App Distribution

App Distribution lets you build and publish native iOS and Android apps directly from the admin panel. Configure your signing credentials, upload the required files, and trigger builds with one click.

Prerequisites

Before distributing your app, complete these steps in App Configuration:

Requirement	Where to Set
App Name	App Configuration
App Icon	App Configuration → Branding Assets
App Logo	App Configuration → Branding Assets
Privacy Policy URL	App Configuration → URLs
Website URL	App Configuration → URLs

Note

The Distribution page shows validation errors if any required configuration is missing. Fix them before triggering a build.

Apple iOS

Setting up iOS distribution requires an Apple Developer account and several signing files. Follow each step in order.

1. Enroll in the Apple Developer Program

If you haven’t already, enroll at developer.apple.com/programs. The annual membership ($99/year) is required to distribute apps on the App Store.

2. Create an App ID

An App ID (bundle identifier) uniquely identifies your app on the App Store.

1. Go to developer.apple.com/account/resources/identifiers

2. Click the + button to register a new identifier

3. Select App IDs and click Continue

4. Select App as the type and click Continue

5. Enter a Description (e.g., “My Streaming App”) and an Explicit Bundle ID (e.g., com.yourcompany.yourapp)

6. Click Register

Tip

The bundle ID must be unique across all apps on the App Store. Use reverse domain notation: com.yourcompany.yourapp.

3. Create a Distribution Certificate

A distribution certificate signs your app binary so Apple can verify it came from you.

1. Go to developer.apple.com/account/resources/certificates

2. Click the + button to create a new certificate

3. Select Apple Distribution and click Continue

4. You’ll need a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). On your Mac, open Keychain Access → Certificate Assistant → Request a Certificate from a Certificate Authority

5. Enter your email, leave CA Email blank, select Saved to disk, and click Continue

6. Upload the .certSigningRequest file to the Apple Developer portal and click Continue

7. Download the generated .cer file and double-click it to install in Keychain Access

Export as .p12

The build system needs the certificate in .p12 format (which includes the private key).

1. Open Keychain Access on your Mac

2. In the login keychain, find your distribution certificate under My Certificates (it will say “Apple Distribution: Your Name”)

3. Right-click the certificate and select Export

4. Choose Personal Information Exchange (.p12) as the format

5. When prompted for a password, leave the password field blank and click OK. The build system expects a .p12 exported with no password.

6. Save the .p12 file

Caution

Keep the .p12 file secure. Anyone with this file can sign apps as your organization.

4. Create an App Store Connect API Key

The API key allows the build system to upload your app to App Store Connect and manage TestFlight.

1. Go to appstoreconnect.apple.com/access/integrations/api

2. Click the + button to generate a new key

3. Enter a name (e.g., “CI Build Key”) and select the App Manager role

4. Click Generate

5. Download the .p8 key file immediately — you can only download it once

6. Note the Key ID (shown in the keys list) and the Issuer ID (shown at the top of the page)

Caution

The .p8 key file can only be downloaded once. Store it securely.

5. Upload iOS Assets

Upload your signing files to the platform:

1. In the admin panel, go to App Studio → Distribution → iOS
2. Upload the following files:

File	Description
.p12	Distribution certificate
.p8	App Store Connect API key

6. Configure iOS Build Settings

In App Studio → Distribution → iOS, enter the following settings:

Setting	Value	Example
Bundle ID	The bundle identifier registered in step 2	com.yourcompany.yourapp
Development Team ID	Your Apple Developer team ID (10-character alphanumeric)	WUZNCH97X6
API Key ID	The Key ID from step 4	ABC1234DEF
API Key Issuer ID	The Issuer ID from step 4	12345678-...

Tip

Your Team ID can be found at developer.apple.com/account under Membership Details.

---

Android

Setting up Android distribution requires a Google Play Developer account. The signing keystore is automatically generated by the platform.

1. Create a Google Play Developer Account

If you haven’t already, register at play.google.com/console/signup. There is a one-time $25 registration fee.

2. Create Your App in Google Play Console

1. Go to play.google.com/console

2. Click Create app

3. Fill in the app name, default language, app type (App), and whether it’s free or paid

4. Accept the declarations and click Create app

3. Create a Google Cloud Service Account

A service account allows the build system to upload your app to Google Play automatically.

1. Go to console.cloud.google.com

2. Create a new project (or select an existing one)

3. Enable the Google Play Android Developer API:

   • Go to APIs & Services → Library
   • Search for “Google Play Android Developer API”
   • Click Enable

4. Create a service account:

   • Go to APIs & Services → Credentials
   • Click Create Credentials → Service Account
   • Enter a name (e.g., “Play Store Upload”) and click Create and Continue
   • Skip the optional role and user access steps
   • Click Done

5. Create a JSON key:

   • Click on the service account you just created
   • Go to the Keys tab
   • Click Add Key → Create new key
   • Select JSON and click Create
   • Save the downloaded GoogleCloudServiceKey.json file

   'Service account key creation is disabled' error

   Google Cloud organizations created after May 3, 2024 block service account key creation by default via the iam.disableServiceAccountKeyCreation organization policy. Follow these steps to disable it:

   Step 1 — Grant yourself the Organization Policy Administrator role:

   The project Owner role does not include organization policy permissions. You must grant yourself the Organization Policy Administrator role at the organization level (not the project level).

