Direct answer
Do not provide an installation link or tell a user to sideload an app package unless there is a verified, official distribution source for that exact app and build. An Android application can have release-ready source code, a signed local build, a Play Console draft, an AAB, a downloadable APK, or a public store listing; those are different facts. The repository status checked for this draft records no verified public Cove APK URL or digest and says the current download cards lead to release notifications. Therefore this guide is an evidence checklist, not a claim that Cove is currently available to install. Recheck the official listing and release record on the day the advice will be used. An AAB is a publishing artifact that a developer uploads for store delivery; it is not the same as a user-facing direct-install APK. A signed APK can be distributed directly or by an app marketplace, but the package identity and signer must match the trusted publisher evidence, and a later update must be signed compatibly with the installed app. A file name, product logo, screenshot, social post, or third-party mirror is not enough to authenticate the package. Do not tell a user to disable Android security protections to install an unverified file. Establish the source first. A Play listing should be reached from the verified developer’s official site or other independently verified official channel, then checked for developer identity, application name, package identity, platform, current version, region availability, and release notes. If the app is distributed directly, require an official HTTPS download endpoint, a release note naming the build, an independently published signing-certificate fingerprint or equivalent release evidence, and a matching package ID. Compare signature information using the publisher’s trusted reference; a signature proves continuity with the key, not that the publisher’s site or key is trustworthy by itself. After installation, verify what Android actually installed rather than relying on an installer dialog. Check the package identifier, version code/name, signing certificate lineage where available, install source where the platform exposes it, and permissions requested by that version. Compare those values to the official release record. Record whether the app came from Google Play, enterprise management, a direct official APK, or another route. If the install source is unavailable or ambiguous, label it unknown; do not infer it from an icon or app label. Application installation does not prove that an on-device model is present. Model weights may be bundled, separately downloaded, imported, optional, or unavailable; the checked Cove download page does not prove an APK or model download endpoint. Confirm the model status in the installed app through a documented, tested screen. Then test the intended first task with the device offline if the product claim is offline operation. Keep app-installed, model-downloaded, artifact-verified, runtime-loaded, and task-passed states separate. A web page saying “offline” is not a device test. If an official listing or signed artifact cannot be found, stop before installing. Do not guess at a package from a source repository, build artifact, cached URL, notification form, or community mirror. Ask the publisher for the current public listing and release evidence. This cautious answer is more useful than a plausible but unsafe link: it tells the person exactly what evidence would make installation instructions valid, without inventing an APK or implying a release state.
A user finds an APK mirror link
A user sees a social post naming a Cove app and an APK mirror. Before installing anything, they check the repository publishing notes and the current download page; the reviewed 2026-10-04 site snapshot has no verified public APK URL, so they need to confirm a current official listing and signing identity first.
Decision
Do not install the mirror. Verify a current official listing or signed release record, then check package and signer identity before discussing model setup.
Expected outcome
The user receives an evidence-based installation decision without an invented download link or a false implication that model files are bundled.
Evidence to collect
The claim becomes reviewable only when the following evidence is attached to the same artifact and test run:
- Official listing or artifact source
- Package and signature identity
- Install, first-run, and recovery records
A completed byte stream is not enough. Final placement, integrity, runtime load, and recovery must also pass.
Implementation workflow
- Begin from a verified publisher channel. Reach a store listing through the publisher’s independently verified official site or request a signed-release page. Do not trust a search result, shortened URL, third-party mirror, app icon, or filename as sufficient source evidence.
- Identify the actual artifact type. Determine whether the user is looking at a store listing, an Android App Bundle intended for upload, or an APK intended for direct installation. Never label a developer AAB as a consumer download.
- Compare package and signer. Check application ID, version, and signing certificate or lineage against the publisher’s official release record. Before replacing an existing installation, verify the update has a compatible signing identity.
- Inspect what Android installed. Read package and version data from Android, review permissions, and record the install source if available. When Android or the source cannot establish provenance, mark it unknown rather than infer it from branding.
- Separate model delivery. Use the app’s documented state to determine whether a model is bundled, separately fetched, imported, optional, or absent. Do not claim model inclusion unless the exact release manifest supports it.
- Test the first claimed task. For an offline claim, complete a representative task with network access disabled and record app version, model revision, task, and result. One test must not be generalized to every feature.
Keep each transition observable. A failure should identify the stage, artifact, runtime, and recovery action without logging private user content.
Acceptance criteria
- No install guidance appears without an official listing or release artifact whose source, package ID, signer, and version are documented.
- An AAB is not called a tap-to-install APK, and filename or appearance is not used to authenticate an app.
- App availability, model presence, artifact checks, runtime load, and offline-task results are separate claims.
- No instruction asks the user to disable platform protections or install a package from an unverified mirror.
Decision table
| Dimension | Choice or evidence | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Release-ready source or local build | Shows developers can prepare or build an app. | Does not prove public listing or user-downloadable signed package. |
| Signed APK from a verified publisher | Shows a package was signed with a key tied to publisher evidence. | Does not prove a model is included or every feature works offline. |
| Public store listing | Shows listing status for a region and account context. | Does not prove model readiness, installation, or successful task behavior. |
Failure patterns to prevent
- Publishing instructions before public distribution
- Trusting a filename as identity
Also prevent silent fallback, unpinned artifacts, missing cancellation, and conclusions that combine unlike configurations. Store unsuccessful runs alongside successful ones.
Minimum reproducibility record
| Layer | Record |
|---|---|
| Device | Manufacturer, model, chipset, RAM class, operating-system build |
| Software | Application version and git commit |
| Model | Family, variant, revision, format, file length, hash, quantization |
| Runtime | Name, revision, requested backend, observed backend evidence |
| Workload | Fixture revision, input hash, prompt hash, output policy |
| Outcome | Completed, failed, cancelled, fallback, and privacy-safe diagnostics |
Release checklist
- ☐ The primary query is answered without an unsupported number.
- ☐ Every artifact and runtime is pinned.
- ☐ The representative task and failure policy are explicit.
- ☐ Lifecycle, cancellation, cleanup, and fallback are tested.
- ☐ User-content and network boundaries are documented.
- ☐ Result wording applies only to the recorded configuration.
- ☐ The page links to raw method or evidence when results are added.
Sources and related evidence
Chinese deployment and troubleshooting content is organized in the .奇连 AI 端侧专题.
Frequently asked questions
Does release-ready Android source mean the app is publicly downloadable?
No. Source code and publishing instructions do not prove a public listing or signed artifact is available. Verify the current publisher listing or signed release record before giving installation guidance.
Can a user tap an AAB file to install it?
Generally no. An Android App Bundle is a store publishing format from which APKs are generated for delivery. Direct distribution needs an appropriate signed APK or supported installer flow with documented identity.
Does installing the app prove its offline model is ready?
No. App installation and model delivery are separate. Check the exact model state and complete a representative offline task before describing the capability as tested.