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Publishing is the general process that makes your Android applications available to users. When youpublish an Android application you perform two main tasks:
- You prepare the application for release.
During the preparation step you build a release version of your application, which users can download and install on their Android-powered devices.
- You release the application to users.
During the release step you publicize, sell, and distribute the release version of your application to users.
This page provides an overview of the process you should follow as you prepare to publishyour app. If you plan to publish on Google Play, you should also read theGoogle Play launch checklist.
Preparing your app for release
Preparing your application for release is a multi-step process that involves the followingtasks:
- Configuring your application for release.
At a minimum you need to remove
Logcalls and remove the android:debuggable attribute from your manifest file. You should also provide values for theandroid:versionCodeandandroid:versionNameattributes, which are located in the <manifest> element. You may also have to configure several other settings to meet Google Play requirements or accommodate whatever method you're using to release your application.If you are using Gradle build files, you can use the release build type to set your build settings for the published version of your app.
- Building and signing a release version of your application.
You can use the Gradle build files with the release build type to build and sign a release version of your application. See Building and Running from Android Studio.
- Testing the release version of your application.
Before you distribute your application, you should thoroughly test the release version on at least one target handset device and one target tablet device.
- Updating application resources for release.
You need to be sure that all application resources such as multimedia files and graphics are updated and included with your application or staged on the proper production servers.
- Preparing remote servers and services that your application depends on.
If your application depends on external servers or services, you need to be sure they are secure and production ready.
You may have to perform several other tasks as part of the preparation process. For example, youwill need to get a private key for signing your application.You will also need to create an icon for your application, and you may want to preparean End User License Agreement (EULA) to protect your person, organization, and intellectualproperty.
When you are finished preparing your application for release you will have a signed.apk file that you can distribute to users.
To learn how to prepare your application for release, see Preparing for Release in the Dev Guide. Thistopic provides step-by-step instructions for configuring and building a release version of yourapplication.
Releasing your app to users
You can release your Android applications several ways. Usually, you release applicationsthrough an application marketplace such as Google Play, but you can also release applicationson your own website or by sending an application directly to a user.
Releasing through an app marketplace
If you want to distribute your apps to the broadest possible audience, releasing throughan app marketplace such as Google Play is ideal.
Google Play is the premier marketplace for Android apps and is particularlyuseful if you want to distribute your applications to a large global audience.However, you can distribute your apps through any app marketplace you want oryou can use multiple marketplaces.
Releasing your apps on Google Play
Google Play is a robust publishing platform that helps you publicize, sell, and distributeyour Android applications to users around the world. When you release your applications throughGoogle Play you have access to a suite of developer tools that let you analyze your sales,identify market trends, and control who your applications are being distributed to. You also haveaccess to several revenue-enhancing features such as in-app billing and application licensing. The rich array of toolsand features, coupled with numerous end-user community features, makes Google Play the premiermarketplace for selling and buying Android applications.
Releasing your application on Google Play is a simple process that involves three basic steps:
- Preparing promotional materials.
To fully leverage the marketing and publicity capabilities of Google Play, you need to create promotional materials for your application, such as screenshots, videos, graphics, and promotional text.
- Configuring options and uploading assets.
Google Play lets you target your application to a worldwide pool of users and devices. By configuring various Google Play settings, you can choose the countries you want to reach, the listing languages you want to use, and the price you want to charge in each country. You can also configure listing details such as the application type, category, and content rating. When you are done configuring options you can upload your promotional materials and your application as a draft (unpublished) application.
- Publishing the release version of your application.
If you are satisfied that your publishing settings are correctly configured and your uploaded application is ready to be released to the public, you can simply click Publish in the Play Console and within minutes your application will be live and available for download around the world.
For more information, see Google Play.
Releasing through a website
If you do not want to release your app on a marketplace like Google Play, youcan make the app available for download on your own website or server, includingon a private or enterprise server. To do this, you must first prepare yourapplication for release in the normal way. Then all you need to do is host therelease-ready APK file on your website and provide a download link to users.
When users browse to the download link from their Android-powered devices,the file is downloaded and Android system automatically starts installing it onthe device. However, the installation process will start automatically only ifthe user has configured their Settings to allow the installation of apps fromunknown sources.
