Manual

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Overview

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What You Can Do With Manual Export

• Make low-level modifications to the native code
• Integrate additional third-party libraries
• Configure custom build settings
• Deploy directly through Android Studio
• Implement advanced native Android features
• Access Gradle configuration files

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Who Should Use This Feature

• Experienced Android developers comfortable with Android Studio
• Projects requiring deep native code customization
• Teams with dedicated Android development resources
• Developers familiar with Gradle and Android build systems

• Developers unfamiliar with Android development or Android Studio
• Projects that can be handled with Despia’s Auto Publish feature
• Teams wanting to maintain automatic over-the-air updates

Note: This approach is recommended for experienced Android developers who are comfortable working with Android Studio and native code. If you’re not familiar with Android development, we recommend using the Auto Publish option instead.

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Export Process

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Step 1: Access the Export Option

1. Log in to your Despia dashboard
2. Open your project
3. Click on the Export Project button in the top navigation bar

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Step 2: Select Android Project

1. Click on the Android Project option
2. You’ll see a preview of some of the native code that will be included in your export
3. Review the folder structure displayed in the preview panel

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Step 3: Export Source Code

1. Click the Export Source Code + Dependencies button at the bottom of the modal
2. Your browser will download a ZIP file containing your complete Android Studio project
3. The download may take a few moments depending on your project size and connection speed

• Complete Java/Kotlin source code
• All project dependencies
• Resource files and assets
• Gradle build configurations
• Android manifest files
• Keystore for signing (if available)

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Working with the Exported Project

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Opening in Android Studio

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file to a location on your computer
2. Open Android Studio
3. Select Open an Existing Project from the welcome screen (or File → Open)
4. Navigate to the extracted folder and select it
5. Wait for Android Studio to complete the Gradle sync process

Important: The initial Gradle sync may take several minutes. Do not interrupt this process.

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System Requirements

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Understanding the Project Structure

• Complete source code
• Resource files (layouts, images, strings)
• Configuration files
• Build scripts (Gradle)
• Dependencies and libraries

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Making Modifications

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Development Workflow

1. Make your desired changes to the code or configuration
2. Test thoroughly on multiple device configurations
3. Build and sign your APK/AAB using Android Studio’s built-in tools
4. Submit to Google Play Store following the standard submission process

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Important Considerations

• Once you export and modify the project outside of Despia, those changes won’t automatically sync back to your Despia project
• Consider using version control (like Git) to track your changes
• The exported project contains all the necessary dependencies and configurations to build a complete Android application

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Testing Your Changes

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Gradle Sync Issues

1. Check internet connection (dependencies need to download)
2. Verify Gradle version compatibility
3. Ensure Android SDK is properly installed
4. Check build.gradle files for errors
5. Invalidate caches and restart: File → Invalidate Caches / Restart

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Building Your Modified App

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Build Configuration

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Creating a Signed Build

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Step 1: Generate Signing Key (if needed)

1. Select Build → Generate Signed Bundle / APK
2. Click Create new… under Key store path
3. Fill in the key store information:
   • Key store path: Choose save location
   • Password: Strong password
   • Alias: Key alias name
   • Validity: 25+ years
4. Save the key store securely

Critical: Keep your keystore file and passwords secure. Losing them means you cannot update your app on Google Play.

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Step 2: Build Signed APK/AAB

1. In Android Studio, select Build → Generate Signed Bundle / APK
2. Choose Android App Bundle (AAB) for Play Store or APK for direct installation
3. Click Next

• Key store path: Select your keystore file (or use one from Despia export)
• Key store password: Enter password
• Key alias: Select alias
• Key password: Enter key password

• Release (for production)
• Debug (for testing)

4. Click Next
5. Choose destination folder
6. Click Finish

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Build Output

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Publishing Your Modified App

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Uploading to Google Play Console

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Step 1: Prepare Your Build

1. Ensure you built a Release variant (not Debug)
2. Locate your AAB or APK file
3. Verify the version code is higher than previous versions

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Step 2: Upload to Play Console

1. Log in to Google Play Console
2. Navigate to your app
3. Go to Release → Production (or Testing track)
4. Click Create new release

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Step 3: Add Your Build

1. Click Upload in the App bundles section
2. Select your AAB file
3. Wait for processing (5-10 minutes)
4. Review any warnings or errors

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Step 4: Complete Release Information

1. Add release notes describing changes
2. Review countries and regions
3. Complete any required compliance forms

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Step 5: Submit for Review

1. Click Review release
2. Verify all information is correct
3. Click Start rollout to Production

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Review Process

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues and Solutions

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Gradle Sync Failed

• Check that you have the latest version of Android Studio installed
• Verify internet connection (Gradle downloads dependencies)
• Ensure all dependencies are properly synced in the Gradle files
• Try File → Sync Project with Gradle Files
• Invalidate caches: File → Invalidate Caches / Restart

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Missing SDK Packages

• Open SDK Manager: Tools → SDK Manager
• Verify that you have the necessary SDKs installed
• Install required SDK platforms and build tools
• Accept SDK licenses if prompted

