How To Upload An App To Google Play Store? Complete Steps

Last Updated on January 21, 2022

Once you create an app the main task remains is to submit it on the Play store. When you submit on Google Play, you publish your apps before 1 billion active Android users in about 190+ countries and territories all over the globe. 

Google Play makes your app get discovered, generate revenue, and strengthen your business globally. 

As you are here to know “How to upload an app to Google Play store,” then your search ends here. 

We are here with this informative post, including all the relevant details and information you need to upload your app on the Play store. 

Let’s pull the harness and find a seamless and rapid way towards making your app discoverable without any delay. 

Things To Do Before You Publish Your App To Google Play Console

Before we start, let you know that you should consider the below aspects before submitting your app to the store. 

After you develop and sign your app’s release version (we will cover it further in this post) next, your app becomes all set to get published for inspection, testing, and submission. 

But, first, you need to make sure your app satisfies the below aspects:

Enroll In Google Play App Signing

If you have missed it, you should remember to sign your app to Google Play. The experts recommend this for uploading your app. Also, if you build and submit an Android App Bundle, make sure you enroll in the Play App Signing. 

Note: Play App Signing stores your app signing key on the secure infrastructure of Google and provides upgrade options to improve security. 

Additionally, Android App Bundle is an uploading format that includes your app’s compiled code and resources. Google Play uses this app bundle to generate and offer optimized APKs for every device configuration. So, just the code and resources for a specific device are downloaded for your app’s successful run. This skips the requirement for building, signing, and handling various APKs to optimize the support for different devices, and the users attain smaller, more optimized downloads. 

Don’t Go Beyond Recommended Compressed Download Size Limit

Google Play supports compressed app downloads of just 150 MB and even less. 

Note: If you prefer uploading with Android App Bundles, your users can install your application with the smallest downloads possible, which expands the compressed download size limit to 150 MB. So, when a user downloads your application, be sure that the total size of the compressed APKs should not be more than 150 MB that they need to install your app; otherwise, it will lead to an error. 

If it reaches beyond 150 MB, it will create an issue. In that case, you can enable all configuration APKs, ensuring that users download just the code and resources they need to run your app successfully on their devices. Other than that, you can shrink your app just by eliminating unused code and resources, or you can also follow the best practices to decrease your app size further. 

After your app meets these requirements, you can move ahead and follow the steps to publish your app.

How To Publish App To Google Play Store – Step-By-Step Process

You should follow the step-by-step process to submit your app to Play Store. This will avoid any mistakes that can obstruct your app submission. 

Step 1. Open A Developer Account On Google Play Developer Console

A developer dashboard is the first thing that one needs to start with an app uploading. A sort of backend controlling center, Google Play Console is the window from where developers publish Android apps. 

Developers need to pay $25 as a one-time fee to open up an account, which will come with varied functions and control features. 

Developers need to fill in all the asked credentials while opening an account, like the developer’s name, country, and so on. 

It takes around 48 hours to get approval after you submit your account. 

Step 2. Link Your Developer Account With Google Wallet Merchant Account

In case the app you want to upload to the Google Play store supports in-app purchases, then there’s a need for a merchant account. 

You can sign in to your Google Play Console account to create a merchant account and click on 

Reports > Financial Reports

Next, you can choose the ‘Set up a merchant account now’ option and fill in your required details. 

It will automatically link the merchant account to your Google Play Console account. After that, you can manage and examine your app sales. 

Step 3. Create Your Application

In this step, you need to take a few steps to create your app on the Play store:

• Click on –  Menu > All applications

• Select the ‘Create Application’ option.
• From the drop-down menu, select the applications’ default language.
• Next, enter your application’s title. 

Note: You can change the title of your app later also. 

Now, click on the ‘Create’ button.

Step 4. Fill App Store Listing Details

In this step, you need to fill in all the details and information you already have. 

Let’s check out what information you are required to fill in the app listing. 

You will need to describe your app in the Short Description box. For that, you can include appropriate keywords to increase the chance of your app becoming discoverable. Make sure you use the entire data we have talked about in the app listing’s prerequisite section. 

