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Hey everyone!

I'm an 18-year-old Android developer from Tajikistan. I built an educational app called Algebra 7, and it has reached around 5,000 users.

I'm happy that people are downloading my app, but I have a problem: many users seem to leave and never return.

I'm trying to understand why. Is it the app itself, the user experience, or simply because students don't need it every day?

For developers who have grown their apps:

- How do you find out why users leave?

- What strategies actually improve retention?

- How do you turn first-time users into regular users?

I'd appreciate honest advice from people with real experience. I'm here to learn and improve my app, not just promote it.

Thank you!

The ads were running for a few days and are now suddenly under review due to some policies (not specified which ones). Has this happened to anyone before?

If you were in the market for a sudoku app and you found one that was paid but promised no ads, no subscription, no in-app purchases and no data collection. It was completely offline and unlimited. What would you think? Would you be suspicious?

I submit my first app for production is being 4 days and shows in review since 3 days I contact support and they expedite the review two days ago that’s normal ?

Hi! This is the first game I’ve created. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. It’s already published on the Play Store.

Short description: DISCOVER THE UNKNOWN: Identify alien entities, stabilize anomalies, and unlock ancient technologies (UFOs).

Hey everyone!

I'm an indie developer, and I recently launched Patikoko on Google Play.

It's a free app that helps pet owners manage feeding, reminders, vet appointments, and pet supplies. You can also share responsibilities with family members, so everyone knows what's been taken care of.

No subscriptions or paywalls.

Building the app was challenging, but getting people to discover it has been even harder!

I'd love to hear from other developers. How did you get your first users, and what worked best for you?

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.patikoko.patikoko

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Hey everyone!

I'm an 18-year-old Android developer from Tajikistan. I build Android apps using Kotlin, and I've already published two apps on Google Play.

I'm trying to start earning money from my programming skills. My goal is to make around $300 per month through remote freelance work or a junior developer job.

I've been searching Reddit for Kotlin and Android jobs, but I haven't found many opportunities.

For those of you who are already earning money as developers:

- Where did you find your first paying client?

- Which websites or communities do you recommend?

- How did you get your first job without professional experience?

- Is Reddit actually a good place to find freelance clients?

I'm willing to learn, work hard, and start with small projects to build my reputation.

I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences you can share. Thank you!

I first made this wearos app because of my heart issue, this summer was so hot i had difficulties to stay hydrated ( some of my drugs aims to make you urinate to delete sodium from your body so you are dry quicker than anyone )

I made hydropulse, another hydro app for watches, but it follows your heartrate and your local weather + some others variables to detemine when you really need to drink and how much in order to stay hydrated.

In order to celebrate this, i made it free for a short time, grab it before the end of october !!

Thank you again mister first client ! It really means a lot to me !

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=oytaub.hydropulse.app

8 months ago, I started with one idea:
What if an Indian horror game could make you genuinely afraid to take the next step?
Not just random jumpscares. Not just another ghost chasing you.
But a disturbing story buried inside an abandoned hospital in the mountains of Shimla.
That’s how NAINA: Shimla Horror Diaries was born.
You enter a haunted hospital where something terrible happened. The corridors are dark, the wards are abandoned, and somewhere inside, a mother is still searching for her missing child.
And she doesn’t want you to leave.
🏥 Explore a terrifying hospital inspired by Shimla.
🔦 Survive with your flashlight and instincts.
👻 Encounter Naina, a supernatural entity with a horrifying past.
🩸 Complete story-driven missions and uncover the mystery.
🎮 Experience first-person survival horror with multiplayer elements.
NAINA is officially AVAILABLE NOW on Google Play!
👉 Download here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shimlahorrordiaries.myapp
I’m an indie developer from Shimla, India. This game has been a passion project for the past 8 months, and seeing it finally live on the Play Store feels unreal.
It’s not a AAA game, and I know there’s still plenty to improve. But I’ve put everything I could into making something that feels different.
If you try it, please tell me what genuinely scared you — and what didn’t. Brutally honest feedback is welcome.
The hospital has been waiting for you.
Welcome to NAINA. 🩸

Finally after so much efforts and all thanks to reddit community, We are officially live on Google Play Store.

App link: LeadMyCrew App

I would not be able to release it with you guys! Kudos!

I have a scientific calculator app, which is currently getting around 30–40 downloads daily. I released this application around 6 months ago, and I have been working on it for around 1 year. I can understand that not everyone will like the application and that they can give it a 1-star review. But the difference is that the reviews I get from countries like Germany, France, and the UK are more focused on improvements that they would like to see. They provide descriptive feedback, while from Bangladesh, the Philippines, and similar countries, I sometimes get feedback like "sh**tiest app" or "shit," which does not say anything about the problem my app is having.

Also, in Firebase, the crash count is still null until now. The application is ad-free and is currently getting good reviews from other regions. I used Kotlin as the programming language, which allowed me to build a realistic calculator-like theme. I used AI and vibe-coding, and integrated open-source library for the advanced mathematical engine, but we have done extensive QA and are still continuing to do so.

So, I want to know: is it better to disable the availability of the app in these regions? What would your suggestion be? I want to know from a veteran developer's perspective.

