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How to Publish an App on the App Store and Google Play

What it takes to get a mobile app into Apple's App Store and Google Play: developer accounts and fees, building with Xcode, Expo or Capacitor, store listings, privacy labels, review guidelines, Google's closed-testing requirement for new accounts, and the common reasons apps get rejected.

Getting an app onto phones means publishing through Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store. Both have accounts to set up, rules to follow and a review process. Here's what to expect.

Fees and rules as of October 2026; check Apple's and Google's developer sites for current details.

First: do you need an app store?

If your app is a web app, you might not:

  • A PWA can be installed from the browser on Android and iOS without any store. (What is a PWA?)
  • Many products launch on the web first and add store apps later. (Web app vs mobile app)

You need the stores for discoverability, some native features, and users who expect to "get the app".

Developer accounts

Apple App Store Google Play
Program Apple Developer Program Google Play Console
Fee $99 per year $25 one-time
Identity checks Required; organisations need a D-U-N-S number Required; new personal accounts have extra testing requirements
Build tool Requires a Mac with Xcode (or a cloud build service) Any computer

Register as an organisation if you're a company — it shows your company name in the store rather than your personal name.

Building the app

How you build it affects how you publish:

  • Native — Swift (iOS) and Kotlin (Android).
  • React Native with Expo — one JavaScript codebase; Expo's EAS Build service builds iOS apps in the cloud, so you don't strictly need a Mac. (Flutter vs React Native)
  • Flutter — one Dart codebase for both.
  • Capacitor — wraps your existing web app in a native shell. (Turn your web app into a mobile app)

What you need for the listing

  • App name, subtitle/short description, full description
  • Screenshots for required device sizes (phones, and tablets if supported)
  • App icon
  • Category, age rating questionnaire
  • Privacy policy URL — required by both (Does my app need a privacy policy?)
  • Privacy details — Apple's "privacy nutrition labels" and Google's Data safety form, describing what data you collect and why
  • Support URL or email
  • For apps with login: a demo account for the reviewers

Google Play: testing before production

New personal developer accounts must run a closed test with a minimum number of testers for a set period before they can publish to production. Plan for this — it adds weeks if you leave it to the end. Organisation accounts are treated differently. Check Google's current requirement when you sign up.

The review process

Both stores review apps before publishing — and every update.

  • Apple — typically a day or two, sometimes longer; stricter about design and guidelines.
  • Google — can be hours to days; more automated, with additional checks for new accounts.

Common reasons for rejection

  • Crashes or broken features during review — test on real devices.
  • Login required with no demo account provided.
  • "Just a website in a wrapper" — Apple rejects apps that add nothing beyond a website. Add genuinely app-like value (offline use, notifications, native features).
  • Missing or inaccurate privacy details.
  • Payments outside the store's system for digital goods, where the store requires its own in-app purchases. Rules have changed in several countries — check the current guidelines for your regions.
  • Account deletion — apps that let people create accounts must let them delete them in the app.
  • Placeholder content or incomplete features.

Fees on sales

Both stores take a commission on paid apps, in-app purchases and subscriptions — commonly 15% for small developers and subscriptions after the first year, and up to 30% otherwise, with programmes and regional rules that vary. Factor it into your pricing. (How to price your SaaS)

After launch

  • Respond to reviews.
  • Keep up with OS updates — stores require apps to target recent SDK versions.
  • Your backend must stay up: the app is only as reliable as the API it talks to. (Know when your app is down)

EasySpawn runs the backend your mobile app depends on — API, Postgres and background jobs on a server with HTTPS and daily backups — so store reviewers and real users always get a working app. See how it works or join the waitlist.

Related: Turn Your Web App Into a Mobile App · Flutter vs React Native · What Is a PWA? · Web App vs Mobile App

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