How to publish a mobile app on the App Store and Google Play
Your mobile app is ready. The remaining step is often the most daunting for merchants: publishing it on the app stores. Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store have different rules, costs and timelines. This guide covers the full process, from start to finish, so you can put your app in your customers’ hands.
Two stores, two approaches
Publishing on iOS and Android is not the same process:
Apple App Store: a developer account costs $99 per year. Its human review is stricter, but it is usually completed quickly, often within 48 hours.
Google Play: a developer account costs a one-off $25 fee. Review can take from a few hours to several days, and up to seven days for a recent account.
However, the overall journey follows the same four steps on both platforms.
Step 1 — Create your developer accounts
This is a non-negotiable requirement: without a developer account, you cannot publish. Each store has its own process. Business accounts may also require a D-U-N-S number.
For iOS, see our guide to creating an Apple Developer account.
For Android, see our guide to creating a Google Play Developer account.
Allow anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on whether your D-U-N-S number already exists. This is often the longest step, so start it first.
Step 2 — Prepare the app with a signed build
You cannot send an app to a store “as is”. You need a compiled, signed file: an .ipa for iOS and an .aab (Android App Bundle) for Android.
Signing is a sensitive technical step:
iOS: distribution certificates and provisioning profiles are generated from your Apple account.
Android: you need a signing key (keystore) and Google Play App Signing.
Signing errors are among the most common causes of rejection, and among the hardest issues for a non-developer to diagnose.
Step 3 — Create your store listing
Your store listing is your app’s storefront. Both stores request broadly the same information:
The app name and a short and long description.
An icon and screenshots in the correct device formats. Google also requires a feature graphic.
A category, age rating, based on a content questionnaire, and contact information.
A privacy-policy URL, which is required by both stores.
A well-prepared listing with strong visuals and a clear description can improve your download rate. This is known as ASO, or App Store Optimisation.
Step 4 — Submit the app for review
Once your build and store listing are ready, submit the app for review:
Apple: human review, most often within 24 to 48 hours. Apple is demanding about the user experience, broken links and payment disclosures.
Google: review can take from a few hours to several days. New accounts may face longer delays and additional checks.
If the store rejects your app, it explains the reason. You correct the issue and submit again.
How much time and money does it take?
Cost: $99 per year for Apple and a one-off $25 for Google developer accounts. Publishing on both stores costs about $124 in the first year.
Timeline: account creation, especially D-U-N-S verification, usually takes the longest. Once accounts are ready, publication takes days rather than weeks.
The shortcut: let Prestafy handle publication
Signed builds, certificates, store listings, submissions and rejection management involve a lot of technical work for a merchant. Prestafy handles those steps for you.
Your main responsibility is to create your developer accounts and invite us as an administrator. We then turn your PrestaShop store into a mobile app, sign it, create the listings and publish it on the App Store and Google Play for you.
