How long does review take?

Apple: typically 24–48 hours, longer for a first submission. Google: from hours to several days, and new personal accounts must run a closed test with testers for 14 days before production access.

What are the common rejection reasons?

Crashes or bugs, incomplete information (no demo login), privacy declarations that do not match, guideline issues around payments (in-app purchase rules), and metadata that misleads.

Do I need both stores at once?

No. Launch where your first users are, learn from the reviews, then launch the other with the fixes.

Launch a mobile app on the App Store and Google Play

Developer accounts, listing assets, privacy declarations, a review-proof build, and a staged rollout — the paperwork and order that stop a launch from being rejected the week it matters.

Time: 2–3 weeks before launch day; review 1–3 days (Apple), hours to days (Google)
Cost: Apple Developer Program $99/year · Google Play one-time $25
Reviewed: 5 Sept 2026; 6 steps · 18 checks

Report an outdated step

An app launch fails on paperwork more often than on code: accounts not enrolled in time, privacy forms that contradict the binary, a reviewer who cannot log in. The steps below put the slow, external dependencies first so the build is the last thing you are waiting on.

Enrol the developer accounts early

Apple Developer Program ($99/year): individual is quick; an organisation needs a D-U-N-S number and can take a week or more.
Google Play Console ($25 once): complete identity verification; note that new personal accounts must run a 14-day closed test with at least 12 testers before they can publish to production.
Set up App Store Connect and Play Console users, tax and banking forms if you will charge.

Prepare the listing

Name (30 characters on Apple), subtitle/short description, keyword field (Apple) and full description with the key terms users search for.
Screenshots for each required device size, with a benefit caption on each; an app preview video is optional.
Icon at every required size; category; age rating questionnaire; support URL and privacy policy URL that work.

Privacy and compliance forms

Inventory what the app and every SDK collects (analytics, crash reporting, ads, auth).
Fill Apple's App Privacy questions and Google's Data safety form from that inventory, identically.
If you sell digital goods or subscriptions, use in-app purchase / Play Billing; reviewers check.

Make the build review-proof

Test on real devices, including the oldest OS version you support; fix every crash in crash reporting.
Remove debug menus, test flags and placeholder text; make sure all links resolve.
Write review notes with a demo account, the steps to reach gated features, and any hardware the reviewer needs.

Submit and stage the rollout

Apple: upload with Xcode or Transporter, complete the version page, choose phased release for automatic updates, submit.
Google: internal test → closed test (required 14 days for new personal accounts) → production with a staged rollout starting at 5–10%.
Watch crash-free rate and reviews for 48 hours; halt the rollout if a crash spikes.

Launch day and after

Coordinate the public launch (site, social, Product Hunt) for when both listings are live.
Reply to every review in the first weeks; prompt for ratings in-app only after a positive moment.
Track installs, conversion from listing views, retention at day 1/7/30, and iterate the screenshots and description with that data.

Questions

How long does review take?: Apple: typically 24–48 hours, longer for a first submission. Google: from hours to several days, and new personal accounts must run a closed test with testers for 14 days before production access.
What are the common rejection reasons?: Crashes or bugs, incomplete information (no demo login), privacy declarations that do not match, guideline issues around payments (in-app purchase rules), and metadata that misleads.
Do I need both stores at once?: No. Launch where your first users are, learn from the reviews, then launch the other with the fixes.

Sources

The numbers above come from these pages. If a fee or date here disagrees with the source, the source wins.

Report an outdated step

Launch on Product Hunt

A live Product Hunt listing with real comments, a traffic spike you captured, and a badge you can use for a year

6 weeks of preparation · $0 · 6 steps

Launch & marketing · Global

Build a landing page that converts

A live page with a single call to action, analytics goal tracking, and a first-week conversion baseline

1–2 days · $0–$20/month for hosting and forms · 6 steps

Launch & marketing · Global

Technical SEO for a new site (launch checklist)

A site that is crawlable, indexable, fast, and registered in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools

1–2 days for a small site · $0 · 8 steps

1Enrol the developer accounts early

2Prepare the listing

3Privacy and compliance forms

4Make the build review-proof

5Submit and stage the rollout

6Launch day and after