Publish to the Google Play Store

Now that you know best practices for Store listing, login to Google Play Console. Click on Create app Enter App name.

Select Default Language. Select whether it is app or game. I will select app. Select whether it is free or paid. Select Free for demo.

Note that You can edit this until you publish your app. Once you’ve published, you can’t change a free app to paid. However, you can change a paid app to free anytime.

Go through Developer program polcies and learn more about US Export laws. Then check these fields and click Submit. You now have several options open.

You can start internal testing of your app without review.

YOU CAN complete store listing of your app here

For all options under Release your app, like Open or closed testing, pre registration or publishinng, you need to complete initial set up tasks first. So , go to Set up your app.

Expand View tasks. Click App access. Here, provide information whether parts of your app are restricted based on login credentials, memberships, location, or other forms of authentication. Provide instructions on how to access them. Also keep it up to date.

If you select 2nd option and click add new instructions

You will be taken to a form via which you will provide the credentials.

For demo app, I select All functionality is available without special access. Click Save. Go back to Dahsbard. Click Ads. Inform whether your app contains ads. I select No for demo app. Click Save.

Go back to Dahsbard. Click Content Rating. Click Start quetionnaire. Provide email address. Select Category, Game , Social or Commnication OR Other. I select All other app types for demo app. Click Next

Answer Yes or No type Questions on this page based on your app’s functionality. Click Save. Click Next. You get rating for your app in diff. regions. Click Submit

Go back to Dahsbard. Click Target Audience. Select Targetage group for your app. You must add a privacy policy if your target audience includes children under 13.For demo app, check all boxes above 13.

Click Next. Here you selected age group as above 13, so your store listing should not have elemeents that appeal to children. However, if you still want to go for such elements that appeal to children, then clickc. yes and The ‘Not designed for children’ label may be shown next to your app on Google Play.

For demo app, Select No. Click Next. Click Save. Go back to Dahsbard. Click News apps. Anser whether your app is a news app. If you select Yes, you have to Provide information to help google play team verify your credentials as a news publisher

For demo app, I select No. Go back to Dahsbard. Click COVID-19 contact tracing and status apps. Here, check relevant boxes to indicate whether or not your app is publicly available COVID-19 contact tracing or status app. For demo app, I select it is neither.

Click Save. Go back to Dahsbard. Now next section is Data safety. This section is recently added, in October 2021 in goolge play console. It helps users with information like what kind of data is collected and shared by app and whether the data is secure. Data safety also makes Privacy policy mandatory.

Click Data safety. Read overview to understand it. Click Next. Click View required data types to get the idea of differenct data types. This page also gives you all details abut data safety form and guides you on completing the form.

You can find this link in the resources for this episode. When ready, cick Next. Now answer Data collection related questions as applicable to your app.

Click Next. Privacy policy is now mandate. Click Go to Privacy Policy Provide Privacy Policy URL.

Click Save. Go back to App content. Resume Data safety section.

You now see all sections in Green for App access. Click Dashboard in left navigation panel. Under set up your app, click Select an app category and provide contact details. Sleect proper category for your app. I select Education. Cick Manage Tags.

You can Add up to 5 tags to describe the content and functionality of your app. Categories and tags help users to search for and discover the most relevant apps in the Play Store. However, ensure that tags you add are relevant to your app’s functionality.

Provde contact details. Emai lis mandatory. Turn off external marketing if you don’t want your app to be advertised outside of Google Play. Click Save. Click Dashboard in left navigation panel.

Under set up your app, click Set up your store listing. Main store listing page appears.

Below each item you see some notes, which are either required specifications for text or graphics. Or additional notes that help you comply with policies and avoid common policy violations. Fill in carefully three important text fields in your store listing. Also notice different character limits for each.

App name. Short description. Full description.

Now Graphics. Add App Icon and feature grpahic with specification as mentioned below each. Ideally you should get these done form a professional designer to create a Unique branding for your app. For demo app, I have created sample ones , so let’s upload.

Promo video is optional, but it is hightly recommended to increase the installs by new users. Also when added, it appears before any scheenshots on goolge play store. Now screenshots, You need to upload atleast 2 screnshots for phone and one for both 7 and 10 inch tablet. you can upload upto 8 in each category.

For demo app, let’s upload some samples I created. Click Save. Click Dashboard and you see now your app is ready for submision to testing under different tracks which you will see in detail in next episode.