Samsung Galaxy Store retirement from UDP, and migration instructions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Unity Distribution Portal (UDP) and Samsung Galaxy Store (SamsungGS) no longer working together?
We know that many developers chose Samsung Galaxy Store as one of their distribution partners. Providing the best experience possible for game submissions is at the core of UDP’s principles. However, in this case, Samsung have chosen to discontinue the partnership due to a change in their strategic plans.
What will happen to my game on SamsungGS?
If your game was published to SamsungGS from UDP, it will continue to exist on SamsungGS and will remain available for download on it. Additionally, users who already installed the game will still be able to play it on their device. After Jan 15th 2022, your game may have issues initializing or making IAP transactions, especially if you are using server-side IAP verification. We recommend you submit an update to your game to SamsungGS before that date to ensure a smooth transition. More details can be found in the next FAQs.
What will happen to my game on UDP?
After Jan 15th, you will no longer be able to submit game updates to SamsungGS from UDP. The UDP reporting dashboard will also no longer report SamsungGS performance data after that date.
To be clear, game submissions and operations on other UDP stores are not impacted.
Will my SamsungGS users be able to play my game after Samsung has withdrawn from UDP?
We recommend you create and submit an update to SamsungGS before Jan 15th, 2022 to avoid any disruption in game behaviour and IAP transactions.
What should I do to submit my game directly on SamsungGS?
Samsung expects games submitted to the Galaxy Store to a) integrate the Samsung IAP SDK and b) use a specific package name ending with ‘.gs’. Games should be directly submitted from the Galaxy Store Seller Portal. Find more information on the Samsung help center here.
Can I update my existing game on SamsungGS with a new build that I’d create separately?
Yes. This is actually the best way forward. High-level, this is what it takes:
- integrate the Samsung IAP SDK in your game,
- create a new APK with a package name ending with ‘.gs’ (the final package name must be the same as the one defined on SamsungGS),
- increment the version code of that build (it must be higher than the current version code on SamsungGS),
- sign the game build with the same certificate as on UDP,
- upload the new APK directly to the Galaxy Store Seller Portal,
- publish the game update from the Galaxy Store Seller Portal,
- Additionally, if your game uses server-side IAP verification, you need to create a SamsungGS-specific handler on your game server (as the UDP one will no longer function for SamsungGS).
Try and complete these steps before Jan 15th, 2022. See the guide below for more details.
Why can’t I simply create a new game on SamsungGS using the same package name as the one from UDP?
If you try to do this, the SamsungGS console will return the error “package name already exists”, referring to the one you created via UDP.
What happens if I use a different package name or a different signature for my game on SamsungGS?
The SamsungGS, as well as the players’ devices, will consider it as a separate game from the original one. Your existing players will not be served that update (they are on the “original” game). If they download the game with the new package name / new signature, they will start the game from the beginning; progress and purchases made in the original game version will not be restored.
Is there a checklist that I can follow in order to ensure I do everything properly?
Yes, we prepared the guide below for this. Simply follow the instructions and you’ll get there.
Are migration tools provided?
Yes. See the section ‘Creating a Samsung build from your UDP build’ in the Migration guide below.
Must I create a separate account on SamsungGS?
No. You will still be able to log into the Galaxy Store Seller Portal using your Samsung Developer credentials.
Am I going to be paid the same way as before?
Your Samsung Developer account will still be active, so there shouldn’t be any change to the way you’ve historically received payments.
What store alternatives exist in UDP that support game distribution to global app stores?
If your main market was Korea, ONE store is still your best alternative. To distribute globally, Huawei AppGallery, Uptodown, QooApp will get your game onto the devices of players around the world.
Migration options
This migration guide is for you if:
- You registered your game on Samsung Galaxy Store via UDP,
- You submitted your game to the Galaxy Store via UDP,
- Your game went live on the Galaxy Store and you have players.
If this is the case, you want to ensure continuity of service to your Galaxy Store players, specifically keeping the ability to update your existing game, and ensuring that In-App Purchases continue to work seamlessly.
We advise you follow these steps before Jan 15th 2022, even if you don't have new content for your game.
High level:
- You have to create a game build that implements the Samsung IAP SDK.
- You have to make sure that it uses the same package name and the same signature as the builds you had previously submitted to Samsung Galaxy Store via UDP.
