# Advice for Android Developers: Prepare for App Acquisition

DevFeed: [Advice for Android Developers: Prepare for App Acquisition](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/advice-for-android-developers-prepare-for-app-acquisition-31815.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.metachris.dev/2010/12/advice-for-android-developers-prepare-for-app-acquisition/>)

Author: Chris Hager

Published: 2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Chris Hager](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/chris-hager.md>)

Topics: [Android](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android.md>), [android-apps](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android-apps.md>), [certificates](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/certificates.md>), [private key](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/private-key.md>), [App](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/app.md>)

Tags: [advice](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/advice.md>), [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [app](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/app.md>), [applications](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/applications.md>), [certificates](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/certificates.md>), [developers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developers.md>), [private-key](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/private-key.md>), [signing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/signing.md>)

## AI overview

The article advises Android app developers to use a unique signing key for each application so that a future acquisition does not require canceling the deal or sharing a key used for other apps. It explains that Android apps must be digitally signed with certificates and that developers hold the certificates' private keys.

## Source excerpt

Here's a brief but important advice for Android app developers: starting with your first app, prepare for the situation where a company wants to acquire one of your applications. Use a unique signing key (alias) for each app! Else you'll be forced to either cancel the acquisition or hand out the key you use for other apps as well. http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/app-signing.html: Android requires that all apps be digitally signed with a certificate before they can be installed.