Is there anyway I can publish a flutter app privately (maybe through a private link instead of app store or play store) so I can pass this link to specific users ?
Thanks,
If you're okay with using the Google Play Store, it does offer a bunch of options that may work, such as closed betas. You can keep your app private, and invite only. And then if you make any changes to your app, your users will get the updates without needing to send out another version to them directly.
You can always use HockeyApp it will allow you to publish both iOS and Android apps either privately (user will need a login) or publicly. I use it all the time for distribution of test/beta and demo apps.
Related
Google Play has something called Private Apps: https://support.google.com/googleplay/work/answer/6145139?hl=en
However, to my understanding this means that only members of my organization can install the app. It doesn't say what "organization" mean but I assume it's members of a Google Workspace or a specific email domain.
I want to achieve something similar to Apples "Unlisted apps": https://developer.apple.com/support/unlisted-app-distribution
This means the app is present on the Appstore, but it's not listed or searchable. Only if you have the link to the app you can download it, and the user will receive automatic updates.
Is there something similar on Google Play? I want to distribute and update the app via Google Play, but only to users that I share the url with.
You can publish the app on the Google Play store via the Play Console and while selecting where to launch (publish) the app, add the app/app bundle only to the closed testing option. There you can add specific email ids and only those will be able to see the app, get updates, etc. no one else.
we use internal testing on playstore to test the app internally before we move to closed and open beta. More details can be access in the below link
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9845334?hl=en
We have the same application for several clients. This application, for security reasons, cannot be published to Google Play, so we distribute it manually to customers.
The problem is that every time there is a new version of the application we have to contact all customers and update all their applications.
Isn't there a way to have private applications on google play and give access to different clients so that they can download the updates for those applications?
I've seen this, but I'm not sure if it behaves like I expect: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/3131213?hl=en#runtest
Of course you can, there is an internal test app version available in the Play Store where you can upload your app version. Once uploaded you will have a private link available and only the people with access to that link will be able to download the app.
I guess you can publish as a "beta" version of the application https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/7003180. You can define your clients as beta-testers and app would be visible on market only for them.
I have an approach, Assume you have an .apk file in your website. every customer will download it from here. Now you have to make an API call whenever user will use your application to make sure that they are using the latest version of application by sending the version details to server. If the user is using an older version (This you will get from server/api response) block the screen and redirect them to server to download the new .apk.
You can store the response to a local/DB so they can not use your application in offline mode also.
I have set up an internal testing channel on the Google Play Store. I have added a few testers for my app but could not find a way to check if a particular tester from the list has installed the app or not.
I think this can be found out in Appstore.
We would like to know who has installed the app.
I attempted using the firebase analytics dashboard and play console dashboard for the app as well, app statistics etc, but with no luck.
Is there a way to find this in Playstore?
The best way to distribute an Android or IOS application for testing to users is through Beta Crashlytics.
From there you will be able to see exactly who installed your application and who didn't.
It will let you know from your Fabric panel who has installed the app.
See documentation here on how to distribute your apk.
Google Play does not provide this information. Any feature like this would have to be carefully evaluated on how it affected user privacy.
The signup for internal testing requires the Google Play email address the user will use to install the app. While I have never found anything more than a count of testers who installed, you can retrieve the current account of the user using the app. It isn't exactly a neat and autonomous process, but you could craft a means to compare the list of potential users to the installed account.
The permission required is GET_ACCOUNTS and then you would use AccountManager to retrieve a list of accounts and iterate through them to see if any match a list of testers.
I am new to firebase and android development, therefore, I have not totally understood how it works. I want to know if after adding project to firebase, does it mean the app is launched and will be accessible by anyone who have android or how do I tell someone to try the app when it has not been uploaded to playstore?
You are misunderstanding Firebase with Play store console. Firebase is a BaaS (backend-as-a-Service). In simple language Firebase is platform which allow to build web and mobile applications without server side programming language.
Adding your android project to firebase have nothing to do with publishing app. It will not publish your app.
Play store console is what that is used to publish android apps.
What is Firebase?
In a simple way, firebase as a server and many more log details related to your app and user behavior. It's a complete package to monitor app, users and many more. It will also give you scope to build app without having your own server and also no need of any language.
I want to know if after adding project to firebase, does it mean the app is launched
No adding project does not mean your app has been published or launched, but you can see crashes, save data, authenticate and can use available features in firebase.
and will be accessible by anyone
What you want to make accessible? If it is app, then it will be only accessible to users when you publish app in play store in production. There are some other options such as alpha, beta, internal test - each of these have some own functionality. Here you can add users email ids as tester and invite them to test or about your app. When you have not published an APK in production mood it won't be visible publicly.
how do I tell someone to try the app when it has not been uploaded to playstore
After adding firebase project nothing mean to release/publish your app. Publishing in play store does mean that. Here I will suggest you upload your app APK in play store ALPHA/BETA/INTERNAL test release mood then add/invite people to test your app.
I'm using android studio. I have developed an app and now I want to upload it to Google Play. I have a license and I have uploaded an app before, but I didn't really know what I was doing at that time.
What I want is to upload my app to Google Play, and then upade it without losing the reviews and rating. How do I do that?
And, what is the best way to force a user to download an update? I am going to upload the app to Google Play and to Amazon Appstore (for android), so a link to Google Play or something similar is maybe not the best solution. I was thinking - a toast message "please update the app". What do you think?
Updating an existing apk on Google Play Store:
1) Go to your Google Play Developer Console
2) Select All applications in that select "Your Application"
3) Select Upload APK.
4) Choose from the Production, Beta, or Alpha channels and select Upload your APK.
It take few hours to publish update. more information about upload, publish, etc.
Forcing users to update: There are three things
1) It is not possible in Google Play Store, unless user have set automatic update on.
2) You can use external library like UpdateChecker, AppUpdater, etc.
3) You can change your application structure in that way that whenever user starts you application internal contents get update. (This is not a feasible option, I guess)
What is KeyStore?
It is used to build singed apk.
Keep your keystore in a secure location. If you lose your keystore, you'll need to publish the app with a new package name and a new key. If you need to do this, you should also unpublish the original app and update its description
Please check out this library, actually it provides what you want with simple approach.
https://android-arsenal.com/details/1/3094
When you publish a new version of your app to the Play Store, you will not lose any of the prior ratings for that app.
You can't force users to update your app. It is fully under their control. Some people may have automatic updates turned on, but for those who do not, they have to choose to receive the update.
Google added this new feature you can add to your app to force in-app update based on if you want the update immediate or flexible
https://developer.android.com/guide/playcore/in-app-updates/kotlin-java