The Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal now offers the ability to submit separate APKs for Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD 7", Kindle Fire HD 8.9", and general Android (all non-Amazon) devices. You can find a brief overview of device targeting use in the Distribution Portal here. Below is a more detailed example of exactly how this new feature can be used.

In this example we will target all non-Amazon devices with one binary, and all Amazon devices with another binary. In order to accomplish this using our device targeting, you should create two APKs, following these steps:

Create your first binary—let’s refer to it as Binary1. Edit the Binary1 manifest.xml file so that it conforms to standard Android device targeting naming conventions. Let’s use a version name of { 1.0 } and a version code of { 1 }. Your package name stays the same for both binary(s).

NOTE: Binary1 is your non-Amazon device binary. Regardless of whether you will be updating this binary in the future, you will need to keep it as part of your future submissions for backward compatibility.

Create your second binary—let’s refer to it as Binary2. Edit your Binary2 manifest.xml file so that it conforms to device targeting naming conventions – this is done in your apps manifest.xml file. Let’s use a version name of { 1.0 } (note that version names must be the same) and a version code of { 2 } (note that version codes must be different). Your package name stays the same. Make sure that your version names for Binary1 and Binary2 are the same, and that your version codes for Binary1 and Binary2 are different.

NOTE: Binary2 is your Amazon device specific binary { xx.apk, 1.0 , 2 }. This will be submitted along with Binary1 later in the process.

You now have everything ready to submit your new app version to the Distribution Portal for testing.

1.     Sign into the Distribution Portal

2.     Go to My Apps > [choose your app]

NOTE: If you are creating a new app, you will need to select Add a New App and complete all of the tabs prior to the Binary File(s) before you will be able to upload your binaries. If you are simply creating a new version to an existing app, Add Upcoming Version (your metadata will be copied from the prior version).

3.     Fill out the fields for Binary1 (your non-Amazon version) and upload Binary1

a.     You will need to complete the prior tabs before being able to access the Binary File(s) tab

b.     Select whether or not you wish to have Amazon DRM applied to your app

c.     Click into the Binary File square to upload Binary1

d.Check/uncheck the appropriate boxes for which devices you want Binary1 to support—in this example, we unchecked all but the top box for All non-Amazon Android devices based on my manifest

e.     Select the languages your binary supports

f.      Be sure to check the Export Compliance checkbox

g.     The binary alias will default to Binary1—change the name as desired

4.     Select Save and Add a Binary

5.     Fill out the fields for Binary2 (your Amazon device version) and upload Binary2

a.     Select whether or not you wish to have Amazon DRM applied to your app

b.     Click into the Binary File square to upload Binary2

c.Check/uncheck the appropriate boxes for which devices you want Binary2 to support—in this example, we left the boxes checked for all Amazon devices: Kindle Fire (1^st Generation), Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HD 8.9

d.     Select the languages your binary supports

e.     Be sure to check the Export Compliance checkbox

f.      The binary alias will default to Binary1—change the name as desired

NOTE: The server will automatically fill in any devices that are not yet supported in the Device Support section. If you do not have any further devices to support, the Save and Add a Binary button is no longer active. This is a good check to make sure you have addressed all available devices and everything has been accounted for.

6.     Select Save

If you update an app, make sure you are targeting (at least) the same set of devices as you did with your original version. For example, if you were supporting Kindle Fire (1st Generation), Kindle Fire, and Kindle Fire HD before, ensure that between Binary1 and Binary2 you are still supporting Kindle Fire (1st Generation), Kindle Fire, and Kindle Fire HD.

If you are switching to multi-binary in an app update, it is a good idea to add a release note (the Release Note tab will appear when you update an app) indicating that you are addressing backward compatibility to set proper expectations for your users. Something like the following would be appropriate: “This update addresses backward compatibility for non-Amazon devices in the Amazon store.”

Don’t forget to Submit Your App for testing after making your updates in the Distribution Portal!

