1page.title=Alternative Distribution Options 2page.metaDescription=With Android you can distribute apps to users in any way you want, using any store or distribution approach. 3page.image=/distribute/images/alt-distribution.jpg 4 5@jd:body 6 7<p> 8 As an open platform, Android offers choice. You can distribute your Android 9 apps to users in any way you want, using any distribution approach or 10 combination of approaches that meets your needs. From publishing in an app 11 marketplace to serving your apps from a web site or emailing them directly 12 users, you’re never locked into any particular distribution platform. 13</p> 14 15<p> 16 The process for building and packaging your apps for distribution is the 17 same, regardless of how you distribute them. This saves you time and lets you 18 automate parts of the process as needed. You can read <a href= 19 "{@docRoot}tools/publishing/preparing.html">Preparing for Release</a> for 20 more information. 21</p> 22 23<p> 24 The sections below highlight some of the alternatives for distributing your 25 apps. 26</p> 27 28<div class="headerLine"> 29 <h2> 30 Distributing Through an App Marketplace 31 </h2> 32 33 34</div> 35 36<p> 37 Usually, to reach the broadest possible audience, you’d distribute your apps 38 through a marketplace, such as Google Play. 39</p> 40 41<p> 42 Google Play is the premier marketplace for Android apps and is particularly 43 useful if you want to distribute your apps to a large global audience. 44 However, you can distribute your apps through any app marketplace you want or 45 use multiple marketplaces. 46</p> 47 48<p> 49 Unlike other forms of distribution, Google Play allows you to use the In-app 50 Billing service and Licensing service. The <a href= 51 "{@docRoot}google/play/billing/index.html">In-app Billing service</a> makes 52 it easy to sell in-app products like game jewels or app feature upgrades. The 53 <a href="{@docRoot}google/play/licensing/index.html">Licensing service</a> 54 helps prevent unauthorized installation and use of your apps. 55</p> 56 57<div class="headerLine"> 58 <h2> 59 Distributing Your Apps by Email 60 </h2> 61 62 63</div> 64 65<div class="figure" style="width:300px;"> 66 <img src="{@docRoot}images/publishing/publishing_via_email.png"> 67 <p class="img-caption"> 68 <b>Figure 1.</b> Users can simply click <b>Install</b> when you send them 69 an application via email. 70 </p> 71</div> 72 73<p> 74 An easy and quick way to release your apps is to send them to users by email. 75 To do this, you prepare the app for release, attach it to an email, and send 76 it to a user. When the user open your email on their Android-powered device, 77 the Android system recognizes the APK and displays an <strong>Install 78 Now</strong> button in the email message (see Figure 1). Users can install 79 your app by touching the button. 80</p> 81 82<p> 83 <strong>Note:</strong> The <strong>Install Now</strong> button, shown in 84 Figure 1, appears only if the user has configured their device to allow 85 installation from <a href= 86 "{@docRoot}distribute/open.html#unknown-sources">unknown sources</a> and 87 opened your email in the native Gmail app. 88</p> 89 90<p> 91 Distributing apps through email is convenient if you’re sending them to a few 92 trusted users, as it provides few protections from piracy and unauthorized 93 distribution; that is, anyone you send your apps to can simply forward them 94 to others. 95</p> 96 97<div class="headerLine"> 98 <h2> 99 Distributing Through a Website 100 </h2> 101 102 103</div> 104 105<p> 106 If you don’t want to release your apps on a marketplace such as Google Play, 107 you can make them available for download on your own website or server, 108 including on a private or enterprise server. To do this, you first prepare 109 your apps for release in the normal way. Then all you need to do is host the 110 release-ready APK file on your website and provide a download link to users. 111</p> 112 113<p> 114 When users browse to the download link from their Android-powered devices, 115 the file is downloaded and Android system automatically starts installing it 116 on the device. However, the installation process will start automatically 117 only if users have configured their Settings to allow the installation of 118 apps from <a href="{@docRoot}distribute/open.html#unknown-sources">unknown 119 sources</a>. 120</p> 121 122<div class="headerLine"> 123 <h2> 124 User Opt-In for Apps from Unknown Sources 125 </h2> 126 127 128</div> 129 130<div class="figure" style="width:325px;"> 131 <img src="{@docRoot}images/publishing/publishing_unknown_sources_sm.png"> 132 <p class="img-caption"> 133 <b>Figure 2.</b> Users must enable the <b>Unknown sources</b> setting 134 before they can install apps not downloaded from Google Play. 135 </p> 136</div> 137 138<p> 139 Android protects users from inadvertent download and install of apps from 140 locations other than Google Play (which is trusted). It blocks such installs 141 until the user opts-in <strong>Unknown sources</strong> in Settings 142 <strong>></strong> Security, shown in Figure 2. Users need to make this 143 configuration change <em>before</em> they download your apps to their 144 devices. 145</p> 146 147<p> 148 Note that some network providers don’t allow users to install applications 149 from unknown sources. 150</p> 151
