflow?hl=en

• Publishing apps on google play
• Error when publishing an app
• Email Support

Fill in the required fields, and tick the option for

Request for app deletion

Trilobite

Answer 7

If you app hasn't been published then you can click the Delete button on the All Apps page. It looks like a trash can.

Just to test it out again I created a new app called "Delete me" and the icon showed to to allow me to delete it. None of my published apps are deleteable, though.

Darleen

I dont see this account even though its a draft app. – Saiz

@DollarAkshay, I'm not sure why now. I tested it out again by creating a new app and it worked for me to delete it. – Darleen

Never mind I contacted google support and they said my app has to be unpublished for 24 hours. I didnt realize that releasing it for internal testers counts as "publishing" – Saiz

Answer 8

As said earlier, app which has never been published only can be deleted. If you wish to release a new version in the same name, go to All Applications -> Select (old) App -> Go to Store Presence -> Go to store listing. Towards the top field rename your old version. Submit the changes and you are good to create an app using the existing name.

Slipcase