When uploading multimedia or binary files to your Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal account, files larger than 100 MB must be uploaded using FTP. To upload your larger assets using FTP, simply follow the below instructions:

We’re coming up on the second anniversary of the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Program and wanted to review some of the basics, since so much has been updated in the past year. If you’re new to the Mobile App Distribution Portal and you’re looking to sign up and start submitting apps,the first step is to create a Distribution Portal account. Here’s how:

1.  Go to http://developer.amazon.com/

2.  Click on Mobile App Distribution

3.  Click on Create an Account

4.  Enter your e-mail address and ensure the I am a new customer radio button is selected

5.  Click Sign in using our secure server 

6.  Complete the fields on the Registration page and click Create account

7.  Complete the fields on the 1. Profile Information tab-note that a red asterisk denotes required fields

Optional Fields

• Developer description - You may enter a company description in this field that will appear on the web and mobile detail pages for your apps
• Customer support email address, phone, and website - You may provide customer support contact information

8.  Click Save and Continue 

9.  Review and accept the Mobile App Distribution Agreement by clicking Accept and Continue 

10.  Complete the fields on the 2. Royalty Payments tab as applicable and click Save and Complete 

Welcome to your Mobile App Distribution Portal account. You are now ready to submit your apps.

We’re coming up on the second anniversary of the Amazon Appstore for Android and wanted to review some of the basics, since so much has been updated in the past year. If you’re new to the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal and you’re looking to sign up and start submitting apps,the first step is to create a Distribution Portal account. Here’s how: go to http://developer.amazon.com, click on "Mobile App Distribution".

One question developers commonly ask us is how they can grow their business by introducing their app to new Amazon customers.  The Amazon team is here to help. Each day this week we’ll offer a tip on how to market your app on Amazon. 

Marketing Tip #1:  Start with your best foot forward.  Write an effective app title and description.

The title and description of your app is a key opportunity to impress potential customers.  By writing an effective description, you can generate excitement about your app and increase the number of customer downloads of your app.  This is your chance to sell your app to customers! 

Title

The title is the first thing a customer sees and may even be the term they searched on. It appears at the very top of the product detail page, right above your company name.

• Keep it simple. Don’t include extraneous marketing verbiage such as “MyAppTitle – the best most greatest app in the whole wide world and beyond!!!!!!!!”
• Make it readable. Unless your app has special capitalization (PicSay, SwiftKey, SeekDroid), capitalize the first and last words of the title, no matter what part of speech. Between those words, capitalize each word except for coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, and for), articles (the, a, an), and prepositions of four or fewer letters.
• Be concise. No more than 100 characters—it’s a title, not a Tweet!
• Be clear. If your app has multiple versions, let your customer know by calling it out in the title (e.g., Premium, Pro, Lite, Donate, Free).

Description

The description provides you the opportunity to sell your customer on downloading/purchasing your app.   Consider your audience. Who is your app’s target customer? Make sure the customer knows you are speaking to their interests.  What is your app’s point of differentiation? What are the key features of the app? Let customers know why this app is special and something they would enjoy or need.

Check out the recommendations we shared with you last year here on the blog for writing an effective description.

Do:

• Always use proper punctuation and grammar.
• Introduce your app clearly and succinctly.
• Describe your app's most notable features. 
• Use conversational language.
• Think about your target customer and highlight features that will appeal to that customer.
• Explain how and why your app will benefit users.
• Show off—don't forget to include the attributes that make your app stand out and feel free to do so in detail.

Don't:

• Refer to your app only as "this app" or "an app"—use your app's full name at least once in your product description
• Make false, hyperbolic claims—this type of marketing rarely works and may hurt your app in the long run
• Just write one single sentence—there's more to your app
• Simply list your app's features, explain why these features are awesome and worth adding to a customer’s app collection
• Exercise atypical or inappropriate language that could mislead or confuse customers
• Use excess punctuation that could distract from the information you are conveying.

