Release a Android SDK for Piwik - Mobile App Analytics

[mattab]

Android Apps deserve the right to use the power of the Piwik analytics platform. We would like to create a new open source Android SDK for Mobile Analytics for Piwik.

iOS mobile app can already be tracked using iOS apps analytics with Piwik. See iOS SDK project on Github.

We need Android SDK. SDK Contact us if you are interested. We are looking for funding and beta testers...

Notes:

• Does it make sense to reuse the Java Tracker client and implement there the full Piwik Tracking API methods?
• More specifications to come, stay tuned

Let us know in the comments, if you need this Android SDK!

[mattab]

This ticket is needed for the bigger picture & vision for the open Piwik platform. Learn more in #4734

[mattab]

Requirements

• Fail silently in case of errors when tracking - the user should not see any error related to Piwik.
• Track app downloads
  • eg. The first time the app is launched, send a one-time "Download" event. If the event was not sent successfully, re-try the next time the app is launched or when Internet is back.
• We need full support for User ID: #3490 to let you track a user accurately. Also would let you track same user across multiple apps
• we need full support for event tracking: #472
• Tracking API Parameters that can be set within the SDK should be set. This includes for example the local time (parameters h, m and s).
• Get inspiration from Google Analytics Android SDK v4 so that developers can easily switch from GA SDK to Piwik SDK
• Support for Ecommerce payment type tracking #3646
• Support for Ecommerce shipping tracking: #4758

Optional, not MVP:

• When app is offline, queue events, and send them as bulk, when the app is back online
  • note: we will need to disable token_auth check for bulk requests for mobile apps
• Track interesting info automatically
  • could we track the current connection (wifi, 3g, 4g, etc.) as a custom variable?
  • Track current App name + App version
• Build a timer function that could be used by SDK users to send events with time value.
  • This would be used to measure time it takes to do particular actions. A timer object would be created with a string ID, and can be stopped anytime later. When it is stopped, we send an event to Piwik, the value being the time elapsed in seconds since the start of the timer. This will let users see reports of time it takes to do specific actions.
• Would be nice to also work on: #4734

[mattab]

The Android SDK requires: #4994 Improvements to Tracking API for easier Mobile Apps Tracking

[mattab]

Work has started on the Android SDK for Piwik! checkout the project on Github: https://github.com/piwik/piwik-android-sdk/

If you are familiar with Android App development and want to help us, please comment in this issue: https://github.com/piwik/piwik-android-sdk/issues/1

[j-mo]

What is the current status of the Android SDK?

[mattab]

@j-mo check out the other project in Github. You can download the SDK, it's ready to be used and is already being tested in the wild! :+1:

[GeethaAnne]

hi @mattab I am looking for android sdk of piwik for tracking my android app's usage. is the develpoment done?? Please let me know im in need. thanks

[dotsbb]

@GeethaAnne @j-mo Hi guys, take a look at beta version of Android SDK here https://github.com/piwik/piwik-sdk-android We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions.

[mattab]

Hi guys, have you had a chance to test the Android SDK for Piwik? Some users are having success with it but we'd love to get more feedback.

Our next step is to write a guide for the SDK: https://github.com/piwik/piwik-sdk-android/issues/11

Let us know how the SDK is working for you!

[mattab]

Update: the guide has been written by @dotsbb and is available at: https://github.com/piwik/piwik-sdk-android

This ticket can almost be closed, what do you think @dotsbb ?

[mattab]

Closing the issue as the Android SDK is used with success in production. Please report all your feedback and bug reports and suggestions in the issue tracker here: https://github.com/piwik/piwik-android-sdk/issues

[mattab]

Kuddos @dotsbb for this great project!!