Publishing Your App (App Packaging)

Uno Platform provides integrated, automated packaging for every supported platform, covering desktop, mobile, web, and embedded, with no third-party tools or extra setup required. Packaging is part of the standard .NET publish workflow, so you can go from code to distributable packages in a single command.

Why It Matters

App packaging is the bridge between a working build and an installable application. Each OS has unique signing, metadata, and distribution requirements, which can make deployment complex for cross-platform projects.

Typical tasks include:

Building and publishing binaries
Generating assets and manifests
Applying code signing and notarization
Assembling installable formats (MSIX, .app, APK, IPA, etc.)
Preparing for distribution or app store submission

Traditionally, .NET developers rely on custom scripts or third-party tools to manage this complexity. Uno Platform automates it out of the box.

The Broader Platform Packaging Ecosystem

Platform	Formats	Signing	Distribution	Complexity
Windows	MSIX, MSI, ClickOnce	Certificates	Microsoft Store, Direct	Multiple formats; Store validation
macOS	.app, .pkg, .dmg	Apple certs + notarization	App Store, Direct	Mandatory notarization; complex signing
Linux	Snap, AppImage, DEB, RPM	Optional	Snap Store, Direct	Multiple package managers
Android	APK, AAB	Keystore	Google Play, Direct	AAB for Play; Keystore management
iOS	IPA	Provisioning profiles	App Store, TestFlight	Strict signing; Profile management
WebAssembly	Static files, PWA	HTTPS / CSP	Web hosting	Service workers; PWA manifest

What Uno Platform Provides Out of the Box

Uno Platform simplifies all of this with a unified, automated approach:

Platform	Package Formats	Code Signing	Store Ready	Status
Windows	MSIX, ClickOnce	✅	✅ Microsoft Store	✅ Available
macOS	.app, .pkg, .dmg	✅	✅ App Store	✅ Available
Linux	Snap	✅	✅ Snap Store	✅ Available
Android	APK, AAB	✅	✅ Google Play	✅ Available
iOS	IPA	✅	✅ App Store	✅ Available
WebAssembly	Static files, PWA	✅	✅ Web hosting	✅ Available

Key Features

Native dotnet publish Integration – No separate tools required. Works with your CI/CD pipelines.
Cross-Platform Build Support – Build Windows packages from Linux or macOS, and vice versa.
Advanced Publishing Options – Self-contained deployments, single-file packaging, Native AOT (where supported).
Automated Everything – Manifest generation, asset resizing, signing, and platform-specific optimization.

Example command for Android AAB:

bash

dotnet publish -f net10.0-android -p:AndroidPackageFormat=aab

The same command pattern applies to Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and WebAssembly.

Preparing

Before publishing, make sure your app is optimized:

Platform-Specific Guides

Packaging for Desktop (netX.0-desktop)
Packaging for WebAssembly (netX.0-browserwasm)
Packaging for iOS (netX.0-ios)
Packaging for Android (netX.0-android)
Packaging for Windows App SDK (netX.0-windows10.yyy)

Continuous Integration

Uno Platform provides built-in CI integrations for Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions, included as part of the Uno Platform project templates. These pipelines include ready-to-use packaging steps for all supported platforms.