Although it is relatively easy to release your application on your ownwebsite, it can be inefficient. For example, if you want to monetize yourapplication you will have to process and track all financial transactionsyourself and you will not be able to use Google Play's In-app Billing serviceto sell in-app products. In addition, you will not be able to use the Licensing service tohelp prevent unauthorized installation and use of your application.
User opt-in for unknown apps and sources
Android protects users from inadvertent download and install of apps fromlocations other than a first-party app store, such as Google Play, which istrusted. Android blocks such installs until the user opts into allowing theinstallation of apps from other sources. The opt-in process depends on theversion of Android running on the user's device:
Figure 1. The Install unknown apps system settings screen, where users grant permission for a particular source to install unknown apps.
- On devices running Android 8.0 (API level 26) and higher, users must navigate to the Install unknown apps system settings screen to enable app installations from a particular source.
- On devices running Android 7.1.1 (API level 25) and lower, users must either enable the Unknown sources system setting or allow a single installation of an unknown app.
Install unknown apps
On devices running Android 8.0 (API level 26) and higher, users must grantpermission to install apps from a source that isn't a first-party app store. Todo so, they must enable the Allow app installs setting for thatsource within the Install unknown apps system settings screen. Figure 1illustrates this process.
Note: Users can change this setting for a particularsource at any time. Therefore, a source that installs unknown apps should alwayscall canRequestPackageInstalls() to check whether the user has granted that sourcepermission to install unknown apps. If this method returns false,the source should prompt the user to re-enable the Allow app installssetting for that source.
Unknown sources
Figure 2. The Unknown sources setting, which determines whether users can install apps that aren't downloaded from Google Play.
In order for users to allow the installation of apps from non-first-partysources on devices running Android 7.1.1 (API level 25) and lower, they shouldenable the Unknown sources setting inSettings > Security, as shown in Figure 2.
Note: When users attempt to install an unknown app on adevice running Android 7.1.1 (API level 25) or lower, the system sometimesshows a dialog that asks the user whether they want to allow only oneparticular unknown app to be installed. In almost all cases, users should allowonly one unknown app installation at a time if the option is available tothem.
In either case, users need to make this configuration change beforethey can download and install unknown apps onto their devices.
Note: Some network providers do not allow users toinstall apps from unknown sources.
-->Applies to: System Center Configuration Manager (Current Branch)
A Configuration Manager application has one or more deployment types. Deployment types comprise the installation files and information required to deploy software to a device. A deployment type also has rules that specify when and how the software is deployed.
See create an application for the steps to create Configuration Manager applications and deployment types.
Keep in mind the following considerations when you create and deploy applications for Android devices:
General considerations for Android apps
How Are Android Apps Deployed And Made Available For Download 2017
Configuration Manager supports the deployment of Android .apk packages.
It supports the following deployment actions:
| Device type | Supported actions |
|---|---|
| Android | Available, Required: The user must consent to both installation and uninstallation. |
| Android for Work | Available, Required |
Approve and deploy Android for Work apps
As a Configuration Manager administrator, you can also approve apps in the Play for Work website. Then deploy those apps to managed Android for Work devices.
Follow these steps to approve apps in the Play for Work store, sync them to the Configuration Manager console, and deploy them to managed Android for Work devices. To deploy apps to users' work profiles, you need to approve the apps in Play for Work. Then sync the apps with the Configuration Manager console.
How Are Android Apps Deployed And Made Available For Download Windows 10
Open a browser and go to: https://play.google.com/work.
Sign in by using the Google admin account that you bound to your Microsoft Intune tenant.
Browse for apps you'd like to deploy in your environment. Choose Approve for each of them to make the app available for Android for Work.
In the Configuration Manager console, go to the Administration workspace, expand Cloud Services, and select the Android for Work node.
Click Sync in the ribbon.
Wait up to 10 minutes for apps to sync. Then go to the Software Library workspace, expand Application Management, and select the License Information for Store Apps node.
Select an app synced from Play for Work, and then click Create Application.
Complete the wizard.
Go to the Software Library workspace, expand Application Management, and select the Applications node. Select an Android for Work app, and deploy as usual.
To sync Play for Work apps with Configuration Manager, approve at least one app on the Play for Work website first.
How Are Android Apps Deployed And Made Available For Download Windows 7
Apps deployed as Available display in the work-badged Google Play app instead of the Company Portal. This lets you deploy apps from a trusted source. The work-badged Google Play app is a trusted source. You don't have to allow apps from untrusted sources.