{"id":18949,"date":"2026-10-17T04:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T02:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/?p=18949"},"modified":"2026-10-17T05:22:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T03:22:12","slug":"how-to-publish-an-app-on-google-play-and-app-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/how-to-publish-an-app-on-google-play-and-app-store\/","title":{"rendered":"How to publish an app on Google Play and the App Store: requirements, steps, and timelines in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Knowing <strong>how to publish an app<\/strong> on Google Play and the App Store matters almost as much as building it. Both stores require a developer account, a complete listing, several privacy declarations, and a human review. None of that is hard, but almost everything has a deadline that is out of your hands.<\/p>\n<p>In this guide we cover the steps for each store, what it costs, how long it takes, and the 2026 requirements that most often slow down a first release. The data has been checked on Google\u2019s and Apple\u2019s official pages, and the rest comes from publishing our own apps on both.<\/p>\n<nav class=\"w2g-toc\"><strong>On this page<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#resumen\">The short answer<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#antes\">What you need before you start<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#google-play\">Publishing on Google Play, step by step<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#app-store\">Publishing on the App Store, step by step<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#plazos\">How long it takes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#frenos\">What slows things down without warning<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sin-programar\">If the app was made with AI or without coding<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h2 id=\"resumen\">The short answer<\/h2>\n<p>Publishing an app means opening a developer account, uploading the signed app, filling out the listing and declarations, and passing a review. This is what changes from one store to the other:<\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow:auto;max-width:100%\">\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#334155;color:#fff\">\n<th style=\"padding:10px 12px;text-align:left\"><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:10px 12px;text-align:left\">Google Play<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:10px 12px;text-align:left\">App Store<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\"><strong>Fee<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">$25, one-time<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">$99 per year, in local currency<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f8fafc\">\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\"><strong>Business account<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Requires a D-U-N-S number<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Requires a D-U-N-S number and a legal entity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\"><strong>Mandatory test<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">For new personal accounts: 12 testers for 14 days<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">None<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f8fafc\">\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\"><strong>Review<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Variable; up to 7 days or more on some accounts<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Half in under 24 hours; 90% in under 48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\"><strong>2026 technical requirement<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Target Android 16 (API level 36)<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Build with Xcode 26 and the iOS 26 SDK<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f8fafc\">\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\"><strong>To build<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Any computer<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">A Mac with Xcode<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"antes\">What you need before you start<\/h2>\n<p>These things are common to both stores. It\u2019s worth having them ready before opening any console, because several take days.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Decide who publishes.<\/strong> It can be a person or a company. The name you choose is the one the public will see as the seller. If a company publishes, both stores ask for a D-U-N-S number, which is free and requested from Dun &amp; Bradstreet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A published privacy policy.<\/strong> At an accessible web address, and it should say what the app actually does with data.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The signed app.<\/strong> An AAB file for Google Play and a build uploaded from Xcode for the App Store.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The listing.<\/strong> Name, short and long description, icon, and screenshots for every size the store asks for.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The declarations.<\/strong> Age rating, what data the app collects and why, whether it contains ads, and who it is intended for.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A test account.<\/strong> If the app requires sign-in, the reviewer needs a working username and password.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A way to delete the account.<\/strong> If the app lets users create accounts, both stores require that the user can request deletion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"google-play\">Publishing on Google Play, step by step<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Open the developer account.<\/strong> It is created in Play Console, the distribution agreement is accepted, and the $25 fee is paid once. Google verifies identity and may ask for an official document.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Create the app in Play Console.<\/strong> You choose the name, the main language, and whether it is an app or a game, free or paid.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fill in \u201cApp content.\u201d<\/strong> Privacy policy, data safety, content rating, target audience, ads, and data deletion. Without this, nothing can be sent for review.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Upload the AAB to a test track.<\/strong> Internal testing lets you install the app on your own phones in minutes. Closed testing opens it to a group of people you choose.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Complete closed testing, if it applies to you.<\/strong> Personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 must keep a closed test with at least 12 testers enrolled for 14 consecutive days. Only then can you request production access, answering a few questions about the app and how it was tested.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prepare the store listing.<\/strong> Texts, icon, feature graphic, and screenshots. It can be translated into any languages you want.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Create the production release and submit it.