Android apps - Upload the app to Amazon store

Quite obviously, before you can even think of uploading an app to Amazon app store, you have to have an interesting and working app. Make sure that your app can cope with all the stupid things the user may try.

Amazon developer website

Amazon will require you to log in. This is the normal log in that you use all over the place in Amazon, even if you're only buying stuff. If you haven't registered with Amazon yet, then you will need to do so.

You will also need to register as a developer. This only happens once, and to tell the truth, I can't quite remember how I did it! I think it was from this page:

Fire Tablets

and I clicked on either "Sign up" or "Submit an App" button on the right hand side of the screen. It could be that whenever you submit your first app, they register you. It means giving a little information about yourself.

Then you take a deep breath and start to submit your app. There is quite a bit to tell Amazon about before you upload the app itself. There are a set of tabs, and you have to work through them giving the info, and saving each one. If you have successfully completed a tab, it tells you so. If you've saved it, then you can leave the rest for another day, if you wish. It doesn't have to all be done at the same time.

Most of the tabs are quite easy (although if you're writing a long description, I suggest that you write it elsewhere and copy it in. I got a computer hiccough near the end of mine, and had to retype the lot!) You will have to think about things like pricing, and ads. You're on your own there - I'm writing free apps without ads!

"Images and Multimedia" needs a bit of thought. They need two pictures, one big and one small. These will work as icons, representing your app. They also need screenshots, at least three. They give lots of different acceptable sizes, and I thought they meant three identical screenshots at different sizes. No, they want three DIFFERENT screenshots, and they can all be the same size. Silly me....

"Binary Files" is the biggie. This is where you upload your app. And you need to do something first. You need your app in a particular format, with a key. A what? I hear you ask... Well, AndoidStudio will produce it for you, but it's not particularly obvious, so this is how you do it step by step.

Go into AndroidStudio with your app there. Click on Build (at the top) then "Generate signed APK...". This will generate a box asking for various stuff:

Choose "Create New" (the first time obviously)
Key Store Path: this is where you're going to store your app keys. Think of a folder to put them in (they don't give your a hint, unfortunately) and the file name can be "android.jks". Don't forget this path - subsequent times you will be trying to find it!
Choose a password
Key Alias: I'm not sure about this. Call it something like MyKey!
Another password
Next
Android Studio has given a path where the key and app will be stored. Remember this!
I left the rest of this page alone
Finish

There will be a bit of a wait while it builds it, and hopefully it will say that it's OK.

Go back to the Amazon website. The "Binary Files" asks you (among other things) for a Binary File. This is your app with its key. Look for the file path that you chose above (not the keystore one, the other one) and add "app-release.apk" on the end. It will take a little time to upload.

Once your get all these tabs saved and OK, you will be invited to submit the app. It won't get uploaded immediately, as Amazon need to check it out. It seems to take about a day.

If you need to change anything except the app itself, go to the Amazon developer website, choose Dashboard (if necessary) and click on your app. You will see the tabs, and a button saying "Edit" at the bottom. So you can alter anything, like the description (or those screenshots which I got wrong!) and click on Save, etc.

To change the app itself is a bit more complicated. First, if you have the live version on your Fire Kindle (well - I downloaded to see if it worked!), when you try to run your changed AndoidStudio version, it will complain that the keys are different. It asks you if you want to uninstall the live one. This is fine because it will still be on your Cloud (but a bit disconcerting, all the same!)

Make the necessary changes. Get them working and tested (obviously). You will need a new version number. Go to gradle scripts/build.gradle, and change "versionCode" and "versionName". It will say (top of screen) that it needs to sync it - click on "Sync now" (far right). Now remember to build the new version with key (see above - use "choose existing" this time). Go to the Amazon developer website, choose Dashboard (if necessary) and click on your app. Click on "Upcoming Version", go to Binary Files, click on Edit, delete the old one, load the new one, click on Save. You will also need to go to Release Notes (the next tab), and click on Edit. This asks you to describe the nature of the new version. Click Save, then on Submit App.