docs/html/tools/publishing/publishing_overview.jd

page.title=Publishing Overview
@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper">
<div id="qv">
  <h2>Quickview</h2>
  <ul>
    <li>Learn how to publish Android apps.</li>
    <li>Find out how to prepare apps for release.</li>
    <li>Learn how to release apps to users.</li>
  </ul>
  <h2>In this document</h2>
  <ol>
    <li><a href="#publishing-prepare">Preparing Your Application for Release</a></li>
    <li><a href="#publishing-release">Releasing Your Application to Users</a>
  </ol>
  <h2>See also</h2>
  <ol>
    <li><a href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/publish/preparing.html">Publishing on Google Play</a></li>
  </ol>
</div>
</div>

<p>Publishing is the general process that makes your Android applications available to users. When you
publish an Android application you perform two main tasks:</p>

<ul>
  <li>You prepare the application for release.
    <p>During the preparation step you build a release version of your application, which users can
      download and install on their Android-powered devices.</p>
  </li>
  <li>You release the application to users.
    <p>During the release step you publicize, sell, and distribute the release version of your
      application to users.</p>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>Usually, you release your application through an application marketplace, such as <a href="{@docRoot}distribute/index.html">Google Play</a>.
However, you can also release applications by sending them directly to users or by letting users
download them from your own website.</p>

<p>Figure 1 shows how the publishing process fits into the overall Android <a
href="{@docRoot}tools/workflow/index.html">application development process</a>.
The publishing process is typically performed after you finish testing your application in a debug
environment. Also, as a best practice, your application should meet all of your release criteria for
functionality, performance, and stability before you begin the publishing process.</p>

<img src="{@docRoot}images/publishing/publishing_overview.png" alt="Shows where the publishing
       process fits into the overall development process" height="86" id="figure1" />
<p class="img-caption">
  <strong>Figure 1.</strong> Publishing is the last phase of the Android <a
href="{@docRoot}tools/workflow/index.html">application development process</a>.
</p>

<h2 id="publishing-prepare">Preparing Your Application for Release</h2>

<p>Preparing your application for release is a multi-step process that involves the following
tasks:</p>

<ul>
  <li>Configuring your application for release.
    <p>At a minimum you need to remove {@link android.util.Log} calls and remove the
    <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html#debug">android:debuggable</a>
    attribute from your manifest file. You should also provide values for the
    <code>android:versionCode</code> and <code>android:versionName</code> attributes, which are
    located in the
    <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html">&lt;manifest&gt;</a>
    element. You may also have to configure several other settings to meet Google Play
    requirements or accomodate whatever method you're using to release your application.</p>
  </li>
  <li>Building and signing a release version of your application.
    <p>The Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin and the Ant build script that are provided
    with the Android SDK tools provide everything you need to build and sign a release version of
    your application.</p>
  </li>
  <li>Testing the release version of your application.
    <p>Before you distribute your application, you should thoroughly test the release version on at
    least one target handset device and one target tablet device.</p>
  </li>
  <li>Updating application resources for release.
    <p>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.</p>
  </li>
  <li>Preparing remote servers and services that your application depends on.
    <p>If your application depends on external servers or services, you need to be sure they
    are secure and production ready.</p>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>You may have to perform several other tasks as part of the preparation process. For example, you
will need to get a private key for signing your application, and you may need to get a Maps API
release key if you are using the <a
href="http://code.google.com/android/add-ons/google-apis/maps-overview.html">Google Maps external
library</a>. You will also need to create an icon for your application, and you may want to prepare
an End User License Agreement (EULA) to protect your person, organization, and intellectual
property.</p>

<p>When you are finished preparing your application for release you will have a signed
<code>.apk</code> file that you can distribute to users.</p>

<p>To learn how to prepare your application for release, see <a
href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/preparing.html">Preparing for Release</a> in the Dev Guide. This
topic provides step-by-step instructions for configuring and building a release version of your
application.</p>

<h2 id="publishing-release">Releasing Your Application to Users</h2>

<p>You can release your Android applications several ways. Usually, you release applications
through an application marketplace such as Google Play, but you can also release applications
on your own website or by sending an application directly to a user. 

