Publish an application to Google Play

The configured and built application is ready to be published to Google Play.

The app must pass the Google Play review before it can be published. This process usually takes up to 7 days. Once the app has passed the review, it will either be published automatically to Google Play, or you will receive a notification of successfully completed review in your email.

Before publishing, you need to create your own privacy policy and assign a version to the application.

Privacy Policy

It is essential to develop your own Privacy Policy for your application. If it is missing, the application may be removed from Google Play at any time.

To add a privacy policy:

Create your own privacy policy. You can create it in multiple languages.
Post policy on the website.
Open the app_config.json file and find the following code:

    "constants": {
        "policy_url": {
            "base": "en",
            "localized": {
                "en": "https://www.google.com",
                "es": "https://www.google.es"
            }
        },
...

In the policy_url field, provide links to the Privacy Policy, which may be different for various localizations (see localization in the configuration file).

Application version

To publish a build to Google Play, you need to specify its version and version code. To do this:

Open the app_config.json file and find the following code:

… 
"identifier": {
      "android": {
        … 
        "versionName" : "1.0.0",
        "versionCode" : 1
      },
…

Make changes to the following parameters:

versionName — specify the version of your application, by default, it is 1.0.0.
The version is made up of 3 digits separated by a dot. When publishing future versions, it is recommended to change the second (medium logical or cosmetic changes) or third (small cosmetic changes) digits.
versionCode — specify the build number for the current version. The numbering starts from '1', and with each new build, it increments by +1.

For example, if you publish application version 1.0.0, and you upload the first build, it will be No. 0 in the store. If you upload another build for the same version, then the build number will be No. 1. If you publish version 1.1.0, the build counter will reset to zero, and the first build for it will be No. 0. The next one will be No. 1, and so on.

Publishing the Application

How to build a project in Android Studio for publication:

Click Make Project
Create a key (Sign your app)
- Build → Generate Signed Bundle/APK → Generate Signed Bundle
- Select Android App Bundle
- If you have not created an application before, you will need to create a new one Create New
- To create a new key you need to specify:
  - Key store path – select the folder on the computer where this key will be stored. It is needed to sign our applications with Google so that it can identify them. Set a password for the key file and confirm it.
  - Alias – name/name of the key. It must be unique to the app from other apps on Google. It can be sat at this stage, but before publishing it in the store, it is necessary to check it for uniqueness and replace it with another, if necessary. Specify a password for the key and confirm it (it is recommended to make it different from the password for the file with the key).
  - Validity (years) – the time during which the key will be valid, it is recommended to specify at least 25 years
  - Certificate – information about the certificate (full name, organization, city, etc.). It will not be visible in the application but is needed to create the certificate itself.
- Click OK
Sign the application with a certificate:
- The value in the Key store path is automatically filled in after creating the key, or you can choose the path to a previously created key file.
- Specify all passwords and Alias (key name)
- It is recommended to check the box: Export encrypted key
  - Go to Google Play Console → Release → Settings → App signing key certificate and upload the key file there
- Click Next
In Build Type choose release
Click Finish. When the build is completed, Android Studio will display a message indicating success.

Publishing app to Google Play (Google Documentation):

You can use an existing Google account or create a new one
Log in to Google Play Console with your Google account to create a developer account (a type of account that allows you to publish applications on Google Play).
After creating a developer account: All applications → Create an application
Prepare and add marketing materials for the application page in the store: icon, name, descriptions, screenshots, etc.
1. Name: up to 30 characters
2. Short description: up to 80 characters
3. Full description: up to 4000 characters
4. Icon: 32-bit PNG file (with alpha channel), size 512x512 pixels, max. file size 1024 KB
5. Picture for description: PNG or JPEG, resolution 1024x500 pixels, max. file size 15 MB.
6. Screenshots (for smartphone): 2-8 images, JPEG file or 24-bit PNG file (without alpha channel), from 320 to 3840 pixels (ratio of long side to short side no more than 2:1)
Add an age rating, set up payment (if any), and add an app signing key
Go to Rules and Programs → Application Content and add a link to a Privacy Policy.
After that, submit the application for publication.v Upload the build in AAB (Android App Bundle) format, with a size not exceeding 150 MB. Submit the build in "Production" mode.
Before publication, the application must be reviewed by Google, which can take up to 7 days. If the verification is successful, the application will be published on Google Play.

If you haven’t passed the review, please read carefully the reason given by AppStore, make the necessary changes to the application, and repeat the process.

You can contact our support team, we will help you understand the problem.