Android App Distribution Tutorial: From Zero to Google Play Store

Other Distribution Channels (Optional)

While Google Play is the main channel for distribution, you are free to distribute your APK through other means. Consider this section as a reference in case you want to try one of them.

Unknown Sources

There is a big caveat to using any method other than Google Play for distributing your app: the users must have the Unknown sources setting enabled on their Android device to allow an APK not from Google Play. Some carriers do not allow this setting to be turned on at all. More information is available here.

This option is usually available in the Settings app under Security:

Note that, on some devices, there is a rather foreboding message to warn the user of malicious APKs when the user turns on Unknown sources:

Just be aware that some users are not going to want to live dangerously.

Amazon Appstore

The Amazon Appstore is powered by Amazon, registration as a developer is free, and the store is non-exclusive, so you can submit your app to both Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.

To get started here, navigate to the Amazon developer portal. Create a new Amazon account or sign in with an existing one.

When you first join the developer program, you are asked to verify address and company information for use in your app listings. You also have a developer agreement to accept, and Amazon asks you if you plan to charge money for your apps. If you are publishing your apps for free, mark that choice and complete your registration. If you do plan to monetize your app, Amazon will ask for your financial information.

Once registered, you are returned to an empty Developer Console. Scroll down and click Add a New App.

When asked to choose a platform, choose Android and click Next. You then fill out general information on your app, along with support contact information. When finished, click Save to move on.

Now you have a listing page for your app. Similar to Google Play, there are several steps to accomplish before the Submit app button will become active.

First, select Availability & Pricing. Choose Standard app, all countries, free app, and note the date the app was available elsewhere, if applicable. Then click Save.

Next, click the Description tab, fill out the required app description info, and click Save.

The contents for Images & Multimedia are mostly already prepared from your Google Play listing, except for a smaller version of your app icon. The app screenshot dimensions are more specific here, so you may have to do some resizing. You also need three app screenshots here instead of the two required by Google Play.

Upload those images and click Save.

The Content Rating tab has a questionnaire similar to the one on Google Play. Supply your answers about any potentially objectionable content and click Save.

Upload your signed APK under the Binary File(s). When the upload finishes, you may get a warning that some older Amazon devices aren’t supported by your app. Click Edit device support to the right of Amazon Fire phones and tablets:

De-select the unsupported devices with warning labels and click OK.

Wrap up by checking the box next to Export Compliance, then click Save.

You’re ready to submit, so scroll down your store listing and click Submit App.

If your submission is successful, your store listing will look like this:

Several hours later, pending Amazon approval, your app will be live! Here is the Bookmaster General listing:

HockeyApp and Crashlytics

While not app stores, HockeyApp (owned by Microsoft) and Crashlytics (owned by Twitter) are two leading platforms for beta testing. You can easily sign up beta testers and other team members, manage versions, and track app crashes. Each supports iOS apps, which could make beta testing simpler if you are developing for both platforms.

Note that Google Play also has Alpha and Beta channels built in, so you have several good options for pre-release distribution.

Google Play Private Channel

If you are already maintaining Google Apps for your organization (Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive, etc), you can create a private channel of Google Play for your employees. Then when you publish an Android app, you can make it available only on this private channel instead of to the whole public. See Google Support for more info.

Google App Streaming

In a new service, Google is beginning to run versions of mobile apps on virtual machines in Google’s cloud. This means that users may be able to “stream” your app’s native content without needing to download your app.

This app streaming is only available on a few launch partners at the moment, but be aware that the trend is coming soon.

Hosting on Your Own Website or Via Email

As long as users have Unknown sources enabled, you are free to send them your APK file however you like. You can even simply host the file on your website or send it over email! For instance, even a service like HockeyApp or Crashlytics would be too much for an extremely early demo meant for a few coworkers, so you can simply email them the APK.

Where to Go From Here?

The Google Play Developer Console has several other features, such as teammate invitations and Google Apps keys (necessary for apps that use Google Maps and similar services). You can read about these features and more on the Android Developer page and the Google Play Developer Help Center.

I hope this Android app distribution tutorial helps you get your apps into the hands of real users! If you have any questions or comments, please join the forum discussion below.