Export Android APK packages for release

Before you export a mobile application, you can customize the Android permissions. Customize the settings manually in the application descriptor file. These settings are in the <android> block of the bin-debug/app_name-app.xml file. For more information, see Setting AIR application properties.

If you export the application for later installation on a device, install the application package using the tools provided by the device’s OS provider.

1. In Flash Builder, select Project > Export Release Build.

2. Select the project and application that you want to export.

3. Select the target platforms and the location to export the project.

4. Export and sign a platform-specific application package.

   You can package your application with a digital signature for each target platform or as a digitally signed AIR application for the desktop.

   You can also export the application as intermediate AIRI file that can be signed later. If you select that option, use the AIR adt command line tool later to package the AIRI as an APK file. Then install the APK file on the device using platform-specific tools (for example, with the Android SDK, use adb). For information on using command line tools to package your application, see Develop and deploy a mobile application on the command line.

5. On the Packaging Settings page, you can select the digital certificate, package contents, and any native extensions.

   Deployment

   If you also want to install the application on a device, click the Deployment page and select Install And Launch Application On Any Connected Devices. Ensure that you have connected one or more devices to your computer’s USB ports.

   • Export application with embedded AIR runtime

     Select this option if you want to embed the AIR runtime within the APK file while exporting the application package. Users can then run the application even on a device that does not have AIR already installed on it.

   • Export application that uses a shared runtime

     Select this option if you do not want to embed the AIR runtime within the APK file while exporting the application package. You can select or specify a URL to download Adobe AIR for the application package if AIR is not already installed on a user’s device.

     The default URL points to the Android Market. You can, however, override the default URL and select the URL that points to a location on the Amazon App Store, or enter your own URL.

   Digital Signature

   Click the Digital Signature tab to create or browse to a digital certificate that represents the application publisher’s identity. You can also specify a password for the selected certificate.

   If you create a certificate, the certificate is self-signed. You can obtain a commercially signed certificate from a certificate provider. See Digitally sign your AIR applications.

   Package Contents

   (Optional) Click the Package Contents tab to specify which files to include in the package.

   Native Extensions

   (Optional) Select the native extensions that you want to include in the application package.

   For more information about native extensions, see Develop ActionScript extensions.

6. Click Finish.

   Flash Builder creates ApplicationName.apk in the directory specified in the first panel (the default is the top level of your project). If the device was connected to your computer during export, Flash Builder installs the application on the device.

 Adobe Certified Expert in Flex, Brent Arnold, created a video tutorial about exporting a mobile application for the Android platform.

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