I'm pretty sure I've read several times that you can have the paid DCS WiFi on more than one phone as long as they share the same account. However, I can't figure out how to actually get it onto a second old phone that I want to use as a remote. I have logged into Google Play Store and on both phones is shows the Standard WiFi version in the Play Store purchase history, clearly I'm on the right account for the second phone. However, I don't see any way to bypass the payment and load the Standard WiFi version on the second phone.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Did you just hit the download button, and it asked for payment on the second device? Cause I got a new phone and logged in and just downloaded the app, no issues. (I did, however, have to reload the locos into the system on the new device) App works on both devices.
you have to upgrade the devices. Your account only gets charged once for each type of either IOS or Android system.
R U trying to down grade the second device?
It's wanting me to add a payment method, I don't want that on this phone, it's just going to be used as a remote.
It should allow you to download the app with just your app store loggin info.
That's my problem, it wants a payment method. So, I added a credit card to see if that was just a check. NOPE, it wanted me to click and authorize the payment for the upgrade, so that didn't work.
I don't know, I have the premium app, not sure if that makes a difference or not
Hard to say, I know they're trying to "nick" me for the $5 for the second phone.
so I did a quick google search out of pure curiosity. It appears that on android devices there is no way to share the in app purchases between devices. Now I didn’t go real in depth with the dearth but that was the quick consensus
Apple on the other hand would share the in app purchases
My experience has been that you indeed can install paid apps on more than one device. I have the premium app on two android devices and two chrome books. Only paid once. Now each device has to be registered with the google store but you only pay for any app once.
Well, I must have them both registered with the store, the payment shows up on both devices. I don't routinely buy applications, and the few I have bought were just used on my phone.
I THINK I understand the challenge here. If you purchase the premium app, the app is going to know your Apple ID Your Apple ID owns the app. if for some reason you have a second Apple ID or a Google Play ID, it is going to look to collect $$$ from you for each license of the app. You might be able to talk to both Apple and Google and try and convince them that your IDs are for one person, but not sure how that will play out.
For my various iPhones and iPads, all different versions of operating systems, I am able to have the same file run on all my devices. I don't think that is your problem though. @Engineer-Joe has discussed that topic before.
John
I have the DCS App on multiple Apple devices all registered under my Apple account. Only bought 1 instance of the DCS app or any other app I own as long as I am using it on a device registered with my Apple ID.
Note I have Android based phones, so all the talk about Apple ID's and iPhones is moot.
John,
I use two Android tablets for DCS. Both were loaded with the app from Google Play Store. When I upgraded the app the second tablet was automatically updated with no additional cost. I actually had the app on my Android phone for a while but did not use it or need it there. There has to be a way to install the app on your devices. There were two premium costs involved - one for $25 and the second for $5 to have all the functionality. HTH
Buzz
@gunrunnerjohn I certainly understand wanting something that you've already paid for, to work as it should. I've been known on more than one occasion to fix something that I could have bought new for less than the value of my time to fix it. Sometimes, it's just a matter of once you set your mind to something, wanting to make it work the way you want it to, on principle. From an outsider's perspective, this may not make sense to them. Been there, done that too.
However, if no one here on the forum has a solution, you might consider buying another license, instead of the potential aggravation of dealing with a customer service rep. Google's stockholders could probably use the extra dough.
@gunrunnerjohn - sorry - I was trying to be helpful. I don't have Android devices, but I have to think they would work the same across the platforms.
John
@SteveH posted:However, if no one here on the forum has a solution, you might consider buying another license, instead of the potential aggravation of dealing with a customer service rep. Google's stockholders could probably use the extra dough.
That ain't happening.
On the left, here's what I see when I check if the new (old) Android phone knows about my app purchase. Obviously, it does know that I bought this app. So I do the "upgrade" as suggested, and when I get to the last step, they're about to charge me again, that's where I stop.
If this were just for $5, I'd just buy it. But, if I want to further upgrade, or buy some other application and have it on both (or multiple) devices, I'd like to figure this out now. The older phone is running Android 6, and the new one is Android 11.
Screen shots from added device (Samsung Galaxy Note 4).
Attachments
@SteveH posted:@gunrunnerjohn I certainly understand wanting something that you've already paid for, to work as it should. I've been known on more than one occasion to fix something that I could have bought new for less than the value of my time to fix it. Sometimes, it's just a matter of once you set your mind to something, wanting to make it work the way you want it to, on principle. From an outsider's perspective, this may not make sense to them. Been there, done that too.
However, if no one here on the forum has a solution, you might consider buying another license, instead of the potential aggravation of dealing with a customer service rep. Google's stockholders could probably use the extra dough.
you dont need to buy it twice
John, are you logged into the google play store on the 2nd device with your gmail account? Same account as your first device?
It may prompt you to add your credit card to the 2nd device, but DONT buy the app again.
Final thing is once you open the google play store, click your profile icon in the top right, click "my apps & games", and click "installed" "library" and you will see the list of apps you have installed on other devices. go to Wifi DCS and install from there
Sometimes it asks me to pay, and I go ahead and pay and then it says "You've already purchased this item." and doesn't charge me again.
