Creating test apk and release apk

Test APK

Test APK or unsigned APK is the one we will use for the testing purpose of our application. It has been created so that developers quickly test out their application or get feedback from clients or colleagues before releasing it on the Google play store. They are not secure and fastly generated because of the absence of Keystore.

Keystore is something that we will Discuss in the Release APK section.

Create a Test APK

• First, select the project or application that you want to make an APK of, and then after selecting, follow these: Go to Build -> Build Bundle(s)/APK(s) -> Build Apk(s) from the Menu.
   

• This will take a few minutes to generate your APK.
   
• If it is done at the bottom right of the screen, it shows the notification that your APK has been successfully generated. Click on that to locate your APK.

• If you miss the notification, go to the folder: app/Build/outputs/apk/debug. There you will find app-debug.apk, which is the default name of the application.
   
• You have created your Test APK, and now you can implement or test out features to it.

Release APK

Release APK or Signed APK is the APK with Keystore. A Keystore is simply a unique set of passwords contained in a binary file. The purpose of the Keystore is when a developer wants to access its application after releasing it on the Play Store to update or fix some bugs in the application. It is essential to provide a Keystore if you want to release your application on the Google Play Store.

You don't need certification; you can create it when building your APK. 

Create a Release APK

• To create a Signed APK, follow these steps: Go to Build( from menu toolbar) -> select Generate Signed Bundle/APK and enter. Of Course, you need to select your project before doing this.

• After doing this, you will see a panel with two options Android App Bundle and APK. You need to select APK one and click next.
   

• In the next window android studio will ask to generate a new Keystore for you APK so that it can become a signed APK. You will see four fields: Key store path, Key store password, Key store alias and Key password.

• Assuming you are new to the concept of Keystore select the create new key store option given below the field of Key store path.

Create Keystore

• You will be directed to a new window where you must fill in various things to generate a Keystore.

• First, you need to provide a path for the Keystore and a password to protect it.
   
• Then you need to provide an alias for the APK and a password. Your password can be the same as the store path password, but it is better to give a different one.
   
• After that, you need to provide validation for your application. Once this validation is done, your Keystore will be Expired.
   
• Ultimately, it will ask you to provide some information to generate the certification for your Keystore. You do not need to fill each of them. Just plug one for the certification, like your name.
   
• After doing all this, click ok, and you will be directed to the last panel of Generate Signed Bundle or APK.

Finishing it

• Fill out the details for the Keystore and alias, then click next, and they will again ask you for two options: first will be debugged, and the second will be released. Select the release one because you have already tested out your application and you want to deploy it.
   

• Check out the notification at the bottom right of your screen informing you about the APK generation. Click on that for the location of your APK.
   

• Your Signed APK will be named app-release.apk as default, and it will be on the folder app/release.

Follow the steps given above, and you can easily generate an APK, whether it is a test APK or a release APK.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sign or provide Keystore to a test or debug APK?

Yes, it can also be signed, but it is not a good practice because you might need to generate Keystore for it again and again since you are still debugging it.

What is the purpose of Android Studio?

You can create apps for Android phones, tablets, and for many more systems using Android Studio, which offers a single development environment. You can break your project into functional pieces that you can separately create, test, and debug using structured code modules.

Which programming language do we use in android studio?

Java is the official language for the android studio which we use to develop applications.

What is the complete form of APK?

APK stands for Android Package Kit.

Is unsigned or test APK the same thing?

Yes, the test APK is also known as the unsigned APK because it requires Keystore to generate them.

Conclusion

In this article, we learned about the need for android development and the two APKs in android studio, and their demand in the development. We have also known how we can generate those APKs in step-by-step instructions.

To learn more about Android, please refer to the following articles:

Android Operating System

Android Native Components

Android Drag and Drop Feature

Android Interview Questions

To learn more about DSA, competitive coding, and many more knowledgeable topics, please look into the guided paths on Code Studio. Also, you can enroll in our courses and check out the mock Test and problems available to you. Please check out our interview experiences and interview bundle for placement preparations.