Which file types work?

macOS .dmg, .pkg and a .zip with one .app; Windows .msix, .msixbundle, .appx, .appxbundle and .msi.

Does AppForShare notarize my Mac app?

No. Sign and notarize it before you upload. The page shows whether a ticket is stapled.

Plain executables are a common way to pass on harmful software. Package the app as .msix or .msi.

Your Mac and Windows builds, next to your mobile builds

Pro and Team

Many mobile apps have a Mac or Windows companion: a desktop client, an admin tool, a kiosk app. Testers of those usually get a file in a chat or a shared drive, with no version, no notes and no way to know whether it is signed.

On Pro and Team, desktop builds use the same upload, link, QR code, release notes, channels, password and link controls as your iOS and Android builds. The page shows a download button and the facts read from the file.

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Example

Acme Desktop 1.8.0, macOS

FileAcme-1.8.0.zip, 84 MB, SHA-256 shown
SignatureDeveloper ID Application: Acme Inc
Notarization ticketStapled
Architecturesarm64, x86_64

Example values, read from the file on our servers.

Made for

Teams with a Mac or Windows app next to their mobile app
Agencies that deliver desktop builds to clients for review
Teams that moved from App Center and shipped desktop builds there

What it ends

Desktop builds in a shared drive with no version or notes
Testers who cannot tell whether a file is signed or notarized
A second tool only for the desktop app

How it works

Step 1
Upload the file
macOS .dmg, .pkg or a .zip with one .app inside; Windows .msix, .msixbundle, .appx, .appxbundle or .msi. From the dashboard, the CLI, CI or the MCP server.
Step 2
Share the link
Testers open the page on a computer and press Download. A phone sees a note to open the page on a Mac or Windows computer.
Step 3
Read the signing check
The build page flags an unsigned, ad hoc signed, not Developer ID or not notarized Mac build, and an unsigned Windows package.

What the page reads from the file

For macOS: bundle ID, version, minimum macOS, architectures, the signature (Developer ID, another Apple certificate, ad hoc or unsigned) and its signer, and whether a notarization ticket is stapled (for a .dmg and a zipped .app). A .dmg's name and version come from its file name, and the page says so.

For Windows: package name, publisher, version and whether the package is signed. The facts are read on our servers, with no call to Apple or Microsoft.

Same tools as mobile

Channels get a macOS and a Windows head next to iOS and Android, and the in-app update check takes platform=macos or platform=windows. Every desktop file goes through the malware check, like mobile builds.

Good to know

No .exe files: package the app as .msix or .msi instead.
AppForShare does not sign or notarize desktop apps and cannot tell you in advance what Gatekeeper or SmartScreen will say; that depends on your signature and notarization.
Not on Free or for uploads without an account. AppForShare still shares builds of apps only, not other files.

Questions

Which file types work?: macOS .dmg, .pkg and a .zip with one .app; Windows .msix, .msixbundle, .appx, .appxbundle and .msi.
Does AppForShare notarize my Mac app?: No. Sign and notarize it before you upload. The page shows whether a ticket is stapled.
Why is .exe refused?: Plain executables are a common way to pass on harmful software. Package the app as .msix or .msi.
Which plan do I need?: Pro or Team.