@DCtransit posted:you dont need to buy it twice
John, are you logged into the google play store on the 2nd device with your gmail account? Same account as your first device?It may prompt you to add your credit card to the 2nd device, but DONT buy the app again.
Final thing is once you open the google play store, click your profile icon in the top right, click "my apps & games", and click "installed" "library" and you will see the list of apps you have installed on other devices. go to Wifi DCS and install from there
For whatever reason, the WiFi DCS app doesn't show up in my library on the second device. I uninstalled the free version and that didn't help. Frustrating!
did you try sending the app from one phone to the other thru he other as long as you have the same email on both phones maybe that will work ! Alan
Try rebooting the second device?
@MartyE posted:Try rebooting the second device?
Multiple times.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:For whatever reason, the WiFi DCS app doesn't show up in my library on the second device. I uninstalled the free version and that didn't help. Frustrating!
And you checked on both devices that the same email address is displayed when you click on the top right account icon while in the google play store ?
I was able to download it on both my iPad mini and iPhone without issues, and once I did I just hit the “restore” button on the top right and it did the rest for me… interesting that this is happening.
Attachments
I think you just go ahead and hit pay but it won't charge you as at that point it recognizes your account has already paid for it.
On my Wife's android phone, both her and my Google accounts are registered on the device. However in the Play store only her Google account is signed in. I installed the DCS app on her phone and it asked me to pay for the upgrade. As soon as I logged her out of the Google play store and logged in with my google account, the app recognized that I had already purchased the premium app and no further purchase was needed.
@CentralFan1976 posted:I was able to download it on both my iPad mini and iPhone without issues
If I had an Apple device I suppose that might be useful information.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:If I had an Apple device I suppose that might be useful information.
I was thinking more of the "restore" button.
Oh, don't forget to go into the advanced settings and turn on the e-stop button. Don't ask me why I'm suggesting this upfront.
@DCtransit posted:And you checked on both devices that the same email address is displayed when you click on the top right account icon while in the google play store ?
Both show the same account in Play Store.
John, did you by any chance check page 43 of "Barry's Wi-fi Companion 2nd Edition" page 43?
Downloading the DCS Application
To download the DCS Application, proceed as follows:
• Ensure that the smart device is connected to the Internet.
• On an iOS device, tap on the icon for the App Store.
• On an Android device, tap on the icon for Google Play.
• Search for applications using keywords “MTH DCS WiFi”.
• When applications are displayed, select the “Wi-Fi DCS” application.
• Tap the “Get” or “Download” button to download the DCS Application to your smart device.
Upgrading the DCS Application
To upgrade the Free version of the DCS Application to either the Standard or Premium version, proceed
as follows:
• Ensure that the smart device is connected to the Internet.
• Tap the DCS Application’s icon. This will display the Home Screen.
• Tap the Run My Trains button. This will display the Engine Control Screen. (Note: disregard any error
messages that may appear.)
• At the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap the More... button. This will display the More… Screen.
• Tap the Purchase button on the same line as either the Standard or Premium version that you wish
to purchase. Follow the displayed instructions to upgrade the Free version of the application to either
the Standard or Premium version.
Installing the DCS Application on Multiple Smart Devices
The Basic (free) version of the DCS Application may be installed on more than one smart device, whether
the Smart Device is an iOS or Android device, at no charge. Further, once the DCS Application has been
upgraded on one device to either the Standard or Premium version, it may then be upgraded on any additional
smart device that has had the Basic version of the DCS Application installed, and that is owned by
the same purchaser of the original upgrade.
To do so, simply follow the steps above to upgrade the additional devices, being certain that the devices
have the same Apple ID for the Apple App Store or Android Account Number (Google E-mail address)
for Google Play, as was used to upgrade the first smart device. There will not be any additional charge for
subsequent DCS Application upgrades.
The following section discusses how to setup and configure the DCS Wireless Interface Unit (WIU) to allow
a DCS layout to be operated using the DCS Application.
Yep, and all of that is true, but I still get to the page where they are about to charge my credit card. I know once I let them do that I'll never get that money back!
I don't know what else I can state. I have done several Android devices. I was only charged once for all of them that I am aware.
I understand your statement. I don't know any way around it.
It's a puzzler, no doubt about it.
I fixed the brute force way! I nuked the old phone and started from scratch, configured it like my regular phone and everything worked like it should have the first time! I didn't realize that Android was that buggy! Something was obviously behind the scenes screwing up the works!
My experience with Android is that it behaves like an old Windows machine and deteriorates over time. Most of the time, you're ready for a new phone by the time it starts acting up. Glad you were able to get the matter resolved.
I think it was remembering something about the other accounts on the phone even after I switched them.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Yep, and all of that is true, but I still get to the page where they are about to charge my credit card. I know once I let them do that I'll never get that money back!
There is a short return window (15 minutes or so) to get a full refund