Feature Request: Publish beta/unstable releases to F-Droid #3337

Currently, F-Droid users only have access to stable releases. Users who want to test the latest features or help catch bugs before a major release have to manually download APKs from GitHub, which disables automatic update notifications.

We would like to utilize F-Droid's built-in capability to detect and offer beta releases. This can be achieved by publishing pre-release/unstable versions to the main F-Droid repository (or a dedicated custom repository).

According to F-Droid guidelines, the client will automatically group these under "unstable" versions if:

1. The versionCode is higher than the current stable release.
2. The versionName clearly indicates a pre-release (e.g., contains -beta, -rc, or -alpha).
3. The F-Droid build recipe is configured to read the pre-release tags, or the UpdateCheckMode is set to include unstable tags.

Describe alternatives you've considered

• Manual APK installation: Downloading from GitHub Releases (lacks auto-updates and breaks the seamless F-Droid workflow).
• Obtainium: Requires users to use a separate app manager just for beta tracking.

Additional context

F-Droid users can explicitly opt-in to these builds by enabling "Show unstable versions" in their app settings. Implementing this will significantly expand the testing pool without affecting standard users who prefer stable builds.

Are the maintainers open to updating the F-Droid metadata/recipe to include these builds? I am happy to help test or look into the build recipe configuration if needed.