Google

How to create app and upload on Play Store?

Create signed Android app and upload on Play Store

After having setup app on Google Play Store in the GooglePlayConsole , and generated a Google Android app bundle using AndroidStudio , the next step to have the created Android application published on the GooglePlayStore is to upload app bundle to Play Store , which will allow for the team to validate it and publish it.

See below the continuation of our example on the creation of the best travel budget app Android using free existing code from the TravelPayouts affiliate program. TravelPayouts affiliate program and code for flight booking app development
WhereCanIFLY Where Can I FLY – best travel budget app Android

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Select application for which a package bundle should be uploaded
Select application for which a package bundle should be uploaded

Creating a new app release

Having an existing Google Play bundle at hand, start by logging on the GooglePlayConsole and select the app for which a new Google Android app bundle release should be published.

From there, open on the left hand side of the GooglePlayConsole the submenu app releases under release management.

Upload app bundle to PlayStore: GooglePlayConsole > release management > app releases
How to create app and upload on Play Store? : App releases option in Google Play Store menu
App releases option in Google Play Store menu

Then, from the app releases screen, find the manage button of the production track.

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Manage app releases production track
Manage app releases production track

Create release in production

In the production track app releases, you will have access to the details of the release currently published on the GooglePlayStore : release bundle package name, roll-out history, language translations, details on what’s new in the release, and detailed list of Google Android app bundle and Android app bundle APK s included in the release.

Click on the create release button in order to access the form containing details of the new release to upload for the application.

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Create release button
Create release button

Add Android app bundle and APK

Scroll down a little bit to find a drag and drop zone, in which you can browse for files on your device or drop Google Android app bundle and Android app bundle APK to include in the release being added to the app on the GooglePlayStore .

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Android App bundles and APKs to add
Android App bundles and APKs to add

The easiest way to add Google Android app bundle and APKs is to drag and drop them from your file explorer.

In our case, we are simply dropping in the form the only signed bundle necessary for the WhereCanIFLY travel app which is an app bundle file.

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Drag and drop a Google Android app bundle
Drag and drop a Google Android app bundle

The upload might take some time, as even a small app such as the WhereCanIFLY travel app generated with existing code from the TravelPayouts affiliate program weights as much as 38 megabytes.

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Upload of a new released bundle app in progress
Upload of a new released bundle app in progress

If everything goes fine, the package upload in the Android app bundles and APKs to add form will be added, and its details will have been retrieved by the interface: type, version code, API levels, target SDK, native platforms, OpenGL ES versions, features, and app download size.

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Android app bundle uploaded to new release
Android app bundle uploaded to new release

What’s new in the release

Finally, after having add the app bundles, it is necessary to include some text explaining what has changed in that release, in order to let the people that have downloaded the app know why there is a new version to download and install on their Android mobile device .

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : What's new in this release
What’s new in this release

Confirm roll-out to production

There might be some warnings to review, depending on your exact app.

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Severe warnings to review
Severe warnings to review

In our case, we got severe warnings that the new version of our application would support less Android mobile device than the previous version, meaning that eventually some of the users might not be able to keep using the application.

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Severe warnings messages: device support removed and non-upgradable APK
Severe warnings messages: device support removed and non-upgradable APK

However, that is not an issue for us, and we can ignore these warnings.

Before finalizing the roll-out to production, it is possible to define a release rollout percentage, by specifying the percentage of the user base to which we want to roll out the release.

After having selected the percentage, continue by clicking the start roll-out to production button.

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Start roll-out to production button
Start roll-out to production button

Eventually, a pop-up asking to confirm that we are fine to proceed with warnings ignored will be displayed.

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : Your release contains information or warnings that you should consider viewing before roll-out
Your release contains information or warnings that you should consider viewing before roll-out

App version released to production

And that’s it! In our example, the new release of the WhereCanIFLY travel app that has been built with the TravelPayouts affiliate Google Android app bundle has been released to production, and is ready for review before being published, a necessary step for most applications on the Google Play Store.

WhereCanIFLY Android travel apps

How to create app and upload on Play Store? : App version released to production
App version released to production