Run the Android Application on any phone with the .apk file

Question

I am working on an Android Application in which I have .apk file in my project bin folder. Now I am planning to give this .apk file to few of my friends. So that they can run my application in the emulator and in the phone as well without making any change in the XML file for Google Map API key.

So do I need to do anything else with that .apk file before giving them?

Because in my case When I ran my project on the emulator, the .apk file was generated on the bin directory. So I was thinking to give this .apk file to them directly.

Let me know if I need to do anything else before giving them out.

Do I need to sign .apk file before giving them out?

Answer 1

Don't give your friends the debug APK file. Instead, create a release key and sign your APK properly first. The debug key is time-limited, and if your friends use that key, then when the debug key expires (usually a year after you first started eclipse/ADT), they can no longer upgrade the app, and all their data is lost.

There is no cost, to signing your application, and it only takes a few minutes to set up. There's no reason why you wouldn't sign it.

Further, your friends will need to enable "Allow Installation from Unknown Sources" on their devices.

Answer 2

You can give them directly, you don't need to sign the .apk to make it work.