deploy

Deploy your apps to Firebase, TestFlight, Play Console, and App Store with a single command.

Synopsis

bash

mobilectl deploy [platform] [destination] [options]

Arguments

Argument	Required	Description	Values
`platform`	No	Target platform	`android`, `ios`, `all`
`destination`	No	Deployment destination	`firebase`, `testflight`, `play-console`, `app-store`, `local`

Options

Basic Options

Option	Short	Description
`--interactive`	`-i`	Interactive mode to choose platforms/destinations
`--verbose`	`-v`	Verbose output with detailed logs
`--dry-run`		Preview deployment without executing
`--confirm`	`-y`	Skip confirmation prompts (for CI/CD)

Build Options

Option	Description
`--skip-build`	Skip building, use existing artifacts
`--bump-version <level>`	`-B`
`--changelog`	`-C`

Flavor Options

Option	Short	Description
`--all-flavors`	`-A`	Deploy all configured flavors
`--flavor-group <name>`	`-G`	Deploy specific flavor group
`--flavors <list>`	`-f`	Deploy specific flavors (comma-separated)
`--exclude <list>`	`-E`	Exclude specific flavors (comma-separated)

Deployment Options

Option	Short	Description
`--env <environment>`	`-e`	Environment (dev/staging/production)
`--notes <text>`	`-n`	Release notes for deployment
`--groups <list>`	`-g`	Test groups (comma-separated)

Basic Usage

Interactive Mode

The easiest way to deploy:

bash

mobilectl deploy --interactive

Interactive wizard:

? Select platform: (Use arrow keys)
  ❯ Android
    iOS
    Both

? Select destination:
  ❯ Firebase App Distribution
    Google Play Console
    Local

? Select flavors:
  ❯ ◉ production
    ◯ staging
    ◯ development

? Bump version before deploy? (Y/n) y
? Version bump level: (Use arrow keys)
  ❯ patch
    minor
    major

? Generate changelog? (Y/n) y

? Proceed with deployment? (Y/n) y

Quick Deploy

bash

# Deploy to Firebase
mobilectl deploy firebase

# Deploy to TestFlight
mobilectl deploy testflight

# Deploy all flavors to all destinations
mobilectl deploy --all-flavors

Complete Release

bash

mobilectl deploy \
  --bump-version patch \
  --changelog \
  --all-flavors \
  --confirm

Deployment Destinations

Firebase App Distribution

Deploy Android and iOS apps to Firebase for testing.

bash

# Android to Firebase
mobilectl deploy android firebase

# iOS to Firebase
mobilectl deploy ios firebase

# Both platforms
mobilectl deploy firebase

Configuration

yaml

deploy:
  android:
    firebase:
      enabled: true
      serviceAccount: credentials/firebase-service-account.json
      releaseNotes: "Automated upload"
      testGroups:
        - qa-team
        - beta-testers

Setup Requirements

Firebase project created
Service account JSON key downloaded
Firebase App Distribution enabled

Learn more →

TestFlight

Deploy iOS apps to Apple TestFlight.

bash

mobilectl deploy testflight

Configuration

yaml

deploy:
  ios:
    testflight:
      enabled: true
      apiKeyPath: credentials/AuthKey_XXXXXXXX.p8
      bundleId: com.example.myapp
      teamId: XXXXXXXXXX

Setup Requirements

App Store Connect account
API key created and downloaded
App registered in App Store Connect

Learn more →

Google Play Console

Deploy Android apps to Google Play Console.

bash

mobilectl deploy play-console

Configuration

yaml

deploy:
  android:
    playConsole:
      enabled: true
      serviceAccount: credentials/play-console-key.json
      packageName: com.example.myapp

Setup Requirements

Google Play Console account
Service account created
App registered in Play Console

Learn more →

App Store

Deploy iOS apps to App Store.

bash

mobilectl deploy app-store

Configuration

yaml

deploy:
  ios:
    appStore:
      enabled: true
      apiKeyPath: credentials/AuthKey_XXXXXXXX.p8
      bundleId: com.example.myapp
      teamId: XXXXXXXXXX

Learn more →

Local

Copy artifacts to local directory.

bash

mobilectl deploy local

Configuration

yaml

deploy:
  android:
    local:
      enabled: true
      outputDir: build/deploy
  ios:
    local:
      enabled: true
      outputDir: build/deploy

Flavor Management

All Flavors

Deploy all configured flavors:

bash

mobilectl deploy --all-flavors

Example output:

Deploying all flavors...

