How to filter out Phablets and Tablets from Android Play Market?

Question

I have an application that just designed for handsets. I want this application be visible to just handsets in Play market. Based on my research I found that it's impossible. So the solution that I found is adding <support-screen> into manifest.

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="10" android:targetSdkVersion="15"/>

<supports-screens
        android:smallScreens="false"
        android:normalScreens="true"
        android:largeScreens="true"
        android:xlargeScreens="false"
        android:requiresSmallestWidthDp="320"
        android:largestWidthLimitDp="360"/>

Based on what supports-screens says for largestWidthLimitDp :

This attribute allows you to force-enable screen compatibility mode by specifying the maximum "smallest screen width" for which your application is designed. If the smallest side of a device's available screen is greater than your value here, the application runs in screen compatibility mode with no way for the user to disable it.

Since size of GS3 is 720*1080px then I found 720px = 360dp .

However, the problem is Note from document:

Note: Currently, screen compatibility mode emulates only handset screens with a 320dp width, so screen compatibility mode is not applied if your value for android:largestWidthLimitDp is larger than 320.

Therefore it shows android:largestWidthLimitDp is useless at the moment. I think I have two ways:

1- Filter out phablet/tablets from Play console which is not easy (it says your app is compatible with 3030 devices).

2- Displaying gentle apologies! - to say sorry we don't support your device at the moment - in run time. I think this is horrible and brings us 1 starts :(

What you think? Any suggestion would be appreciated. Thanks

Answer 1

When you list your apk in the play store (developer console, you don't have to publish it yet) you can select what devices your app is compatible with. It may be a pain, but you can run through that list and only select the phones you'd like. This is the best way for what you are trying to do.

Otherwise you'd have to resort to options that you listed above such as telling the user "Hey, we don't support your screen size". And no one wants to see that.