Recently when I want to upgrade one of my android apps to the latest build, I found out that I have lost the original android keystore for that particular apps.

Without using the same keystore, I won’t be able to create an upgrade for my apps. So what you should do in that event?

1. Contact Google to recover the keystore.

I tried but unable to get anyone from Google to respond to my email

2. Reach Google to remove the original apps or unpublish it.

A. Go to https://market.android.com/publish/Home and then click the apps you want to remove from your Android market listings

B. On the top right hand side, you can only see 2 button, Unpublish and Save.

C. Based on that the conclusion is you will be unable to remove the apps, only unpublish it.

3. Change the package name

A. Google Android market does not allow 2 apps with the same package name such as

com.package_name.apps, you will need to update the original package_name to something else such as com.new_package_name.apps

B. Once you make the changes you are ready to upload your new

4. Change the original apps title name

A. Say you have an apps called twitter, you can go to https://market.android.com/publish/Home and then click on the original apps

B. Go to the Listing Details box and then Title (English) text box, and update the apps name to something else (such as twitter to twitter basic) and then save it

C. Go to your new apps, and then edit it, and go to the Listing details box and then edit the Title (English) text box with the original name of the applications.

D. Now you will have a new updated apps with the original name of the apps.

5. Update the description of the original apps to point to the new apps

6. The only issue is your original apps won’t be able to do automatic upgrade.  They will need to download and install the apps again, and then remove the old apps.

Related Link:

Android Market