I’m developing a mobile game and started off using Unreal version 5.3. Everything was going smoothly until I reached the part involving in-app purchases (IAP). After encountering comments indicating that the IAP process was broken, I decided to take a step back and start by querying the Play Store for the IAP items. Once I finished the configuration, I successfully retrieved the IAP items from the store. The next step was to perform the actual purchase, but at this point, I encountered a major hurdle. Every time I tried to use the “Start an In-app Purchase” node, the app crashed with a Java error related to not finding a string class. People suggested recompiling Unreal with some changes to avoid this issue. However, I thought, “Why not try version 5.4?” I migrated from 5.3 and was forced to disable almost all the plugins. After that, I was able to perform the IAP purchase without any issues.
A few tips:
To ensure the IAP works, you must sign the app in shipping mode and create an internal testing setup in the Play Console.
Use Play Services for achievements, even if you aren’t using achievements.
Follow the official Android documentation to set up all the necessary Play Store keys and permissions.
Unfortunately, after spending days on it, this was the only way I was able to test the in-app purchases (IAP) in a real scenario. Initially, configuring and setting up everything in the Play Console was a hassle, but now I simply compile a new version.
You can still test it immediately just to ensure the nodes are functioning correctly, but be aware that they will return simulated data. I preferred to test it right away in a real scenario, although it’s still an internal test, so nothing is published yet. I would suggest you could test in debug mode, but you need to configure your debug keys in the Google Play Console. I might try that next.
I’m not using ads in my games. However, you might want to consider using a plugin. One of the plugins I’m considering buying, should I encounter more issues, is offered by Nineva Studios. For now, I’m good, but if I need to purchase one, I would choose them because their Discord is very active and their support seems good. You can check them out here: Nineva Studios on Unreal Engine Marketplace.
Try updating the code for the AndroidAdvertising_APL.xml. It worked for me on version 5.4.2, with both banner and interstitial ads functioning correctly.
Hey, I just want to know is this GDPR compliant? I couldn’t see any GDPR consent messaging in this APL. I think we need to request the consent even before initializing the ad sdk right?
