App developers often hunt for pioneering tactics to maximize their app’s reach and revenue. One essential aspect of app development is monetizing; Google’s advertising platform, I mean AdMob, plays a fundamental part in assisting publishers generate profit through in-app ads. While the Google Play Store remains a primary platform for app distribution, there are scenarios where developers may want to explore other monetizing ways.
This can be particularly relevant for beta testing, limited releases, or exclusive distribution channels. Knowing this matter pops a controversial question in our heads: Is it possible to use AdMob without uploading at the Play Store?
In this section, we will go deeper into the possibilities and considerations of the use of AdMob outside the confines of the Play Store whether you’re developing a niche app, running closed beta tests, or just experimenting with methods, understanding how to utilize the AdMob platform in your non-Play Store apps and whether it can open up new paths for monetizing.
Let’s go further on this topic together.
Using AdMob without uploading at the Play Store
You can use AdMob without uploading your app on Google Play, but the question is, why do you even want to use AdMob then? It is a very large market, and most of the Android users only use this app store to download apps. Although there are other platforms, if you ignore the Play Store or so-called Google Play, you will miss a huge number of users.
You can place Admob ads in your app without publishing them on the Play Store; nevertheless, there is no guarantee that you to be able to earn enough because you have many users downloading your app. Play Store is a comprehensive source that is more reliable for downloading apps. So, consider that if you do not upload any app on Google Play, your app won’t be introduced properly to the public.
Using alternatives
There are other alternatives, such as the Amazon app store, apptoide, etc., where you can publish your app, but as you know, the Play Store is very popular among Android users.
Android users don’t use those app stores much, and there are always trust issues while downloading apps from such app stores. It is hard to make your app recognizable after you add it to sources other than Google Play unless your app is something unique that has no other similarity with others.
- Not only us, but most of the experts in this field recommend you publish your app on the Play Store because you will have users that are more convenient and trustworthy.
Again, you can use the alternatives mentioned earlier.
AdMob Monetization Strategies Outside the Play Store
If you mean: can I monetize from AdMob without uploading at the Play Store?
The common answer in the year 2023 is No!
You can’t use AdMob without adding your app to any other AdMob-supported app store, including the Google Play Store. The reason behind this policy is that AdMob needs to verify your app’s legitimacy and that action complies with its policies.
If you really want to use AdMob, it is a must to:
- First, create an AdMob account on this platform.
- And then link your developed apps to your account.
After that, you can create ad units and put them in your app. And the moment you have uploaded the app(s) to one of the AdMob-supported app stores, you can make income.
If you are not ready to upload your app to an app store, you can still test your ad units using AdMob’s test ads. However, you will not be able to generate revenue from test ads.
Here are some reasons why AdMob requires publishers to upload their apps to an app store:
- To ensure that the app is real and adheres to AdMob’s regulations.
- To guarantee that advertising is shown to a genuine audience.
- To help protect advertisers from fraud.
- To increase the AdMob ad network’s quality.
Now, it is up to you to decide whether you want to use Google Play or not. But be mindful of the outcomes of your choices and always set a plan B. The topic is ending. Let’s wrap it up.
To sum up
While using Admob without uploading at the Play Store may present its challenges, it becomes evident that using AdMob outside the Play Store is possible. Developers can tap into the alternative options that we have mentioned and still benefit from AdMob’s robust monetization capabilities.
Technology evolves, and some app developers seek to push boundaries.
In short, the answer to the question is “yes,” you can use AdMob without uploading your app to the Play Store, but in doing so, you will face challenges such as not finding good target users for your app, which we completely explained in this article.
What do you think of using AdMob without publishing on the Play Store? Do you use any alternative ways to monetize your app? Please share your experience with us in the comments. We are anticipating your ideas.