Editing App Descriptions from the Distribution Portal

1) To edit your app description from the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal, navigate to the My Apps tab. 

2) Select the app you'd like to edit and navigate to the Description tab for that app.

3) Edit your app description and save it.

The distribution portal is now available to developers looking to sell their apps outside of the U.S. Apps will be made available for distribution in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain later this summer, with plans for further global expansion in the future. To prepare for this expansion, developers can now localize their apps by adding marketplace-specific pricing as well as language translations for your apps, in-app purchasable (IAP) items and subscriptions. We’ve also updated the design of the distribution portal, and optimized it to improve your experience when adding, updating, and reporting on your apps, IAP items and subscriptions. This post provides an overview of the steps to localize your app within the Distribution Portal. 

Updating Your App Metadata

1. Within the distribution portal, choose the app that you want to edit and click on the app.

2.  Confirm the countries where you’d like your apps to be made available by clicking on the Availability and Pricing tab in My Apps. This tab also lets you set list prices by marketplace. Developers allowing Amazon to sell apps internationally are responsible for ensuring their apps comply with all applicable export and import restrictions and the laws of the countries in which the apps are sold.

3. Set the list price for each marketplace by setting the base list price and the currency of the list price. Unlike the U.S., the list prices that you set for each E.U. marketplace should be your suggested price inclusive of any VAT or similar taxes. These taxes are deducted from the list price when calculating royalties. If you do not set unique list prices for each marketplace, Amazon will calculate the list prices for you based on current exchange rates.

4. Provide translated descriptions for app detail pages by navigating to the Description tab, editing the English (U.S.) description, and then choosing the option to add a new language. Languages available include English (U.K.), German, French, Italian and Spanish. You will be able to add language translations for the app title, short and long description, keywords, and product feature bullets.

5. You will be able to go back and edit any of the above until you hit submit. Once you submit your app, it will be in the review state, and you will not be able to edit your app.

Updating In-App Items and Subscriptions

First find the related app, and then navigate to the IAP items or subscriptions. Follow the same process for setting availability, list prices and description.

Updating Your Binary File

1. From within the app you want to edit, click the Add Upcoming Version link.

2. Within the Binary tab, you can now select the locales which you support. You can display localized versions of any string in your app or any sound or graphic by leveraging localization best practices and using resource files to provide the appropriate translation or asset. If you have already provided an APK that supports multiple languages, you will not need to take any action.

3. You will be able to go back and edit any of the above until you hit submit. Once you submit your app, it will be in the review state, and you will not be able to edit your app.

With the launch of app availability in new countries, our reporting will split sales, earnings, and payments by marketplace. In addition, new payment reporting will enable you to track when a payment was made and the amount by marketplace.

For more information on international distribution, read our FAQs.

If you missed Kindle Fire and Your App(s) Part I and Part II, be sure to check them out!

How do you get a high-resolution icon for your app to display on Kindle Fire?

The icons on Kindle Fire are dynamically pulled from the Amazon Appstore for Android. Side-loaded apps cannot use this feature. Once you've submitted your app, and it's live in the Amazon Appstore, your app's appropriate icon will automatically be displayed.

You set up an emulator per the specifications in the Kindle Fire FAQ but the screen is being recognized as an x-large screen instead of a large screen, and loading assets accordingly. How do you fix this?

The default Android emulator mis-identifies the screen size as x-large instead of large with the standard emulator configuration. To override the configuration, complete the following on your activity onCreate method (before loading layouts or anything else):

final Configuration config = new Configuration(context.getResources().getConfiguration()); config.screenLayout = (config.screenLayout & Configuration.SCREENLAYOUT_LONG_MASK) + Configuration.SCREENLAYOUT_SIZE_LARGE; context.getResources().updateConfiguration(context.getResources().getConfiguration(), context.getResources().getDisplayMetrics());

Taking this action will ensure the emulator configuration properly uses the large screen size and loads the appropriate assets.

