En No: 226370307088

PRACTICAL – 19
AIM: Publish an Android Application on Play Store
Step-by-Step Process to Launch App On Google Play Store

After developing the application, it is time to let the world know about the innovation by
publishing the app on the Google Play store. Although, the task can sound trickier than it is.
Here is a step-by-step guide explaining the process, taking care of every detail. 1. Create a
Developer Account

Before you can publish any app on Google Play, you need to create a Developer Account. You
can easily sign up for one using your existing Google Account.
The Google Play Console functions as the backend control center through which the
developers submit their android apps. A developer dashboard is essential to launching an
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Android app on Google Play store. Fill in credentials like your name, country, etc., and wait 48
hours for approval. You have to pay a one-time fee of $25 to open an account, after which you
can submit Google Play store apps for free.
Step 2: Plan to Sell? Link Your Merchant Account
If you want to publish a paid app or plan to sell in-app purchases, you need to create a
payments center profile, i.e. a merchant account. Here’s how you can do that:

1. Sign in to your Play Console

2. Click on Download Reports — Financial
3. Select ‘Set up a merchant account now’
4. Fill out your business information
Once you create the profile, it will be automatically linked to your developer account.
A merchant account will let you you manage your app sales and monthly payouts, as well as
analyze your sales reports right in your Play Console.
Step 3: Create an App
Now that you have set up your Play Console, you can finally add your app. Here’s how to do
that:
Navigate to the ‘All applications’ tab in the menu
Click on ‘Create Application’
Select your app’s default language from the drop-down menu
Type in a title for your app
Click on “Create”
The title of your app will show on Google Play after you’ve published. Don’t worry too much
about it at this stage; you can always change the name later.
After you’ve created your app, you’ll be taken to the store entry page. Here, you will need to
fill out all the details for your app’s store listing.

Step 4: Prepare Store Listing

Before you can publish your app, you need to prepare its store listing. These are all the details
that will show up to customers on your app’s listing on Google Play.
Note: You don’t necessarily have to complete this step before moving on to the next one. You
can always save a draft and revisit it later when you’re ready to publish.

The information required for your store listing is divided into several categories:
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Product Details
There are three fields here that you need to fill out:

Your app’s title and description should be written with a great user experience in mind.

Use the right keywords, but don’t overdo it. Make sure your app doesn’t come across as spamy
or promotional, or it will risk getting suspended on the Play Store.
Graphic Assets
Under graphic assets, you can add screenshots, images, videos, promotional graphics, and
icons that showcase your app’s features and functionality.

Some parts under graphic assets are mandatory, like screenshots, a feature graphic, and a high
resolution icon. Others are optional, but you can add them to make your app look more
attractive to users.
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There are specific requirements for each graphic asset that you upload, such as the file format
and dimensions. You can read more about each requirement here.
Languages & Translations
You can also add translations of your app’s information in the store listing details, along with
in-language screenshots and other localized images.

There’s also an option for users to view automated translations of your app’s information using
Google.

Translate (with the exception of Armenian, Raeto-romance, Tagalog, and Zulu), in case you
don’t add your own translations.
Categorization
This part requires you to select the appropriate type and category your app belongs to. From
the drop-down menu, you can pick either app or game for the application type.
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There are various categories for each type of app available on the Play Store. Pick the one your
app fits into best.
In order to rate your content, you’ll need to upload an APK first. You can skip this step for later.
Contact Details
This part requires you to enter contact details to offer your customers access to support
regarding your app.
You can add multiple contact channels here, like an email, website, and phone number, but
providing a contact email is mandatory for publishing an app.
Privacy Policy
For apps that request access to sensitive user data or permissions, you need to enter a
comprehensive privacy policy that effectively discloses how your app collects, uses, and shares
that data.
You must add a URL linking to your privacy policy in your store listing and within your app.
Make sure the link is active and relevant to your app.
You’re now done with the store listing. Go ahead and click on ‘Save Draft’ to save your details.
You can always skip some steps and come back to them later before you publish your app.
Step 5: Upload APK to an App Release
Now that you have prepared the ground to finally upload your app, it’s time to dig out your
APK file.
The Android Package Kit (or APK, for short) is the file format used by the Android operating
system to distribute and install apps. Simply put, your APK file contains all the elements
needed for your app to actually work on a device.
Google offers you multiple ways to upload and release your APK. Before you upload the file,
however, you need to create an app release.
To create a release, select the app you created in Step 3. Then, from the menu on the left side,
navigate to ‘Release management’ -> ‘App releases.’
Here, you need to select the type of release you want to upload your first app version to. You
can choose between an internal test, a closed test, an open test, and a production release.
The first three releases allow you to test out your app among a select group of users before
you make it go live for everyone to access.
This is a safer option because you can analyze the test results and optimize or fix your app
accordingly if you need to before rolling it out to all users.
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However, if you create a production release, your uploaded app version will become accessible
to everyone in the countries you choose to distribute it in.
Once you’ve picked an option, click on ‘Create release.’
Next, follow the on-screen instructions to add your APK files, and name and describe your
release.

After you’re done, press Save.

Step 6: Provide an Appropriate Content Rating
If you don’t assign a rating to your app, it will be listed as ‘Unrated’. Apps that are ‘Unrated’
may get removed from Google Play.
To rate your app, you need to fill out a content rating questionnaire. You can access it when
you select your app in the Play Console, and navigate to ‘Store presence’ — ‘Content rating’
on the left menu.
Make sure you enter accurate information. Misrepresentation of your app’s content can lead
to suspension or removal from the Play Store.
An appropriate content rating will also help you get to the right audience, which will eventually
improve your engagement rates.
Step 7: Set Up Pricing & Distribution
Before you can fill out the details required in this step, you need to determine your app’s
monetization strategy.
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Once you know how your app is going to make money, you can go ahead and set up your app
as free or paid.

Remember, you can always change your app from paid to free later, but you cannot change a
free app to paid.
For that, you’ll need to create a new app and set its price.
You can also choose the countries you wish to distribute your app in, and opt-in to distribute
to specific Android devices and programs too.
Step 8: Rollout Release to Publish Your App
You’re almost done. The final step involves reviewing and rolling out your release after making
sure you’ve taken care of everything else.
Before you review and rollout your release, make sure the store listing, content rating, and
pricing and distribution sections of your app each have a green check mark next to them.
Once you’re sure you’ve filled out those details, select your app and navigate to ‘Release
management’ — ‘App releases.’ Press ‘Edit release’ next to your desired release, and review
it.
Next, click on ‘Review’ to be taken to the ‘Review and rollout release’ screen. Here, you can
see if there are any issues or warnings you might have missed out on.
Finally, select ‘Confirm rollout.’ This will also publish your app to all users in your target
countries on Google Play.