APK Expansion File Localization?

Question

I have some very large (650MB) content files (video, audio) in about 4 different locales.

I want to use APK Expansion Files but they do not seem to support localization.

It seems we can have seperate application listings in Google Play as long as they have different application names (app listing filtered per locale).

What I do not understand is, if you upload the same application (in seperate application listings, same binary, same version), how does the device know where to get the expansion files from?

For instance, suppose I have 2 localized applications with seperate application listings:-

My App (UK) + Expansion File (UK) My App (DE) + Expansion File (DE)

If the application I upload for both listings is the same binary, same version, I can't see how Google Play will know how to associate the app installed, with either of those listings?

This problem occured to me during testing whilst setting up 2 listings for DE and UK with the same draft APK.

Does anyone have any experience with this and is there a recommended approach? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

In order for you to upload it as two seperate listings, each application needs to have a different package name. Otherwise when you try to upload the second one, you'll get an error.

When you upload an APK, you also upload the expansion file, which is then associated with that particular APK (via package name). The device gets the expansion file from Google Play, which tracks that association.

All that said, there are disadvantages to uploading two identical APK's- Your ratings will be split across two apps, for instance, and ranking will suffer since neither one will get as many ratings as if you only had one APK covering both situations.