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+page.title=Alternative Distribution Options
+page.metaDescription=With Android you can distribute apps to users in any way you want, using any store or distribution approach.
+page.image=/distribute/images/alt-distribution.jpg
+
+@jd:body
+
+<p>
+  As an open platform, Android offers choice. You can distribute your Android
+  apps to users in any way you want, using any distribution approach or
+  combination of approaches that meets your needs. From publishing in an app
+  marketplace to serving your apps from a web site or emailing them directly
+  users, you’re never locked into any particular distribution platform.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  The process for building and packaging your apps for distribution is the
+  same, regardless of how you distribute them. This saves you time and lets you
+  automate parts of the process as needed. You can read <a href=
+  "{@docRoot}tools/publishing/preparing.html">Preparing for Release</a> for
+  more information.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  The sections below highlight some of the alternatives for distributing your
+  apps.
+</p>
+
+<div class="headerLine">
+  <h1>
+  Distributing Through an App Marketplace
+  </h1>
+
+  <hr>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  Usually, to reach the broadest possible audience, you’d distribute your apps
+  through a marketplace, such as Google Play.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  Google Play is the premier marketplace for Android apps and is particularly
+  useful if you want to distribute your apps to a large global audience.
+  However, you can distribute your apps through any app marketplace you want or
+  use multiple marketplaces.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  Unlike other forms of distribution, Google Play allows you to use the In-app
+  Billing service and Licensing service. The <a href=
+  "{@docRoot}google/play/billing/index.html">In-app Billing service</a> makes
+  it easy to sell in-app products like game jewels or app feature upgrades. The
+  <a href="{@docRoot}google/play/licensing/index.html">Licensing service</a>
+  helps prevent unauthorized installation and use of your apps.
+</p>
+
+<div class="headerLine">
+  <h1>
+  Distributing Your Apps by Email
+  </h1>
+
+  <hr>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" style="width:300px;">
+  <img src="{@docRoot}images/publishing/publishing_via_email.png">
+  <p class="img-caption">
+  <b>Figure 1.</b> Users can simply click <b>Install</b> when you send them
+  an application via email.
+  </p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  An easy and quick way to release your apps is to send them to users by email.
+  To do this, you prepare the app for release, attach it to an email, and send
+  it to a user. When the user open your email on their Android-powered device,
+  the Android system recognizes the APK and displays an <strong>Install
+  Now</strong> button in the email message (see Figure 1). Users can install
+  your app by touching the button.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  <strong>Note:</strong> The <strong>Install Now</strong> button, shown in
+  Figure 1, appears only if the user has configured their device to allow
+  installation from <a href=
+  "{@docRoot}distribute/open.html#unknown-sources">unknown sources</a> and
+  opened your email in the native Gmail app.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  Distributing apps through email is convenient if you’re sending them to a few
+  trusted users, as it provides few protections from piracy and unauthorized
+  distribution; that is, anyone you send your apps to can simply forward them
+  to others.
+</p>
+
+<div class="headerLine">
+  <h1>
+  Distributing Through a Website
+  </h1>
+
+  <hr>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  If you don’t want to release your apps on a marketplace such as Google Play,
+  you can make them available for download on your own website or server,
+  including on a private or enterprise server. To do this, you first prepare
+  your apps for release in the normal way. Then all you need to do is host the
+  release-ready APK file on your website and provide a download link to users.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  When users browse to the download link from their Android-powered devices,
+  the file is downloaded and Android system automatically starts installing it
+  on the device. However, the installation process will start automatically
+  only if users have configured their Settings to allow the installation of
+  apps from <a href="{@docRoot}distribute/open.html#unknown-sources">unknown
+  sources</a>.
+</p>
+
+<div class="headerLine clearfloat">
+  <h1>
+  User Opt-In for Apps from Unknown Sources
+  </h1>
+
+  <hr>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figure" style="width:325px;">
+  <img src="{@docRoot}images/publishing/publishing_unknown_sources_sm.png">
+  <p class="img-caption">
+  <b>Figure 2.</b> Users must enable the <b>Unknown sources</b> setting
+  before they can install apps not downloaded from Google Play.
+  </p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  Android protects users from inadvertent download and install of apps from
+  locations other than Google Play (which is trusted). It blocks such installs
+  until the user opts-in <strong>Unknown sources</strong> in Settings
+  <strong>&gt;</strong> Security, shown in Figure 2. Users need to make this
+  configuration change <em>before</em> they download your apps to their
+  devices.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  Note that some network providers don’t allow users to install applications
+  from unknown sources.
+</p>