🚀📖 Internal App Sharing: The Developer’s Shortcut to App Testing and Updates💡

Shravan Meena
3 min readMar 27, 2023

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Internal App Sharing: An Efficient Method for In-App Updates

As an app developer, keeping your app up to date is crucial for delivering the best experience to your users. However, the process of releasing new updates can be a time-consuming and complex task. This is where internal app sharing comes in handy. It is a feature that enables app developers to quickly and easily share the latest version of their app with colleagues, testers, and other team members before releasing it to the public.

What is Internal App Sharing?

Internal app sharing is a feature provided by Google Play Store that allows developers to share the latest version of their app with team members or testers without publishing it on the public app store. This feature can be accessed through the Google Play Console, where developers can upload a new APK or app bundle and generate a shareable link for the updated version. The link can be shared with the intended audience, who can then install the app on their device and test it before the public release.

Benefits of Internal App Sharing

Internal app sharing provides several benefits to app developers. Some of the key advantages are:

Quick and Easy Distribution: Internal app sharing eliminates the need for developers to go through the entire process of publishing the app on the public app store. Developers can easily share the updated app with the intended audience using a shareable link.

Faster Testing: Internal app sharing allows testers and team members to quickly install the updated app on their device and test it. This ensures that any bugs or issues are identified and resolved before the app is released to the public.

Improved App Quality: With the ability to test the updated app before release, developers can ensure that the app is of high quality and provides a great user experience.

How to Use Internal App Sharing for In-App Updates?

Internal app sharing can also be used for in-app updates, which is a feature that allows users to update the app without leaving the app interface. This feature is essential for delivering a seamless and efficient user experience. Here’s how to use internal app sharing for in-app updates:

Step 1: Upload the Latest Version of Your App

The first step is to upload the latest version of your app to the Google Play Console. Ensure that the updated app has a higher version code than the current app version.

Step 2: Enable In-App Updates

To enable in-app updates, add the necessary code to your app’s source code. The code can be found in the Google Play Core Library.

Step 3: Generate a Shareable Link

Generate a shareable link for the updated app version by navigating to the internal app sharing section of the Google Play Console. Ensure that the link is set to allow in-app updates.

Step 4: Share the Link

Share the link with your users through email, messaging apps, or any other communication channels.

Step 5: Update the App

Users can now update the app from within the app interface by clicking on the update button.

Conclusion

Internal app sharing is a great feature for app developers who want to streamline the process of releasing new app updates. It provides a quick and easy way to share the latest version of the app with testers and team members for testing before the public release. Using internal app sharing for in-app updates can also help deliver a seamless and efficient user experience. Overall, internal app sharing is a valuable tool for app developers looking to improve the quality and performance of their app.

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Shravan Meena

Writing code is my passion. I firmly believe in the transformative and enhancing power of programming, and how it can improve the lives of those around world.