<\/strong> You choose the countries, upload the release, and send it for review. Once approved, it goes live automatically unless you enable managed publishing so you can choose the timing yourself.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>One detail that cost us an afternoon: some errors do not appear in testing but do appear when creating the production release. We ran into this with the 16 KB memory page requirement, which we discuss below. Internal testing went live without warnings, and the error appeared at the end.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"app-store\">Publishing on the App Store, step by step<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Join the Apple Developer Program.<\/strong> It costs $99 per year, charged in local currency. As an individual, your identity is enough; as a company, Apple requires a legal entity and its D-U-N-S number.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Create the listing in App Store Connect.<\/strong> Name, primary language, bundle identifier, and category.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Upload the build.<\/strong> This is done from Xcode, on a Mac. Starting April 28, 2026, Apple only accepts apps built with Xcode 26 or later and the iOS 26 SDK.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Test it with TestFlight.<\/strong> It is not required, but it is the way for other people to install it before it is published.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Complete the listing.<\/strong> Screenshots, description, keywords, support URL, and privacy policy URL.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fill out the declarations.<\/strong> Age rating, the app privacy questionnaire, and, for sales in the European Union, the declaration of whether you act as a trader under the Digital Services Act.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Write the notes for the reviewer.<\/strong> What the app does, how to log in, and the test account. The clearer it is, the fewer back-and-forths there will be.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Submit for review and choose how it is published.<\/strong> You can publish it manually when approved, let it go live automatically, or set a date from which it can go live.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Two things we learned while submitting: the privacy questionnaire has to be published, not just saved, and the first in-app purchases must be submitted for review together with a version; they cannot be sent separately.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"plazos\">How long it takes<\/h2>\n<p>The part that depends on you can be done in one or two days if you have the materials. The part that does not depend on you is this:<\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow:auto;max-width:100%\">\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#334155;color:#fff\">\n<th style=\"padding:10px 12px;text-align:left\">Step<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:10px 12px;text-align:left\">Timeframe<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:10px 12px;text-align:left\">Source<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">D-U-N-S number, if you do not have one<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Up to 5 business days<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Apple<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f8fafc\">\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Google closed testing (new personal accounts)<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">14 consecutive days with 12 testers<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Google<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Google Play review<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Variable; up to 7 days or more on some accounts<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Google<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f8fafc\">\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">App Store review<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">50% in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:9px 12px\">Apple<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>With a newly created personal Google account, count on at least three weeks from the moment you have the app until it is in production. And if the store rejects the app, each round adds its review time again. The most common reasons are covered in <a href=\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/why-your-app-gets-rejected-on-google-play-and-the-app-store-and-how-to-avoid-it\/\">why your app gets rejected<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"frenos\">What slows things down without warning<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Google\u2019s 12 testers.<\/strong> Only testers enrolled for 14 consecutive days count. If one drops out halfway through, they stop counting: it is wise to invite a few extra people.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Android API level.<\/strong> Starting August 31, 2026, new apps and updates must target Android 16 (API level 36). It increases every year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The 16 KB memory pages.<\/strong> Apps targeting Android 15 or later must support them on 64-bit devices. This only affects apps with native code, whether your own or from a library, but an old library is enough to block publication.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Xcode version.<\/strong> Apple raises the minimum build version every year. A project that has been idle for two years cannot be uploaded without updating it first.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The test account.<\/strong> If a reviewer cannot log in, it gets rejected. And if the app charges money, the reviewer must be able to see the entire purchase flow.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Account deletion.<\/strong> Apple requires it inside the app itself. Google requires it inside the app and also at a web address.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Payments.<\/strong> Products and subscriptions are set up in each store and go through their own review. They are not something to sort out on the last afternoon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"sin-programar\">If the app was made with AI or without coding<\/h2>\n<p>The stores do not care how the app was made. They look at what they receive: a signed package that meets their technical requirements and rules. That leaves three cases.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The tool exports a real app.<\/strong> If it gives you an AAB and an Xcode project, the process is the one in this guide.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The tool gives you a website.<\/strong> A website cannot be uploaded to the stores. It has to be wrapped in an app, and Apple rejects apps that are only a website inside a window, with nothing mobile-specific.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The app uses AI while running.<\/strong> The stores ask about this. It is a good idea to explain it in the review notes and plan how inappropriate content will be reported.