Step 5. Create & Upload Your App Release

Here, you should use the files, like App bundle or APK, and the signed app release and submit them into your app. 

For that: Go to –  ‘Release Management’ > ‘App Release’ Tab

Next, choose any type of release from the given four options:

• Internal Test: Releases are available for up to 100 testers that you pick. 
• Close Test: Releases are available to just a specific number of testers you choose, who test a pre-release app’s version and submit feedback. 
• Production Release: Releases are available to all the Play store users in your chosen countries. 
•  Open Test: Releases are available to testers on Google Play, and users get permission to join tests from your store listing. 

Note: A Google Play Console feature, store listings permit developers to create alternative product pages for their application by including texts and assets that users can see. Store listing contains details that assist users in understanding more about your app. 

After that, select ‘Create Release.’ 

From here, it will take you to the New Release on the production page. Here, you need to decide whether your app needs signing in or not. If you want to go with the latter option, just click on the ‘OPT-OUT’ option. 

Next, choose ‘Browse Files‘ and then check out how to submit APK to the Google Play store while following on-screen instructions to name and describe your release. For confirmation, you can click on ‘Review.’ 

At last, press the ‘Save‘ button. 

Steps To Prepare & Launch A Release

A release will help you manage your app’s Android App Bundle and launch your app to a particular testing track. 

Step 1: Create A Release

Combining one or more application versions and a release will help you be ready for an app launch or your app’s update. 

You can prepare a release on three distinct testing tracks: Open, Closed, and Internal (explained above). 

To start: Open Play Console and jump onto the track on which you want to start your release:

Testing > Open testing

Testing > Closed testing

* If you want to create a release on your current closed testing track, click on Manage track. Or,  select Create track to create a new one. 

Testing > Internal testing

Production

• Adjacent to the top-right corner of the page, select Create new release. 

Step 2: Prepare Your App’s Release

Prepare your release following the on-screen instructions:

• For the first release of your app, follow the instructions to configure Play App Signing.
• Add your app bundles.
• Name your release.
• Enter your release notes.

Click the ‘Save‘ button to save the changes you make to your release. 

After you finish preparing your release, choose ‘Review release.’ 

Step 3: Review & Launch Your Release

Prerequisite: Before launching your release, be sure you set up your app’s store listing, make your app all set for review on the App content page, and set your app’s costs. 

After you become all set to launch your app:

• Open Play Console and jump onto the Release Overview page.
• Then, there’s a right arrow adjacent to the release you want to roll out; click that to open the Release details page. 
• In the ‘Release overview’ section, choose View release dashboard. 
• Next, select the Release tab, and then Edit. 
• Review the draft release, make significant additional changes, and click on the ‘Save‘ button. 
• Choose Review release, and it will take you to the ‘Review and release’ window, where you can ensure there are no issues with your release before launching it to users. 
• If you saw ‘Errors summary’ at the top of the page, click on the ‘Show more’ button to review the details of issues, and resolve them. 
• For updating an existing app, choose a rollout percentage.
• Choose Start rollout. 

Step 4: Review Release Details

You will see the below information for the launched release on your Release overview page. 

Release: Name that will identify release in Play Console.

Track: To which the release has been launched to.

Release Status: Your release’s current status. 

Last Updated: A timestamp and data pointing to the previous launch event for your release. 

Countries/regions: The number of regions/countries to which your release’s last rollout is available. 

The Release Details page will include:

Release overview: A set of metrics related to your app’s number of updates and installs, rating evaluated against last releases, and performance issues. 

Release notes: A list of past release notes. 

Rollout history: A timeline showing timestamps for when your release was stoped, resumed, or served to new users. 

Step 6. Rate Your App

It’s important to rate your app as initially it’s listed as ‘Unrated’ and might get removed from the store. 

For that, navigate to the menu lying on the screen’s left, and next select ‘Content Rating.’ Then, click on ‘Continue‘ and move forward and type your email address in the specific field, and next, click the ‘Confirm‘ button. 

Next, fill in a questionnaire for your app’s rating. Follow this by choosing the ‘Save Questionnaire.’ Then, select the ‘Calculate Rating‘ option to check your app’s rating on the Play Store. At last, click on the ‘Apply‘ button. 