There are 2 ways to do this:
- By creating a Samsung build from your UDP build (knowing that additional work outside UDP will still be required), or
- By creating a separate game project to address the Samsung Galaxy Store..
Option 1 - Creating a Samsung build from your UDP build
UDP can repack your existing UDP build into an APK that meets Samsung’s requirements:
- implementing the latest public Samsung IAP SDK,
- having a .gs package name suffix,
- signed with the same certificate as previously.
Step 1 : On the UDP console, once your game revision is released, go to the Publish page and select Samsung Galaxy Store [Transition Solution].
Step 2 : Select “Repack game” and hit the Publish button.
Important - the build’s version number must be higher than the previously-submitted build, or Samsung will ignore the new APK.
Step 3 : In the Status page, download the repacked APK.
Step 4 : Upload the repacked build directly to the Galaxy Store Seller Portal. Edit your game description and IAP information if needed, and submit your game.
Note - you may need to contact Samsung Customer Support to be able to upload your APK to the Galaxy Store Seller Portal. This ability is disabled by default for games submitted via UDP and Samsung can only activate it on an individual basis. Go to this Samsung page and choose “Contact Us”. Your request would typically say “I originally submitted my game via Unity Distribution Portal (UDP) and I now want to manually upload my new APK directly to GSSP. Can you please activate the APK upload for my game.”
Step 5 : Wait for Store Review from Samsung.
Step 6 : Release the updated App.
Server Side Verification/Validation
If your game uses server-side IAP validation, you must ensure your game server application implements the Samsung IAP Server APIs. Your new game build should request your game server to fetch the data from the Samsung IAP server using the Server APIs.
More information in this document :
Option 2 - Creating a separate game project for Samsung
Here are the detailed steps to create a separate game project to address the Samsung Galaxy Store, starting from your existing UDP project.
Step 1 : Create a copy of the project.
Step 2 : Open Project.
Step 3 : Go to Build Settings and add .gs suffix at the end of the package name.
Before - com.samplestudio.samplegame
After - com.samplestudio.samplegame.gs
Step 4 : Remove UDP SDK [‘Remove’ through package manager / delete the UDP folder from Assets Folder if downloaded from the Asset Store]. Your game will contain custom scripts performing operations on UDP, these scripts would have to be modified using the links from the next step.
Step 5 : Integrate the Samsung IAP SDK.
Important Links:
[NOTE : StoreService.Initialize equivalent does not need to be called. This part of the sequence can be removed from the scripts as Samsung Galaxy Store signs in automatically using the credentials from the galaxy store while purchasing an IAP item]
Step 6 : Increase Version Number in Player Settings.
Important - Samsung needs to see the new build as a newer version or it will ignore the APK.
Step 7 : Build the APK.
Step 8 : Navigate to Android SDK’s Build Tools through CMD/Terminal.
[ typically C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\build-tools ]
Step 9 : Sign your APK.
It’s important that you use the same App Signing Key as the one used by UDP to repack builds.
If you use your own app signing key in UDP, then run:
apksigner sign --ks [Keystore Location].keystore --in [Build Location].apk --out sign_[Build Location].apk
If you let UDP sign your repacked builds (the option “Let UDP create and manage App signing private keys”) then get in touch with UDP Support to retrieve the files you need to sign your build (the .pk8 file and .pem file).
You can then sign your Samsung APK using the below command:
apksigner sign --key key.pk8 --cert cert.x509.pem --out signed.apk original.apk
Step 10 : Upload the signed build directly to the Galaxy Store Seller Portal. Edit your game description and IAP information if needed, and submit your game.
Note - you may need to contact Samsung Customer Support to be able to upload your APK to the Galaxy Store Seller Portal. This ability is disabled by default for games submitted via UDP and Samsung can only activate it on an individual basis. Go to this Samsung page and choose “Contact Us”. Your request would typically say “I originally submitted my game via Unity Distribution Portal (UDP) and I now want to manually upload my new APK directly to GSSP. Can you please activate the APK upload for my game.”
Step 11 : Wait for Store Review from Samsung.
Step 12 : Release the updated App.
Server Side Verification/Validation
If your game uses server-side IAP validation, you must ensure your game server application implements the Samsung IAP Server APIs. Your new game build should request your game server to fetch the data from the Samsung IAP server using the Server APIs.
More information in this document :
Frequently Asked Questions
Migration options
Option 1 - Creating a Samsung build from your UDP build
Option 2 - Creating a separate game project for Samsung