Lost keystore of published app - it might not even exist? (Google Play Store)

Unity Engine
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1

Hi!

I published an app to the play store back in 2017.

One year later, in 2018 I wanted to make an update and I remember I failed to find the related keystore. Surprisingly I noticed I can publish the game (with the same package name, just by creating a new release in play store as usual) without finding the keystore and without choosing any keystore in Unity under Publishing Settings.

I know that is weird, because of two things: its not the official way in Unity and even the Google Play store should not accept it it is just a debug-signed apk.

I would really think I do remember badly, but I have found a note about that weird thing which exactly states that. In the note I wrote: “weird but no keychain needed for the [XY] app”, so I think I remember well.

Now I am after mac reinstall and I am just using the copied folder of this project.
Everything works well except “I can’t find the keystore”. I though no problem, let’s just do the same as before: tick the “Use existing keychain” settings without providing any path; but this time Google Play Store says my app is signed in debug mode.

My goal is to publish to Google Play Store without having the keystore. I also don’t understand how is that even possible that earlier I did not use any, but it was not rejected by Play Store. I know it does sound ridiculous, but that is true.

Is that possible that earlier (in 2018) by not providing any keystore Unity used some cached value of a keystore from another project, maybe because of a bug? So in that case the keystore does exist somewhere…? How is that possible? I am 100% sure I did not provide any keystore, the app has been already existed and Google accepted many releases since - it until now, when I am after mac “reinstall”.

2

Google Play will reject debug signed .apk packages.

You can check from the .apk what signature was used to sign the package (and maybe that helps you with locating the correct .keystore file)
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7104624/how-do-i-verify-that-an-android-apk-is-signed-with-a-release-certificate

1 Like
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Thank you for the information, I’ll check that. I am quite n00b related to these signing stuff, can you please tell me how can it help me locating the correct .keystore?

4

It depends about how you have managed your .keystore files. My earlier hint is only useful if you e.g. don’t remember name of keystore file, but you still have it somewhere the system (and you can associate that with the info given by jarsigner to your own memory).

If you wiped your system without backing up the .keystore (or .jks) file, it is gone.