I've written an app, and tested it on my own devices. I am now looking to get a few individuals to help me beta-test it, so I need a releasable version - as I understand it, an apk.
Clearly, it's not going anywhere near Google Play yet (if ever), so I just want to create a non-debug, presumably signed, release apk.
However I'm finding all the documentation very confusing. Most refer to Google Play as being the target.
I've looked through these and while a lot of it is understandable, both seem to be written very much with Google Play in mind- https://developer.android.com/studio/publish https://code.tutsplus.com/how-to-generate-apk-and-signed-apk-files-in-android-studio--cms-37927t
Can anyone shed any light please? Do I follow the same process, just create my own keys, build the apk, and then just not upload to Google Play?
I don't mind self-signing if its clear how I do that, but I'm looking to create a self-contained apk file that can be downloaded directly to a beta-testers phone from a website.
Any help appreciated
