NOTE: This article is the third part of a comprehensive guide on how to create the Google Developer Account and allow Uscreen developers to build and publish your Android and AndroidTV apps on it. Check the summary below and make sure you've followed the steps in Sections 1 and 2, before following this article.
Summary:
After creating your Google Developer Account, setting it up, and sharing the access with Uscreen, there are just a couple more steps required: Create Service Account and share a JSON key with us.
After doing that your account setup is complete and we can get started with your Android and AndroidTV apps development!
Create Google Service Account and JSON key
A Service Account is a special type of Google account intended to represent a user that needs to authenticate and be authorized to access data in Google APIs.
Uscreen developers need this access in order to upload Android and AndroidTV apps to your Google account.
The Service Account login is made through a file in JSON format that will be used as the key to authenticate. We’ll need the account owner to create the Service Account and generate the JSON key and share it with Uscreen.
🛑 Before you begin, open a private browser session/Incognito window, this will allow you to ensure this process will not conflict with any other Google accounts.
Start from your Google Play Console, and make sure you’re logged in with the account owner credentials.
On the Menu click on API access, under Setup:
If you don’t have a project, click on Choose a project to link
On the modal window, you’ll need to agree with the Terms of Service.
Click on Create new project and click on Link project:
After the project has been created and linked, it will look like this:
Now, on this page scroll down to the Service Accounts section and click on the Create Service account link, it’s located in the top-right, aside from the 'Service accounts' title:
It will open a modal with the instructions to create a new Service Account. Don’t click Done and close this popup! Instead, click on the Google Cloud Platform link as shown below:
It will open Google Cloud Platform in another tab of your browser, with the project name 'Google Play Console Developer' listed at the top - If the project name is different, make sure you are using a private window and try again. You should be placed under the Service accounts section. If so, click on Create Service Account:
⚠️ NOTE: If Google Cloud Platform opens and you’re not able to see the option to create a Service Account, or if the screen looks anything different than the screenshot above, please make sure you’re using a private browsing session so that you are logged with the same user on both tabs (Google Play Console and Google Cloud Platform).You can check the account user profile logged in each tab by clicking in the profile icon at the top-right corner of each page.
If you need assistance, please send an email to ott@uscreen.tv and we’ll help you.
Fill the form to create the new service account
- Service account name: You can use ‘Uscreen’ or ‘UscreenOTT’
- Click ‘Create’
Grant service account access to the project
In the Role dropdown, select Owner (this option will appear on the right side)
Then click Continue
Skip 3 and click DONE
You will see this new service account in the list from Step 8
Generate a JSON key:
To the right of this new service account, click the three vertical dots and choose Manage Keys
On the next page, click on Add Key and Create new key
Then select JSON and click on CREATE.
The download will start automatically:
After you have completed the additional steps below, save this JSON file and upload it into your asset collection form (or send directly to ott@uscreen.tv)
Now that you have created the Service Account and shared the JSON key with us, there’s just one more step required: Grant access to this service account on Google Play Console.
Grant access to the Service Account in Google Play Console
If you followed all the steps above, you’ll probably still have Google Play Console open in a tab in your browser.
If that’s not the case, no problem, You can enter on Google Play Console and follow the steps below:1. Click on API access on the menu (refresh this page if your tab is still there)
2. Scroll down to ‘Service accounts’The newly created Service Account must be listed there (uscreen@api-xxxxxx.iam.gserviceaccount.com)
Click on the Manage Play Console permissions link on the right side
In the ‘App access’, under ‘Account Permissions’ select ‘Admin (all permissions’) and click on ‘Invite user’, and ‘Send invite’
Note: this does not send an email anywhere, it will just grant these permissions to the account as intended
3. If you want to review and make sure your Service Account was created correctly and the access was shared, just follow the steps below:
Click on Users and Permissions in the Menu
Check your user's list. There should be at least 2 user accounts:
If you can both accounts are listed, it means you have successfully shared the access with the Uscreen account and created a Service Account. Remember to share the JSON file with us.
Troubleshooting Service Account Setup Process
In step 8 above, you may not be redirected directly to the service account page on the Google Cloud platform. If so, you will want to go to the three horizontal line menu as shown in the screenshot below.
If you still run into issues, please feel free to schedule a call with your assign App Launch Specialist and they will be happy to assist.
Enable Firebase Management and Cloud Resource APIs for push notifications
You must enable these underlying push notification tools. You must do this, because only the developer account owner can take these steps! Then Uscreen handles the rest!
Specifically, you will enable the Firebase Management API and Cloud Resource Manager API in your Google Play Developer Account. These are free services, part of your developer accounts.
Enable Firebase Management API
Navigate to the Firebase Management API: https://console.developers.google.com/apis/api/firebase.googleapis.com/overview
Ensure that "Google Play Console Developer" is the selected project
Select Enable
That's it! Uscreen handles the remaining work to set up your push notifications
Enable Cloud Resource Manager API
Navigate to the Cloud Resource Manager API https://console.developers.google.com/apis/api/cloudresourcemanager.googleapis.com/overview
Ensure that "Google Play Console Developer" is the selected project
Select Enable
That's it! Uscreen handles the remaining work to set up your push notifications
Congratulations! You have successfully completed all the steps required to set up your Google Developer account and shared access to your account with Uscreen!