   1. Go to console.cloud.google.com
   2. Click the project picker in the top bar
   3. In the picker dialog, select the All tab
   4. Select your organization (the top-level entry, not a project underneath it)
   5. Go to IAM & Admin → IAM
   6. Click + Grant Access
   7. In the New principals field, enter your email address
   8. In the Select a role dropdown, search for Organization Policy Administrator and select it
   9. Click Save

   Step 2 — Disable both policies:

   Searching for “Disable service account key creation” returns two policies. You must disable both or key creation will still be blocked.

   1. In the project picker, switch back to your project (not the organization)
   2. Go to IAM & Admin → Organization Policies
   3. In the filter bar, search for “Disable service account key creation”
   4. Click the first policy (iam.disableServiceAccountKeyCreation)
   5. Click Manage Policy
   6. Under Policy source, select Override parent’s policy
   7. Click Add a rule
   8. Set Enforcement to Off
   9. Click Set Policy
   10. Go back to the Organization Policies list and click the second policy (iam.managed.disableServiceAccountKeyCreation)
   11. Repeat steps 5–9 for this policy
   12. Wait a few minutes for the changes to propagate

   You can now go back and create the JSON key. After creating the key, you may optionally re-enable both policies by repeating the steps above and setting Enforcement back to On.

6. Link the service account to Google Play Console:

   • Go to play.google.com/console → Users and permissions
   • Click Invite new users
   • In the email address field, enter the service account email (found on the service account details page in Google Cloud Console, e.g. [email protected])
   • Under App permissions, select your app and click Apply
   • Under Account permissions, enable at minimum: Release to production, exclude devices, and use Play App Signing
   • Click Invite user and then Send invite

4. Set the Application ID

The Application ID is the unique package name that identifies your app on Google Play. It is permanently baked into the app binary and cannot be changed after the first upload to Google Play.

1. In the admin panel, go to App Studio → Distribution → Android

2. Enter your Application ID using reverse domain notation (e.g., com.yourcompany.yourapp)

3. The field saves automatically

Caution

Choose carefully — this value becomes permanent once the first build is uploaded to Google Play. It must be unique across all apps on Google Play and follow Android package naming rules (lowercase letters, numbers, and dots only).

5. Upload Android Assets

Upload your files to the platform:

1. In the admin panel, go to App Studio → Distribution → Android
2. Upload the following files:

File	Description
GoogleCloudServiceKey.json	Google Play API service account key

Tip

The signing keystore is automatically generated by the platform and managed via Google Play App Signing. You do not need to create or upload a keystore manually.

6. First Release: Manual Upload Required

Google Play requires the very first app bundle to be uploaded manually through the Play Console. The API cannot create a new app listing — it can only update existing ones.

1. Trigger a build from the admin panel — the build will succeed and produce an AAB file

2. Download the AAB from the admin panel (App Studio → Distribution → Android → Download)

3. In Google Play Console, go to your app → Testing → Internal testing → Create new release

4. Upload the AAB file and complete the release

Tip

You only need to do this once. After the first manual upload, all subsequent builds will upload to Google Play automatically.

7. Verify Android Configuration

In App Studio → Distribution → Android, verify that all fields are filled in and no validation errors are shown before triggering a build.

---

Triggering a Build

Once all configuration and signing assets are in place:

1. Go to App Studio → Distribution

2. Select the platform (iOS or Android)

3. Optionally set a version number (defaults to the current version)

4. Click Build

The build is submitted to the CI/CD pipeline. iOS builds typically take 60-90 minutes; Android builds take 15-30 minutes.

Monitoring Build Status

After triggering a build, the Distribution page shows the current status:

Status	Meaning
Building	The build is in progress
Success	The build completed and was uploaded to the app store
Failed	The build failed — check the error message for details

The status updates automatically as the build progresses.

Troubleshooting

iOS: “Bundle ID is required for Apple distribution”

The Bundle ID has not been set. Go to App Studio → Distribution → iOS and enter your Bundle ID (e.g., com.yourcompany.yourapp). This must match the App ID registered in your Apple Developer account. See step 2 above.

iOS: “Unable to authenticate with App Store Connect”

The API key credentials are incorrect. Double-check:

• The API Key ID and Issuer ID in App Configuration
• The uploaded .p8 file matches the key ID
• The API key has the App Manager role in App Store Connect

Android: “Application ID is required for Android distribution”

The Application ID has not been set. Go to App Studio → Distribution → Android and enter your Application ID (e.g., com.yourcompany.yourapp). This is the unique package name for your app on Google Play. See step 4 above.

Android: “Google Play service account not found”

The GoogleCloudServiceKey.json file is missing or wasn’t uploaded. Upload it via the Distribution page.

Android: “Package name must be specified”

Same as the Application ID error above. The Application ID field on the Distribution page must be filled in before building.

Android: “Upload to Google Play failed”

The service account may not have the correct permissions. Verify:

• The service account is linked in Google Play Console → Settings → API access
• The service account has permission to release to production for your app
• The Google Play Android Developer API is enabled in your Google Cloud project

Build fails immediately

Check that all required configuration is set in App Configuration. The Distribution page shows validation errors for missing fields.