Google Play Console – there is no ‘setup’ section

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Summary

The issue at hand is the missing ‘setup’ section in the Google Play Console, which is required to configure app links for an Android application. The app links feature is not working as expected, and the developer has discovered that the sha256 fingerprint has changed automatically, differing from the one in the assetlink.json file.

Root Cause

The root cause of this issue is likely due to the following reasons:

  • The Google Play Console interface has changed, and the ‘setup’ section is no longer visible or has been relocated.
  • The app signing key certificate is not properly configured, resulting in a mismatch between the sha256 fingerprint and the one in the assetlink.json file.
  • The assetlink.json file is not updated with the correct sha256 fingerprint.

Why This Happens in Real Systems

This issue occurs in real systems due to:

  • Misconfiguration of the app signing key certificate or the assetlink.json file.
  • Changes in the Google Play Console interface or app links configuration process.
  • Lack of documentation or outdated documentation on the Google Play Console or app links setup process.

Real-World Impact

The real-world impact of this issue includes:

  • Broken app links, resulting in a poor user experience.
  • Increased support requests from users who are unable to use the app links feature.
  • Loss of revenue due to the inability to properly configure app links.

Example or Code (if necessary and relevant)

// Example of how to update the assetlink.json file with the correct sha256 fingerprint
String sha256Fingerprint = "your_sha256_fingerprint_here";
String assetLinkJson = "{\"relation\": [\"delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls\"],\"target\": {\"namespace\": \"android_app\",\"package_name\": \"your_package_name_here\",\"sha256_cert_fingerprints\": [\"" + sha256Fingerprint + "\"]}}";

How Senior Engineers Fix It

Senior engineers fix this issue by:

  • Verifying the app signing key certificate and assetlink.json file configuration.
  • Updating the assetlink.json file with the correct sha256 fingerprint.
  • Checking the Google Play Console interface for any changes or updates to the app links configuration process.

Why Juniors Miss It

Junior engineers may miss this issue due to:

  • Lack of experience with the Google Play Console or app links configuration process.
  • Insufficient knowledge of the app signing key certificate and assetlink.json file configuration.
  • Inadequate testing of the app links feature, resulting in a failure to detect the issue.

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