How do you keep the soft key menu on Kindle Fire visible at all times, instead of partially hidden?

To keep the menu bar present at all times, remove any code in the activities that enables full screen mode. The soft key bar at the bottom will then be visible at all times. Sample code to remove:

getWindow().setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_FULLSCREEN,WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_FULLSCREEN);

How do you connect Kindle Fire to Android Debug Bridge (ADB)?

To connect Kindle Fire to your Android Debug Bridge (ADB), follow the instructions in this PDF. Kindle Fire has USB debugging enabled by default.

Your app requires access to Google Mobile Services. Will it work on Kindle Fire?

Apps that run on Kindle Fire do not currently have access to Google Mobile Services (GMS). If your app currently requires access to GMS apps or services, we recommend that you either remove the features that require these services or modify them to degrade gracefully when invoked (e.g., with an error message such as: "This feature is not currently available on this device.").

Your app is optimized for the Motorola Xoom (Honeycomb 3.0-based Android). Will it work on Kindle Fire?

In general, apps optimized for a tablet experience will work on Kindle Fire. To increase the probability that your app will be compatible with Kindle Fire, you should only use APIs that are backwards compatible with Gingerbread (Android 2.3 OS).

What are the dimensions of the status bar (time, battery, signal strength, etc.) on Kindle Fire?

The status bar is 40 pixels in height.

How can you promote your app to Kindle Fire users?

We encourage you to promote your app's availability on Kindle Fire and in the Amazon Appstore for Android using Amazon-approved marketing assets. Developer Portal account holders can find Amazon approved marketing assets and brand, trademark and marketing guidelines here:

Amazon Appstore for Android Trademark Usage, Brand, and Marketing Guidelines

How do you get your app marketed on Kindle Fire?

All apps in the Amazon Appstore for Android are discoverable by millions of Amazon customers. Amazon's automated and targeted marketing and merchandising algorithms provide a unique and personalized shopping experience for every Amazon customer.

The Free App of the Day is our premier promotion in the Amazon Appstore for Android.  Each day, the app we select is featured in some of the most visible placements in the Amazon Appstore.  These placements and the exposure they provide drive significant traffic to the featured apps and allow the developers to quickly grow their installed base.  In fact, it is common for apps to be downloaded more than 150,000 times on the day they are featured in the Free App of the Day.  That volume of new users can not only generate great word-of-mouth publicity for your app, but can also provide a compelling opportunity for you to monetize your apps downstream through features like in-app purchasing and advertising.

If you'd like to submit your app for inclusion in the Free App of the Day program, please complete this form.

A few months ago, Amazon introduced Kindle Fire and, here on the blog, we talked about how you can get your app(s) onto Kindle Fire. We endeavor to provide our developers with useful, relevant information to help you develop your app(s) and we continue to get queries about developing for Kindle Fire. We have more information to share!

Your app requires an SD card—does Kindle Fire have one?

Kindle Fire has an internal SD card that your app can write to. Kindle Fire's SD card is internal and is not removable. You should not have to change your app for Kindle Fire if it currently stores data on the SD card. Using getExternalStorageDirectory() will enable you to write to the internal SD card on Kindle Fire.

Your app uses Adobe Air—will it work on Kindle Fire?

Yes, Adobe Air 2.7.1.1999 is pre-installed on Kindle Fire. If you wish to create and publish Adobe AIR 3 applications, you may do so by packaging them as 'captive runtime' apps. Note that captive runtime apps will not support on-device debugging.

Your app needs the support of an e-mail client—is that a feature of Kindle Fire?

Kindle Fire has a pre-installed e-mail client that will respond to both mailto links and e-mail intents.

How do you configure the supports-screens element for compatibility with Kindle Fire?

To ensure your app is compatible with Kindle Fire, specify <supports-screen android:largeScreens="true"/> in your manifest file.

