AI App Studio
Mobile Apps

Publishing Your App to Google Play Store

This guide walks you through the complete process of publishing your app to the Google Play Store — from generating your signing credentials inside AI Studio, to submitting your app for review. No technical background is required.

Overview

Publishing an Android app to Google Play involves three stages:

StageWhere It HappensWho Does It
Generate keystore & build your AABAI StudioYou (guided below)
Set up your app on Google Play ConsoleGoogle Play ConsoleYou (guided below)
Upload & submit for reviewGoogle Play ConsoleYou (guided below)

Before You Begin

Make sure you have the following ready before starting. Gathering these upfront will prevent delays during the submission process.

Account Requirements

App Content

Visual Assets

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Tip

Your AI Studio dashboard shows a "Before You Publish" checklist in the Download section. Use it to track what you still need.

Individual vs. Organisation Account

Before registering for a Google Play Developer account, decide whether you are publishing as an individual or as an organisation. This affects what information you need to provide.

Requirement 👤 Individual 🏢 Organisation
Registration fee $25 USD (one-time) $25 USD (one-time)
DUNS number ✗
Not required		 ✓
Mandatory
Legal name ✓ ✓
Organisation phone (public) ✗ ✓
Organisation website ✗ ✓
Contact person details ✗ ✓

What is a DUNS Number?

A DUNS number (Data Universal Numbering System) is a unique nine-digit identifier assigned to businesses by Dun & Bradstreet. Google requires it to verify that your organisation is a legitimate registered business.

Do I Need One?

How to Get a DUNS Number

  1. Visit Dun & Bradstreet's lookup tool to check whether your business already has one.
  2. If not, apply at dnb.com/duns-number/get-a-duns.html.
  3. The application is free of charge.
  4. Allow up to 30 business days for processing.
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Plan Ahead

If you intend to register as an organisation, apply for your DUNS number well before you plan to publish. The 30-day processing window is the most common cause of delays for first-time publishers.

App Icon & Visual Asset Specifications

Google Play enforces strict size and format requirements. Assets that do not meet these specifications will be rejected.

Asset Dimensions Format Notes
App Icon 512 × 512 px 32-bit PNG with alpha · max 1 MB No rounded corners (Play applies its own mask). Keep key content within the inner 80%.
Feature Graphic 1024 × 500 px JPEG or 24-bit PNG · no alpha Landscape only. Appears at the top of your store listing. Centre key content — edges may crop on some devices.
Screenshots
min 2 · max 8
1080 × 1920 Recommended
Min 320 px · Max 3840 px on any side
 JPEG or 24-bit PNG · no alpha Use portrait for phone screens. Show your most important features. Captions are allowed.

Additional Assets (Optional)

AssetDimensionsFormatWhen Required
TV Banner1280 × 720 pxJPEG or 24-bit PNGAndroid TV only
Wear OS ScreenshotMin 384 × 384 px (1:1)JPEG or 24-bit PNGWear OS only
Preview VideoYouTube URLN/AOptional

Privacy Policy Requirements

A Privacy Policy is mandatory for all apps on Google Play, regardless of whether your app collects personal data.

What Your Privacy Policy Must Include

Hosting Your Privacy Policy

Your Privacy Policy must be hosted at a publicly accessible URL (not a PDF or a document that requires login). Suitable options:

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Note

Paste your Privacy Policy URL into both the App Content section of Google Play Console and your app's store listing. Google checks that the URL is reachable at the time of review.

Part 1 — Generate Your Keystore in AI Studio

A keystore is a digital certificate that proves the app was published by you. AI Studio generates and securely stores this for you — you do not need any developer tools.

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This step is done once per app. You cannot regenerate a keystore for the same app.
1 Open the Download Section
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Prerequisite — You must have a completed build

The Download option only appears after your app has been successfully built at least once. If you have not built your app yet, run a build first before continuing.

Follow these steps inside AI Studio:

  1. Log in to AI Studio.
  2. In the left sidebar, click "All Apps" and select your app.
  3. To open the version panel, do one of the following:
    • Click the version indicator in the chat section, or
    • Click the Preview button in the top navigation bar on the right side.
  4. The preview panel will open — select the version you want to download.
  5. Click either "Download AAB (Google Play)" or "Download APK (For Mobile Testing)" — both buttons check for a keystore. If none exists, the Generate Release Keystore dialog opens automatically before the build is queued.
AI Studio — All Apps sidebar with app selected and Preview panel open showing the version and Download App button AI Studio — All Apps → app selected → Preview panel with Download App button
2 Generate Your Release Keystore

Fill in the following fields in the Generate Release Keystore dialog:

Field What to enter Example
Common Name
Required 		Your full name or your app's name My App
Organization
Required 		Your company or business name Acme Corp
City
Required 		City where your organization is based Mumbai
State
Required 		State or province Maharashtra
Country Code
Required 		2-letter country code — ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 IN  US
Org Unit
Optional 		Department or division within your organization. Leave blank if not applicable. Engineering
Password
Required 		A strong password to protect the keystore. Must be:
  • At least 8 characters
  • Contains at least one uppercase letter
  • Contains at least one lowercase letter
  • Contains at least one number

⚠️ Save this password — you will need it if you ever need to re-sign your app.

