Set Up Distribution for Android

Prepare your branded app for distribution on Google Play. You can distribute the app either publicly on the public Google Play Store or privately through Managed Google Play to users within your organization.

Required Editions

Setup for Mobile Publisher available in: Lightning Experience
Setup for Mobile Publisher available in: production only (not sandbox)
Available in Lightning Experience in: Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited Editions
User Permissions Needed
To create and modify a Mobile Publisher project: Manage mySalesforce Apps

Mobile Publisher needs certain pieces of information from your Google Play Developer account to distribute your branded app.

Note
Note If you haven't signed up for a Google Play Developer account, click here to sign up.

Most Android setup steps are the same for public and private distribution. The differences are:

  • For public distribution, you first select your distribution type in Mobile Publisher and create a placeholder app in the Google Play Console. For private distribution, skip the first four steps (select Distribution Type for Your Android App, Create a Placeholder App for Public Distribution, Mobile Publisher Best Practices for App Content Declarations, and Update Test User Credentials). Your app is distributed through Managed Google Play, so you don't need a public placeholder.
  • For private distribution only, you must provide your Managed Google Play Organization information so that Salesforce can restrict the app to your organization's users.
Important
Important For private distribution, always use a G-Suite with your organization domain. Access to the app is available only to users who are part of that G-Suite organization. For example, if your organization's name is Acme Inc., use a G-Suite with the same domain and app users who are part of the organization.
Note
Note There's no beta app provided for Android private distribution. If you don't use G-Suite and Google for work, refer to Distribute Private apps.

Complete the following steps in order, noting which steps apply to your distribution type.

Public Distribution Steps

  1. Choose Distribution Type

    Start the public distribution process by selecting your distribution type.

  2. Create a Placeholder App

    Create a placeholder app in your new Google Play Console account.

  3. Mobile Publisher Best Practices for App Content Declarations

    After you create a placeholder app, you complete Google Play's required App Content declarations to publish your Android app. When you publish a Mobile Publisher Android app, follow best practices specific to Mobile Publisher for the Privacy policy, App access, Data safety, and Financial features declarations.

  4. Update Test User Credentials

    Google reviews apps by logging in as a user to check the functionality. Update the test user credentials in your Google Play Console account to avoid any app rejections.

  5. Create Service Account User and Find Your Google Play Developer ID

    To manage the distribution of your branded app with your developer account, Mobile Publisher needs your Service Account User and Google Play Developer ID info.

  6. Grant Permission to Distribute Your Branded App

    Grant Salesforce permission to distribute your branded app.

  7. Register Your Firebase App to Enable Mobile Publisher Android Push Notifications

    To set up push notifications for your Android app, provide Mobile Publisher with information from a Google Firebase project associated with your app. To get the required information, register your Android app and generate a private key. Then, submit the information to your app's Setup for Mobile Publisher project.

  8. Enter Your Information into Your Mobile Publisher Project for Android

    Now that we have all the information we need, we can go back to the Mobile Publisher and fill out the necessary fields.

Private Distribution Steps

  1. Mobile Publisher Best Practices for App Content Declarations

    After you create a placeholder app, you complete Google Play's required App Content declarations to publish your Android app. When you publish a Mobile Publisher Android app, follow best practices specific to Mobile Publisher for the Privacy policy, App access, Data safety, and Financial features declarations.

  2. Grant Permission to Distribute Your Branded App

    Grant Salesforce permission to distribute your branded app.

  3. Create Service Account User and Find Your Google Play Developer ID

    To manage the distribution of your branded app with your developer account, Mobile Publisher needs your Service Account User and Google Play Developer ID info.

  4. Register Your Firebase App to Enable Mobile Publisher Android Push Notifications

    To set up push notifications for your Android app, provide Mobile Publisher with information from a Google Firebase project associated with your app. To get the required information, register your Android app and generate a private key. Then, submit the information to your app's Setup for Mobile Publisher project.

  5. Find Your Managed Google Play Organization Info

    To distribute your branded app, Mobile Publisher needs your Managed Google Play Organization info.

  6. Enter Your Information into Your Mobile Publisher Project for Android

    Now that we have all the information we need, we can go back to the Mobile Publisher and fill out the necessary fields.