[1/3] production
  ✓ Build successful
  ✓ Uploaded to Firebase
  ✓ Uploaded to TestFlight

[2/3] staging
  ✓ Build successful
  ✓ Uploaded to Firebase

[3/3] development
  ✓ Build successful
  ✓ Uploaded to Firebase

All deployments completed!
Success: 3/3
Duration: 8m 42s

Flavor Groups

Define groups for easier deployment:

yaml

deploy:
  flavorGroups:
    production:
      name: Production
      flavors:
        - productionRelease
    testing:
      name: Testing
      flavors:
        - staging
        - development

Deploy group:

bash

mobilectl deploy --flavor-group production
mobilectl deploy --flavor-group testing

Specific Flavors

bash

# Deploy specific flavors
mobilectl deploy --flavors production,staging

# Exclude flavors
mobilectl deploy --all-flavors --exclude development

Version Bumping

Automatic Version Bump

bash

# Bump patch version before deploy
mobilectl deploy --bump-version patch

# Bump minor version
mobilectl deploy --bump-version minor

# Bump major version
mobilectl deploy --bump-version major

With Changelog

bash

# Bump version and generate changelog
mobilectl deploy --bump-version patch --changelog

This will:

Bump version (e.g., 1.0.0 → 1.0.1)
Generate changelog from commits
Build artifacts with new version
Deploy to configured destinations

Release Notes

Inline Notes

bash

mobilectl deploy --notes "Fixed login bug and improved performance"

From File

bash

mobilectl deploy --notes "$(cat RELEASE_NOTES.md)"

From Changelog

bash

# Generate changelog first
mobilectl changelog generate

# Deploy with changelog as notes
mobilectl deploy --changelog

Deployment Workflow

What Happens During Deploy

Pre-flight checks
- Validate configuration
- Check credentials
- Verify artifacts exist (or build)
Version management (if requested)
- Bump version
- Generate changelog
- Update version files
Build (if needed)
- Build for target platform(s)
- Sign artifacts
- Verify outputs
Upload
- Upload to each destination
- Set release notes
- Configure test groups
Notifications (if configured)
- Send Slack notification
- Send email
- Trigger webhooks
Reporting
- Generate deployment report
- Save to configured location

Example Output

Starting deployment...

✓ Configuration validated
✓ Credentials verified

[Version Management]
✓ Bumped version: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1
✓ Updated 4 version files
✓ Generated changelog

[Build]
✓ Building Android (production, release)
  Duration: 1m 32s
  Output: app-production-release.apk (24.5 MB)

[Deploy]
✓ Uploading to Firebase
  URL: https://appdistribution.firebase.dev/i/abc123
  Test groups: qa-team, beta-testers
  Duration: 45s

✓ Uploading to TestFlight
  Build: 1.0.1 (42)
  Status: Processing
  Duration: 2m 18s

[Notifications]
✓ Sent Slack notification
✓ Sent email to team@example.com

[Report]
✓ Generated deployment report
  Location: build/reports/deploy-2024-01-15.html

Deployment completed successfully!
Total duration: 5m 23s

Environment Variables

Set environment-specific variables:

bash

# Deploy to staging
mobilectl deploy --env staging

# Deploy to production
mobilectl deploy --env production

Configuration:

yaml

deploy:
  environments:
    staging:
      firebase:
        appId: "1:123:android:abc"
    production:
      firebase:
        appId: "1:456:android:def"

Dry Run

Preview deployment without executing:

bash

mobilectl deploy --dry-run

Output:

Dry run mode - no deployments will be executed

Deployment Plan:

Platform: Android
Flavors: production, staging
Destinations:
  - Firebase App Distribution
  - Google Play Console

Steps:
  1. Bump version: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1
  2. Generate changelog
  3. Build 2 variants
  4. Upload to 2 destinations
  5. Send notifications

Would deploy:
  - app-production-release.apk → Firebase, Play Console
  - app-staging-release.apk → Firebase

No actual deployment performed.

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions

yaml

name: Deploy

on:
  push:
    tags:
      - 'v*'

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Setup JDK
        uses: actions/setup-java@v2
        with:
          java-version: '17'

      - name: Deploy to Firebase
        env:
          MOBILECTL_KEY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.KEY_PASSWORD }}
          MOBILECTL_STORE_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.STORE_PASSWORD }}
        run: |
          mobilectl deploy firebase \
            --confirm \
            --verbose \
            --notes "Released from GitHub Actions"

GitLab CI

yaml

deploy:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - mobilectl deploy --all-flavors --confirm
  only:
    - tags
  environment:
    name: production

Configuration

Complete deployment configuration:

yaml

deploy:
  enabled: true
  defaultGroup: production

  android:
    enabled: true
    artifactPath: build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk

    firebase:
      enabled: true
      serviceAccount: credentials/firebase-service-account.json
      releaseNotes: "Automated upload from MobileCtl"
      testGroups:
        - qa-team
        - beta-testers

    playConsole:
      enabled: false
      serviceAccount: credentials/play-console-key.json
      packageName: com.example.myapp

    local:
      enabled: true
      outputDir: build/deploy

  ios:
    enabled: true
    artifactPath: build/outputs/ipa/release/app.ipa

    testflight:
      enabled: true
      apiKeyPath: credentials/AuthKey_ABC123.p8
      bundleId: com.example.myapp
      teamId: XYZ123

    appStore:
      enabled: false
      apiKeyPath: credentials/AuthKey_ABC123.p8
      bundleId: com.example.myapp
      teamId: XYZ123

  flavorGroups:
    production:
      name: Production
      flavors: [productionRelease]
    testing:
      name: Testing
      flavors: [staging, development]

