Hammermill Print free ver. updates to Hammer Print - problem-free process?

[Netherthorpe]

Amazon Appstore's been reminding me for a while that the latest update's available for my free version of Hammermill Print phone app, but I've only just had the time to check that the only update offered, called Hammer Print, is the genuine update (it's my suspicious mind!).

I found a reputable review of Hammer Print, warning that it's not free, but saying that if we'd got the sponsored version before July 1st 2018 (which I did), we shouldn't have any problem. I think it meant that payment wouldn't be required.

I couldn't begrudge the modest price for such a good app - it's just that I need the process to go smoothly (paid or not), and would be grateful for any experiences out there. I'm afraid of even some glitch with payment scuppering the whole thing.

Because I don't live in the US, downloading the Print Hammermill app in the first place was a very fiddly process that I'd rather not have to repeat. (I don't think Hammermill would mind, by the way - I guess they have a big enough market for their paper there without fiddling about with apps in Europe, and there's no harm in spreading their name around). My phone's the only device I can print anything from at present, with computers out of order. And it's the only app that'll work with my printer (Canon's own being useless).

The review said that to avoid problems with the update, we shouldn't uninstall the original free Hammermill Print first (but then I'd be reluctant to anyway, before I'm sure I can hang on to Hammermill!).

Has anyone out there done this upgrade, and did they encounter any problems?

Moto G 2015 3rd gen, Android 6.1

 

[B. Diddy]

It's possible that Hammermill came out with the new Hammer Print app and deprecated the older Hammermill Print app in the Play Store. Amazon Appstore is notorious for lagging behind with app updates from the developer (because from what I understand, the dev has to go through a completely separate process to submit an app update to Amazon compared to the Play Store. So it's possible the update the Appstore is prompting you to do is the most recent (and last) update to the deprecated free app. But to be sure, you may want to send an email to the developer's support team.

 

[Netherthorpe]

Thank you for your thoughts, B.

When I got Hammermill Print in December 2017, Play Store showed it to me but said it wasn't available in my region, so I searched the problem. The final step in the method I used was getting it from Appstore, which I’d only seen mentioned re iPhones (I blame Google’s rampant ‘personalisation’, but won’t start on a rant here!).

You were right about Hammermill discontinuing their Play Store app - I’ve just searched there for it for the first time since 2017, and the only Hammermill app still there is a little game I that I remember seeing then.

On reflection, there probably aren’t many people with experience of these particular circumstances; using Hammermill apps in a small country like Ireland, within whose web domain there’s no mention of them that I can find; depending on a phone for the internet and in a rural area. (And with the tenacity born of having a computer since the mid 1980s, when getting them and printers on speaking terms really was fiddly!).

So I think It’ll be quicker after all to just go ahead and see what happens. (But I’ll report back just in case there are others it might help).

 

[Netherthorpe]

It worked. I looked out my notes first from the original, complicated Hammermill download, but I didn't need them - the process was very quick and easy. I wasn't asked for any money (not that I would have objected).

I'd kept the Amazon Appstore app I got when getting Hammermill originally, so simply opened it, found Hammer Print and hit Download, and about 2 minutes later it was job done. (As advised, I'd left the older app installed). My settings were kept, and the only.difference I've noticed yet is with the app's icon and loading page, and (I think) faster sending to the printer. So far I've only tested with a Gallery image, a Gmail message and a web page, but all went smoothly (once I'd realised the Canon printer I'd been trying to print from was that of a relative in another country, and selected my own Canon!).

For anyone in the same situation, the main thing seems to be to leave the original app installed.

And if getting the original one was complicated because of location, it might be necessary to use only the Amazon Appstore app to reach the upgrade (I don't know; I force-stopped Google (and even Opera) before starting, in case they led to complications - people not in the US will understand!).