How to Publish a Game on Google Play: The Whole Process, in Order

What you need before you start

• A Google account you plan to keep for years. The developer account is tied to it.
• A government ID and an address that match the name you register with.
• A signed Android App Bundle (AAB) of your game.
• A privacy policy on a public web page.
• An icon, a feature graphic and screenshots.
• A small group of people with Android phones who will test your game. You will need them for the closed test.

Step 1: Create a Google Play developer account

Go to the Play Console and register. You choose between a personal account and an organization account. An organization account needs a D-U-N-S number for your business; a personal account does not. Pick carefully, because the testing rules below differ between them.

There is a one-time registration fee (25 US dollars at the time of writing). There is no yearly renewal.

Google then verifies your identity: your legal name, address, email and phone number, checked against an ID. It can take a few days. Google may also ask you to confirm that you have access to a real Android device through the Play Console mobile app. Your developer name is shown publicly on your store page, so decide what you want players to see.

Step 2: Prepare a signed app bundle

New apps on Google Play must be uploaded as an Android App Bundle (an .aab file), not an APK. The bundle must be signed.

Google Play uses Play App Signing for new apps. You sign your bundle with an upload key, and Google re-signs what players download with an app signing key that it keeps. Keep your upload key and its password somewhere safe and backed up. If you lose the upload key, you can ask for a reset through the Play Console, but it takes time.

Two more things to check in the build:

• Target API level. Google requires new apps and updates to target a recent Android version and raises that bar every year. The Play Console tells you the current requirement when you upload.
• Version code. Every upload needs a higher version code than the last one. Plan to upload several builds during testing.

Step 3: Create the app in the Play Console

Choose Create app and fill in the app name (up to 30 characters), the default language, that it is a game, and whether it is paid or not. Be careful: an app released at no charge cannot later be changed to paid. You also accept the developer program policies and US export laws here.

Step 4: Fill in the App content forms

The dashboard lists every declaration you must complete. For a game, expect these:

• Privacy policy. A URL to your policy. It must be a real, public page that describes what data the game and its libraries collect.
• App access. If any part of the game is behind a login, give reviewers a way in.
• Ads. Declare whether the game contains ads. If it shows any ad, the answer is yes. Your store page then shows a "Contains ads" label.
• Content rating. A questionnaire about violence, language, gambling-like mechanics, user interaction and more. Answer it honestly; it produces ratings for regions around the world. Unrated apps can be removed.
• Target audience and content. Choose the age groups your game is for. If you include children under 13, Google's Families policy applies, and any ad network you use must be one certified for families. Do not pick young age groups just because the art is cute.
• Data safety. A form describing what data is collected and shared, why, and whether it is encrypted and deletable. Required even if you collect nothing. Ad and analytics libraries usually collect device identifiers, so include what they collect, not just what your own code does.
• Advertising ID. If the game uses the Android advertising ID (most ad libraries do), declare it here.

Step 5: Write the store listing

The listing is your game's page on Google Play. You need:

• App icon: 512 by 512 pixels, PNG, up to 1 MB. It must read clearly at small sizes.
• Feature graphic: 1024 by 500 pixels. Keep important art away from the edges.
• Screenshots: at least two phone screenshots are required. Upload four to eight that show real gameplay, and lead with the most exciting one.
• Short description: up to 80 characters. Say what the player does, plainly.
• Full description: up to 4,000 characters. Open with the core loop, then the features. Write for players, and do not stuff keywords; Google's metadata policy forbids it.
• Category and contact details: pick the game category that fits (Puzzle, Arcade, Strategy and so on) and give a contact email.

Step 6: Test, starting with internal testing

The internal testing track lets you share a build with a small list of testers quickly, without waiting on a full review. Use it to check that the bundle installs and runs on real phones.

Then comes closed testing. At the time of writing, Google requires new personal developer accounts (created after November 2023) to run a closed test with at least 12 testers who have opted in and stayed opted in for at least 14 continuous days before you can apply for production access. Organization accounts are not under this requirement as of this writing. This is Google's current policy and it may change; check the Dashboard in your Play Console for the exact numbers that apply to you.

How to get through it smoothly:

• Recruit more testers than the minimum, since people drop out and the clock depends on the count staying up.
• Share the opt-in link with them, and make sure each one actually joins the test and installs the game.
• Ask them to play and send feedback. Upload an improved build or two during the test.
• Read the pre-launch report Google generates for test builds; it flags crashes and accessibility problems on a range of devices.

Step 7: Apply for production, review and roll out

When the test period is complete, the Dashboard lets you apply for production access. You answer questions about your closed test: how you found testers, what feedback you got, what you changed. Google reviews the application, which can take several days.

Once approved, create a production release, upload your bundle, write release notes and send it for review. Reviews often take a few days and can take longer for new accounts. When it passes, you can roll out to everyone or use a staged rollout, releasing to a small percentage first and increasing as you watch crash reports and reviews.

Common reasons for delays

• Data safety answers that do not match what your ad or analytics libraries collect.
• A privacy policy URL that is broken or generic.
• Screenshots that do not show the actual game.
• Choosing a children's audience while using ad networks not approved for families.
• A closed test where testers opted in but never played.

Where Tyrbo fits

Tyrbo gives you a signed Android build you own and a step-by-step checklist for Google Play that follows the stages above. The account, the forms and the submit button are yours. Before a build leaves the pipeline it is checked for soft-locks, smooth play on low-end Android phones, and ads and purchases wired in, so the testing weeks go to feedback on the game rather than chasing crashes. If you have not built the game yet, start with how to make a mobile game without coding or the Android game maker.