Implementing Google Admob Mobile Ads SDK (Android) in Sketchware without using Sketchware Admob Libraries

Integrating the Google Mobile Ads SDK into an app is the first step toward displaying ads and earning revenue. Once you've integrated the SDK, you can choose an ad format (such as native or rewarded video) and follow the steps to implement it.

Before you Begin. 

App prerequisites 

• Make sure your app supports the following API
• A minSdkVersion of 19 or higher
• A compileSdkVersion of 28 or higher
• Works on Sketchware Pro 3.0 fix 1 or higher

Set up your AdMob account.

 

Register your app as an AdMob app by completing the following steps:

1. Sign in to or sign up for an AdMob account.

2. Register your app with AdMob. This step creates an AdMob app with a unique AdMob App ID that is needed later in these guide.

Configure your app. 

1• Download all the Libraries needed for these projects here.

Add your AdMob app ID (identified in the AdMob UI) to your app's AndroidManifest.xmllll file. To do so, add a <meta-data> tag with android:name="com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID". You can find your app ID in the AdMob UI. For android:value, insert your own AdMob app ID, surrounded by quotation marks.

<activity

android:name="com.google.android.gms.ads.AdActivity"

android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation|screenLayout|uiMode|screenSize|smallestScreenSize"

android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Translucent"/>

<meta-data

android:name="com.google.android.gms.version"

android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version"/>

<meta-data

android:name="com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID"

android:value="3940256099942544~3347511713"/>

<!--To show real ads make sure you use your own Admob App id -->

<!--I am using these methods because Sketchware is not so powerful when it comes to AndroidManifest Merging -->

In a real app, use your actual AdMob app ID, not the one listed above. If you're just looking to experiment with the SDK in a Hello World app, you can use the sample app ID shown above.

Note also that failure to add the <meta-data> tag as shown above results in a crash with the message:

The Google Mobile Ads SDK was initialized incorrectly.

(Optional) Declare AD_ID permission for previous versions to work with Android 13.

If your app uses the Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.4.0 or higher, you can skip this step since the SDK automatically declares the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission and is able to access the Advertising ID whenever it's available.

For apps that use the Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.3.0 or lower and are targeting Android 13, you must add the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission in the AndroidManifest.xml file for the Google Mobile Ads SDK to access the Advertising ID:

To learn more about the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission declaration, including how to disable it, please refer to this Play Console article.

Initialize the Google Mobile Ads SDK

Before loading ads, have your app initialize the Google Mobile Ads SDK by calling MobileAds.initialize() which initializes the SDK and calls back a completion listener once initialization is complete (or after a 30-second timeout). This needs to be done only once, ideally at app launch.

Ads may be preloaded by the Google Mobile Ads SDK or mediation partner SDKs upon calling MobileAds.initialize(). If you need to obtain consent from users in the European Economic Area (EEA), set any request-specific flags (such as tagForChildDirectedTreatment or tag_for_under_age_of_consent), or otherwise take action before loading ads, ensure you do so before initializing the Google Mobile Ads SDK.

Here's an example of how to call the initialize() method in an Activity:

1.Add the following imports to your project.

import com.google.android.gms.ads.MobileAds;
import com.google.android.gms.ads.initialization.InitializationStatus;
import com.google.android.gms.ads.initialization.OnInitializationCompleteListener;

import androidx.annotation.NonNull;

2. Add the. Following permissions

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE" />

The Google Mobile Ads SDK was initialized incorrectly.

Add the initalizer block as shown above in your project activity on create.

NOTE: If you're using mediation, wait until the completion handler is called before loading ads, as this will ensure that all mediation adapters are initialized.

Select an ad format 

The Google Mobile Ads SDK is now imported and you're ready to implement an ad. AdMob offers a number of different ad formats, so you can choose the one that best fits your app's user experience.

Banner

Rectangular ads that appear at the top or bottom of the device screen. Banner ads stay on screen while users are interacting with the app, and can refresh automatically after a certain period of time. If you're new to mobile advertising, they're a great place to start.

Interstitial

Full-screen ads that cover the interface of an app until closed by the user. They're best used at natural pauses in the flow of an app's execution, such as between levels of a game or just after a task is completed.

Native

Customizable ads that match the look and feel of your app. You decide how and where they're placed, so the layout is more consistent with your app's. design.

Rewarded

Ads that reward users for watching short videos and interacting with playable ads and surveys. Used for monetizing free-to-play apps.

 

App-Open

App open ads are a special ad format intended for publishers wishing to monetize their app load screens. App open ads can be closed at any time, and are designed to be shown when your users bring your app to the foreground.