Step 7. Pricing & Distribution

Now, you need to choose the countries where you want to make your app available. 

Note: Google doesn’t support uploading an app for all the regions. 

You can publish your app in selected countries, not worldwide. 

Further, you should assign a price to your application. If you want it to be available free of cost, make sure that it’s your final decision, as Google doesn’t permit the conversion of free apps into paid ones. However, you can change its price later. 

Note: If you want a paid version of your app, you must repeat the entire process and create a new paid version. 

For example, Minecraft, a gaming app, is available in free and paid versions. 

For that, go to the menu, click on the ‘Pricing and Distribution’ tab, and then choose Free or Paid as you want. Next, you can pick the countries you want your app to be available to. 

Besides, if your app is suitable for children under 13, you may choose the ‘Yes‘ option for Primary Child-Detected; otherwise, simply select ‘No.’ 

Similarly, you can choose the options for allowing or disallowing ads in your app. 

Step 7. Publish Your App

Once you are confident that everything is fine, you can upload your app to the Google Play store. 

For that, go back to the ‘App Releases‘ tab and next, choose 

Manage Production > Edit Release

To end this process, choose the ‘Confirm‘ option and then, woohoo! 

You have successfully published your app to the Play store app account. 

Now, you need to wait for the approval of your app. Generally, it takes two hours to get the review. But, according to Google Play’s updated privacy policy, it can take more hours and even days for the same. 

Things To Do Post App Submission

After publishing your app, next, you might be thinking; all is done. But, let you know, your job is still not over. 

There are a lot of practices you need to perform after you submit your app to the Google Play store. 

Let’s discuss below:

1. Promote Your App

Social media is the best mode to make your app notable and widely famous. As recorded in Oct 2021, about 57.6 percent of the worldwide population is using social media. This figure is enough to say that social media is a perfect way to promote your app. 

Various platforms are in constant use, like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and more. 

So, you can promote your app on these platforms to get good traffic and increased downloads. 

2. Initiate Press-Release

One more way you can follow to promote your brand, initiate a press release. It will help highlight your brand. Additionally, many publications will come forward to cover your press release that will make your app reachable to a broader audience and craft an authentic connection. 

3. Take Care Of App Maintenance & Update

Just submission of your app on the Play store is not enough. You should maintain your app and roll out frequent updates. Also, you should attend to the bugs and issues that users are facing and resolve them. 

App Maintainance is a standard job instead of a one-time task. 

So, you need to ensure that you keep your app updated and maintained with the latest tech stack. 

4. Use ASO

A most practiced process among Android app developers, ASO focuses on the activities that can increase engagement and the app’s visibility on the app store. Such practices help improve the conversion rate of impressions into app downloads. 

Checklist Of App Launch

• Review the Developer Program Policies.
• Create your developer account, fill in the details required. 
• Set up your merchant account.
• Plan for localization (if you want to include localized copies of your app).
• Plan for releasing your app on various platforms and devices. (If you have plans).
• Consider quality guidelines while testing your app.
• Target the latest API level.
• Develop your Android App Bundle.
• Run the internal tests. 
• Plan your application’s Play store listing.
• Pre-register your app and set up a custom pre-registering list page to develop your game or app interest. 
• Define your application’s device compatibility.
• Check your app’s pre-launch reports. 
• Setup your application’s cost and countries of distribution. 
• Choose the suitable distribution options.
• Set up your in-app subscriptions and products. 
• Determine your application’s content rating.
• Check your app finally and publish.
• Promote your app. 
• Attend and sort users’ issues and give replies to their queries.
• Voila! you have launched your app. 

Also Read: How to publish an app on Apple App Store

Conclusion

We hope this article proves to be helpful for you when it comes to publishing your app to the Google Play store. After submitting your app on the app store, you need to follow an active marketing approach to attract customers to your app.

So, an app’s success demands constant efforts to be ahead of the curve. To learn more about creating an app or marketing it get in touch with us. We are an app development firm offering the best app solutions to businesses globally.

Frequently Asked Questions about Publishing An App on Play Store