# Direct APK Release Guide (No Play Store)

This guide is for shipping Dewemoji Android builds as downloadable `.apk` files from your own site.

## 1) One-time prerequisites

1. Decide and keep a stable Android package id (example: `com.dewemoji.app`).
2. Create and securely store a release keystore.
3. Keep the same keystore for all future updates.
4. Keep `versionCode` strictly increasing for each release.

If keystore or package id changes, users will not receive in-place updates.

---

## 2) Build release APK

Use your Android build command (NativePHP/Capacitor/Gradle), and ensure output is a **release APK**.

Typical Gradle command:

```bash
./gradlew assembleRelease
```

Expected output path (common):

```bash
android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk
```

---

## 3) Sign and verify APK

If your build pipeline does not auto-sign, sign manually.

### A) Sign

```bash
apksigner sign \
  --ks /path/to/keystore.jks \
  --ks-key-alias your_alias \
  --out dewemoji-vX.Y.Z.apk \
  android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk
```

### B) Verify signature

```bash
apksigner verify --verbose --print-certs dewemoji-vX.Y.Z.apk
```

---

## 4) Generate checksum

Publish SHA-256 so users can verify file integrity.

```bash
shasum -a 256 dewemoji-vX.Y.Z.apk
```

Record output in release notes.

---

## 5) Upload APK to your server

Recommended path:

```text
https://dewemoji.com/downloads/dewemoji-vX.Y.Z.apk
```

Recommended server headers:

1. `Content-Type: application/vnd.android.package-archive`
2. `Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="dewemoji-vX.Y.Z.apk"`
3. Serve over HTTPS only

---

## 6) Update Download page content

On your `/download` page, show:

1. Version (`vX.Y.Z`)
2. Build date
3. File size
4. Minimum Android version
5. SHA-256 checksum
6. Install instructions
7. Changelog

Recommended install instructions for users:

1. Download APK from official Dewemoji URL.
2. Open file on Android.
3. Allow installation from browser/files app if prompted.
4. Install/update.

---

## 7) Release checklist

Before publishing:

1. Login works
2. Search works
3. Copy/insert flow works on device
4. Theme/tone UI works
5. Billing links/webviews (if used) open correctly
6. No crash on cold start
7. Version updated and visible in app

---

## 8) Quick rollback

If latest APK is bad:

1. Re-point Download button to previous APK URL.
2. Keep bad APK file archived (do not overwrite silently).
3. Publish rollback notice/changelog update.

---

## 9) Recommended file naming

Use immutable names:

```text
dewemoji-v1.1.1.apk
dewemoji-v1.1.2.apk
```

Avoid re-uploading different binaries under the same filename.