Publishing on the App Store and Google Play: the Process Without Surprises
The app is finished and someone says "we just need to upload it to the stores" — and that "just" hides developer accounts, listings with screenshots, privacy policies, human reviews and rejections written in their own jargon. None of it is serious if you know what to expect; almost all of it gets expensive if it catches you improvising. And there's one rule nobody tells you in time: the accounts must be yours.
November 20, 20255 min readIn this article
The app is finished, tested and approved — and then someone says "we just need to upload it to the stores". That "just" hides a small world: developer accounts with verifications, store listings with exact requirements, mandatory privacy policies, human reviews with their own criteria and rejections written in jargon that can delay the launch by weeks if nobody saw them coming.
None of it is serious if you know what to expect — thousands of apps get published every day — but almost all of it gets expensive if it catches you improvising with the launch date announced. This guide walks through what you need before starting, how review works in each store, the most common rejections and the ownership rule nobody tells you in time.
What you need before starting
- The developer accounts: Apple charges an annual membership (99 dollars) with identity or company verification; Google Play a one-time fee (25 dollars) — and both verifications can take days, so they're processed beforehand, not on launch day.
- The complete listing: app name, short and long descriptions, screenshots in the required sizes, high-resolution icon — it's marketing material, not paperwork; treat it as such.
- A published privacy policy: both stores demand a URL with your policy — plus a detailed form of what data the app collects and why; the answers must match reality.
- Contact and support details: a visible support email and, on Google Play, additional verifications depending on the account type.
The process in each store, compared
| Aspect | App Store (Apple) | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Account cost | 99 USD/year | 25 USD once |
| Typical review time | 1 to 3 days (sometimes more) | Hours to a few days |
| Review style | Human and strict — quality and usefulness criteria | More automated — strict on permissions and policies |
| Typical rejection | "The app doesn't offer enough" (pure webviews, minimal apps) | Unjustified permissions, incomplete data form |
| Updates | Also go through full review | Faster review, with automated checks |
The most common rejections (and how to avoid them)
- "Minimum functionality": Apple rejects apps that are just a wrapped website with no added value — if your app is essentially your site, the right path may have been another (see this guide's ending).
- Metadata that overpromises: screenshots or descriptions showing what the app doesn't do — the review compares the listing against the real app.
- Incomplete privacy: requesting permissions (location, camera, contacts) without explaining why, or declaring fewer data types in the form than the app collects.
- Payments outside the rules: if you sell digital content inside the app, the stores demand their payment system (with their commission) — selling physical products or external services follows different rules; confirm them before designing the checkout.
The listing isn't paperwork: it sells
After publishing: the store as a channel
The first publication starts a permanent relationship: every update goes through review again (plan releases with that margin and never promise exact dates that depend on approval), reviews get answered — the public reply to a critique is read by every future user, and stores reward active apps —, and the console's metrics (listing visits, install conversion, uninstalls) tell you whether the problem is not being found, an unconvincing listing, or a disappointing app. Ten minutes a month in the console is enough to stop flying blind.
When NOT to publish on the stores (yet)
The prior question many skip: do you really need to be in the stores? If your app is essentially your website in another suit, a web app installable from the browser gives you presence on the phone without accounts, reviews, commissions or approval waits — the full decision is in the native, hybrid or web app guide. The stores earn their friction when you're after powerful push notifications, brand presence on the phone or deep device features. And if the whole project is still being designed, this chapter's costs belong in the general budget — the ranges are in how much app development costs and the full process in the app creation guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long does approval take and what if it's delayed?
Typical times: hours to a few days on Google Play, one to three days on the App Store — but the first publication usually takes longer than updates, and any rejection restarts the clock. The practical rule: plan two weeks of margin between "app ready" and "announced public date", and never tie a launch campaign to a date that depends on review. If it drags on without news, both stores have channels to query the status.
Can they reject me permanently?
Rejections are almost never final: they arrive with the reason citing the broken rule, you fix and resubmit — a normal dialogue most apps go through at some point. Apple's persistent "minimum functionality" rejection is the toughest, because it asks you to rethink the app, not adjust it. What is serious and rare: account suspensions for grave violations (deception, prohibited content) — one more reason for the account to be yours and the rules respected.
Should the developer accounts be in my name or the agency's?
In yours (or your company's), always — it's this chapter's most important ownership rule: the account owns the app in the store, its users, its reviews and its history. If it lives in the agency's account and the relationship ends badly, recovering the app is an uphill process — and sometimes a brand-new app from zero, losing reviews and ranking. The right setup: your accounts, with the agency as a collaborator whose access you can revoke.
How much does maintaining store presence cost long-term?
The fixed costs are minor (Apple's annual membership, nothing recurring at Google) — the real cost is staying alive: every year both platforms raise technical requirements (minimum versions, new policies) and apps that don't update end up warned, hidden or removed. Budget at least one or two technical updates per year even if features don't change — it's the price of existing in a moving ecosystem, and your developer should include it in the maintenance plan.