Android / Google Account / Google Play Store - Really the most unflexible Evironment ?

[wquatan]

If one has used a gmail-account (having spam-problems now) on a device, it becomes clear how unflexible this environment is. This is the worst development I ever have seen.

1) it's not possible to change the account-name
2) it's not possible to change the email-address for the account
3) it's not possible to transfer (paid/free) apps from one account to another account
4) it's not possible to merge accounts

So it's not possible to get rid of a gmail-account (or email-address) without a lot of effort and losing ALL paid apps.

I can only imagine one reason : the email-address is used as primary-key for linking data in the google data-bases / repositories instead of an (hidden) generated account-identification-key

Too bad, but this first Android-device will be the last one

 

[B. Diddy]

What kind of spam problems are you having with your Gmail account? My Gmail account handles spam exceedingly well -- I never get malicious spam in my normal inboxes, and the promotional stuff that lands in my Spam box is almost never anything I'm interested in.

Is continuing to use Gmail important to you, or do you plan to use a non-Gmail email account? If that's the case, then just keep your Google account and add that other email account to an email client app (either the stock one, if the device came with one, or a 3rd party one like Aqua Mail).

If continuing to use Gmail is important to you, then you should be able to create a new Google account and add that to the device, while keeping the old Google account in order to continue using the associated apps: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/2521798?hl=en

 

[hallux]

The account name and email account are one and the same.
Transfer of apps is up to the developer. It's worth an email to them to explain your situation and ask for reprieve.
You could look into the family sharing for apps. You'd have to maintain the old account and the developer would have to allow family sharing but it's worth a shot.

I'll admit that Apple is a LITTLE more flexible but that's because the AppleID isn't actually an email account. Google's services are pretty tightly integrated so it does make some things difficult, especially in your situation.

 

[wquatan]

OMG, it's even getting worse

When uninstalling an App under Account1 and installing it again under Account2 it appears back in the list of account1 :

Steps:
1) Open PlayStore and Select Account1
2) Uninstall App
3) Verify https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...8/https://play.google.com/apps&token=wRR6qGog for Account1 --> App still there
4) Select tab All in PlayStore and remove App from List
5) Verify https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...8/https://play.google.com/apps&token=wRR6qGog for Account1 --> App is no longer there
6) Open PlayStore and Select Account2
7) Re-install App
8) Verify https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...8/https://play.google.com/apps&token=wRR6qGog for Account1 --> App is listed again

What a mess

 

[hallux]

Go to the website - play.google.com and look at the apps list there. When following the steps you listed on my phone, all the apps I have on my phone show up in the Play Store regardless of which account I have selected. When I look at the Play Store on a browser on my Mac, the list for one os MUCH shorter.

 

[wquatan]

Go to the website - play.google.com and look at the apps list there

That's exactly what I was describing

all the apps I have on my phone show up in the Play Store regardless of which account I have selected

On the phone all accounts are mixed up, on the website not
But that is not the point.

The point is that after steps 6-7-8 the App is installed / listed again under Account1 instead of Account2

 

[B. Diddy]

As an experiment, log into account 2 on your desktop, go to the Play Store, and install the app remotely from there. Wait for the app to install on the phone, and then see which account it's associated with.