Android App Deployment Checklist for Google Play Store

For developers and businesses, seeing their Android application published on the Google Play Store marks a significant point of development. However, there are many stages/steps the user must go through to ensure their application is ready to meet Google’s requirements, runs correctly and provides the best possible user experience before it can be seen by potentially millions of users.

Utilising a well-defined deployment checklist will help reduce the chance of sudden problems occurring on launch day, as well as increasing your chances of gaining a higher ranking within search results and obtaining increased download volumes.

This blog post will provide you with a complete guide on creating a deployment checklist for your Android application on the Google Play Store, which will cover everything from technical requirements, performance testing and application branding, as well as ensuring your launch date is optimised.

1. Complete Application Functionality and Testing

Prior to uploading your completed application, be sure to conduct thorough testing to ensure that there are no significant bugs present. A fully functional and stable application will also likely result in receiving approval and more positive comments on it.

The following are the key areas to be tested for your application:

• Functional Testing: Verify all features are functioning correctly.
• UI/UX Testing: Ensure consistency in ease of navigation, readability and user response to the application.
• Performance Testing: Validate Load Time, Memory Usage, CPU Usage and Battery Life Impact.
• Device Compatibility Testing: Test on as many different screen sizes/resolutions and OS versions as possible.
• Network Condition Testing: Perform testing both in Offline mode and under slow network conditions.

2. Enhancing Application Performance

The performance of an application on the Google Play Store has a large impact on how users feel about the app as well as the ranking of the app within Google Play.

To enhance performance, developers should perform the following checks:

• Keep app must-load time under 2 secs.
• Keep image and size of additional files (e.g., images) to a minimum and optimize them for application package (APK) size.
• Maximize the use of memory.
• Remove unused library or resources.
• Keep scrolling and transitions smooth.

Applications that load quickly will tend to also have lower uninstall rates, a key metric in Google Play App Store (Google Play Store).

3. Generating the “Release Build” and Signing the Application

Google requires that all applications have a signed secure key before publication (the key must be an RSA key).

The following steps must be completed to generate a release APK or an Android App Bundle (AAB, which is the preferred format):

• Enable the option to minimize and reduce the file size by checking the Minimize and Reduce options.
• Use Play App Signing for better key management (Google does not require Play App Signing anymore if you create a new application using Google’s App Signing Tool).

4. App Versioning

Correctly setting the versioning for an app helps Google Play and app users throughout their entire path from downloading to uninstalling.

Things to verify to ensure that versioning is correct:

• For each release, update the version code.
• For major and minor updates, update the version name.
• Write and maintain a changelog while your app is in production to clarify what has been added/changed during each phase of the rollout process.

Incorrect versioning may lead to the application being rejected for upload.

5. Design High-Quality App Visuals

Your visual content can significantly influence your Click-through rate (CTR) and perception by the users.

• Necessary Visuals
• App Icon: 512 × 512 px
• Feature Graphic: 1024 × 500 px

Screenshots:

• Minimum: 2 screenshots for each device type (Phone, Tablet, TV, Watch)
• Ideally, provide 5-8 Quality screenshots.

Promotional Video (Highly recommended though optional) – Should be posted on YouTube to increase conversion rates.

Designs must adhere to the principles of Material Design with focus on the key features.

6. Create Optimized App Name, Description & Keywords

Optimizing your Play Store Listing will increase your app visibility and ranking, which will subsequently lead to increased download rates.

App Name

• Keep it short, descriptive, with as many related keywords as you can.
• Example: “FitTrack – Home Workout & Fitness Tracker”

Short Description

An eye-catching, quick summary of 80 characters, to help with converting users.

Long Description

A Search engine friendly, keyword optimized, easy to read, with:

• Bullet points
• Features
• Benefits
• Use Cases
• Call to Action

Avoid Keyword Stuffing, while keeping your description natural and easy to read.

7. Choose The Right App Category And Tagging

Google will look at Category and Tagging as ways to determine how your app fits into its structure.

What you need to do:

• Choose the correct category for your app (Productivity, Health, Education, etc.)
• Add appropriate tags to help others find your app.
• Do not use categories that are not related to the content of your app, this will have a negative effect on your ranking.

The Category you select determines the audience segment for your app.

8. Offer Users The Option of Responding to Application Permissions Programme

People are more likely to download your application if they see that the permissions are safe, reasonable or a necessary prerequisite to downloading the application.

Best Practices

• Request only necessary permissions.
• Provide explanations in your description if using sensitive permissions (camera, location, SMS).
• Comply with Google’s permission policies.
• Excessive permissions often result in higher uninstall rates.

9. Ensure Compliance with Laws and Policies

Before you make your app live, ensure that it follows the guidelines set forth by Google and the other laws within your industry.

Items Required for Compliance

• You need to fill out your app’s Privacy Policy in order to make it available.
• You need to complete the Data Safety Form to disclose what data you collect and how you will use it for users.
• You need to fill out this Content Rating Questionnaire correctly in order to avoid being rejected from publishing.
• If you plan to use Ads within your app, you will also need to submit proof of Ad Policy Compliance.
• If your app will be reaching users from the EU, or if it will be used by children, then you need to ensure that it is also compliant with GDPR and COPPA laws.

Violations of these policies may result in your app being suspended or removed.

10. How to Choose Pricing, Distribution and Test Beta Version

Determine how and where your app will be made available.

Configuration Settings To Complete:

• Choose either Free or Paid App Version.
• Choose which Countries you want to make your app available in.
• Set up your testing tracks to test out the Alpha & Beta Versions for the gradual release of your app.
• If you plan to offer any IAPs (or Subscriptions), configure them to go along with your app.

Setting up testing tracks will allow you to find issues, or problems that will occur prior to the general distribution of the app to everyone.

In Conclusion

To deploy your Android App into the Google Play Store it is very crucial to carefully plan, Conduct thorough testing, and Create a detailed, informative Store Listing. By following this comprehensive checklist, You will be able to produce applications with a higher quality and performance level; and further increase your likelihood of being discovered by your intended audience. All of the components in the development process from Technical Setup, Branding, Compliance & Post Launch Monitoring are very important in the overall success of building your Android Brand.
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