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Build Errors

• Check for syntax errors in modified code
• Verify all imports are correct
• Ensure dependencies versions are compatible
• Clean and rebuild: Build → Clean Project, then Build → Rebuild Project

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Signing Issues

• Verify keystore file exists and path is correct
• Check keystore password and key alias
• Use the keystore exported from Despia if available
• Create new keystore if original is lost (new app only)

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App Won’t Run

• Check logcat for error messages
• Verify minimum SDK version matches device
• Test on different devices/emulators
• Check for missing permissions in AndroidManifest.xml

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Advanced Configuration

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Modifying Gradle Files

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App-level build.gradle

apply plugin: 'com.onesignal.androidsdk.onesignal-gradle-plugin'
apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services'

def keystorePropertiesFile = rootProject.file("keystore.properties")
def keystoreProperties = new Properties()
if (keystorePropertiesFile.exists()) {
    keystoreProperties.load(new FileInputStream(keystorePropertiesFile))
}

def isBundleBuild = gradle.startParameter.taskNames.any { task ->
    task.toLowerCase().contains("bundle")
}

android {

    ext {
        // Please insert your OneSignal ID here, then sync and rebuild your project:
        if (System.getenv()["CI"]){
            ONESIGNAL_APP_ID = System.getenv()["ONESIGNAL_APP_ID"]
        }else{
            ONESIGNAL_APP_ID = '"xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"'
        }
    }

    //ABI support (32-bit vs 64-bit)ABI support (32-bit vs 64-bit)
    splits {
        abi {
            enable !isBundleBuild
            reset()
            include "armeabi-v7a", "arm64-v8a"
            universalApk true
        }
    }

    // get version code from the specified property argument `-PversionCode` during the build call
    def getMyVersionCode = { ->
        return project.hasProperty('versionCode') ? versionCode.toInteger() : 1
    }

    // get version name from the specified property argument `-PversionName` during the build call
    def getMyVersionName = { ->
        return project.hasProperty('versionName') ? versionName : "1.0"
    }

    compileSdk 36
    namespace "com.app.myappname"
    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.app.myappname"
        minSdk 24
        targetSdk 36
        versionCode getMyVersionCode()
        versionName getMyVersionName()
        multiDexEnabled true
        testInstrumentationRunner "androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
        manifestPlaceholders = [
                onesignal_app_id: ONESIGNAL_APP_ID,
                onesignal_google_project_number: 'REMOTE'
        ]
    }
    signingConfigs {
        debug {
            // Development build configuration
        }
        release {
            if (System.getenv()["CI"]) { // CI=true is exported by Codemagic
                storeFile file(System.getenv()["CM_KEYSTORE_PATH"])
                storePassword System.getenv()["CM_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD"]
                keyAlias System.getenv()["CM_KEY_ALIAS"]
                keyPassword System.getenv()["CM_KEY_PASSWORD"]
            } else {
                keyAlias keystoreProperties['keyAlias']
                keyPassword keystoreProperties['keyPassword']
                storeFile keystoreProperties['storeFile'] ? file(keystoreProperties['storeFile']) : null
                storePassword keystoreProperties['storePassword']
            }
        }
    }
    buildTypes {
        debug {
            debuggable true
            buildConfigField "Boolean", "IS_DEBUG_MODE", 'true'
            buildConfigField "String", "ONESIGNAL_APP_ID", ONESIGNAL_APP_ID
        }
        release {
            minifyEnabled true
            shrinkResources true
            buildConfigField "boolean", "IS_DEBUG_MODE", 'false'
            buildConfigField "String", "ONESIGNAL_APP_ID", "${ONESIGNAL_APP_ID}"
            
            // Use the 'optimize' version for better AAB performance
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
            signingConfig signingConfigs.release
        }
    }
    
    compileOptions {
        sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_17
        targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_17
    }
    buildFeatures {
        buildConfig = true // Enable BuildConfig feature
    }
}

dependencies {
    implementation fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    implementation 'androidx.core:core:1.17.0'
    implementation 'androidx.activity:activity:1.12.2'
    androidTestImplementation('androidx.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.1.0', {
        exclude group: 'com.android.support', module: 'support-annotations'
    })

    implementation platform('com.google.firebase:firebase-bom:27.1.0')

    implementation 'com.onesignal:OneSignal:[5.0.0, 5.1.99]'
    implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.7.1'
    implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:2.1.4'
    implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.6.1'
    testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.13.2'
    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:22.1.0'
    implementation 'androidx.browser:browser:1.4.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.play:review:2.0.1'
    implementation 'com.github.ybq:Android-SpinKit:1.4.0'
    implementation 'com.github.jaiselrahman:FilePicker:1.3.2'
    implementation 'com.android.billingclient:billing:7.0.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:[17.0.0, 17.99.99]'
    implementation 'com.github.bumptech.glide:glide:4.13.2'
    annotationProcessor 'com.github.bumptech.glide:compiler:4.13.2'

    implementation 'pl.droidsonroids.gif:android-gif-drawable:1.2.29'

    implementation 'com.github.blikoon:QRCodeScanner:0.1.2'
    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-mlkit-document-scanner:16.0.0'