Your app has audio—what audio playback does Kindle Fire support?

Kindle Fire supports the following audio formats natively:

• AAC LC/LTP
• HE-AACv1 (AAC+)
• HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+)
• AMR-NB
• AMR-WB
• MP3
• MIDI
• Ogg Vorbis
• PCM/WAVE

You plan to upgrade your app to Android v4.x (Ice Cream Sandwich)—will your upgraded app work on Kindle Fire?

To increase the probability that your app will be compatible with Kindle Fire, you should only use Android 4.x APIs that are backwards compatible with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Your app has lots features—what specific features does Kindle Fire support?

Kindle Fire supports the features in the following list. To ensure your app is compatible with Kindle Fire, it should only use features found in this list.

Note: Effective 08-26-2015 Free App of the Day (FAD) has been replaced with Amazon Underground.

Fire Maple Games is a mobile app developer located in Garnet Valley, PA. Their adventure game app, The Secret of Grisly Manor, continues to be a best-selling title since the launch of the Amazon Appstore for Android in March 2011. The sharp graphics and engaging storyline of this hidden object game continue to amass downloads and excellent reviews.

Fire Maple Games has taken advantage of many Amazon Appstore offerings including the Free App of the Day promotion. The Free App of the Day program has offered customers a paid app, for free, every day since the launch of the store. Additional, Fire Maple Games capitalized on app placement throughout the store and targeted e-mail campaigns. They also optimized their application for the Kindle Fire. By leveraging the Amazon Appstore platform, downloads of The Secret of Grisly Manor have seen significant gains on a weekly basis.

Initially engaged by the Free App of the Day promotion out of pure curiosity—what does and does not work when selling apps?—Fire Maple Games was pleased with the level of exposure they got from participating. “It was a fantastic increase of our user base,” said Joe Kauffman, owner of Fire Maple Games. “It wasn’t directly profitable, of course, as we were giving the game away for free, but now many more people have been exposed to the company and our games.” Kauffman has gotten many e-mails from people saying they would definitely buy the company’s next game. “For an indie developer on a limited budget, it was a great way to get the game into lots of people's hands,” he added.

Fire Maple Games joined the Amazon Appstore in November 2010 and was part of the Amazon Appstore launch four months later. “Amazon is such a great brand with such a powerful presence…we had high hopes for the Amazon Appstore for Android,” Kauffman said. They were also intrigued by the approval process and liked “that the apps would be curated, so a nicer selection of apps could be promoted.”

Fire Maple Games recently added a second adventure game, The Lost City, to their Amazon Appstore catalog, and the app has been getting stellar reviews. With the traction Fire Maple Games has seen thus far, new titles are sure to be a hit. “We use previous games to cross-sell new games,” Kauffman explained. “It seems to be working pretty well…both games have stayed within the Top 25!”

Kauffman revealed that the company hasn’t gotten any specific emails from customers regarding their experience with the Amazon Appstore and that that is a good thing: “It means that the process is pretty seamless. I recommend that everyone partner with Amazon! It is a nice, curated app-store with a great customer experience.”

One great benefit to having your app on the Amazon Appstore for Android is cross-promotion. Cross-promotion is a form of marketing where customers of one product are targeted with promotion of a related product. Amazon.com has millions of customers, and those customers purchase tens of thousands of products every day. With so many great products (and customers), we have the unique ability to employ cross-promotion, even across product categories.

So, what do you need to do? Nothing! By default, apps that are published in the Amazon Appstore qualify to get picked up in the cross-merchandising widgets and promotions.

In the below image, you’ll see the product detail page for an Android app. In the Customers Who Bought Related Items Also Bought widget right below the general app information, you see that our site is automatically recommending a USB cable to the customer who is interested in this app—simply because other customers purchased similar items.

Similarly, in the following image, you can see the Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought widget. This form of cross-promotion allows customers to make informed decisions about which apps they purchase while also showing them additional apps that might interest them.

