The excitement of publishing your first app is unfathomable. It’s that move that makes all those months of hard work worthwhile. Besides, publishing your app on the App Store opens the door to millions of users. And to ensure this excitement doesn’t go in vain, uploading your app to the app store rightly is crucial. That’s because navigating the process of app publishing can be daunting at times, especially for first-timers.
But no worries! With the right steps, it can be simplified.
In this guide, we will walk you through the complete app publishing process stepwise so you can successfully launch your app to the most popular App Store.
Let’s get started.
A Brief About Google Play Store
The Google Play Store is the powerhouse of apps. Its popularity and dominance in the realm of mobile apps are undeniable.
This status is reinforced by impressive Play Store statistics, which reveal that there are over 3.5 million apps currently available. Moreover, nearly 3739 new apps are released every day. These numbers clearly demonstrate that the Play Store for Android is an outstanding platform for uploading your mobile applications.
So, if you are unable to hold your excitement and are keen to know, “how to publish an app to Google Play Store”, let’s dive in.
Step-by-Step Process to Upload App To Google Play Store
Before we jump to the steps right away, here are some important considerations to keep in mind before uploading your app in the Google Play Store.
Key Factors To Consider Before Publishing Your Android App On The Google Play Store
- Have high-quality app screenshots, clear app descriptions, and a compiled APK ready as you upload your app.
- Do not exceed the recommended compressed download size limit, which is not more than 150 MB. Otherwise, you will have to remove the unused code and resources and implement other app compression techniques to reduce the app size.
- Experts recommend enrolling in Play Signing when submitting an Android App Bundle. Play App Signing stores your app signing key securely on Google’s infrastructure. It also provides several options to enhance security.
- Make sure your app is free of bugs, performs well, and provides a good user experience.
Also Read: Step-By-Step Process to Upload an Android App to Google Play Store
The App Publishing Process
Follow the steps below in the same order without missing anything to avoid mistakes in the process.
Google Play Developer Console
To upload any app on the Google Play Store, having a developer dashboard is necessary. Google Play Console is a backend control center, from where developers submit Android apps to the Play Store.
You will need to pay $25 as a one-time fee to create a developer account and access control features and functions. Once paid, you can submit the apps to the Play Store at no extra cost.
When creating the developer account, make sure to fill in all the credentials, such as your name, country, and more. After you have submitted your account creation request, it will take up to 48 hours to get approved.
Link Developer Account With Google Wallet and Merchant Account
If your app supports in-app purchases, you will need a merchant account. To create one, sign in to your Google Play Console account and follow the steps:
- Click on ‘Reports’.
- Select the ‘Financial Reports’ option.
- Select ‘Set up a merchant account now’.
Now, fill out your details. Once done, the merchant account will automatically link to your Google Play Console account. This will allow you to manage and track your app sales easily.
Create Application
Once logged into your developer or publisher account, follow these steps to publish your app on Google Play Store:
- Navigate to the ‘All Applications’ tab in the menu.
- Select the ‘Create Application’ option.
- Choose the default language for your application from the drop-down menu.
- Enter your app’s title ( you can change this later).
- Click on ‘Create’.
App Store Listing
At this stage of the process, how to upload an app to the Play Store, your preparations will prove invaluable.
Fill in all the information and details carefully that you have already prepared. Make sure to use the relevant keywords in your app description to boost search visibility. This approach will enhance your app’s chances of being discovered by users. Combine these with the data discussed in the prerequisite section of your app listing.
Upload App Bundles or APK To Google Play
To proceed, you need to upload your application files, including the App Bundle or APK, along with the signed app release. Ensure that these files are ready and follow the upload instructions for your platform.
Here are the steps to do it:
- Go to ‘Release Management’.
- Next, navigate to the ‘App Release’ tab in the menu.
- Choose your preferred type of release from the options given: internal test, close test, production release, and open test.
- Select ‘Create Release’.
Now you will be redirected to the New release on the production page. Here, you will be asked whether or not you want to opt for the Google Play app store signing on the app. If you don’t wish to opt for this option, simply select ‘OPT-OUT’.
- Next, select ‘Browse Files’ to find your APK.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to upload your APK to the Google Play Store.
- Name your release and provide a description as required.
- Click on ‘Review’ to check all the information you’ve entered.
- Once everything looks good, press ‘Save’ to finalize the upload.
Content Rating
The next step in the app publishing process is to rate your app. It is important to rate the application because it’s currently listed as ‘Unrated’. So, if it remains unrated, it risks being removed from the store entirely.
For this:
- Go to the menu on the left side of the screen.
- Select ‘Content Rating’.
- Click on ‘Continue’ to move forward.
- Type your email address in the given field
- Click on ‘Confirm’.
- Fill out the questionnaire for app rating.
- Select ‘Save Questionnaire’
- Choose ‘Calculate Rating’ to see your app rating on the Play Store.
