Google Play stuck on expansion file upload (OBB)

Question

I'm having problems uploading expansion files (.obb) to the Google Play Developer Console. As usual, I upload the new APK version first and on the subsequent dialog I drag-in/browse the OBB file. The OBB file starts uploading but half-way through the upload gets stuck. The only option from then on is to "Cancel" the upload.

Things that I have tried and discovered:

• The freeze usually happens at about 10-40% of the upload, but it seems to be random, it is at a different place every time.

• Waiting for hours on end doesn't progress the upload any further.

• I've tried the same procedure with Safari on Mac OS X and Firefox on Windows - the same thing happens.

• I've read around the internet that some people had problems with the upload getting stuck at 99%, and that this was due to the Console being hacked back then. But the Console has been fixed months ago, and I'm never able to get beyond 50%, let alone 99

• I've uploaded and updated dozens (literally) other apps to Google Play in the past and have never had such a problem before

• I tried pushing an update to one of the other apps and it freezes the same way in the OBB upload, after successfully uploading the APK. So this happens for both new and existing apps.

• I've properly incremented the version number and code

• The internet connection is working properly

• I waited for a day to see if the problem will go away by itself. No luck.

• I also tried swearing at it. It didn't help either.

• The APK is 7MB, the expansion file is 102MB. Nothing extraordinary.

Finally, here's the result of the "aapt dump badging" command for the APK. I read somewhere that it might matter:

C:\Android\sdk\build-tools\19.0.3>aapt dump badging MiniSchool.apk
package: name='com.divineaps.en.miniclub.full' versionCode='15' versionName='2.2
.1'
sdkVersion:'8'
targetSdkVersion:'16'
uses-permission:'android.permission.INTERNET'
uses-permission:'android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE'
uses-permission:'com.divineaps.en.miniclub.full.permission.C2D_MESSAGE'
uses-permission:'com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE'
uses-permission:'android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS'
uses-permission:'com.android.vending.CHECK_LICENSE'
uses-permission:'android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED'
uses-gl-es:'0x20000'
uses-feature-not-required:'android.hardware.telephony'
uses-feature-not-required:'android.hardware.screen.portrait'
uses-feature:'android.hardware.screen.landscape'
application-label:'MiniSchool'
application-label-he:'MiniSchool'
application-label-es:'MiniSchool'
application-label-iw:'MiniSchool'
application-icon-120:'res/drawable-ldpi/icon.png'
application-icon-160:'res/drawable-mdpi/icon.png'
application-icon-240:'res/drawable-hdpi/icon.png'
application-icon-320:'res/drawable-xhdpi/icon.png'
application-icon-480:'res/drawable-xxhdpi/icon.png'
application: label='MiniSchool' icon='res/drawable-mdpi/icon.png'
launchable-activity: name='com.ansca.corona.CoronaActivity'  label='MiniSchool'
icon=''
uses-permission:'android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE'
uses-implied-permission:'android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE','requested WR
ITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE'
uses-feature:'android.hardware.touchscreen'
uses-implied-feature:'android.hardware.touchscreen','assumed you require a touch
 screen unless explicitly made optional'
main
other-activities
other-receivers
other-services
supports-screens: 'small' 'normal' 'large' 'xlarge'
supports-any-density: 'true'
locales: '--_--' 'he' 'es' 'iw'
densities: '120' '160' '240' '320' '480'
native-code: 'armeabi-v7a' 'lib/'

Answer 1

The cause of this problem remained unclear. But it turned out that using Firefox on Windows (version 30) had about 50:50 chance of successfully completing the upload, even if the Mac OS X Safari never made it to 100%. So try this if you stumble upon this issue