Building the app is only half the job. Getting it live on the Apple App Store and Google Play is a process with its own accounts, rules and gatekeepers — and it catches a lot of first-time founders out. Here's the whole thing, start to finish.
Step 1: Developer accounts
You need an account with each store you're targeting:
- Apple Developer Program — an annual fee, and Apple verifies your identity or business. Allow time for this; it's not instant.
- Google Play Developer — a smaller one-off fee, generally quicker to set up.
Set these up early. Founders often leave it to launch week and then wait on verification.
Step 2: What you need before you submit
Both stores expect a proper listing, not just the app file:
- App name, description and keywords
- Screenshots at specific sizes (and often a preview video)
- An app icon
- A privacy policy (mandatory — and you'll declare what data you collect)
- Age rating and category
Apple in particular expects the listing to look finished. A sloppy one invites scrutiny.
Step 3: The review process
You submit, then a human (Apple) or largely automated system (Google) reviews the app.
- Apple review typically takes anywhere from a day to a few days. It's a genuine review — they open the app and use it.
- Google Play is usually faster, though newer accounts can face longer holds.
Build this waiting time into your launch plan. Do not promise a hard launch date that assumes instant approval.
Step 4: Common rejection reasons
Most rejections are avoidable:
- Crashes or bugs on the reviewer's device
- Broken or placeholder content — sign-in that doesn't work, dummy text
- Privacy issues — collecting data without disclosing it, or no privacy policy
- "Not enough" — Apple rejects apps that are essentially just a wrapped website with no app-like value
- Missing account deletion — if you offer sign-up, both stores now expect in-app deletion
A rejection isn't the end — you fix the issue and resubmit — but each round adds days.
Step 5: Costs beyond the build
Remember the ongoing pieces: the annual Apple fee, any third-party services, and the reality that both stores take a commission on in-app purchases and subscriptions. Factor that into your pricing from the start.
Should you even have a native app?
Worth asking before all this: a native app isn't always the right call. Sometimes a fast mobile site or a progressive web app is the better choice — no store, no review, no commission. If you're weighing it up, my mobile app development page lays out how I help founders decide.
Want someone to handle the whole path from build to "live on the store"? Book a free call and I'll walk you through what your app needs.