Android App Building & Publishing

📱 Android App Publishing Overview

This step guides you through building a signed Android App Bundle (AAB) or APK for publishing on the Google Play Store. The process includes keystore generation, signing configuration, and build generation.

Step 12: Building the Android App Bundle for Publishing

To publish your app on the Google Play Store, you need to generate a signed Android App Bundle (AAB) or APK. Follow these steps.

1Verify `google-services.json`

Ensure that the Firebase configuration file is present:

The file should be in: android/app/google-services.json.
If missing, download it from the Firebase Console and place it inside the android/app/ directory.

2Generate a Keystore for Signing

Run the following command to generate a signing key:

                keytool -genkeypair -v -keystore release-key.jks -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 -alias your_key_alias
            

Follow the prompts to enter the keystore password, alias name, and other details.

3Move the Keystore File

Move the generated release-key.jks file into the android/app/ directory.

4Create `keystore.properties` File

Create a file named keystore.properties inside the android/ directory with the following content:

storeFile=release-key.jks
storePassword=your_store_password
keyAlias=your_key_alias
keyPassword=your_key_password
            

5Update `build.gradle` for Signing

Modify the android/app/build.gradle file by adding the signing configuration:

android {
    ...
    signingConfigs {
        release {
            keyAlias keystoreProperties['keyAlias']
            keyPassword keystoreProperties['keyPassword']
            storeFile keystoreProperties['storeFile'] ? file(keystoreProperties['storeFile']) : null
            storePassword keystoreProperties['storePassword']
        }
    }
    buildTypes {
        release {
            signingConfig signingConfigs.release
            minifyEnabled true
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
}
            

6Build the Release APK or AAB

Run the following command to generate the build:

For APK:

flutter build apk --release

For App Bundle (recommended for Play Store):

flutter build appbundle

7Locate the Generated Files

Once built, the output files will be in:

APK: build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk
AAB: build/app/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab

These files are ready for upload to the Google Play Store.

🎉 Build Complete!

Your Android app is now ready for publishing. The generated AAB file is the recommended format for the Google Play Store as it provides better optimization and smaller download sizes for users.

🎨 Customizing App Icons & Branding

Before publishing your app, customize the app icons and logos with your school's branding:

Android App Icons

Replace the following files with your school logo in the specified sizes:

Folder: android/app/src/main/res/

mipmap-hdpi/ic_launcher.png (72x72 px)
mipmap-mdpi/ic_launcher.png (48x48 px)
mipmap-xhdpi/ic_launcher.png (96x96 px)
mipmap-xxhdpi/ic_launcher.png (144x144 px)
mipmap-xxxhdpi/ic_launcher.png (192x192 px)

Web Icons & PWA Assets

Replace files in web/icons/ and web/favicon.png:

Icon-192.png (192x192 px)
Icon-512.png (512x512 px)
Icon-maskable-192.png (192x192 px)
Icon-maskable-512.png (512x512 px)
favicon.png (32x32 px or larger)

Static Logos (In-App Branding)

Replace files in assets/images/logo/:

logo.png - Main logo (login screens, navigation)
logo-sm.png - Small logo (left sidebar)
appstore.png - App Store promotional image
playstore.png - Play Store promotional image

💡 Icon Generation Tools

Use online tools to generate all required sizes:

App Icon Generator: appicon.co
Favicon Generator: realfavicongenerator.net
PWA Icon Generator: pwabuilder.com

⚠️ Important: Icon changes require a full app restart (not hot reload). Always test on physical devices after making changes.

📋 Next Steps: Google Play Store Upload

After building your app, follow these steps to publish on the Google Play Store:

Create a Google Play Console account (if you don't have one)
Pay the one-time $25 registration fee
Create a new app in the Play Console
Upload your AAB file
Fill in app details, screenshots, and descriptions
Submit for review

⚠️ Important Security Note:

Keep your keystore file and passwords secure. If you lose them, you won't be able to update your app on the Play Store. Consider backing up your keystore in a secure location.