<h3 id="publishing-marketplace">Releasing through an App Marketplace</h3>

<p>If you want to distribute your apps to the broadest possible audience, releasing through
an app marketplace such as Google Play is ideal. </p>

<p>Google Play is the premier marketplace for Android apps and is particularly
useful if you want to distribute your applications to a large global audience.
However, you can distribute your apps through any app marketplace you want or
you can use multiple marketplaces.</p>


<h4 id="publishing-market">Releasing Your Applications on Google Play</h4>

<p>Google Play is a robust publishing platform that helps you publicize, sell, and distribute
your Android applications to users around the world. When you release your applications through
Google 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 have
access to several revenue-enhancing features such as <a
href="{@docRoot}google/play/billing/index.html">in-app billing</a> and <a
href="{@docRoot}google/play/licensing/index.html">application licensing</a>. The rich array of tools
and features, coupled with numerous end-user community features, makes Google Play the premier
marketplace for selling and buying Android applications.</p>

<p>Releasing your application on Google Play is a simple process that involves three basic
  steps:</p>

<ul>
  <li>Preparing promotional materials.
    <p>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.</p>
  </li>
  <li>Configuring options and uploading assets.
    <p>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.</p>
  </li>
  <li>Publishing the release version of your application.
    <p>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
    <strong>Publish</strong > in the developer console and within minutes your application will be
    live and available for download around the world.</p>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>For information complete information, see <a href="{@docRoot}distribute/index.html">Google Play</a>.</p>


<h3 id="publishing-email">Releasing your application through email</h3>

<div class="figure" style="width:246px">
  <img src="{@docRoot}images/publishing/publishing_via_email.png"
       alt="Screenshot showing the graphical user interface users see when you send them an app"
       style="width:240px;" />
  <p class="img-caption">
    <strong>Figure 1.</strong> Users can simply click <strong>Install</strong> when you send them
    an application via email.
  </p>
</div>

<p>The easiest and quickest way to release your application is to send it to a user through
email. To do this, you prepare your application for release and then attach it to an email
and send it to a user. When the user opens your email message on their Android-powered device
the Android system will recognize the APK and display an <strong>Install Now</strong>
button in the email message (see figure 1). Users can install your application by touching the
button.</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> The <strong>Install Now</strong> button
shown in Figure 1 appears only if a user has configured their device to allow
installation from <a href="#unknown-sources">unknown sources</a> and has opened your 
email with the native Gmail application.</p>

<p>Distributing applications through email is convenient if you are sending your application to
only a few trusted users, but it provides few protections from piracy and unauthorized
distribution; that is, anyone you send your application to can simply forward it to someone else.</p>

<h2 id="publishing-website">Releasing through a web site</h2>

<p>If you do not want to release your app on a marketplace like Google Play, you
can make the app available for download on your own website or server, including
on a private or enterprise server. To do this, you must first prepare your
application for release in the normal way. Then all you need to do is host the
release-ready APK file on your website and provide a download link to users.
</p>

<p>When users browse to the download link from their Android-powered devices,
the file is downloaded and Android system automatically starts installing it on
the device. However, the installation process will start automatically only if
the user has configured their Settings to allow the installation of apps from
<a href="#unknown-sources">unknown sources</a>.</p>

<p>Although it is relatively easy to release your application on your own
website, it can be inefficient. For example, if you want to monetize your
application you will have to process and track all financial transactions
yourself and you will not be able to use Google Play's <a
href="{@docRoot}google/play/billing/index.html">In-app Billing service</a>
to sell in-app products. In addition, you will not be able to use the <a
href="{@docRoot}google/play/licensing/index.html">Licensing service</a> to
help prevent unauthorized installation and use of your application.</p>


<h2 id="unknown-sources">User Opt-In for Apps from Unknown Sources</h2>

<div class="figure" style="width:246px;margin-top:0;">
  <img src="{@docRoot}images/publishing/publishing_unknown_sources_sm.png"
       alt="Screenshot showing the setting for accepting download and install of
       apps from unknown sources." style="width:240px;" />
  <p class="img-caption">
    <strong>Figure 2.</strong> Users must enable the <strong>Unknown sources</strong>
    setting before they can install apps not downloaded from Google Play. 
  </p>
</div> 

<p>Android protects users from inadvertent download and install of apps from
locations other than Google Play (which is trusted). It blocks such installs
until the user opts-in <strong>Unknown sources</strong> in
Settings&nbsp;<strong>&gt;</strong>&nbsp;Security, shown in Figure 2. To allow
the installation of applications from other sources, users need to enable the
Unknown sources setting on their devices, and they need to make this
configuration change <em>before</em> they download your application to their
devices.</p> 

<p class="note">Note that some network providers do not allow users to install
applications from unknown sources.</p>