Preload android application on tablet

Question

Here is my scenario:

• I have an android app that I've developed that my customers want.
• The app is in the Google Play store.
• My customers are not very tech savvy and are located across the US.
• I've contracted with a tablet vendor to provide tablets and I would like the tablets to be shipped directly to my customers with my app already loaded.
• The app must also be capable of taking updates from the Play store when I publish a new version.

How to get my app "preloaded" and still be able to take updates?

The easy answer is to just log in to the Play store and install the app. The problem here is that you need a Google account to get to the Play store to install the app. Not sure it is appropriate for my tablet vendor to user their own Google account over and over to install my app on many tablets.

I've tested the sideload approach, but my app does not take updates.

Maybe having my vendor use their account over and over is not a problem and I am over thinking this?

Is there any other way the tablet vendor can load my app, have it take updates, but not have to use their own Google account across many tablets?

Answer 1

Get an APK of the app from Google Play Console

from Google Play Console:

• go to app bundle explorer
• choose the wanted release
• choose Downloads tab
• choose universal APK & download it
• send this APK to the vendor

This APK will accept updates from Google Play later