Once your first app build is ready, you have to create a main store listing & prepare it for release.

Create an app listing 

Step 1 - Go to your Play console’s dashboard > click ‘Create app.’

Step 2 - Under ‘App details’, enter the App name and language. Select ‘App’ from the App or Game store settings. Select ‘Free’ from Free or Paid editing options. Under ‘Declaration’, check Developer Program Policies & US export laws checkboxes. Then click ‘Create app’ at the bottom right.

📒 Note: You can edit App details even after saving them.

Step 3 - You are redirected to your app’s dashboard.

Step 4 - Click ‘App content' from the bottom of the Console dashboard. Under the ‘To-do list’, click ‘Start’to let Google know the content of your app.

Privacy Policy: Update your privacy policy URL. It’s mandatory to add a privacy policy URL if your app is targeting children below 13.

Ads: Select the second option.

App Access: Google needs your app’s testing credentials to review the app before publishing it to the play console. Select the second option.

📒 Note: Testing credentials are the authentication details such as login id, passwords, etc. which Google needs to test your app.

The testing credentials need to be created via the AFFILIATE role only with the following information:

Account name: Android review account
Account Email Address:  androiddemo@gmail.com
Password- Demo@123

📒 Note: For new creators, we have disabled login with password functionality. On their platform learners can use login with email OTP flow. Those creators can add below mentioned testing credentials 

Email - androiddemo@gmail.com
OTP - 63143

Add your testing credentials and click ‘Apply.’

Content Rating: Complete this questionnaire to set the content rating for your app. Click on ‘Submit’ after completing the questionnaire.

Target audience and content: Enter the details and then click on 'Save'.

🪀 Tip: In order to speed up approval, we recommend selecting ages between 13 to 18+ years.

News apps: Select ‘No’ from the following options.

COVID-19 contact tracing and status apps: Select the last option and click ‘Save.’

Data safety:  To complete the data safety section, first you have to download a CSV file from your Graphy dashboard. 

Steps to download the Data safety CSV file - 

1. Log into your Graphy website.
   
   
2. In the App Builder section of the left menu, go to App settings > Android resources and download the CSV file for data safety.

    

   

Now Go back to the Data safety section on your Play console account & click on 'Import from CSV' button on the top right corner.

Click on 'Next' against every step and finally 'Save' it.

Navigate to App Content and select "Actioned" and "Financial Features" Scroll down and select "My app doesn't provide any financial features" Click on 'Next' against every step and finally 'Save' it.

Step 5 - Select ‘Store settings’ (inside Store presence) from the Console dashboard. Select ‘App’ from the App or Game and select ‘Education’ as the category.

Select up to 5 tags after clicking Manage tags and click on ‘Apply.’

Enter details in the required fields and click on ‘Save.’

Step 6 - Go to your console dashboard > Select store presence > Click main store listing. Fill in your app name, a short description, and a full description.

• Best practices for writing short long descriptions:
• Don’t use the same text in both the short description & long description fields.
• Avoid grammatical mistakes.
• Don’t use the number 1 app, #1 app, best app, or best teacher type of words in short/long descriptions.
• Don’t use references to children/kids/cartoons in your graphics or short/long descriptions if your target audience is > 13 years of age.
• Don’t use references to government organizations or agencies unless you have government proof or certificates to show otherwise Google will reject your app.
• Don’t use keywords like COVID-19, corona, or any reference to any such type of disease in short/long descriptions.
  
  

Add your ‘App icon’ and a ‘Feature graphic’. Please check the below image for the required resolutions. Add your app’s ‘video URL’ if you have any.

📒 Note:

You can generate default app screenshots & graphics from app-builder. In the App Builder section of the left menu, go to App editor > Android resources and click on the Generate screenshots button.

Add your app’s phone screenshots, and 7-inches, and 10-inches tablet screenshots. Check the below image for restrictions over these screenshots. Click on ‘Save’ once everything is updated.

📒 Note: You can edit both store settings and main store listings after publishing your app as well.

Step 7 - From the left navigation menu, go to the Production tab & check if you are eligible to create a production release directly.  If not, please follow the next steps in this article otherwise you can follow this article to create a production release directly.

Step 8 -  Select ‘Closed testing'  from the left navigation menu, and click on the 'Create track' button. Now follow the on-screen instructions to create a track as shown in the attached images.

After creating the track, you will see a screen shown in the image below. Now select countries where you want to distribute your app on the Play Store by following the on-screen instructions.

Now, go to the Testers tab and create an email list of test users. You have to add at least 20 emails to this list

After creating an email list, Go to the Release tab & upload the app bundle.

The release name will be chosen automatically. Add release notes (you can edit them later too) and click on ‘Next’ from the bottom right and follow on-screen instructions to push the app for closed testing users. 

Step 9 - Under the Testers tab, scroll down & copy the link to join the beta program & share this link with all the testers. 

These testers have to keep this application on their phone for at least 15 days. After 15 days, you will be eligible to promote this release to Production.