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Publish an Android app flashcards

Ship to Google Play like a release engineer: signing, tracks, policy forms, staged rollouts and CI.

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Beginner friendly, starts from zero
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Publish an Android appStart from zero · 1 of 12

What does publishing an Android app mean, in one plain sentence?

Putting your app on Google Play, the app store on most Android phones, so anyone can find it, install it and get your updates.

From your phone to every phone.

All topics

Publish an Android app at a glance

Publishing an Android app means getting your app onto Google Play so anyone can install it and receive your updates.

It is like selling a packaged snack in a supermarket: register as a seller, seal the packet, print the label, pass the safety check, then it goes on the shelf.

Words you will meet

Play Console
Google's website where developers manage their apps
Build
The installable file made from your code
App bundle (AAB)
The package you upload, from which Play makes a file for each phone
Signing key
A secret digital seal that proves an app came from you
Version code
A counting number that must go up with every upload
Store listing
Your app's shop page: name, icon, pictures and description
Track
A group that gets a build, such as testers or everyone
Rollout
Releasing a new version to more and more users, step by step

The steps

  1. 1. Start from zero (12 cards): What publishing means, the Play words you need, and what to have ready.
  2. 2. Core basics (15 cards): Account, app bundle, versioning, signing and a store listing that passes review.
  3. 3. Next steps (15 cards): Target API deadlines, testing tracks, policy forms, release config and staged rollouts.
  4. 4. Go deeper (16 cards): CI publishing, vitals, rollbacks, integrity, monetisation rules and policy fights.
All 12 cards in Start from zero
What does publishing an Android app mean, in one plain sentence?
Putting your app on Google Play, the app store on most Android phones, so anyone can find it, install it and get your updates.
Before app stores, how did people get apps, and where do you see this today?
People passed app files around by hand, could not tell if they were safe, and had to install updates themselves. Today, every app you install from the Play Store went through the steps in this topic.
What is an everyday picture of the whole process?
Like selling a packaged snack in a supermarket: register as a seller, seal the packet with your brand, print the label, pass the safety check, and the shop puts it on the shelf.
What are the Play Console and a developer account?
The Play Console is Google's website where developers manage their apps. A developer account is your login there, paid for once and verified with your ID.
What is a build, and what is the difference between debug and release?
A build is the installable file made from your code. A debug build is for testing on your own phone; a release build is the final, tidy one you give to users.
What are an APK and an AAB?
An APK is the file a phone installs. An AAB (Android App Bundle) is the bigger package you upload to Play, which then makes the right APK for each phone.
What do signing, a key and a keystore mean?
Signing stamps your app with a secret digital key, like a wax seal, so phones know an update really came from you. A keystore is the locked file that holds the key.
What are a version name and a version code?
The version name is what people see, like 1.4.0. The version code is a plain counting number, like 14, that must go up with every upload.
What are a store listing, a track and a rollout?
The store listing is your app's shop page: name, icon, pictures and description. A track is a group who gets a build, such as testers or everyone, and a rollout releases it step by step.
What are the Android SDK and Gradle?
The Android SDK is Google's toolkit for making Android apps, with a numbered API level for each Android version. Gradle is the build tool that turns your project into the final file.
What do you need before starting this topic?
An Android app that already runs on your phone or emulator (a pretend phone on your computer), a Google account, and a card for the one-time fee of 25 US dollars.
What will you be able to do after this topic?
Create the developer account, build and sign a release bundle, fill the listing and policy forms, test with real users, and roll out updates safely.
Publish an Android app cheatsheet

Build and version

  • ./gradlew bundleRelease Signed release AAB
  • ./gradlew assembleRelease Release APK for local checks
  • flutter build appbundle --build-number=$N Flutter AAB with CI version code
  • versionCode = 42 Integer, must rise on every upload
  • versionName = "1.4.0" Display text, can repeat
  • targetSdk = 36 Required for updates since 31 Aug 2026
  • isMinifyEnabled = true Turn on R8 for release

Signing

  • keytool -genkeypair -keystore upload.jks -alias upload -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 Create upload key
  • keytool -list -v -keystore upload.jks Show SHA-1 and SHA-256
  • keytool -export -rfc -keystore upload.jks -alias upload -file cert.pem Export cert for key reset
  • ./gradlew signingReport Fingerprints for every variant
  • Play Console > App integrity App signing key fingerprints

Tracks and rules

  • Internal testing 100 testers, minutes, every CI build
  • Closed testing 12 testers for 14 days on new personal accounts
  • Open testing Public beta from the listing
  • Production staged rollout Start 1 to 10 percent, halt anytime
  • Managed publishing Approved changes wait for your click
  • Crash 1.09% / ANR 0.47% Vitals bad behaviour thresholds

App content forms

  • Privacy policy Public URL, also linked in app
  • Data safety All data incl. SDKs, plus deletion URL
  • Content rating IARC questionnaire, age ratings
  • Target audience Under 13 triggers Families policy
  • Permissions declaration SMS, call log, all files, background location
  • Ads declaration Say whether the app shows ads

Tools

  • bundletool build-apks --connected-device APKs Play would serve this phone
  • bundletool install-apks --apks=app.apks Install that APK set
  • fastlane supply --track internal Upload AAB from CI
  • fastlane supply --track production --rollout 0.05 5 percent staged rollout
  • adb shell getconf PAGE_SIZE Check 16 KB page device
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