An App Center Distribution alternative for Android and iOS
Upload your APK or IPA, invite your testers, and every new version reaches them on the same link. No SDK, no distribution groups to rebuild.
Drag & drop your build
or browse files — .apk or .ipa, up to 150 MB
Where each App Center service went
App Dropper replaces one of them. The rest are Microsoft’s own recommendations.
- BuildRetiredAzure Pipelines, or any CI you already use
- TestRetiredBrowserStack App Automate
- DistributionRetiredApp Dropper for builds sent straight to testers. TestFlight and Play Console for store testing
- CodePushRetiredMicrosoft's open source code push server, self hosted
- Analytics and DiagnosticsUntil March 2027Azure Monitor, now in preview
Moving distribution over
Upload your latest APK or IPA
App Dropper reads the name, icon, version and bundle ID from the file and creates the app.
Invite your testers
Add them by email. Make the app invite only if the build shouldn't be public.
Swap the upload step in CI
Replace the appcenter command with the App Dropper CLI, GitHub Action or Fastlane plugin.
Ship as usual
Each new build lands behind the same link, and testers get an email and a push.
Right after an upload. Nothing here was typed in.
One link instead of release pages
App Center gave each release its own page. App Dropper gives each app one link that always opens the newest build, with older versions listed below it.
An iOS and an Android build with the same bundle ID share that link, and the page offers each phone the right file.
Acme Mobile
com.acme.mobile
v2.3.1 (57)
12 Sepv2.3.0 (54)
3 Sep
Replace the appcenter CLI step
Pick the one that matches your pipeline. CI uploads land in the same app and notify the same testers as a manual upload.
Tokens can only upload builds, for all your apps or just the ones you pick. CI setup guide
npx appdropper upload build.apk
npx appdropper upload MyApp.ipa --notes "$(git log -1 --pretty=%B)"Needs Node 18 or newer. Locally, appdropper login signs you in through the browser. In CI, set an API token as APPDROPPER_TOKEN. CLI reference
- name: Upload to App Dropper
uses: appdropper-io/upload-action@v1
with:
file: build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk
token: ${{ secrets.APPDROPPER_TOKEN }}
release-notes: ${{ github.event.head_commit.message }}On a pull request it also comments the install link and QR code. Full workflow examples
# fastlane add_plugin app_dropper
lane :beta do
build_app(scheme: "MyApp", export_method: "ad-hoc")
app_dropper(release_notes: last_git_commit[:message])
endWith no file argument it uploads whatever the lane just built. Plugin docs
curl -X POST https://appdropper.io/api/v1/uploads \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $APPDROPPER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"file_name": "app-release.apk", "file_size": 42317884, "release_notes": "Fixes the login crash"}'This returns an upload URL. You PUT the binary there, then poll GET /v1/uploads/{id} for the install link. API docs
What App Dropper doesn’t replace
- Windows and macOS app distribution. APK and IPA only.
- UDID collection and signing iOS builds again. You register devices with Apple and rebuild.
- The in app update SDK.
- Analytics and crash reporting.
App Center migration questions
What replaced Microsoft App Center?
No single product. Microsoft points to a different tool for each service: Azure Pipelines for builds, BrowserStack for device testing, Azure Monitor for analytics, and TestFlight and Play Console for store testing. For sending APK and IPA builds straight to testers, App Dropper covers that part.
When was App Center retired?
On March 31, 2025. Build, Test, Distribution and CodePush stopped then. Analytics and Diagnostics were extended and now run until the end of March 2027.
Can I import my App Center apps and testers?
There's no importer, but you don't need one. Upload your latest build and App Dropper creates the app from its bundle ID. Invite testers by email, then point CI at App Dropper. A token that covers all your apps can create a new app on its first upload.
Does App Dropper distribute APK files?
Yes. Testers open the link on their Android phone and install from the browser. Android asks once to allow installs from that browser. Upload an APK, not an app bundle, because phones can't install an .aab directly.
Does App Dropper distribute IPA files?
Yes, over the air from Safari. The IPA must be signed for ad hoc, development or enterprise distribution. Ad hoc and development builds only install on devices in their profile, and App Dropper shows how many that is on the install page.
What App Center features doesn't App Dropper have?
It doesn't distribute Windows or macOS apps, doesn't collect UDIDs or sign iOS builds again for you, and has no in app update SDK. It also doesn't do analytics or crash reporting.
Dates and recommendations from Microsoft’s retirement notice. App Center and Visual Studio are trademarks of Microsoft. App Dropper isn’t affiliated with Microsoft.
Your next build can go out today.