Google removed an app i paid license for?

[Double44]

I decide to read reviews for an app i purchased a few months back called "BT Controller", a bluetooth-based controller useful for emulation.. it was one of my faves.

Anyway, I could not find the app in the 'Installed' apps section of the Play Store, or the 'All' apps section.. it was completely gone. Usually i can find a removed app in the 'All' section, but this particular app was completely wiped. I am angry because i paid license for the **** thing, and Google snagged it for reasons the user will never get to know.

If I was on Gingerbread, i could have backed up the APK file without rooting.. but because I'm on Kitkat, the only way to backup paid apps is to root. I think it is well within their right to remove the app from the Play Store, but to completely prevent the user from re-downloading the removed app at a later time? How is any of that legal.. i mean it could have been a 15$ game like 'Final Fantasy', or an app using microtransactions.

 

[johnny_w]

I can't answer if google can remove it from your phone but I think I found the app here: BT Controller v1.5.4.3
Perhaps you can re-download it and contact them to get the pro version without having to pay again? Email address: droidbean@gmail.com
Webpage here: https://sites.google.com/site/droidbean/home

 

[vosg]

It's not true that you have to be rooted to backup apps on kitkat.

 

[chanchan05]

I've backed up paid apps on Helium and I've never rooted my current phone.

 

[Double44]

I can't answer if google can remove it from your phone but I think I found the app here: BT Controller v1.5.4.3
Perhaps you can re-download it and contact them to get the pro version without having to pay again? Email address: droidbean@gmail.com
Webpage here: https://sites.google.com/site/droidbean/home

I contacted them, but they did not respond. I actually contacted Google and they refunded me the money. Thanks for the link

It's not true that you have to be rooted to backup apps on kitkat.

On stock, you can only backup free apps, not paid apps. On Gingerbread, you could backup both free and paid. I think they changed this in later versions because the refunding was likely being abused.

 

[funkylogik]

I contacted them, but they did not respond. I actually contacted Google and they refunded me the money. Thanks for the link

On stock, you can only backup free apps, not paid apps. On Gingerbread, you could backup both free and paid. I think they changed this in later versions because the refunding was likely being abused.

As Chanchan said, you can use the Helium app by Chainfire to back up apps on an unrooted device mate, for future reference. Glad Google sorted u out though :thumbup: