Google Play - alpha version App Bundle, production - apk

Question

My app curtently uses apk without storing sign key on Google servers. I want to create closed alpha test with new Flutter app version and app bundle. As far as I understand, I am forced to store key on Google servers. So, is it possibile to:

• keep production version as apk in PlayStore
• create new alpha version that uses app bundle and key is stored on Google servers
• I want to keep my current key, I don't want Google to generate new one because first - key hash is used to configure some services like Firebase and Facebook login so it can't be changed, second alpha version needs to use the same key as stable production version.

Of course, curtently both app versions are the same package name and the samy signing key is used to sign release build. In the future, alpha version will be promoted as new stable (when testing finished).

I was unable to find any straightforward way to do what I want, especially Google always proposes to generate new signing key.

Any tips?

Answer 1

If you have an existing app, Google Play does not generate a new key when you enroll in Play Signing. You are prompted to give Google your existing key which it will use to sign the APKs it produces from the app bundle.

Note: I'm not sure where you have seen that Google "always proposes to generate a new signing key", a screenshot would be helpful to understand better where this is coming from. The only time Google would offer to create a new key is when you create a new app but you seem to suggest that you have an existing app, so this isn't it.

It seems that you could just enroll in Play Signing by giving your key to Google, then upload app bundles the same way you were uploading APKs before (in whichever release channel).