34,333
edits
Changes
no edit summary
Once the development work on an Android application is complete and it has been tested on a wide range of Android devices, the next step is to prepare the application for submission to Google Play. Before submission can take place, however, the application must be packaged for release and signed with a private key. This chapter will work through the steps involved in obtaining a private key, preparing the Android App Bundle for the project and uploading it to Google Play.
== The Release Preparation Preparation Process ==
Up until this point in the book, we have been building application projects in a mode suitable for testing and debugging. Building an application package for release to customers via Google Play, on the other hand, requires that some additional steps be taken. The first requirement is that the application be compiled in release mode instead of debug mode. Secondly, the application must be signed with a private key that uniquely identifies you as the application’s developer. Finally, the application must be packaged into an Android App Bundle.

[[File:google_play_console_new_app.png]]

[[File:android_studio_3.2_internal_track.png]]

[[File:android_studio_3.2_enroll_in_app_signing.png]]
[[File:android_studio_3.2_select_app_bundle.png]]


[[File:as3.0_build_keystore_new.png]]

[[File:as3.0_build_keystore_new_complete.png]]

[[File:android_studio_3.2_keystore_info.png]]

[[File:android_studio_3.2_generate_app_bundle.png]]
[[File:android_studio_3.2_app_bundle_generated.png]]

[[File:android_studio_3.2_app_bundle_upload.png]]

[[File:google_play_console_app_bundle_review.png]]

[[File:google_play_console_app_bundle_explorer.png]]
[[File:google_play_console_app_bundle_supported_devices.png]]

[[File:google_play_console_manage_testers.png]]
</pre>
To resolve this problem, the version code embedded into the bundle file needs to be increased. This is performed in the module level build.gradle file of the project, shown highlighted in Figure 1-16: [[File:]] . By default, this file will typically read as follows:
<pre>
