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Apps

Upload a build of your app once and Mobile Next Cloud keeps it for your organization. Start a real device with it, install it on a device you are already using, or point CI and agents at it by its file id. The same bytes uploaded twice are stored once.

Upload a build​

In the web app, open Apps and choose Upload app. Pick an .apk or .ipa.

  • The file is checked in your browser first. If your organization already has these exact bytes, nothing is uploaded and you see Already uploaded.
  • Once uploaded, Mobile Next reads the app's name, package or bundle id, version, build number and icon. Builds of the same app are grouped under it.
  • iOS builds are re-signed for the device when they are installed, so an unsigned or ad hoc signed device .ipa works. Simulator builds are stored but do not install on real devices. For Android, upload an APK, not an App Bundle (.aab).

Apps lists one row per app with its latest version. Open an app to see all its builds, or All files for every upload. From a file's menu you can rename it, change when it expires, download it, or delete it.

Start a device with an app​

Choose the play button on an app or a file row. Start Session opens with that app selected and lists only devices of its platform. Pick a device and start the session; you can also choose an app in the Install an app section when starting any session.

  • Android: the app is installed and launched before the device is handed to you.
  • iOS: a new device is always started, and the app is installed while it boots, so it takes a few minutes.

Install on a running device​

On a running Android device, choose Install App in the device toolbar. Pick an app and a version (newest first, with the filename and upload date), or Upload app to add a new build first. The app is installed and launched.

A running iPhone cannot take a new app. To use an iOS build, start a new session with it from Apps.

Limits and expiry​

PlanLargest fileStorage
Hobby250 MB1 GB
Starter1 GB2 GB
Team2 GB10 GB
Enterprise2 GB—

A build expires 30 days after upload unless you choose otherwise (10 minutes to 90 days). Uploading the same file again extends it. Deleting a build removes it from your organization at once.

Use it from CI​

Upload the build from your pipeline and start a device with it, using an API key. The flow is the same as the web app: hash, create, upload only if asked, then complete.

set -euo pipefail
API=https://app.mobilenext.ai/api/v1
AUTH="Authorization: Bearer $MOBILENEXT_API_KEY"
APP=app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk

# 1. Create the file. A dedup hit returns the existing file with no `upload`.
jq -n --arg name "$(basename "$APP")" --argjson size "$(stat -c%s "$APP")" \
      --arg sha "$(sha256sum "$APP" | cut -d' ' -f1)" \
      --arg branch "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" --arg commit "$GITHUB_SHA" \
      --arg run "$GITHUB_SERVER_URL/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/actions/runs/$GITHUB_RUN_ID" \
      '{filename: $name, filesize: $size, sha256: $sha,
        build: {branch: $branch, commit: $commit, ciRunUrl: $run}}' > create.json
curl -sf "$API/files" -H "$AUTH" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d @create.json > file.json
FILE_ID=$(jq -r .id file.json)

# 2. Upload the bytes only when asked, with the headers it returns.
if [ "$(jq -r '.upload != null' file.json)" = true ]; then
  HEADERS=()
  while IFS= read -r header; do HEADERS+=(-H "$header"); done < <(
    jq -r '.upload.headers | to_entries[] | select(.key | ascii_downcase != "content-length") | "\(.key): \(.value)"' file.json)
  curl -sf -X PUT "${HEADERS[@]}" --upload-file "$APP" "$(jq -r .upload.url file.json)"
fi

# 3. Complete it; the file comes back `ready` or `failed` with a `failureReason`.
if [ "$(jq -r .status file.json)" != ready ]; then
  curl -sf -X POST "$API/files/$FILE_ID/complete" -H "$AUTH" > file.json
fi
[ "$(jq -r .status file.json)" = ready ] || { jq . file.json; exit 1; }

# 4. Start a device with the build and launch it.
SESSION_ID=$(curl -sf -X POST "$API/sessions" -H "$AUTH" | jq -r .id)
curl -sf "$API/sessions/$SESSION_ID/devices" -H "$AUTH" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d "{\"filters\": [{\"attribute\": \"platform\", \"operator\": \"EQUALS\", \"value\": \"android\"}],
       \"file\": \"$FILE_ID\", \"launchAfterInstall\": true}"

To install on a device that is already running instead, call POST /api/v1/sessions/{sessionId}/devices/{deviceId}/install with {"file": "<file id>", "launchAfterInstall": true} (Android only). See Files, Apps and Devices in the API reference.

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