How to prepare a mobile app store launch

1. Create and own the accounts

Each store requires a developer account, usually with a registration fee or annual fee and identity or business checks that can take time. Set these up early, in your own name or your company's name, and add the developer as a team member with limited permissions. Keep control of the payment details and recovery email. If the developer holds the only account, moving the app later can be difficult.

2. Prepare the store listing

The listing is how people decide to install the app. Prepare a clear name, a short description that states what the app does in the first sentence, a longer description, a category and keywords. Create screenshots that show real screens with short captions, and an icon that is readable at small sizes. Provide support contact details and a link to a privacy policy written for your app.

3. Get the privacy and data answers right

Both stores ask what data the app collects and how it is used. List every kind of data: accounts, location, analytics, advertising identifiers, payment information. The answers must match what the app actually does, including third-party tools the developer has added. If you serve users in regions with strict privacy rules, check what you need to show, and consider asking a qualified professional to review your privacy policy.

4. Test beyond the developer's phone

Ask for a test version you can install on your own device, and invite a few friendly users with different phones. Check sign-up, login, payments, notifications, poor internet and what happens when something goes wrong. Write down issues in one list with device and steps to repeat. Fixing problems before review is faster than fixing them after a rejection or negative reviews.

5. Check the platform rules

Ask the developer to review the current store guidelines for your type of app, especially around payments, subscriptions, user-generated content, login options and permissions. If your app sells digital goods, check how payments must be handled. If it asks for access to the camera, location or contacts, make sure the reason is explained clearly in the app and is truly needed.

6. Plan the first weeks

Launch day is not the end. Plan how you will tell people: your website, email list, social media and any partners. Prepare a short video or screenshots for sharing. Decide how you will collect reviews and feedback, who will answer support questions and how quickly updates can be released. Set up analytics so that you can see installs, active users and where people drop off.

Questions to ask your developer

• Who will create and own the store accounts, certificates and keys?
• How will you share test versions with me and my testers?
• Which third-party tools are in the app, and what data do they collect?
• How do you handle a rejection or a request for changes from the store?
• How will updates be released, and what support is included after launch?
• Will I receive the source code and documentation?

Budget and timing

Budget for store fees, design of screenshots, privacy policy work, testing time and a period of fixes after launch. Leave a buffer in your schedule for account verification and review delays, and avoid tying the launch to a fixed public date until you have passed review. Many teams release first to a small audience and widen the launch once the app proves stable.

Common mistakes

• Leaving store accounts until the day before submission.
• Writing a privacy policy that does not match what the app does.
• Using screenshots that show features the app does not have.
• Having no plan for support and updates after release.