How to Publish an Android App in Google Play Store: a Complete Guide

Updated 25 Aug 2023

9 Min

27518 Views

The process of your Android app publishing to the app store is not only a thrilling but very important moment for your application destiny as well. Will your app be added, will it be seen in the store, will people download and install it? All this depends on how successful your release would be. The preparation for a release starts long before the development of an Android application. Let us guide you through the jungle of all the development terms and all those rules that Google Play has prepared for you.

Where to publish, who can publish and why?

Before all else, we need to mention that Google Play is not a unique option for you. There are lots of alternative app stores when you think where to publish an Android app. To choose the best variant you need to consider the target audience and geography you want to cover. As you probably know, Google Play doesn't work in China. So, if your app is mainly for the Asian market, you need to think about an alternative app store for your project. Yet, this article is about how to publish Android app to Google Play only.

If you don't like Google Play, here is a long list of great alternative app stores for you!

In our company, we give our customers choice. They can upload an Android app to Google Play by themselves, or we can do it for them. You may be surprised but lots of product owners often want to do it on their own. It's all connected with a certificate generated in Android Studio. This document is a unique digital certificate that includes data about an owner of an app. It's a signature to sign an application. Product owners want to release Android app to Google Play by themselves to keep this signature safe.

When our customers face any issues with an app release, we recommend them to create an account in Google Developer Console and walk them through the whole process. Thus, they hold the certificate and are the only owners of a created application.

If you are an experienced Android developer and your 'first time' was long ago, you may find that all written in this article isn't new to you. However, if you are a beginner in Android development or you are a product owner who wants to publish an application with a unique certificate, then you have to follow our guide with all the tips and tricks written in plain English.

Steps to publish an Android app in Google Play

Before you start deploying an Android app to Google Play, make sure that everything is ready. You will need some screenshots of your app (in high quality), the description of the application and, of course, an APK file (the app itself). Pay attention that there are strict limitations concerning the size of an app. The maximum size is 100 Mbytes, however, It would be better if it's less than 50 Mbytes, then users who live in areas with a bad internet connection would have a chance to try your app. Here are the steps to publish an Android app on Google Play:

Steps to release an Android app

Create a developer account

Open Google Play Console and create a developer account. How much does it cost to publish an Android app? The operation costs $25. You pay only once, the account gives you the right to publish as many apps as you want anytime and anywhere.

Type title and description of your app

It's better to think about it before publishing. And it would be even better if you do a research looking for keywords to add them to your app description. Thus you'll increase the visibility of your app in a search engine.

Want to get a highter position in the Google App Store? Learn five mobile app personalization tools and how to benefit from the

Add screenshots

I'm sure I don't need to repeat that the quality of screenshots should be the highest. As well as that, make sure that the images display some great features that are in your app, or the main idea of the application.

Determine the content rating of your app

Now, you need to answer several questions to determine the content rating of your product. It is needed to restricting kids from downloading your app if it contains any adult content. You better answer honestly otherwise you will be denied from releasing an Android app to Google Play.

Adroid app deployment process

Select app category

It is also very important because it elevates your chances on downloads. If you choose the wrong category, people will not be able to see it in the category it should really be!

Regulate the privacy policy issues

If your app will need to use any private users' data you have to indicate it and add privacy policy agreement where you guarantee not to use this data to your personal advantage. In privacy policy agreement you should explain to users what data will be collected, in what way this information will be processed and who will have access to it.

If you need more tips from the professionals, here is how software development process goes at Cleveroad: From A to Z

Upload your APK file

Here you also have to indicate if it's a beta version or not. On an Android device, you can download and install only signed APK files. This key can be generated in Android Studio and has to be securely saved. In a case you lost an access to your keystore, you'll have to publish your app one more time with the new package name and the new key. This is the reason why lots of product owners prefer to publish an Android app to Google Play without anyone's help.

Add the price

If you want to sell your application, you will also have to note the cost of or to choose the cost in the default mode.

Basically, that is all you need to know to release an Android app to Google Play successfully. With Google Play Console you can get all the statistics data concerning your application. And it's great news actually because here you see how effective and productive your app is (if it is). Here you'll get comprehensive data about the income, users and conversion of your product. You can also get financial reports for the period you need and much more.If you want to get even more data on your application, users and monetization effectiveness you should think about one of the best mobile analytics tools, you can find a great review about them in our recent article.

Still don't believe that a landing page can promote your app even better than a commercial? Watch our video and write down all the tips, because you're going to need them soon!

However, be careful while you're publishing your Android application, there are some cases when your app could be rejected and your account blocked. Here they are.

When your app can be rejected

If you did everything correctly you have nothing to be afraid of. Strict sanctions are imposed on the developers who violated the rules and policy of Google Play. Your app will not be published if you haven't indicated the adult content in it. And even if you did, the things like violence or porn are prohibited on Google Play, so there are no chances to publish such an app here.

The other case is if your app collects users' data and you haven't informed them about it in a privacy policy agreement. Under these circumstances your account can be blocked without an opportunity to unblock it.

Life after submitting an app to Google Play

But don't think that after you have successfully uploaded an app to Play Store you can repose on your laurels. There are a lot of things to do, your job hasn't been finished yet! The life of your application after launching depends only on you (or a team that works for you). In most cases, mobile platforms require ongoing tech support to ensure their operability in the long run. At Cleveroad, we offer result-oriented IT support within mobile development services to guarantee great user experience and on-the-go improvement of your IT operations.

The best hack here is to listen to your customers. Active users are the greatest advisors. They will tell you what is wrong with your product. If you use customers' feedback as a source of useful information you have all chances to maximize revenue and make it extra popular. Collect feedback, fix all the left bugs, improve your application and update it regularly according to the wishes of your audience. This is all the secret of a successful project.

As for us, we continue to cooperate with our customers even after the release, to make sure that our products work seamlessly and to improve them upon first request.

I hope that our article is going to be useful for you. The standard instruction of how to submit an Android app to Google Play Store, you can find on the official site Google Play Developer Console. We wanted to give you more handy information and share our experience based on real situations. If you need more information about any stages of a product delivery process, write us anytime.

If you like this article subscribe to our blog and never miss a bite of useful information!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to publish an android app in Google Play store?

To publish an android app in Google Play store you have to follow these steps:

Create a developer account
Come up with the title and description of your app
Add high-quality screenshots
Determine the content rating of your app
Select app category
Regulate the privacy policy issues
Upload your APK file
Add the price

How much does it cost to publish an android app?

During the registration of the developer's account, Google Play will charge you a one-time fee of $25.

How hard is it to publish an android app?

Publishing an android app on Google Play is not hard at all. If your app complies with all the regulations of Google Play and the age restrictions are set correctly, moderators will give the green light to your app.

How long does an android app take to publish?

Usually, it takes 2-3 days to get your app displayed on Google Play. However, for certain developers it may take up to 7 days to review the app.

What to do before publishing an android app?

Before the publish on Google Play, you have to create a developer account, think of the title for your app, and make quality screenshots.

Where can i publish my android app?

Google Play is the major store for android apps. However, it's not the only option. There are lots of alternative app stores when you think where to publish an Android app. To choose the best variant you need to consider the target audience and geography you want to cover. As you probably know, Google Play doesn't work in China. So, if your app is mainly for the Asian market, you need to think about an alternative app store for your project.