Publishing on the App Store and Google Play: accounts, review and testing
Maybe Digital · 8 min read · Updated:
Short answer
To publish an app, you open Apple Developer Program and Google Play Console accounts, prepare the store listing (screenshots, description, privacy details), add a privacy policy URL and submit the app for store review. Apple asks for a D-U-N-S number to publish as an organisation; Google requires new personal accounts to run a closed test with a set number of testers before going to production.
Developer account: individual or organisation?
Both stores offer individual and organisation accounts. With an individual account the person's name appears as the seller; with an organisation account the company name does. If a company is publishing the product, opening the account in the company's name from the start is right for both trust and future ownership.
To open an organisation account with Apple, the company needs a D-U-N-S number (a unique business identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet), a person with authority to act for the company, and verification details such as the company website. Google Play also verifies identity and organisation details for business accounts. Getting the number and passing verification can take time, so start this step at the beginning of development, and check current fees and requirements on each platform's official pages.
The store listing: the content that makes the first impression
The store listing is your app's shop window; it affects both the decision to download and discoverability in store search. The two stores have different image sizes and text limits, and they change over time, so check the current specs before you prepare them.
- App name and short description: what it does, at a glance.
- Full description: main features, who it's for and support details where needed.
- Screenshots: real app screens at the required device sizes, with short captions if useful.
- App icon, category, age rating and contact details.
- If publishing in several languages, separate text and ideally separate images for each.
Privacy: policy, declarations and account deletion
Both stores require an accessible privacy policy URL. You also have to declare what data the app collects and why: the App Privacy details in App Store Connect for Apple, and the Data safety form for Google Play. These declarations must also cover data collected by third-party libraries you include, such as analytics, ads and crash reporting.
Apps that let users create accounts must also let them request deletion of the account and related data. Apple requires apps that allow account creation to let users start account deletion from within the app; Google Play expects a web link for deletion requests that works without installing the app, alongside the in-app path. Details change, so check the current policies, and review your obligations under Turkey's KVKK separately for users in Turkey.
Testing tracks: TestFlight and Google Play testing
On Apple's side, TestFlight is how you distribute the app to real users before release. People on your team can be added quickly as internal testers; the first build sent to external testers goes through a short beta review.
Google Play Console offers internal, closed and open testing tracks. An important detail: Google requires new personal developer accounts created after a certain date to run a continuous closed test with a minimum number of testers for a minimum period before they can release to production. The required number of testers and duration can change, so check the current requirement in Play Console and build that time into your release plan from the start. Organisation accounts may be subject to different rules.
The review process and common rejection reasons
Apple and Google review the app and every update before release. Review time isn't fixed; it varies with volume and the type of app. A rejection is usually not the end but a list of things to fix: read the reason carefully, fix it or add an explanation, and resubmit.
- Crashes, screens that don't load or broken links.
- No demo account for the reviewer in apps that require login.
- Missing or misleading store details, such as screenshots showing features the app doesn't have.
- Placeholder content, test text or unfinished sections.
- Privacy declarations that don't match the app's actual data use, or a missing privacy policy.
- No way to delete an account.
- Not following the store's payment rules when selling digital content and subscriptions.
- Apps that just display a website, with very little functionality.
After launch: updates and platform requirements
Launch isn't the end of the process. Every update goes through review again, so regular, small releases are healthier than large, risky ones. Both stores offer staged rollouts: releasing an update to a share of users first and widening it if all is well limits the impact of bugs.
Apple and Google regularly require apps to be built with recent development tools and, on Android, to meet a minimum target API level. Apps that don't comply may be blocked from updating or hidden from new users. Watching store reviews and crash reports, and making room for these yearly updates in the maintenance plan, keeps the app live.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a D-U-N-S number and why is it needed?
- D-U-N-S is a unique identifier Dun & Bradstreet assigns to businesses. Apple asks for it when you publish as an organisation, to verify the company is a real legal entity. Getting one can take time, so apply early.
- Should the app be published from the agency's account?
- No. The accounts should be in your company's name, with the agency added as an authorised user to prepare and submit the app. That way the app, its reviews and its revenue always stay with you.
- Does Google Play's closed testing requirement apply to everyone?
- The requirement was introduced for new personal developer accounts created after a certain date; organisation accounts may follow different rules. Requirements change, so check the current ones Play Console shows for your account.
- What happens if the app is rejected?
- The store explains the reason, citing the relevant guideline. You can fix the issue or add the needed explanation and resubmit; if you believe the decision is wrong, you can appeal. Most rejections can be avoided with a careful pre-submission checklist.