I've scoured the internet for the past 4 hours, but can't find any reliable information. I want to allow the user to download and install an APK via QR Code only - WITHOUT opening Google Play Store. Reasons behind it are 100% legit, as the devices will only be a showcase devices, without any additional features or any use by private or corporate entities.
I hoped to solve this problem by putting a download APK link, but some sources say it will not work that way. Thank you for all your help and I am sorry if my searches didn't turn a result that's already out there, I hope you'll forgive me lol
Best,
Luke
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So, is there a realiable way to update enterprise/intern apps remotelly?
I work in a company that spreads across my state, including some areas that the access is dificult, so I can't send someone to locally update the app everytime there's a new release.
I'm working with Android/Java at the moment, and we also use Azure DevOps to store the repositories.
I tryied App Center from Microsoft but didn't understood if that could help me update my app or not.
Also, we don't want to publish the application to the PlayStore and make it public. Unless, of course, if that's the only way.
Thank you for your time reading this, I will keep searching something related to this and also share here any solution that I can find.
There's different ways to do so I'll say some but there's definitely more.
You can use Push-link, read about it it does more or less what you are looking for.
Perhaps could work uploading the .apk to Google Play and just publish it for beta testers, here's an old Google Play Private App Guide pdf and perhaps it doesn't work anymore but give it a try.
Also what you tried with App Center perhaps what you are looking for is Distribution In-App Updates
Note: This is not recommended to avoid by passing Google Play to distribute an app
Specifically, using the following URL:
https://open.qq.com/eng/reg
It took my hours to get a combination of browser and operating system versions that actually let me upload anything without getting a 301 error. However, even with that success, I cannot, for all my google searching, find out what a "Company License" or "Declaration of Authorization" are nor can I get an APK to upload without getting a 501 error once it's 100% uploaded.
If there's another method to submit Android apps to the Tencent App Store in China, I'd love to know about it.
In a similar predicament trying to get my company's mobile app on Tencent. After some very varied research this afternoon (including ending up on this page), I was able to discern what I think are the requirements for Company License and Declaration of Authorization:
Company License is the logo or brand image to accompany your app
Declaration of Authorization is a QR code that directs to the iOS version of your app on the Apple App Store
I can't make any promises that these are actually correct, but I'm reasonably confident based on context (Company License asks for .jpg or .png and another user initially attempting upload on the Chinese site provided a file with "logo" in the file name when being directed to try the /eng/reg upload site). I believe a QR code is what they are asking for by "Declaration of Authorization" because Tencent's approach appears to be uploading the Android APK directly to their store, while making the QR code to the Apple App Store through WeChat for iPhone users. Again, piecing that part together from multiple articles.
In return, if you're able to figure out the right combination of buttons to push to actually get your APK uploaded, sharing that process here would be greatly appreciated. I likewise am unable to get anything but a 501 Network Error, and without that, my effort seems pretty much dead in the water since it seems Tencent is generally unresponsive.
Good luck!
While working on a feature for my app with AppLinks for Android. I have realized that it actually works without using the assetlinks.json file.
At first, I thought that this was because my app was an app for debug purpose, which wasn't signed and published through the store and that for testing purposed, Google decided to give us some space to work.
The day I released my app arrived, I put my app through Beta, installed my app from the store and tapped on a https://example.com and I was very surprised to see that I got asked which app I wanted to open this URL even though I had not make the assetlinks.json available from https://example.com/.well-known/assetlink.json.
Is there an explanation to that ?
Maybe the check is totally asynchronous and if at some point Google makes the check and find out you don't have this file, they shut it down until you fix it and ou have to wait until the next time they check you out ?
By the way, i have implemented the same functionality with iOS and in a very Apple-ish way, you really can't get around putting you apple-app-site-association file to the right spot and make it available from the right endpoint.
Thanks for the explanation :)
Guillaume.
Is there an explanation to that ?
What you describe has been the behavior since API Level 1 in 2008.
I was very surprised to see that I got asked which app I wanted to open this URL
This is called a "chooser". The point behind assetlinks.json is to avoid the chooser and drive straight to your app.
I have 2 unrelated questions in one so please bear with me.
I want to know if an Android device absolutely requires a simm card inorder to execute all things Location Based Services.
And ...
I would like friends of mine to download my samlpe app. Is there anyway to put my app online where friends can download and help me test and not put my beta-code on Market place?
For the second question, take a look at this question and answer: Signing an app, but not publishing on Android market
You'd be publishing as an "unknown source" and your friends' would have to change a setting on their phones. ATT doesn't allow this on some phones I think.
AppBrain has a fantastic new app that lets you automatically install applications on your phone using your web browser. Similar to the Chrome push. In their case, they are using it to let you install apps without a prompt directly on the phone. Engadget has a good video demonstrating their system.
http://lifehacker.com/5582169/appbrain-upgrade-installs-android-apps-instantly-from-the-web
My question is: What mechanism are they using to avoid asking for a prompt on the phone and to do the installation directly?
The reason I'm asking is that have a couple hundred android phones that run some custom software, the users have to manually update the software by clicking through the install process. And ideally I'd prefer to be able to do push updates without having to prompt people (in exchange for a free phone+service you have to run the software, so 'you shouldn't do that' doesn't invalidate the question of how do you do that). The biggest problems are that if you're doing rapid development/testing it's a pain to get everyone up to the right versions and it's hassle for people.
What AppBrian does sounds like a perfect fix to this problem, but how does it work? The only permission the AppBrain fast installer asks for is access to your accounts and network access. Now, there was the interesting development about Jon Oberheide's REMOVE_ASSET and INSTALL_ASSET which he says uses the GTalk service to imitate prompt-less installs. The interesting this is that AppBrian's FastWeb installer works on a 2.01 Droid but does not work on a 2.2 Nexus One (maybe one of the last round of Froyo updates disables AppBrain's access to the INSTALL_ASSET intent).
http://jon.oberheide.org/blog/2010/06/25/remote-kill-and-install-on-google-android/
Can anyone shed any light on this? I know auto update is coming for the Market but I'm not sure if this would be a usable workaround. I'm fine with saying 'you need to click to install this once', but having hundreds of people waste their time clicking 'ok' is a waste.
I personally think that this is something Google should support for Enterprise users in the future with the Device Administrator features. If I went with Android and could easily stage and keep people up to date with apps it wold be pretty useful.
So I think I have a reasonably good idea on how app brain is able to work its magic. I have found a couple of links you might find interesting and then you can always refer to the discussion on this other question.
Link 1: Here is a link on how the first app that was built by a researcher shows how a person with malicious intent can easily use two commands that google has put in for "our" convenience for silent install and uninstall...!!
Link 2:Here is how the exploit works and you could use it...