    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-analytics:21.1.0'
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:23.0.7'
    implementation 'androidx.annotation:annotation:1.4.0'
    implementation 'com.facebook.android:audience-network-sdk:6.21.0'
    compileOnly "com.facebook.infer.annotation:infer-annotation:0.18.0"
    implementation 'androidx.work:work-runtime:2.8.0-alpha03'

    implementation 'androidx.core:core-splashscreen:1.0.0'

    implementation 'com.pushwoosh:pushwoosh-firebase:6.7.32'
    implementation 'androidx.biometric:biometric:1.1.0'
    implementation 'androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-process:2.3.1'
    implementation 'com.google.code.gson:gson:2.10.1'
    implementation 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.3'
    implementation("com.google.android.ump:user-messaging-platform:3.1.0")

    implementation("com.revenuecat.purchases:purchases:8.22.0")
    implementation("com.revenuecat.purchases:purchases-ui:8.22.0")

    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-code-scanner:16.1.0'
    implementation 'org.nanohttpd:nanohttpd:2.3.1'

}

• Change package name
• Update version code/name
• Modify SDK versions
• Add/remove dependencies

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Adding Dependencies

dependencies {
    implementation 'com.example:library:1.0.0'
}

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Android Manifest Configuration

• Add/remove permissions
• Configure activities
• Set up intent filters
• Define app components

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Getting Help

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When to Contact Support

• Check that you have the latest version of Android Studio installed
• Ensure all dependencies are properly synced in the Gradle files
• Verify that you have the necessary SDKs installed
• Review Android Studio’s error messages and suggestions

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Support Resources

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Support Scope

• Export process issues
• Understanding the exported project structure
• General questions about Despia features
• Troubleshooting export-related problems

• Extensive custom development assistance
• Advanced Android Studio troubleshooting unrelated to Despia
• Third-party library integration support
• General Android development tutoring
• Gradle configuration beyond basic setup

We’re happy to help with any questions about the export process, though extensive custom development assistance may be outside our support scope.

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Alternative: Auto Publish

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Benefits Comparison

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When to Choose Auto Publish

• You don’t need custom native code modifications
• You want simplified deployment and maintenance
• You prefer automatic over-the-air updates
• Your team lacks Android development expertise
• Project requirements fit within Despia’s feature set

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Best Practices

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Version Control

1. Initialize a Git repository in your project folder
2. Create an initial commit with the exported code
3. Track all changes with meaningful commit messages
4. Use GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket for backup and collaboration

# Built application files
*.apk
*.aab
*.ap_
*.aab

# Files for the ART/Dalvik VM
*.dex

# Generated files
bin/
gen/
out/
build/

# Gradle files
.gradle/
gradle-app.setting
!gradle-wrapper.jar

# Local configuration file
local.properties

# Android Studio files
.idea/
*.iml
.DS_Store
captures/
.externalNativeBuild
.cxx

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Security Considerations

• Never commit keystore files to version control
• Store keystore and passwords securely
• Create backups of keystore file
• Document keystore information separately

• Use environment variables or secure storage
• Never hardcode API keys in source code
• Consider using Android’s BuildConfig for configuration

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Code Documentation

• Custom modifications made to exported code
• Reasons for specific implementation choices
• Build and deployment procedures
• Dependencies and their purposes
• Known issues and workarounds

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Regular Updates

• Keep Android Studio updated to latest stable version
• Update Gradle and dependencies regularly
• Test on latest Android versions
• Monitor for security updates
• Consider re-exporting from Despia periodically for updated base code

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Testing Strategies

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Local Testing

1. Emulator Testing
   • Create AVDs for different API levels
   • Test various screen sizes
   • Simulate different device configurations
2. Physical Device Testing
   • Test on actual hardware
   • Connect via USB debugging
   • Enable Developer Options on device

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Pre-Release Testing

1. Internal Testing Track
   • Upload AAB to Play Console
   • Test with internal team
   • Verify all features work
2. Closed Testing
   • Invite limited testers
   • Gather feedback
   • Fix issues before production
3. Open Testing
   • Broader audience testing
   • Monitor crash reports
   • Address feedback

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Next Steps

1. Test thoroughly before submitting to Google Play
2. Submit for internal testing if needed
3. Complete Play Store listing requirements
4. Submit for production when ready
5. Monitor reviews and ratings after launch
6. Plan for maintenance and future updates

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Additional Resources

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Android Development Resources

• Android Developer Documentation
• Android Studio User Guide
• Gradle Build Documentation
• Material Design Guidelines

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Google Play Resources

• Google Play Console Help
• Launch Checklist
• App Quality Guidelines

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Community Resources

• Stack Overflow (android tag)
• Reddit r/androiddev
• Android Developers YouTube Channel
• Google Developer Groups