Mobile app availability
Mobile applications have a release lifecycle. This article provides information on available distribution channels and recommendations for distributing applications on managed devices.
Recommended distribution method
We recommend using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to distribute the fulfillmenttools applications to devices. This practice provides complete control over the app distribution process. An MDM solution enables controlled rollouts, internal testing of releases, immediate distribution of critical updates, and rollbacks, which helps ensure an uninterrupted operations process. To provide the fulfillmenttools applications to an MDM, it's recommended to use the Google Cloud Storage bucket.
Alpha channel
The Alpha channel is the internal channel for testing new mobile application releases. It's intended for internal fulfillmenttools use only, and employing this version in a production environment is not recommended.
Beta channel
Before applications are released for general availability (GA), they can be accessed from the Beta channel. This channel is accessible to external users and helps identify potential issues early, prepare personnel for application changes, and become familiar with new features before a full rollout. It's recommended to participate in the Beta channel with a small portion of the total device fleet.
Beta channel access
Google Play Store: Contact fulfillmenttools support to enroll in the Beta program. Once added, the Beta version of the application can be accessed directly in the Google Play Store to receive automatic Beta updates.
Google Cloud Storage bucket: Current Beta releases can be accessed directly from the bucket. Beta releases are named accordingly and can be downloaded from the repository when a Beta version is available.
General Availability (GA)
The production version of our applications. Available on the Google Play Store and our Google Cloud Storage bucket.
Distribution channels
fulfillmenttools offers two distribution channels for accessing its applications.
Google Play Store
Using the Google Play Store for distribution is discouraged because features such as controlled rollouts or rollbacks are not possible.
The Play Store offers a convenient method to distribute fulfillmenttools applications. The applications are available at these locations:
Notes and limitations when using the Play Store:
Most devices have access to the Play Store, making it straightforward to complete setup and begin using the applications.
When switching installation channels (from the Play Store to another method or vice versa), the application must be reinstalled and reconfigured.
Updates distributed via the Play Store can take several days (or, in rare cases, more than a week) due to the store's review process, which can be problematic for urgent updates.
Rolling back an application version via the Play Store is not possible, and gradual rollouts are limited.
Google Cloud Storage bucket
We offer a Google Cloud Storage bucket for direct download of our Store Operations Android app. The Beta and GA channels are available.
The latest.json file for each channel contains information about the latest build for that channel.
Beta: Link to latest.json for the Beta channel
GA: Link to latest.json for the GA channel
The JSON file contains the artifacts.zip-url, which can be used to download the application builds. The zip file contains the Android build formats APK and AAB. An example JSON file is below:
Important: The application must not be re-signed
Re-signing changes the application's certificate fingerprint (SHA-1/SHA-256), which is used for SSO authentication. As a result, SSO login may fail with errors such as INVALID_CERT_HASH.
Always deploy the original APK signed with the approved certificate.
If the app is re-signed by an MDM, wrapping solution, or deployment process, SSO functionality can't be guaranteed.
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