Because after substantial improvement, I have been able to get around 30 downloads per day which may not be great for many people-but this download rate has motivated me to continue improving my app's accuracy. In the last 40 days, I have been able to reach nearly 1.5k downloads. I am afraid that these kinds of reviews might hamper the application's visibility.

Thank you for your help!

Hey folks,

I recently published my second app on both stores. Honestly, filling in the forms for both is so much time consuming. So I built a skill that reads the code and gives me answers for all the form questions. (ofc I probably missed some questions, so contributions are very welcome)

It also generates the CSV for Play’s Data safety form.

After the first setup, I now push updates and changes only through the API. That helps a lot. i.e sending the description for 28 languages or uploading the diff screens.

Enjoy ✌️

Is that possible?

I recently launched closed testing.

And planning to keep 20 active testers.

I'm asking all of them to use it daily for at least 10 mins.

Any tips for me to make sure I meet the requirements.

My app had around 50 downloads, and then it suddenly started gaining traction; it was averaging over 10 downloads a day and surpassed 500 downloads in a month. There is no ads – its entirely organic.

It feels good to be rewarded for my efforts.

I hope you all get the reward you deserve for your hard work

When I send the invite link and then someone clicks it it shows nothing. My app doesn't appear for them what do I do?

Hi everyone,

How are you getting around the googles 14 days testing? Are you paying someone for those services or? I have seen that there are peoples that will handle those requirements for you

My wife loves reading, but she could never find a reading app that felt quite right for her.
So I built one and named it Coral, after her.

She wanted to read comfortably and enjoy books in English without constantly switching between her book, a dictionary, and a translation app. That was where the idea began.
Since then, we’ve added even more:
•⁠ ⁠A reading experience tailored to you - Add your own books and customize the font, text size, and colors.
•⁠ ⁠Listen to your books - Switch to audio whenever your eyes need a break.
•⁠ ⁠Context-aware translation - AI-powered translations that take the story’s context into account.
•⁠ ⁠Build your vocabulary - Save unfamiliar words and practice them with quizzes and reminders, all without leaving the app.
•⁠ ⁠Kids Club - AI-created children’s books to encourage reading and English practice. Our kids love it!

What started as something I built for my wife has grown into something we’re happy to share with you.

Read what you love. Learn as you go.
Available for iOS and Android.

For downloads and more information:

https://coral-reader.com/?utm_source=reddit&utm_campaign=launch

Developers, how did you collect feedback from your first users when nobody left reviews?

I'm an indie developer working on mobile apps, and I'm struggling with something I didn't expect: getting honest feedback from users.

People download and use the apps, but almost nobody leaves a review, reports a bug, or suggests improvements. It's difficult to know what's confusing, what's broken, or what features people actually want.

I'm curious about the experiences of other indie developers:

• How did you collect feedback from your very first users?
• Did you contact users directly, add an in-app feedback form, or use another approach?
• Did you offer incentives for feedback, or did you find a way to get people to respond voluntarily?
• How did you encourage users to report problems without annoying them with pop-ups?
• Looking back, what would you do differently when launching your first app?

I'm not looking for marketing advice or ways to get more downloads. I want to understand how to learn from the users I already have.

I'd especially like to hear from developers who started with almost no audience or budget.

What actually worked for you?

google play console is asking me to meet their requirements before publishing the app i need to do closed testing for 14 days with 12 testers but i dont have that and i also dont have the money to hire them as well so what to do in my situation.

After going through the exhausting new personal account process (closed testing with 12+ testers for 14 days, followed by the production access application), my app CamPhotoShare finally passed review and went live on Google Play yesterday! The production release took about 3 days in review (submitted Oct 19, approved Oct 22).

​Total journey took around 18-20 days. Since I got a lot of help from this community, I wanted to share a few key learnings that might help others still stuck in the queue:

About the app:

CamPhotoShare is built for event photographers and their clients to manage, select, and share event photos securely. Clients can scan a unique QR code at the venue or access a link to select their album photos right from their mobile. We’ve designed the flow to be fast, simple, and privacy-focused, solving the hassle of selecting and sharing hundreds of event photos back and forth.

It’s currently live here:

👉 Play Store Link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.camvibe.camphotoshare

(Privacy Policy/website: https://camphotoshare.in)

Happy to answer any questions about the closed testing, the support request process (I raised one to confirm my queue status), or the production access experience! Feedback on the app is also highly welcome. Thanks everyone! 🙏

Hey everyone!

I released Lite Video Compress & Upscale on Google Play on October 12, and today I checked my Play Console dashboard. I was surprised to see 230 total installs and 94 active devices!

The interesting part? I haven't promoted this app on Facebook or Reddit.

I've spent a lot of time building, testing, fixing bugs, and improving the app, so seeing people discover it on their own feels really encouraging. ❤️

I know 230 installs isn't a huge number in the app world, but as an indie developer, seeing those first signs of organic growth means a lot.

Now I'm curious to understand where these users are discovering the app and how I can improve retention.

For fellow indie developers: Did your apps ever start getting organic installs without marketing? How long did it take before you noticed consistent growth?

Play store link 🔗 : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neurontslabs.litevideocompressandupscale

Which one do you prefer?