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Test and Submit the App

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you'll be able to:

  • Request and install the managed package for a branded app.
  • Describe the process of beta testing a branded app.
  • Request a beta and test the app.
  • Submit the app to the application stores.

Proceed from Idea to Reality

At this point, you have draft versions of your branded iOS and Android apps in Salesforce. Hooray! But how do your apps get from Salesforce to the App Store and Google Play?

In this unit, you learn how to work with Salesforce to get your iOS and Android apps tested and submitted to the application stores for approval. The finish line is in sight, so let’s get started.

Note

Tip

Before you proceed to the next steps for your Mobile Publisher for Experience Cloud app, remember to test your Experience Cloud site on the Publisher Playground app. Testing your site on the Playground app is a quick way to verify that your site is ready to ship on mobile. See Preview Your Mobile Experience Cloud Site with Publisher Playground (Beta) to learn more and get set up with the app.

About Managed Packages

The first step in the testing process is to request a managed package for your iOS and Android apps. A managed package is basically a container that includes the components of a Salesforce application, and it’s a mechanism for installing apps in Salesforce orgs.

After you have a draft of the iOS and Android versions of your Mobile Publisher app, Salesforce creates managed packages for you. The managed package includes components that help your app run properly. For example, push notifications won’t work unless you install the Mobile Publisher managed package in your Salesforce orgs.

Keep in mind that the managed package is not the same as the beta version of your app. But it’s required for the branded app to fully function, so we have to tackle this step before we can get to the beta testing process.

Request the Managed Package

D’Angelo is ready to request a managed package for the DreamHouse iOS and Android apps for his brokers, so let’s give him a hand.

  1. From Setup, enter Mobile Publisher in the Quick Find box, then select Mobile Publisher.
  2. Click Continue next to the listing for the iOS app.

The Request Package button on the iOS app's status page.

  1. Click Request Package.
  2. Click Done. This sends a request to Salesforce so we can begin generating the managed package.
  3. Repeat the same steps for the Android app.

When DreamHouse Realty’s iOS and Android managed packages are available and ready to install, the Mobile Publisher team sends D’Angelo an email. He received two separate emails: one for the Android app and one for the iOS app.

Install the Managed Package

After D’Angelo gets the emails that the iOS and Android managed packages are ready, he installs the packages in DreamHouse Realty’s production org and sandbox org.

  1. From Setup, enter Mobile Publisher in the Quick Find box, then select Mobile Publisher.
  2. Click Continue next to the listing for the iOS app.

The Install Package button on the iOS app's status page.

  1. Click Install Package. A popup window lists the steps to take to install the managed package. It also includes the installation URL for the package.
  2. When prompted, select All Users, not Admin Users Only.
  3. Click Copy link to copy the URL.
  4. Log in to your sandbox org.
  5. Paste the URL into your browser’s address bar.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the managed package.
  7. Log in to your production org and go through the process again. Be sure to do this for all licensed orgs that will run the branded app.
  8. Repeat the same steps for the Android version of the app.

Now that D’Angelo has installed, he can start beta testing.

Overview of the Beta Process

Apple and Google provide beta programs that let your organization thoroughly test your Android and iOS apps before publishing them.

Here’s how the beta process works. First you request a beta of your branded app from Salesforce. We create the beta and submit it to Apple and Google for you.

When the beta is available for testing, Salesforce notifies you—the Salesforce admin—and the person you designated as the official beta tester when you filled out the information about your app. Then your beta tester can install the app and see how it looks on an actual mobile device.

Note

Mobile Publisher Android apps distributed privately don’t support the beta process. See Distribute private apps in Android Enterprise Help for more information on how to privately distribute an Android app for testing.

Request a Beta Version of Your App

Now that you’re familiar with the overall process of beta testing, let’s help D’Angelo kick things off by requesting a beta of the DreamHouse iOS and Android apps.

  1. From Setup, enter Mobile Publisherin the Quick Find box, then select Mobile Publisher.
  2. Click Continue next to the listing for the iOS app.

The Request Beta button on the iOS app's status page.

  1. Click Request Beta. This sends a request to Salesforce so we can generate the beta.
  2. Click Done.
  3. Repeat the same steps for the Android app.

If your app’s distribution method is Binary Upload, then you receive an email when Mobile Publisher uploads a version of your app’s binary to your Apple App Store or Google Play account. Then you proceed to request Apple or Google review of your beta and final app. If your app’s distribution method is Fully Managed, then Mobile Publisher uploads a version of your app’s binary and submits them to the App Store or Google Play for approval. (Don’t worry, this is just the beta submission process. Your app won’t be listed publicly.)

It can take some time for Apple and Google to approve the beta app versions. Watch for an email notifying you that the apps are ready for testing. You can let your designated beta testers know to be on the lookout, too.

Test the App

After your beta tester receives the email with testing instructions, they can install the beta and see how your company’s branded assets look on a mobile device. Here are a couple things to keep in mind.

  • The beta tester only needs to review the visual appearance.
  • Test the app on different screen sizes. For example, your tester can install the beta on an iPhone and an iPad to verify that the branded assets work well across form factors.
  • Verify that the app’s managed package is functioning properly by testing push notifications in your production and sandbox orgs.

After your testers sign off on the beta version of your app, you can move on to the final step in the process. It’s time to submit the final apps to Apple and Google.

Submit the App

If your app’s distribution method is Binary Upload, then you submit your final apps for Apple or Google approval after you’ve completed testing. If your app’s distribution method is Fully Managed, then you approve your final apps in Setup for Mobile Publisher for submission to the final Apple or Google review.

Let’s follow along with D’Angelo as he approves the DreamHouse branded apps.

  1. From Setup, enter Mobile Publisher in the Quick Find box, then select Mobile Publisher.
  2. Click Continue next to the listing for the iOS app.The Submit App button on the iOS app status page

Note: To make edits, click the Make Changes button. On the App Information page, you can upload revised brand assets or change the values in the fields. Then follow the same steps again: Request a new managed package, install it, and request a beta to verify the changes.

  1. Click Submit App.
  2. Select the checkbox to confirm that you’re ready to submit the apps.
  3. Click Submit App. Salesforce submits the app to the application store. It can take anywhere from 1 day to 2 weeks for the store to review and approve your app. During that time, you can’t make any changes to the app.
  4. Repeat the same steps for the Android app.

This is definitely an exciting moment, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Although we’ve submitted the final apps to Apple and Google, they aren’t immediately available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Apple and Google review the apps to make sure that they adhere to the application store guidelines. If everything looks good, they approve and publish your app. If there’s an issue, they reject the app.

For Binary Upload apps, be sure to keep an eye out for any notifications from Apple or Google regarding your app’s review process. For Fully Managed apps, the Mobile Publisher team emails you if there are any issues.

The Moment of Truth

Let’s check back in with DreamHouse Realty. D’Angelo, the fearless Salesforce admin for DreamHouse. D’Angelo clicked the satisfying Submit App button across all the DreamHouse Realty apps.

And the apps were approved! Check out the brand-new listing for the DreamHouse app in Google Play.

The Google Play listing for the Dream House mobile app.

In the next unit, you learn what it takes to maintain these awesome new branded apps now that they’re live in the App Store and Google Play.

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