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I am about to release my first firsion of an android app.

I was thinking about using android's licensing service (LVL) for my app. But now I am not sure if it wouldn't be better just not to use any licensing service.

  • a) LVL can be cracked anyhow
  • b) LVL causes some delay of my app

What do you guys think ?! Do you have any experience with using / not using LVL ? Do I have any alternatives ?!


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a) LVL can be cracked anyhow

LVL is definitely a piece of crap in front of sophisticated pirate/hacker, however, it does provide some basic protection on your paid application from being shared and used by normal user. Without LVL, your paid application is completely naked and anyone who can get your apk file (for example, with a rooted device) can share it online so other people can download, install and use it for free.

b) LVL causes some delay of my app

IMO the best practice is just check the licensing details only once at the very first time when your application is downloaded and installed from somewhere, and opened on the device. there are many SO question here discuss how to run some code only once when application started first time.

Do I have any alternatives

I have seen some people implements their own protection strategy and publish app on their own website, which probably increase the complexity from being cracked. Personally I don't think this help much. How soon your application will be cracked is totally determined by how popular your application is, there are many application created by the most professional companies, for most of them you can easily google the cracked version online. I know there are some communities/forums in China, They created their own version of market app and have groups of people pirate popular application (newly added or upgraded) daily and publish the cracked version in their own fake market app, if you buy a Samsung Galaxy Tab in China, it comes with this kind of fake market app and you can download most popular app/games from here. So face the facts.

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