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androidgoogle-apps

Deploying android apps for my business

I would like to deploy android apps to my employees. We have roughly 900 employees.

I was looking here, and it indicates that I have to setup a private channel by enabling Google apps for my domain. I've also read that it costs $50/employees to have my entire company on google apps.

Are there any other ways to deploy android apps strictly to my employee base? Am I really going to have to pay $50 per head?

Any advice is welcome.

Solution

  • No you don't need to pay that.

    • Get a developer licenses from developer.android.com ($25)
    • Then create a google group for your Employees and invite them all using their gmail (or other google, see screen shot below) accounts they have installed on their devices.

    It allows, I prefer to use my current email address

    Step 1 complete, they are all inside the google group you have specified.

    in the developer console:

    Upload your apk as an alpha or beta apk (see screen shot below), set up the app as normal with all required fields, but when specifying the testing group you can reference this google group you have just created, which will give you a url that can only be accessed by those google accounts in the group.

    Alpha / Beta screenshot

    Send this link out to all the employees that you previously invited to that google group and get them to accept the link for alpha/beta testing.

    Once, accepted the employees will be able to download the apk from the Android device with that google account. (The app can then be found in the PlayStore app under Apps & Games -> My apps & Games - > All)

    Now anytime you upload a new Alpha/beta apk all users of this group will see the app update or if auto update apps is enable for them, it will happen automatically.

    for more details on beta setup: Alpha/beta help

    Good Luck and happy coding!