How to build and test a release APK on a local device

A step by step guide on running a release APK on a local Android device. We recommend this to ensure that quality is met before releasing the app to clients or through the Google Play Store.

A flower that represents Android Studio with the text "Test Release APK on Local Device" beneath it.

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To make sure that everything functions as desired after the code is obscufated, we strongly suggest that you test an APK before releasing it to clients or through the Google Play Store.

Step One: Install Dependencies

A screenshot of Android Studio showing the SDK Manager menu option that exists under the Tools menu.

Make sure that the Android Debug Bridge (adb) is installed by opening up the SDK Manager and checking that a version of the SDK Build Tools is installed.

Learn more about the Android Debug Bridge

A screenshot of the SDK Manager window within the Android Studio preferences. Highlighted is the build tools that should be installed for the Android Debug Bridge to work.

Step Two: Enable USB Debugging

A screenshot of an Android on the Developer Options screen showing our recommended settings. The highlighted items are: Developer Mode ON, USB Debugging ON and Stay Awake ON.

Make sure that Developer Mode and USB Debugging are enabled on the device.

How to enable developer mode on an Android phone or tablet

Step Three: Create and Locate the APK

A screenshot of the location of the APK that we generated as part of this tutorial in a Finder window.

Generate a release APK and determine its location.

How to build and find a release APK or Bundle in Android Studio

Step Four: Install APK

A screenshot of Android Studio with the Terminal open showing the how to install a release APK. It also shows the message that is produced when the install succeeds.

Run the following line in the Android Studio terminal to install your APK:

adb install app/release/app-release.apk

Please note that this might vary if your app's APK is not located in the release folder.

Once installed open the app to confirm everything works.

A screenshot of an Android Device showing the data printed on the screen.

Any Questions?

We are actively looking for feedback on how to improve this resource. Please send us a note to inquiries@delasign.com with any thoughts or feedback you may have.

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