Accounts and eligibility
Accounts
- Apple Developer Program membership active ($99 a year), in your or your company's name
- Google Play Console account registered ($25 one-time), in your or your company's name
- Identity and organization verification finished on both stores
- If the Google account is a new personal account: closed test planned with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 continuous days, then a production-access application
- Payment and tax details set up if you sell in-app purchases or subscriptions
- Studio or developer added to the accounts with the access they need, not as owner
Sources: [S19]: Apple Developer, Enrollment (opens in a new tab)[S20]: Google Play Console Help, Get started with Play Console (opens in a new tab)[S6]: Google Play Console Help, Testing requirements for new personal developer accounts (opens in a new tab)
The build
Build and technical requirements
- iOS build made with Xcode 26 or later and the iOS 26 SDK (required for uploads since April 28, 2026)
- Android build targets Android 16 (API level 36), required for new apps and updates
- Tested on real devices, including an older supported phone and a tablet if you support them
- No crashes or placeholder content in any reachable screen
- Backend services running in production mode and reachable by the reviewer
- Demo account or demo mode ready for reviewers if the app has sign-in
- Account deletion available inside the app if users can create an account
- Version number and build number increased from any previous upload
Apple's App Review Guidelines ask for on-device testing, demo account details for apps with a login, and in-app account deletion for apps that support account creation. Google's target API policy sets the Android level. Both change over time, so check the linked pages in the week you submit.
Sources: [S8]: Apple Developer, App Review (opens in a new tab)
Privacy and data disclosures
Disclosures
- Privacy policy published at a public URL
- Privacy policy linked in App Store Connect and inside the app
- Apple App Privacy details completed, covering every SDK in the build
- Google Play Data safety form completed and matching what the app and its SDKs actually collect
- Permission prompts (camera, location, notifications) explain why they are needed
- Age rating questionnaires answered on both stores
Google requires a Data safety form from every developer with an app on Google Play, including apps on closed, open and production testing tracks, and even apps that collect no data must complete it and link a privacy policy. Apple's guidelines require the privacy policy link both in App Store Connect and in the app.
Sources: [S11]: Google Play Console Help, Data safety section (opens in a new tab)[S8]: Apple Developer, App Review (opens in a new tab)
If children might use it
Apps and games that target children, or whose audience includes them, take on extra obligations. On Google Play, the Families policies restrict which ad SDKs and data practices are allowed. In the US, COPPA governs collecting personal information from children under 13. Decide the target age before the build, because changing it later can mean replacing ad networks and analytics.
Children's audience
- Target age groups chosen honestly in Play Console
- Only ad and analytics SDKs permitted for that audience
- No personal data collected beyond what the policies allow
- Legal review arranged if children are a primary audience
Sources: [S12]: Google Play, Families Policies (opens in a new tab)
Monetization
Ads and purchases
- Interstitial ads shown only at natural breaks, never during active play or just before a tap
- Rewarded ads always optional and the reward always delivered
- In-app purchase products created, priced and attached to the build for review
- Restore purchases available for non-consumable items
- Small business commission programs applied for if eligible (15% tier)
Sources: [S13]: Google AdMob, Interstitial ad guidance (opens in a new tab)[S21]: Apple Developer, App Store Small Business Program (opens in a new tab)[S22]: Google Play Console Help, Service fees (opens in a new tab)
The store page
Listing
- App name and subtitle or short description that say what the app does
- Screenshots for every required device size, showing real screens
- Description that matches the features in the build
- Keywords chosen for how your audience actually searches
- Support URL and contact email that work
- A plan for the first store experiment once traffic allows
Apple's product page optimization and Google's store listing experiments let you test icons, screenshots and text after launch. Both need enough traffic to give a reliable answer, so treat them as a second-month task.
Sources: [S9]: Apple Developer, Product Page Optimization (opens in a new tab)[S10]: Google Play Console Help, Store listing experiments (opens in a new tab)
Submission and review
Google says review can take up to seven days, or longer in exceptional cases. Apple publishes no fixed review time. If either store rejects a submission, the notes say which rule applies; fix that item, reply in the review channel and resubmit. Nobody can promise approval, and you should be wary of anyone who does.
Building a game? Each DFY Games package includes a store kit and one initial submission and review-response cycle, and the mobile game timeline guide shows where testing and review sit in the schedule. For apps, store listing, privacy disclosures and submission support are part of every custom app scope.
Your next step depends on what you are launching. If it is a game, start a game build and the blueprint will set out the build and submission steps. If it is an app, request an app quote and the written scope will list what submission support covers.
Sources: [S7]: Google Play Console Help, Publish your app (opens in a new tab)[S8]: Apple Developer, App Review (opens in a new tab)
Frequently asked questions
What do I need before submitting an app to the App Store?
An active Apple Developer Program membership, a build made with the current Xcode and SDK, a privacy policy linked in App Store Connect and the app, completed privacy details, screenshots and reviewer access to every feature.
What do I need before publishing on Google Play?
A Play Console account, a build targeting the current required API level, a completed Data safety form, content rating and store listing, plus a 14-day closed test with 12 testers if the account is a new personal one.
How long does app review take?
Google says up to seven days, longer in exceptional cases. Apple does not publish a fixed time.
Can a developer guarantee my app will be approved?
No. Apple and Google make approval decisions; a developer can prepare against current rules and respond to review feedback.
Do I need a privacy policy if my app collects no data?
Yes. Google requires even apps that collect no data to complete the Data safety form and link a privacy policy, and Apple requires a privacy policy link for all apps.
Sources
- [S6] Google Play Console Help, Testing requirements for new personal developer accounts
- [S8] Apple Developer, App Review
- [S11] Google Play Console Help, Data safety section
- [S19] Apple Developer, Enrollment
- [S20] Google Play Console Help, Get started with Play Console
- [S12] Google Play, Families Policies
- [S13] Google AdMob, Interstitial ad guidance
- [S21] Apple Developer, App Store Small Business Program
- [S22] Google Play Console Help, Service fees
- [S9] Apple Developer, Product Page Optimization
- [S10] Google Play Console Help, Store listing experiments
- [S7] Google Play Console Help, Publish your app
- Apple Developer, App Review Guidelines
- Apple Developer, Upcoming Requirements
- Google Play Console Help, Target API level requirements for Google Play apps
Written and reviewed by the DFY Games team. Published ; facts checked . Prices and store rules change: check the linked sources before you rely on a figure.