Another Amazon widget that can benefit your app is the What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item? widget. Below, the widget is appearing on the product detail page for a tablet device and is advertising an app that was purchased by a customer who also purchased the tablet.

All of the above-mentioned widgets are automated, but we also have the ability to manually cross-promote your app. In the following image, note that on the product detail page for a hardcover copy of this Dr. Seuss book, we’ve added a recommendation for the related Android app.

Cross-promotion means customers can discover your app in a number of ways—not just by searching on the title or category. And over time, your app sales have the potential to increase, purely based on this cross-promotion. That’s never a bad thing, right?

Recently Amazon released Kindle Fire, our newest addition to the Kindle family that showcases a color touch display and provides instant access to the Amazon Appstore for Android and Amazon’s massive selection of digital content, as well as free storage in the Amazon Cloud.

Kindle Fire puts Amazon’s digital powerhouse of content at customers’ fingertips. In addition to the thousands of popular apps and games available in the Amazon Appstore for Android, customers can also choose from over 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books—and all of their Amazon content is automatically stored in the Amazon cloud, free of charge. Web browsing is simple and fast with Amazon Silk and an even better experience because of the Kindle Fire’s vibrant color touchscreen with an extra-wide viewing angle. All this, plus a fast, powerful dual-core processor, and an unbeatable price, make us proud of this newest member of our Kindle family.

Don’t take our word on it though—we’re not the only ones admiring Kindle Fire!

The first easy-to-use, affordable small-screen tablet, the Amazon Kindle Fire is revolutionary...I can't emphasize this "ease of use" thing enough. More than anything else, that's what's been holding non-iPad tablets back. Amazon cracked it. End of story." - PC Mag

"The Kindle Fire is a 7-inch tablet that links seamlessly with Amazon's impressive collection of digital music, video, magazine, and book services in one easy-to-use package. It boasts a great Web browser, and its curated Android app store includes most of the big must-have apps (such as Netflix, Pandora, and Hulu). The Fire has an ultra-affordable price tag, and the screen quality is exceptional for the price." – CNET

How do you get your app onto the Kindle Fire?

Submit it! Simply join the Amazon Appstore Developer Program, if you haven’t already, and submit your app using the Amazon Appstore Developer Portal just as you would if you were submitting to our store for any other supported Android device. All apps will go through regular Amazon Appstore testing, as well as testing for Kindle Fire.

What are the requirements for your app to work on Kindle Fire?

For your app to work on Kindle Fire, it needs to be compatible with the device's specifications. At a high level, it must be optimized for non-Google Mobile Services (GMS), Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread), and a 7" screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600. Your app cannot require a gyroscope, camera, WAN module, Bluetooth, microphone, GPS, or micro-SD to function. In addition, your app must not be a theme or wallpaper that manipulates the user interface of the device. As with any other app submission to the Amazon Appstore for Android, your app will also need to comply with our Content Guidelines. For additional information, please visit our Kindle Fire FAQs.

What if your app was already submitted - will it be considered?

Yes. If you already have an app published in the Amazon Appstore for Android, we will automatically review the app for Kindle Fire compatibility. We're currently in the process of testing our entire catalog of published apps to ensure each app provides a high-quality customer experience on Kindle Fire.

What if you want to test your app(s) prior to submitting?

We strongly recommend you test your app on your own and submit an update if you discover any problems. It is possible to configure a standard Android emulator to simulate the Kindle Fire device platform. You should configure your emulator with the following characteristics:

• Width: 600px
• Height: 1024px (the device will reserve 20px of the height to display a soft key menu, yielding a height of 1004px when in full-screen mode)
• Abstracted LCD Density: 169
• Target: Android 2.3.4 - API Level 10
• RAM: 512 MB

If you haven’t already submitted your apps, submit via the Amazon Appstore Developer Portal. Interested in marketing opportunities?  Fill out our marketing request form.