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I would like to know about Android application signing.

IFAIK, blackberry and iphone application must be signed to work on the real device. For the Android, does application need to sign ?

If so, how to sign the application ?

Please advice. guys.

Thanks in advance.

swiftBoy
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AndroiDBeginner
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3 Answers3

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If you are using the Eclipse plugin.

Right click on the project > Android Tools > Export Signed Application Package

Follow the instructions for creating a .keystore file and you're sorted!

Ljdawson
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7

There's a guide to signing Android applications on the developer website: http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/app-signing.html

To answer your immediate concern: you don't need a real device to sign an application. You sign during the build process, so it can be done on any computer with the correct software (which is all free). The easiest way to build a signed application is to just use Eclipse's ADT plugin, which has an "export signed application" feature.

Dan Lew
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  • During development the application gets signed with a dev key which will work on emulators and on real phones. You only need to generate a your own key when you're ready to upload your application to the Android Market. – David Webb Dec 16 '09 at 17:47
  • Very true; I suggest re-using one development key (rather than using the one that ADT generates) because then each person working on the same application ends up using the same debug signing key. – Dan Lew Dec 16 '09 at 18:26
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    Also, you will have to create a KEYSTORE file. DO NOT LOSE OR DELETE THIS FILE. I would suggest signing up with an online storage vendor and store it there. DropBox is free for 2GB. If you lose that keystore file, you will not be able to update your application. This means that you will have to release it as a new application, which will not make users happy if you charge for you app, because they would have to be charged again to get the update. And no, there is no way around it. – Ryan Alford Dec 16 '09 at 20:55
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As @Laurence Dawson mentioned one way to do this is just by opening your project in eclipse then

Right click on the project > Android Tools > Export Signed Application Package

BUT you MUST create a Keystore prior to do this, this is really easy and simple the option will appear after you select "Export Signed Application Package" from right click options, it will ask you to "sign" your APK (in order to Beta/Alpha/Production publish) this process is done simply by creating this Keystore, once its created just select this new keystore (it will appear right in the options of "Export Signed Application Package") and voila! then it will just ask you for enter the path where to upload your signed APK ready for google developer website!

d1jhoni1b
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