Building the app is only half the job — getting it live on the App Store and Google Play is its own project, and the first submission always takes longer than teams expect. Rejections, missing assets, and account setup can add weeks if you're unprepared. Here's the checklist we follow to make the first release smooth.
Set up accounts early
This is the step that blindsides people, so do it first:
- Apple Developer Program — $99/year, and identity verification for organizations can take days. A company account needs a D-U-N-S number, which can take longer still.
- Google Play Developer — a one-time $25 fee, faster to set up, but new personal accounts now face a testing requirement before public release.
Start both the moment you commit to shipping. Waiting until the app is done to create accounts is how launches slip.
Prepare your store assets
Both stores need a polished listing, and rushing this hurts conversion:
- App icon in the required sizes
- Screenshots for each device class (and often a preview video)
- A clear title, subtitle, and keyword-rich description
- Privacy policy URL (mandatory on both stores)
- Category, content rating, and contact info
Apple's App Privacy "nutrition label" and Google's Data Safety form both require you to declare exactly what data you collect and why. Fill these out honestly and precisely — mismatches are a common rejection reason.
Build and upload correctly
Ship a proper release build, signed for distribution:
- iOS: archive and upload to App Store Connect via Xcode or a build service. Apple manages signing certificates and provisioning profiles — get these right or the upload fails.
- Android: produce a signed App Bundle (.aab), not an old APK, and safeguard your signing key. Losing it means you can never update the app under the same listing.
If you're on React Native with Expo, EAS Build handles most of this signing and upload machinery, which removes a lot of the pain.
Survive review
Apple's review is stricter and slower (typically a day or two, sometimes longer); Google's is faster and more automated. Common rejection triggers:
- A login wall with no demo account provided for reviewers
- Broken links, crashes, or placeholder content
- Missing or inaccurate privacy declarations
- Using private APIs or violating platform guidelines
- Payments that bypass the platform's required billing for digital goods
Provide test credentials, review notes, and a working build. Most first rejections are avoidable process issues, not deep problems.
Roll out gradually
Don't flip the switch to 100% of users on day one:
- Use TestFlight (iOS) and Google's internal/closed testing tracks to validate the release build with real testers first.
- Google Play supports staged rollout — release to a small percentage, watch crash and rating metrics, then ramp up. Halt and fix if something breaks.
After launch
Publishing isn't the finish line. Monitor crash reporting and reviews, respond to feedback, and plan your update cadence — each store update goes through review again, so build that into your release rhythm.
If you want your first release handled end to end — accounts, assets, signing, and review — without the surprise delays, let's talk.
Originally published on the Doktouri Agency blog. We build web, mobile, SaaS, and AI products — let's talk.
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