The Google Play store is the single largest source of mobile applications for Android users. All Android smartphones use it to explore and download applications. So, it makes a lot of sense to have your app featured prominently on it since it ensures more downloads. In this guide, you’ll learn how to submit your app on the Google Play store.

Let’s get into it!

The Prerequisites

• An App: You need to have an android application developed and ready to launch!
• Unique Bundle ID: Your app will need a unique Bundle ID to represent it
• Signed app release: This requires a signing certificate
• APK expansion files: If your app is too big, you will need APK expansion files to break it up into parts so it can be uploaded. The maximum size for an APK on Google Play Store is 100MB.
• Play Publisher: You must be signed up to Google Play Console and be a Play publisher. If every step on this list is checked off, then you’re most likely ready to submit and publish your app to the Google Play store.

Steps to Submit your Application to the Google Play Store

1. Getting all information ready and Creating an App

Using your Play Publisher account, log in to the Google Play Console. To start creating an application, select ‘All Applications’ in the left-hand menu. Click on ‘Create Application’ in order to begin creating your app.
Enter a title (50 character limit and choose a language for your app. Now, continue by clicking ‘Create’. On the page that follows, you’ll have to add all the relevant information about your app. This includes:

• Short description: A brief summary of your app that’ll be shown on the app’s Google Play Store listing. It is critical for convincing people to download your app. Add the most important and exciting information in the first three lines.
• Full description: Go into more details about your app, highlighting key features and benefits. You have a maximum of 4000 characters.
• Screenshots: Essential to show your app in action. Click Add screenshot and upload screenshots of the app. You are required to upload at least two screenshots.
• Hi-resolution icon: This is the icon that’ll be displayed in Google Play Store and on your users’ devices when downloaded
• Feature graphic: This is labeled as optional but it’s essential. This is because your app cannot be featured anywhere on the Google Play Store without a feature graphic.
• Video link: You can also add a link to a video of your app. This can be a YouTube link.
• Application type: You have to specify whether it’s an app or a game
• Category

2. Uploading APK or app bundle files

To upload APK, go to the ‘App Releases’ section from the left menu. You have different options regarding the type of release. Production is the final release to submit a live version of your final app to the Google Play store. Beta and Alpha releases give you the opportunity to test your app, receive valuable feedback, and make improvements to your app before a final release.
After selecting the type of release, you will be redirected to the next page. Click on Create Release to go to the New release to the production page. Choose whether you want to use the Google Play app signing on your app or click on OPT-OUT to ignore and sign in locally. Click on Browse Files. Choose your app’s APK or App Bundle files to upload. Click on Review at the bottom right of the page. This confirms and submits your app’s release information.

3. Your App’s content rating

To set your app’s content rating, you will need to go to the ‘Content Rating’ page from the left menu.

• Click on Continue.
• Enter your email address and confirm it.
• Select your app category.
• Go ahead and start filling in the survey for your app rating. This helps Google identify if there is any explicit content in your app.
• Click on ‘Save Questionnaire’.
• Click on ‘Calculate Rating’. This will show you the app rating your app will have on the Play Store.
• Click on Apply Rating to confirm your app’s content rating.

4. Pricing and Distribution Plan

Go to the ‘Pricing & Distribution’ page from the left menu. Select whether you want your app to be ‘Free’ or ‘Paid’. Select ‘Available’ for the countries you want your app released in. Select the ‘Unavailable’ option otherwise. If your app is suitable for children under the age of 13, select Yes for ‘Primary Child-Detected’. If not, then select No. If your app contains ads, check Yes for ‘Contains Ads’. If not, then check No.

5. Publish the App

Now that everything is ready, you can release the app! Go to the ‘App Releases’ section from the left menu.

• Click on ‘Manage Production’ (if you’re releasing beta or alpha build then select that instead).
• Click on ‘Edit Release’.
• Then click on ‘Review’ at the bottom right of the page.
• Click ‘Start rollout to production’ to finalize.
• Lastly, click ‘Confirm’ when prompted.

With that, you have now successfully rolled out your app. Now, it will send all the information to Google for review. If everything is perfect, in about two hours your app should be shipped and published on the Google Play store in the countries that you’ve selected