What is Firebase App Distribution?

This article will explain the Firebase App Distribution service, its advantages, core features, and pricing model.

Before starting blabbering about praises of one of the most impressive yet newly released services of Firebase, it is essential to get all the context about Firebase App Distribution here.

Well, without any doubt, every developer develops the applications to distribute right. Besides that side projects looming around in some files and folders, we know all other applications require good work and management.

While the distribution process comes in different phases, developers don’t just develop an application and make it live to the public directly. Instead, applications undergo through multiple other users before making it live for their intended audience.

The prior users can be your fellow developers from QA, from your team, or these might be beta users from the team of your clients to identify, and this process is called pre-release app distribution. 

However, in this article, we will learn more about app distribution and how the Firebase App Distribution service is helpful. At the same time, the primary focus of this article is going to be Firebase App Distribution.

So, let’s get started:

What is app distribution?

App distribution is a process to release an application to a broad user set to promote applications’ engagement and usage. More often, app developers and marketers seek out different app distribution services as an effective option to advertise their applications, whether paid or organically.

It is easier for advertisers to distribute their applications to thousands in one go via an application distribution platform. There are plenty of application distribution channels available which you can use for this purpose. 

However, Firebase App Distribution is a unique solution that can help you distribute your applications beyond your QA and developers’ team. Let’s get into the details of the Firebase App Distribution service given below to get a better idea about the things in this regard. 

What is Firebase App Distribution?

Firebase has recently added plenty of weapons in its arsenal to offer improved services to its consumers. Every Firebase tool looks to help the developers build in a better way, grow and improve. 

• Firebase App Distribution is a new addition to Firebase.
• With Firebase App Distribution, you can distribute your applications to a particular group of people. 
• Firebase App Distribution is easier to use and setup. 

It can help you test cross-platform, which means it can let you upload both iOS to build an android APK to the same service and distribute your applications to the appropriate users. 

More amazingly, there is no limit to how many users can test the application. This service is easy to implement if you are using Firebase analytics already. Even more, it makes it simple to compare and manage multiple beta versions of your application. 

Firebase App Distribution Advantages

Here are some of the most notable advantages of Firebase App Distribution, which you must know:

1.    Valuable pre-release insights 

App distribution can offer you a dashboard to view insights on your pre-release app versions. Testers can provide you with timely feedback, while Crashlytics can let you have actionable insights into the user’s status.

2.    Flexible and fast service 

With Firebase App Distribution, getting started with the distribution is just a breeze. You don’t have to install SDKs, fill lengthy forms or do anything else to start working with this. It is all about just onboarding your application to Firebase and sending your app builds via CLI or console. 

3.    Easier to use for testers

You can send email notifications to your app testers with a simple UI to simplify the sign-up process. This tool also makes it easier and efficient for all the testers to access your applications and their versions they are testing through the app manager. 

Firebase App Distribution Features

Let’s have a look at the critical features of Firebase App Distribution given below:

• Firebase App Distribution can let you manage your Android and iOS test to distribute your application before release. 
• Get your releases into the hands of your testers quickly. It offers fast onboarding without any hassle of installing SDK. Even more, the Firebase App Distribution also offers prompt delivery. 
• You can distribute your app build via different ways, including Firebase CLI, console, or Gradle. You can also automate your app distribution with it. 
• It can let you manage and organize your testing teams into groups. You can add new testers with a simple email invitation via the onboarding process. You can even track each tester’s status as well.
• You can combine this tool with Crashlytics to get useful insights into your distribution’s stability. 

Firebase App Distribution Pricing

Firebase App Distribution is a free-to-use tool that can let you get a holistic view of your applications’ beta testing program with ease. You can distribute your apps to specific users and gain useful insights before working on producing a new version release without spending anything. 

Conclusion

Firebase App Distribution can give you a holistic view of your application’s beta testing program across Android and iOS. 

Also, it can offer you valuable feedback before the production of your new release. It can let you send pre-version of applications with CI servers and consoles. More amazingly, installing applications is also more comfortable for testers.

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