Starting August 2021, new apps are required to publish with the Android App Bundle on Google Play. New apps larger than 200MB can use either Play Asset Delivery or Play Feature Delivery.
As of June 30, 2023, Google Play no longer supports TV app updates using APKs. All TV app updates must be published with Android App Bundles (AAB).
To know more, read The Future of Android App Bundles is here, on the Android Developers Blog.
With internal app sharing, you can quickly share an Android App Bundle with your internal team and testers by uploading an app bundle or APK on the internal app sharing upload page and generating a link. When sharing your app this way, you can restrict access to email lists only or allow anyone whom you share the link with to download.
Before you start
Before uploading files for internal app sharing, here are some important things to know:
- If you have the Release apps to testing tracks permission, you’re authorized to upload app bundles and APKs for internal sharing by default.
- Version codes don't need to be new or unique, and you can reuse version codes for app bundles or APKs that you’re sharing.
- You can upload and share debuggable app bundles or APKs.
- Uploaded artifacts for internal app sharing aren’t shown in your app bundle explorer, nor can they be included in releases on testing or production tracks.
- Uploaded artifacts for internal app sharing can be signed with any key, and don’t need to be signed with a production or upload key. They’re automatically re-signed with an Internal App Sharing key, which is automatically created for your app by Google.
- You can share an internal app sharing link with as many users as you want, but a maximum of 100 users will be able to download your app using the link.
- Download links expire 60 days after the upload date.
Upload and share apps
Upload and share apps for testing- After you’re signed in to a Google Account that has been added as an authorized uploader, visit the internal app sharing upload page.
- Select Upload.
- Type a version name to help you and your testers identify your app, or use the assigned version name from your app bundle or APK.
- Select Confirm upload.
- Next to the uploaded app bundle or APK, click the copy icon to copy the app’s URL to your clipboard.
- Share the download link with your testers.
Add authorized uploaders and testers
Add authorized uploadersOption 1: Create a new list of authorized uploaders
- Open Play Console.
- Select an app.
- On the left menu, select Release Setup Internal app sharing.
- On the Uploaders and testers tab, scroll to the "Manage uploaders" section and select Create email list.
- Type a name to identify your list of uploaders.
- You can use the same list for future tests on any of your apps.
- Add email addresses separated by commas or select Upload CSV file. If you use a CSV file, put each email address on its own line without any commas.
- If you upload a CSV file after typing in email addresses, it will overwrite any email addresses you've added.
- Authorized uploaders don’t have to be users of your Play Console account.
- Select Save changes.
- Select the checkbox next to the name of the list(s) you want to use.
Note: If you create a list of email addresses, you can reuse the same list when adding authorized uploaders, downloaders, and testers for testing tracks on your Google Play developer account.
Option 2: Use an existing list of authorized uploaders
- Open Play Console.
- Select an app.
- On the left menu, select Test and release > Internal testing > Internal app sharing.
- On the Uploaders and testers tab, scroll to the "Manage uploaders" section and select the checkbox next to the name of the list(s) you want to use.
Important: After adding authorized testers, provide your testers with instructions on how to turn on internal app sharing.
Option 1: Make your app available to anyone with a link
- Open Play Console.
- Select an app.
- On the left menu, select Test and release > Internal testing > Internal app sharing.
- On the Uploaders and testers tab, scroll to the "Manage testers" section and check that the option "Anyone you shared the link with can download" is selected (it should be selected by default).
Option 2: Create a new list of authorized testers
- Sign in to Play Console.
- Select an app.
- On the left menu, select Test and release > Setup > Internal app sharing > Email list.
- Select the "Authorized testers" tab.
- Under "Link availability," select Email lists.
- Click Create list.
- Type a name to identify your list of testers. You can use the same list for future tests on any of your apps.
- Add email addresses separated by commas or click Upload new CSV file. If you use a CSV file, put each email address on its own line without any commas.
- Note: If you upload a CSV file after typing in email addresses, it will overwrite any email addresses you've added
- Click Save.
- Select the checkbox next to the name of the list(s) that you want to use.
Note: If you create a list of email addresses, you can reuse the same list when adding authorized uploaders, downloaders, and testers for testing tracks on your Google Play developer account.
- Open Play Console.
- Select an app.
- On the left menu, select Test and release > Internal testing > Internal app sharing.
- Select the Email lists tab.
- Next to "Downloaders," select Create email list.
- Type a name to identify your list of downloaders.
- You can use the same list for future tests on any of your apps.
- Add email addresses separated by commas or select Upload CSV file. If you use a CSV file, put each email address on its own line without any commas.
- If you upload a CSV file after typing in email addresses, it will overwrite any email addresses you've added.
- Authorized uploaders don’t have to be users of your Play Console account.
- Select Save changes.
- Select the checkbox next to the name of the list(s) that you want to use.
Note: If you create a list of email addresses, you can reuse the same list when adding authorized uploaders, downloaders, and testers for testing tracks on your Google Play developer account.
Option 3: Use an existing list of authorized testers
- Open Play Console.
- Select an app.
- On the left menu, select Test and release > Internal testing > Internal app sharing.
- Select the Email lists tab.
- Next to "Downloaders," select the checkbox next to the name of the list(s) that you want to use.
How authorized testers turn on internal app sharing
Before authorized testers can download apps using internal app sharing, they need to turn on internal app sharing on their Google Play Store app.
- Open the Google Play Store app
.
- Tap Menu
> Settings.
- In the "About" section, tap the Play Store version 7 times.
- After the Internal app sharing setting appears, tap the switch to turn on internal app sharing.
- Tap Turn on.
> Settings.Download certificates
To use their services, some API providers request a certificate to pair with an app’s package name. After you upload an app bundle or APK to the internal app sharing upload pagefor the first time, Play Console generates a certificate that’s used for each of your uploads for that app. Every APK is resigned with this test certificate, regardless of which certificate you used to sign your app.
To download your test certificate:
- Open Play Console.
- Select an app.
- On the left menu, select Test and release > Internal testing > Internal app sharing.
- On the Uploaders and testers tab, scroll to the "Internal test certificate" section.
- Select Download certificate.
- If you need individual certificate fingerprints, click the copy icon next to the type of certificate to copy it to your clipboard.
Troubleshoot issues
If you experience issues when using internal app sharing, here are a few ways to fix them:
User isn’t an internal app sharing testerIf an app isn’t available for a user on Google Play, then they won’t be able to download it using internal app testing. For testers to be able to download your internal app, they need to have access to your app’s store listing on Google Play.
Here are a couple of examples of why an internal app wouldn’t be available for a user to download:
- An app isn’t distributed in a user’s country.
- An app isn’t published to production, or it’s only published to a testing track that a user doesn’t have access to.
If you share an internal app sharing link with many users, you can reach the maximum number of users (100) who can download your app through a single link.
To share your app with more users using a link, upload the same app bundle or APK, and you’ll receive a new download link. Up to 100 users can download your app through each unique link.
If the link to download your internal app expires, upload the same app bundle or APKagain to receive a new link.