This article describes in overview the steps you need to take to publish your app in the Google Play Store.

If your app is already published in the Apple App Store , please follow the steps in this article instead.


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Based on the content of your app, AppMachine will create an AAB file for you. You will need to upload the app yourself to the Google play store, as Google doesn't have an API available for us to upload your app automatically.  

This also means that the AppMachine Publish is not able to show you the correct Status of your Android app, for example if it is review, approved or rejected. Google Play will send you emails to update you of that status. 

So this is different than the Apple App Store integration which AppMachine offers where your app is automatically send to the App Store Connect portal.


Setup Google Play Store in AppMachine:

You can already take these steps if your app isn't completely finished yet.

  1. In the Appmachine Publish screen you can choose Google Play Store > Setup Play store
    This wizard will guide you how to set up Firebase keys, required for publishing, analytics, user authentication, datastorage and more. Read more..
  2. Create a  Google developer account, this costs $25 per year. It will take Google a few days to review your account, so don't this wait with this step till the end. Read more..
  3. If your app shows a map, for example in an events block, Contact block or if you have added a Map to a screen yourself  you need to create Google Maps Api keys.  Read more..
  4. If you want to track your customer's activities in your app, you need to enable this at
    Manage > Settings > Firebase analytics. Don't forget to enable Google analytics when you create your Firebase keys.
  5. If your have user registration via Facebook enabled you will need to create your own Facebook keys. 
    While logging in, your customers will see the name of your Facebook app. Read more..
  6. If you have a Twitter block, you will need to add Twitter API keys to retrieve data for your Twitter blok. Read more..
  7. Google Play > Edit Store info to see if the Default language is set correct


When you are ready to publish your app: 

  1. Do a last check if the content of your app is correct.
  2. Click the Publish button in the top right corner of the Publish dashboard.
  3. This wizard will take you through the creation of your AAB and APK file. This takes between 1 and 3 hours. You can close the wizard during that time and come back later.
    In the publish dashboard you can click View Publish progress in the Google Play tile to open the wizard again.
  4.  After the publishing process is finished, you can Download the files from the Publish Dashboard.
  5. If you want to upload your app to the Google Play Store, download the AAB file
    if you want to test your app on your own Android device, read this article.


Steps to upload 

  1. Upload the AAB file at Google for the first time   Read more..
    OR upload an update to Google Read more...