Publish private apps
There are three main ways to publish a private app: from the Managed Google Play iframe in your EMM console, from the Google Play Console, or by using the Custom App publishing API. The table below compares the features of each publishing method:
| Managed Play iframe | Google Play Console | Custom App publishing API | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host APK with Google Play | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Host APK externally | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Streamlined publishing* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Distribute to multiple organizations** | ✔✝ | ✔ | ✔✝ |
| Make apps public | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| Transfer apps to another Google Play Developer account | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Publish without registration fee‡ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
*Publishing apps from the Managed Play iframe or Google Play Console require only an APK and title. Publishing apps from the Custom App publishing API requires only an APK, title and app’s default listing language. An app can be published within a few minutes using any one of the methods.
**Distribute up to 1000 organizations.
✝Configurable in the Play Console, after an app is published from the iframe.
‡Refers to the Play Console registration fee. This fee is waived for iframe users.
Recommended publishing method
If you don’t have a Google Play console developer account, the easiest way to publish private apps is from the Managed Play iframe.
If you already have a Google Play console developer account, you can use your developer account to publish private apps.
If you plan to allow your enterprise customers to publish private apps directly from your end-user interface, you can use the Custom App publishing API.
Publish private apps using other methods
If your EMM console allows you to publish private apps without using the Managed Google Play iframe, consult your EMM provider for details on which private app features they support.
Some third-party developers may have development tools that allow them to publish private apps. If this is the case, contact them for details on which private app features they support.