Signing your Android applications
All Android packages (apk files) are signed by a certificate or a keystore file to enable their installation on a device. When you are debugging/developing your application, your package is automatically signed by a development key that was generated by the Android SDK. It is fine to use this debug key for development or even beta testing; however, it cannot be used on an application distributed to Google Play.
Complete the following setup to create a signed APK:
- Click on the solution configuration dropdown in the top-left corner of Xamarin Studio and select Release.
- Next, select your Android application project and click on Build | Archive for Publishing.
- Next, select the created Android archive and click Sign and Distribute.
- Choose Ad Hoc and click Next. Google Play is also an option you might look into later, but it takes a bit more time to set up (it also cannot upload the first APK for an application).
- Select Create a New Key.
- Fill out the required information...