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Before taking the step, it is worth checking whether what you need is an app or a website. We cover that in <a href=\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/app-or-website-what-your-business-really-needs\/\">app or website: what your business needs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f0f7ff;padding:22px 26px;border-radius:12px;border-left:4px solid #017cba;margin:1.8em 0\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 .6em\"><strong>Would you rather have us publish it for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 1em\">We develop custom apps and publish them on Google Play and the App Store: accounts, listings, declarations, and review rounds. Publishing is included in the project, with a fixed budget by phase. The developer accounts and the code are yours.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/custom-apps-for-android-and-ios\/\"><strong>See how we build custom apps<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>How much does it cost to publish an app?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Google Play fee is $25, one time. Apple\u2019s is $99 per year. On top of that, there is the server and maintenance cost, which we explain in <a href=\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/how-much-does-it-cost-to-publish-an-app\/\">how much it costs to publish and maintain an app<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can I publish an app as an individual?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, on both stores. On Google Play, new personal accounts must pass the closed test of 12 testers for 14 days before publishing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How long does app review take?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Apple reviews half of submissions in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48. Google does not give a fixed number and warns that on some accounts it can take 7 days or more.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do I need a Mac to publish on the App Store?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To build and upload the app, you need Xcode, which only runs on Mac. It can be your own Mac, a rented one, or a cloud build service.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can I publish on only one store?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes. If your audience is clearly on Android or iPhone, starting with one is faster and cheaper, and the other can be added later.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What happens if the app is rejected?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You fix what the reviewer points out and submit again. There is no penalty for a rejection, but each round adds days.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do I have to go through review again with every update?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes. Every new version goes through review on both stores, although it is usually faster than the first one.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Publishing an app is more about paperwork than technology. The account, listing, declarations, and review are the same pieces in both stores, with one difference worth keeping in mind from day one: Google asks new personal accounts for two weeks of testing, and Apple asks for a Mac and an annual fee. If you prepare the materials before you start and account for the timelines, publishing stops being the scare at the end of the project.<\/p>\n<p><em>The stores change their requirements every year. The data in this guide was checked on their official pages on October 9, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Useful links<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/custom-apps-for-android-and-ios\/\">Custom apps<\/a>: how we develop and publish an app, by phases.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/how-much-does-it-cost-to-publish-an-app\/\">How much it costs to publish and maintain an app<\/a>: fees, commissions, and monthly expenses.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-an-app-real-prices-and-breakdown-by-phase\/\">How much it costs to make an app<\/a>: what the development price depends on.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/why-your-app-gets-rejected-on-google-play-and-the-app-store-and-how-to-avoid-it\/\">Why your app gets rejected<\/a>: the most common reasons and how to avoid them.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/googleplay\/android-developer\/answer\/14151465?hl=es\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Testing requirements for new personal accounts<\/a>, in the Play Console help.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/googleplay\/android-developer\/answer\/11926878?hl=es\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">API level requirements<\/a>, in the Play Console help.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/developer.apple.com\/distribute\/app-review\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">App Review<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.apple.com\/news\/upcoming-requirements\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">upcoming requirements<\/a>, in Apple Developer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Article\",\"headline\":\"How to publish an app on Google Play and the App Store: requirements, steps, and timelines in 2026\",\"description\":\"How to publish an app on Google Play and the App Store: accounts, fees, the 12 testers Google requires, Apple\u2019s review, and how long each step takes.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Consultor\u00eda EHERO\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/\"},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Consultor\u00eda EHERO\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/en\/\"},\"about\":[{\"@type\":\"Thing\",\"name\":\"Mobile app publishing\"},{\"@type\":\"Thing\",\"name\":\"Google Play\"},{\"@type\":\"Thing\",\"name\":\"App Store\"}]}<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to publish an app on Google Play and the App Store: accounts, fees, the 12 testers Google requires, Apple\u2019s review, and how long each step takes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":19014,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jf_save_progress":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"how to publish an app,publish an app on google play,publish an app on the app store,upload an app to the play store,c\u00f3mo publicar una app","rank_math_title":"How to publish an app on Google Play and App Store (2026)","rank_math_description":"How to publish an app on Google Play and the App Store: accounts, fees, the 12 testers Google requires, Apple\u2019s review, and how long each step takes.","rank_math_robots":[],"rank_math_canonical_url":"","rank_math_seo_score":89,"footnotes":""},"categories":[821,826],"tags":[8345,8343,8344,869],"class_list":["post-18949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-marketing","category-digital-transformation","tag-app-store","tag-desarrollo-de-apps","tag-google-play","tag-online-business"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18949"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19015,"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18949\/revisions\/19015"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoriaehero.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}