Publishing your app to the App Store and Google Play: accounts, review and release
To publish an app to the App Store and Google Play, the business that owns the app opens its own developer accounts. The Apple Developer Program costs 99 USD a year and a Google Play developer account has a one-time 25 USD fee. You then prepare store listings and privacy disclosures, test through TestFlight and Play Console testing tracks, and submit for review. Every update goes through the same path.
How do you publish an app to the App Store and Google Play?
To publish an app to the App Store and Google Play, you open developer accounts, prepare the store listings, test the app and submit it for review. If Apple or Google approves it, you release it. If not, they tell you why, you fix it and submit again.
It sounds short. In practice a first release can slip by weeks when it is not planned: an unverified company account, a missing screenshot size or a reviewer who cannot log in. Below we walk through each step and the problems we run into. For the budget side, see what mobile app cost depends on.
Whose name should the developer accounts be in?
The developer accounts should be in the name of the business that owns the app. The seller name on the store listing comes from that account. If an agency opens the account, your app appears as their product, and when you part ways the keys stay with them.
Our rule is simple. Domain, server, code repository and store accounts are yours from day one. You open the accounts and add us as users with a developer role in App Store Connect and Play Console. When the work ends, you remove our access in one click. Apps can be transferred between accounts later, but the process has conditions and takes effort. Starting in the right account is easier.
How much do Apple and Google developer accounts cost?
The Apple Developer Program costs 99 USD per year, and a Google Play developer account costs a one-time 25 USD registration fee. Apple membership renews yearly. If it lapses, your apps are eventually removed from the store and you cannot ship updates. Apple may show the fee in local currency in some regions, so check current prices on each company's own page.
The fees are per account, not per app. If you sell digital content or subscriptions inside the app, store commission rules also apply. Physical goods and services usually go through your own payment provider.
What does a company account need?
A company account needs a registered legal entity, verifiable contact details and a D-U-N-S number. D-U-N-S is a nine-digit business identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet. Apple asks for it for organisation accounts, and Google asks for it on new organisation accounts too. Getting one can take days or weeks, so we start account setup in the first week of development. Use a company email address, not a personal one, so the account does not get stuck when someone leaves.
The order we follow up to the first release
- 01 Open the accounts Apple Developer Program and Google Play Console, both in the business name. Have the D-U-N-S number ready.
- 02 Add us as users We join with a developer role. You stay the account holder.
- 03 Create the app record Name, bundle ID or package name, languages and category. The bundle ID cannot be changed later.
- 04 Build the store listing Icon, screenshots, short and full description, support URL and privacy policy link.
- 05 Complete privacy and content forms App Privacy details on Apple, the Data safety section and content rating questionnaire on Google.
- 06 Ship a test build TestFlight and Play Console testing tracks put the app on real devices with real users.
- 07 Submit for review Include a demo login and a short note for the reviewer. If rejected, read the reason, fix it and resubmit.
- 08 Release Go live straight away or on a set date, then watch crash reports and reviews closely in the first days.
What goes into a store listing?
A store listing needs an app icon, screenshots, a short and full description, keywords, a category and a support URL. Google Play also asks for a 1024x500 feature graphic and a 512x512 icon. Apple asks for screenshots in the device sizes you support, including iPad if the app runs there. Screenshots must show the real app. Showing a feature that does not exist is a reason for rejection. If you publish in two languages, every text and image is prepared twice, so do not leave it for the last week.
How do you fill in the privacy disclosures?
Privacy disclosures are forms where you declare what data the app collects, why, and who it is shared with. Apple calls them App Privacy details in App Store Connect. Google calls it the Data safety section in Play Console. Both also require a public privacy policy link.
Think beyond your own code. Analytics, crash reporting, advertising and push notification SDKs collect data too. If your answers do not match what the app actually does, it can be rejected or removed later. We list every library and fill in the forms with you. If users can create an account, both stores expect them to be able to delete it from inside the app as well.
How do you test an app before release?
You test with TestFlight on Apple and with the internal, closed and open testing tracks in Play Console. TestFlight sends test builds to people you invite. Internal testers get them right away, while the first build for external testers passes a short beta review. TestFlight builds expire after 90 days.
On Google Play, internal testing reaches a small team within minutes. Google also requires new personal developer accounts to run a closed test before production access. At the time of writing, that means at least 12 testers for 14 days. Rules change, so check the current requirement in the Play Console help pages. We also build a version that points at a staging environment so testers never touch live data.
How long does app review take?
App review usually takes a day or two, but first submissions and busy periods can take longer. Apple says most submissions are reviewed within a day. Google can take longer for the first app on a new account. Plan a week for the first release and a few days for updates. Reviewers actually use the app, so give them a working demo account and explain anything unusual in the review notes.
| Reason | What it means | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes and bugs | The reviewer hit an error or a crash | Test on real devices through testing tracks first |
| No demo account | The reviewer could not log in | Provide a working login and a short note |
| Misleading listing | Screenshots or copy show something the app lacks | Use real screens for every image |
| Privacy mismatch | Declared data differs from collected data | List all SDKs and answer the forms accordingly |
| No account deletion | Users can sign up but cannot delete the account | Add an in-app deletion flow |
| Minimum functionality | The app is only a wrapper around a website | Offer app-specific features |
How do you publish an update?
An update follows the same path as the first release: upload a build with a higher version number, test it and submit it for review. New apps go to Google Play as an Android App Bundle. Apple builds go to App Store Connect from Xcode or a build pipeline.
You do not have to release to everyone at once. Apple's phased release spreads an update over seven days. Google Play's staged rollout starts with a small percentage of users. If something breaks, you pause, fix and continue.
Updates are not only for new features. Google Play requires apps to target a recent Android API level within set deadlines, and Apple expects builds made with current tools. An app left untouched for a year may one day refuse to accept an update. That is why we plan upkeep before launch. The reasoning is the same as in website maintenance.
Who does what during publishing?
The development team handles builds, test distribution, technical forms and reviewer correspondence, while the business opens the accounts, approves the copy and supplies legal details. With us, you talk to the person who writes the code, and that person also writes the review notes and the fixes. Approval on both stores is a line in our definition of done, and bugs found within 30 days of handover are fixed at no charge. For the technology choice, see native or Flutter. For what we build, see mobile app development.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to publish an app?
With accounts ready, a first release usually takes about a week. Company verification or a pending D-U-N-S number adds time, so we start account setup early.
How much do the developer accounts cost?
The Apple Developer Program is 99 USD per year and a Google Play developer account is a one-time 25 USD fee. Check current prices on their own pages.
Can the agency open the accounts in its own name?
It can, but we advise against it. The app would appear as their product and the keys would stay with them. The account is yours and we are added as users.
Personal or company account?
If the app belongs to a business, open a company account. Your company name appears as the seller and the account is not tied to one person.
What is a D-U-N-S number?
A nine-digit business identifier from Dun & Bradstreet. Apple and Google ask for it for organisation accounts. It is free to request and can take days or weeks.
Does a rejection cost extra?
Resubmitting to the stores is free. On our side, fixing a rejection that falls within the agreed scope is part of the job.
Can I launch on only one store?
Yes. Start with one and add the other later. With a shared codebase, the second store is a relatively small step.
Are updates reviewed too?
Yes. Every new version is reviewed, and update reviews are usually faster than the first one.
Sources
- 01 Apple Developer Program · Apple
- 02 App Review Guidelines · Apple
- 03 TestFlight · Apple
- 04 App Privacy Details · Apple
- 05 Get started with Play Console · Google
- 06 About Android App Bundles · Android Developers