I have an app that is ready for testing by actual users. I’m wondering what are good strategies for getting the app onto the phones of the individuals who are willing to give it a test drive. I don’t intend for or want the general public to load the app.
I put a copy of the .apk file on my google drive, and am setting permissions and sending links to the individuals that will be downloading and installing. The main issue with this as a strategy is that both the download and installation process are filled with warnings, and installation usually requires the user interpret objections that indicate android system setting changes. These steps are creating barriers for folks who are not Android phone “power users”.
Looking into distribution via Google-Play-Store, it seems that there is no way to restrict who can download. I assume that the installation process would easy if the app were on the Google-Play-Store. But as I mentioned earlier, this app should not meant be used by the general public.
Ultimately, I hope the distribution will be done through the company’s website, or the company might be persuaded to set up a Google-Play-Store account that is private to people in the company (the target audience for this app). But I believe I can make a better case for them to adopt the app if it can be shown to pass beta testing.