# How to publish an app on the App Store and Google Play: a practical checklist > Accounts, costs, listings, privacy forms, testing and review: a practical checklist to publish an iOS and Android app without surprises. - URL: https://franamadis.com/blog/publish-app-store-google-play/ - Language: en - Last updated: 2026-11-13 - Versión en español: https://franamadis.com/es/blog/publicar-app-store-google-play/ - Publisher: FAMDEV OÜ (Fran Amadis) · info@franamadis.com [Blog](https://franamadis.com/blog/) · Mobile apps # How to publish an app on the App Store and Google Play: a practical checklist Accounts, costs, listings, privacy forms, testing and review: a practical checklist to publish an iOS and Android app without surprises. [Fran Amadis](https://franamadis.com/about/) · 13 November 2026 · 3 min read Building the app is only part of the job: getting it through the App Store and Google Play reviews is where many launches lose weeks. This is the checklist we follow for our own apps and for clients’ apps. ## 1. Developer accounts (start early) - **Apple Developer Program:** 99 USD per year. Enrol as a company if the app belongs to a company. You will need a D-U-N-S number, which can take days to get. - **Google Play Console:** a one-time 25 USD fee. Identity verification can take a few days, and **new personal accounts must run a closed test** (currently at least 12 testers for 14 days) before they can publish to production. Organisation accounts are exempt. - Open both accounts in your own name or your company’s name, so the apps, reviews and revenue stay yours. Give your developer access through team roles. ## 2. Store listing assets - **Name and subtitle** (App Store) or **short description** (Google Play), with the words people actually search for. - **Description** that explains the value in the first lines. - **Screenshots** for the required device sizes (iPhone and, if supported, iPad; phone and tablet on Google Play) and, on Google Play, a **feature graphic**. - **App icon** in the required sizes, without transparency on iOS. - **Support URL**, **privacy policy URL** and, on iOS, a **marketing URL** if you have one. ## 3. Privacy and compliance - A public **privacy policy** that matches what the app really does. Reviewers check it. - **App Store privacy details** (the “nutrition label”) and Google Play’s **Data safety** form: declare every data type you or your SDKs collect. - **Account deletion:** if users can create an account in the app, both stores require a way to delete it from inside the app. - **Age rating** questionnaires on both stores. - If you use tracking across apps on iOS, the **App Tracking Transparency** prompt. ## 4. Payments and subscriptions - Digital goods and subscriptions sold inside the app must use **Apple In-App Purchase** and **Google Play Billing** in most regions. Configure products, prices and subscription groups before submitting. - Add **restore purchases**, clear subscription terms and links to your terms and privacy policy on the paywall. Leaving them out is a frequent reason for rejection. ## 5. Testing before review - **TestFlight** on iOS and **internal/closed testing tracks** on Google Play. - Test on real devices, small and large screens, slow networks and with the latest OS version. - Provide reviewers with a **demo account** and notes if parts of the app need a login or special hardware. ## 6. Submitting and review - iOS reviews usually take from a few hours to a couple of days. Google Play reviews vary from hours to several days, especially for new accounts. - Common rejection reasons: crashes, broken links, incomplete metadata, missing account deletion, paywalls without restore or terms, and features that do not match the description. - On Google Play, use a **staged rollout** for big updates. ## 7. After launch - Watch crash reports (Xcode Organizer, Android vitals) and reviews in the first days. - Keep up with the yearly requirements: new iOS SDK versions and Google Play’s **target API level** deadlines. - Plan updates: apps that are not updated for a long time lose visibility and can be removed. ## Summary Open the accounts early, prepare privacy and payments with care, test on real devices and give reviewers what they need. That turns store review into a formality. If you want help with the build or the launch, see our [iOS](https://franamadis.com/services/ios-app-development/), [Android](https://franamadis.com/services/android-app-development/) and [React Native](https://franamadis.com/services/react-native-app-development/) services, or [write to us](mailto:info@franamadis.com). About the author ### [Fran Amadis](https://franamadis.com/about/) Software developer and founder of FamDev OÜ. Trained in multimedia at The Art Institute of Los Angeles (Bachelor’s degree, 2001), studied Telecommunications Engineering at Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio (UAX) and full-stack web development at Le Wagon (2018). Builds iOS, React Native and Android apps, web platforms, AI agents and websites. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/franamadis/) · [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/franamadis/) · [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/francisco-amadis-mendez/id1723676763) ## Related services ### [iOS app development](https://franamadis.com/services/ios-app-development/) Native iPhone and iPad apps in Swift and SwiftUI, from the first idea and design to App Store publishing, subscriptions, updates and maintenance. ### [Android app development](https://franamadis.com/services/android-app-development/) Native Android apps in Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, published on Google Play, for products that need the best performance and deep integration with the device. ### [React Native app development](https://franamadis.com/services/react-native-app-development/) Cross-platform apps for iOS and Android from a single React Native codebase (Expo, TypeScript), with native modules when the product needs them. Contact ## Let’s talk Tell us what you want to build, who it is for and when you need it. We reply within one or two working days, in English or Spanish. info@franamadis.com **FAMDEV OÜ** · Registry code 16917226 · VAT EE102705986 Sepapaja tn 6, 15551 Tallinn, Estonia [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/franamadis/) · [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/franamadis/) · [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/francisco-amadis-mendez/id1723676763)