See full configuration reference →

Notifications

Get notified about deployments:

yaml

notify:
  slack:
    enabled: true
    webhookUrl: ${SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL}
  email:
    enabled: true
    recipients:
      - team@example.com
  webhook:
    enabled: true
    url: https://api.example.com/webhook

Learn more →

Error Handling

Upload Failed

Error: Upload to Firebase failed
Status: 403 Forbidden
Reason: Invalid service account credentials

Suggestions:
  1. Verify service account JSON is valid
  2. Check Firebase App Distribution is enabled
  3. Verify service account has required permissions

Build Not Found

Error: Build artifact not found
Path: build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk

Suggestions:
  1. Run build first: mobilectl build android
  2. Or let deploy build automatically (remove --skip-build)

Credentials Invalid

Error: TestFlight upload failed
Reason: Invalid API key

Suggestions:
  1. Verify API key path is correct
  2. Ensure API key has App Manager role
  3. Check teamId and bundleId match

Best Practices

1. Test in Staging First

bash

# Deploy to staging
mobilectl deploy --flavors staging

# Then production
mobilectl deploy --flavors production

2. Use Version Bumps

bash

mobilectl deploy --bump-version patch --changelog

3. Automate with CI/CD

yaml

# Only deploy from specific branches
only:
  - main
  - release/*

4. Use Dry Run

bash

# Preview first
mobilectl deploy --dry-run

# Then execute
mobilectl deploy --confirm

5. Secure Credentials

bash

# Use environment variables
export FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT="$(cat credentials/firebase.json)"

# Never commit credentials
echo "credentials/" >> .gitignore

Troubleshooting

Slow Uploads

Enable parallel uploads (coming soon):

yaml

deploy:
  parallel: true
  maxConcurrency: 3

Timeout Issues

Increase timeout:

yaml

deploy:
  timeout: 600  # 10 minutes

Missing Artifacts

bash

# Check artifact path
ls -lh build/outputs/apk/release/

# Update config if needed

deploy ​

Synopsis ​

Arguments ​

Options ​

Basic Options ​

Build Options ​

Flavor Options ​

Deployment Options ​

Basic Usage ​

Interactive Mode ​

Quick Deploy ​

Complete Release ​

Deployment Destinations ​

Firebase App Distribution ​

Configuration ​

Setup Requirements ​

TestFlight ​

Configuration ​

Setup Requirements ​

Google Play Console ​

Configuration ​

Setup Requirements ​

App Store ​

Configuration ​

Local ​

Configuration ​

Flavor Management ​

All Flavors ​

Flavor Groups ​

Specific Flavors ​

Version Bumping ​

Automatic Version Bump ​

With Changelog ​

Release Notes ​

Inline Notes ​

From File ​

From Changelog ​

Deployment Workflow ​

What Happens During Deploy ​

Example Output ​

Environment Variables ​

Dry Run ​

CI/CD Integration ​

GitHub Actions ​

GitLab CI ​

Configuration ​

Notifications ​

Error Handling ​

Upload Failed ​

Build Not Found ​

Credentials Invalid ​

Best Practices ​

1. Test in Staging First ​

2. Use Version Bumps ​

3. Automate with CI/CD ​

4. Use Dry Run ​

5. Secure Credentials ​

Troubleshooting ​

Slow Uploads ​

Timeout Issues ​

Missing Artifacts ​

See Also ​

deploy

Synopsis

Arguments

Options

Basic Options

Build Options

Flavor Options

Deployment Options

Basic Usage

Interactive Mode

Quick Deploy

Complete Release

Deployment Destinations

Firebase App Distribution

Configuration

Setup Requirements

TestFlight

Configuration

Setup Requirements

Google Play Console

Configuration

Setup Requirements

App Store

Configuration

Local

Configuration

Flavor Management

All Flavors

Flavor Groups

Specific Flavors

Version Bumping

Automatic Version Bump

With Changelog

Release Notes

Inline Notes

From File

From Changelog

Deployment Workflow

What Happens During Deploy

Example Output

Environment Variables

Dry Run

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions

GitLab CI

Configuration

Notifications

Error Handling

Upload Failed

Build Not Found

Credentials Invalid

Best Practices

1. Test in Staging First

2. Use Version Bumps

3. Automate with CI/CD

4. Use Dry Run

5. Secure Credentials

Troubleshooting

Slow Uploads

Timeout Issues

Missing Artifacts

See Also