Send an Android build to a client.What each way asks of them.
You can send the APK file, invite testers through Firebase App Distribution or a Google Play testing track, or send a link that opens the running app in a browser. The first three install the build on the other person's Android device. A browser link needs only a browser, on any device.
Checked October 29, 2026. Other products change their plans and features; each claim about one links to its source.
The ways, side by side.
| What they need | Their device | How long it lasts | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The APK file | What they need:The file, and permission to install apps from that source1 | Their device:Android | How long it lasts:Until you send a new one | Cost:Free |
| Firebase App Distribution | What they need:A Google account to accept the invitation; the App Tester app is optional2 | Their device:Android, for Android builds2 | How long it lasts:Releases stay 150 days; invitations expire after 30 days unaccepted3 | Cost:No cost4 |
| Google Play internal testing | What they need:A Google account on your tester list, up to 100 people5 | Their device:Android with Google Play | How long it lasts:New builds reach testers within minutes5 | Cost:$25 once, for a Google Play developer account7 |
| Google Play internal app sharing | What they need:The link, and internal app sharing turned on in the Play Store's settings6 | Their device:Android with Google Play | How long it lasts:Links expire 60 days after upload; up to 100 people per link6 | Cost:$25 once, for a Google Play developer account7 |
| A Ramus share link | What they need:The link. No account and no install. | Their device:Any device with a browser | How long it lasts:3 days unless you choose, up to 7 days. Revocable. | Cost:On every Ramus plan; each person's device runs on your minutes |
| An Appetize build link | What they need:The link; anyone with it can run the build by default8 | Their device:A browser | How long it lasts:Not stated in the sharing docs | Cost:Free plan sessions last up to 3 minutes; paid plans from $708 a year9 |
| A Limrun signed stream URL | What they need:The link; it works without signing in10 | Their device:A browser | How long it lasts:While the device runs, up to its inactivity timeout11 | Cost:Billed by the minute in credits12 |
Which to use.
Testers with their own Android phones
Firebase App Distribution or a Play testing track. They keep the app, get each new build, and test on real hardware.2,5
A client who wants a quick look
A browser link. There is nothing to install, and it opens on a laptop as well as a phone.
You want their notes back
A Ramus link. A note carries a screenshot, the device log and their recent taps, with no SDK in your app.
Someone on an iPhone
A browser link. An APK cannot be installed on iOS.
Camera, sensors and performance
Install the build on a real phone. An emulator in a browser is for reviewing the flow, not for measuring the hardware.
A change to sideloading.
Google's developer verification expands to all apps on certified Android devices from 2027.13 Apps from unregistered developers can then be installed only with adb or through an advanced flow that includes a one-day wait.14 If you send APK files to testers, plan to register before then.
A browser link installs nothing on their device: the build runs on the emulator, and they use it from the page.
Share a build on Ramus.
Upload the APK and choose Share. Each person who opens the link gets their own device with your app, or choose Join this device to bring them onto yours. Paste the link into any chat. From a terminal:
ramus session start --apk app-debug.apk --wait ramus session share --own --label "Acme review"
Each person's device runs on your minutes and uses one of your plan's devices while it is open: one on Free and Hobby, two on Pro. When all are busy, the next person's page waits and opens as soon as one is free.
From any link, a person can send you a note with a screenshot they can pin, the device log and their recent taps. Typed text is never sent. You reply on the app's page, or your coding agent reads the note, fixes the bug and replies.
A latest-build link follows your uploads, so the link you already sent opens the fix. See Share a running app.
Questions.
Is there a TestFlight for Android?
Not under that name. The closest are Google Play's internal testing track and Firebase App Distribution, which both install the build on testers' own Android devices.
Can someone with an iPhone try my Android app?
Not by installing it. They can use it in a browser, from a link to a running Android emulator such as a Ramus share link.
Do they need an account?
Not for a Ramus share link. Firebase App Distribution and Google Play testing tracks need a Google account.
How many people can use one link?
On a Ramus link, as many at once as your plan has devices, each on their own: one on Free and Hobby, two on Pro. The next person's page waits for a free device. With Join this device, you + 3 share one device.
How do I get feedback from a client?
On a Ramus link they choose Send feedback beside the device. The note carries a screenshot, where they pinned it, the build, the device log and their recent taps, and they can leave out the log and taps. You reply on the app's page and they see it on their link.
Is a browser link the same as testing on a phone?
No. It runs on an Android 17 emulator, so the camera, sensors and performance differ from a real phone. Use it to review the flow.
Sources.
- Android Developers, alternative distribution options Checked October 29, 2026.
- Firebase docs, get set up as an Android tester Checked October 29, 2026.
- Firebase docs, App Distribution troubleshooting and FAQ Checked October 29, 2026.
- Firebase, pricing Checked October 29, 2026.
- Play Console Help, set up an open, closed or internal test Checked October 29, 2026.
- Play Console Help, internal app sharing Checked October 29, 2026.
- Play Console Help, create a developer account Checked October 29, 2026.
- Appetize docs, sharing apps Checked October 29, 2026.
- Appetize, pricing Checked October 29, 2026.
- Limrun docs, CLI Checked October 29, 2026.
- Limrun docs, run an Android emulator Checked October 29, 2026.
- Limrun, pricing Checked October 29, 2026.
- Android Developers, developer verification Checked October 29, 2026.
- Android Developers, developer verification FAQ Checked October 29, 2026.