- Click on ‘Apply’ to finalize your app’s content rating.
Fix App Pricing and Distribution
It’s important to determine the specific countries where your app will be available. Keep in mind that Google doesn’t allow apps to be published globally; you can only launch in selected regions. Be clear about your target markets to ensure a successful release.
Moreover, it’s crucial to set a price for your app. If you choose to make it free, remember that this choice is final. Google does not allow free apps to be changed to paid ones later. However, you can adjust the app’s price if you decide to charge for it. Follow these steps to do this:
- Go to the ‘Pricing and Distribution’ tab in the menu.
- Choose between ‘Free or Paid’ options based on your preference.
- Select the countries you want to release your app.
- Select ‘Yes’ for ‘Primary Child-Detected’ if your application is suited for children under the age of 13. Otherwise, select ‘No’.
- Likewise, select the options for allowing ads into your application.
Publish the Application
Once you have confirmed everything is correct, follow these steps to upload your Android app to the Play Store.
- Go to the ‘App Releases’ tab.
- Select ‘Manage Production’ and then ‘Edit Release’.
- Click on ‘Review’.
- Choose the ‘Start to rollout to production’ option.
- Select ‘Confirm’.
With this, the process of uploading your Android app to the Google Play Store is successfully completed.
Once you upload your app to the Google Play Store for free, all that’s left is to wait for approval. It used to take about two hours for your app to be reviewed. However, with Google Play’s updated privacy policy, it can now take hours or even days. This change encourages mobile app developers to create flawless apps that get approved quickly. So, relax and wait patiently.
How To Get Your App Featured On Play Store?
Here’s a question: what’s your goal for uploading your app on Google Play Store? If it is boosting the app’s popularity and getting thousands of downloads to earn profits, then your job doesn’t just end at app publishing. After successfully publishing your free or paid app on the Google Play Store, it’s time to aim to get it featured.
Certain practices, like visual design services and user interactions, using the latest technologies, and localization, can help your app get featured. Being featured on the Google Play Store can greatly increase user attention for your app.
What’s Next After Play Store App Submission?
Now that you have got your answer, “How to publish an app on Google Play Store”, you may be wondering what to do next. Well, here are some ways to help your app get global exposure on the Google Play Store.
Promote Your App On Social Media
Social media channels are great platforms to boost your app’s popularity. With 42% of the global population using social media, this claim is well supported. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and many others are widely used. By promoting your apps on these platforms can bring you more traffic and eventually more downloads.
Focus On App Maintenance And Update
Publishing your app on the Play Store and leaving it won’t let you achieve your app goals. Instead, you need to efficiently maintain your application, update it frequently, and address the issues and bugs encountered by users. Maintaining your app is an ongoing task. So, you should make constant efforts to keep your app updated with the latest technology and resolve issues on the go for its seamless functionality.
Practice ASO
App Store Optimization, or ASO is a highly regarded practice among leading Android app development companies. It focuses on activities that enhance the visibility and attention of your application on the app store. These practices aim to increase the conversion rate of impressions into downloads for the application.
Initiate Press Release
Promoting your brand through press releases helps your app come into the limelight. Numerous publications will feature your app release, ultimately enabling your app to reach a broader user base and foster an authentic connection.
A press release that highlights the words, attributes, and insights of mobile app developers and the application itself has proven to be an effective marketing strategy for the app. This serves as an excellent example to demonstrate to users that their expectations are met with quality.
Read More: How Much Does it Cost to Create An App
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Long Does it Take to Publish an App on Google Play Apps Store?
The Google App Store does not have a time limit on when apps may be published. Even though using the Google Play Store Console to submit an application is a quick and easy procedure, it may take hours or even days for your app to be evaluated and accepted.
- How Much Does it Cost to Put an App on the Play Store?
The only cost is a one-time $25 payment made at the time of publishing your first application. All of the apps you post on the Google Play Store for Android after that are free to download.
- How Many Apps Can I Publish on Google Play Console?
You can upload as many apps as you want to your Google Play Console account, but make sure all the apps belong to you. Moreover, you are responsible for their actions, and if you are not the developer, you risk compromising your account.
Conclusion
We really hope that the guidelines provided above helped you successfully complete the process of uploading an app to the Play Store. To get users to your app once you submit it to the Play Store, you need to have a strong marketing plan. Once your Android app is released, you must work hard to maintain its popularity regularly.
At iTechnolabs, our professionals can make your app concept a profitable venture. Our experts can assist you in any manner, whether it is developing scalable and reliable software or releasing it and then having it listed on the Google Play Store.
We have assisted several businesses in raising billions of investments. We have also developed reliable and user-friendly mobile applications, which have assisted big brands in growing their digital presence internationally.
If you too want to get your app developed, published, or promoted to achieve your goals, get in touch with the best Android app development company, iTechnolabs. For more information, contact us.