 Choose a secure password

Once all fields are filled in, click "Generate Keystore". The system will take a few seconds to create your certificate.

Generate Release Keystore modal with all fields visible Generate Release Keystore modal — fill in Common Name, Organization, City, State, Country and Password
3 Save Your Fingerprints Immediately

After clicking "Generate Keystore", AI Studio will automatically show a Save Your Fingerprints screen with two values:

FingerprintFormatWhere to Use
SHA-256 AB:CD:12:34:... Google Play Console → App integrity → App signing
SHA-1 AB:CD:12:34:... Firebase Console → Project Settings → SHA certificate fingerprints (required for Google Sign-In in your app)
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These fingerprints are shown only once and cannot be retrieved again.

Copy both values using the Copy buttons in the dialog and store them in a password manager or secure document before clicking "I've saved my fingerprints — Continue".

If you lose them, contact our support team immediately — you will not be able to register your signing key with Google Play or Firebase without them.

AI Studio — Save Your Fingerprints dialog showing SHA-256 and SHA-1 rows with Copy buttons Save Your Fingerprints — copy both SHA-256 and SHA-1 before continuing (shown only once)

Recommended Test on a Real Device Before You Build for Google Play

Before generating your final AAB, download and test the APK on an actual Android device. This catches issues before Google's review process — saving you a 1–3 day review cycle.

📱 APK — For Testing

  • Signed release build (assembleRelease)
  • Installs directly on your device (sideload)
  • Uses the same keystore as the AAB
  • Cannot be uploaded to Google Play

🚀 AAB — For Google Play

  • Signed release build (bundleRelease)
  • Required format for Google Play upload
  • Optimised per device by Play Store
  • Covered in Part 2 below ↓

How to Download & Test the APK

1 Open the Download Panel in AI Studio
  1. Log in to AI Studio and open your app from the left sidebar.
  2. Open the preview / download panel — click the version indicator in the chat section, or the Preview button in the top navigation bar.
  3. Select the version you want to test.
  4. Click "Download APK (For Mobile Testing)". A toast notification will appear: "APK build queued! You'll receive an email when your APK is ready."
  5. You will receive an email with a download link when ready — typically 5–15 minutes.
AI Studio Download panel showing Download APK (For Mobile Testing) button and Build Queued dialog Download panel — Download APK (For Mobile Testing) → Build Queued confirmation
2 Install the APK on Your Android Device
  1. Download the .apk file from the email link.
  2. Transfer it to your Android device (USB, Google Drive, WhatsApp, or email).
  3. Tap the file on your device to install. If prompted, enable "Install from unknown sources":
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Enabling unknown sources

Android 8+: Settings → Apps → Special app access → Install unknown apps → select your browser or file manager → Allow.
Older Android: Settings → Security → Unknown sources → Enable.

3 Test Thoroughly

Walk through every screen and feature before proceeding:

  • › All screens load without crashes
  • › Login and sign-up flows work correctly
  • › AI chat and agent features respond as expected
  • › Images, fonts, and icons display properly
  • › Navigation between screens is smooth
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Found a bug? Go back to AI Studio, fix it in the chat, rebuild, and re-test. Once everything looks right, scroll down to Part 2 to build the production AAB for Google Play.

Part 2 — Build Your Android App Bundle (AAB)

Once your keystore is in place, you are ready to build the production-ready version of your app — an Android App Bundle (.aab) file. This is the format Google Play requires for all new apps.

1 Trigger the AAB Build
  1. Log in to AI Studio and open your app.
  2. Open the preview / download panel (version indicator in chat, or the Preview button in the top nav).
  3. Select the version you want to build.
  4. Click "Download AAB (Google Play)".
  5. Since your keystore is already provisioned, AI Studio will queue the bundle build immediately — no keystore dialog will appear.

A toast notification will appear: "AAB build queued! You'll receive an email when your AAB is ready."

AI Studio Download panel showing Download AAB (Google Play) button and Build Queued confirmation dialog Download panel — Download AAB (Google Play) → Build Queued confirmation
2 Wait for the Build to Complete

Build times typically take 5–15 minutes. You will receive an email notification with a download link once the build is ready. You do not need to stay on the page.

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AI Studio automatically manages your app's version number with every build. Each new build increments the version code — a strict requirement enforced by Google Play.

3 Download Your AAB File

Once you receive the email, click the download link to save your .aab file to your computer. Keep this file — you will upload it to Google Play Console in Part 7.

Part 3 — Set Up Your App on Google Play Console

All steps in this section happen inside Google Play Console. For the latest official details on each step, refer to the Google Play Console Help Centre.

1 Create a Google Play Developer Account
  1. Sign up for a Developer account — see Google Play docs: Create a Developer account.
  2. Sign in with your Google account.
  3. Choose your account type: Individual or Organisation (have your DUNS number ready if registering as an organisation).
  4. Accept the Developer Distribution Agreement.
  5. Pay the one-time $25 USD registration fee.
  6. Complete your account profile — include a valid contact email and phone number.
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Account activation typically takes a few minutes but can take up to 48 hours in some cases.

Google Play docs — Create a Developer account
2 Create Your App
  1. In Google Play Console, click "Create app" in the top-right corner.
  2. Fill in: App name, Default language, select "App", and choose Free or Paid.
  3. Note: once set to free, an app cannot be changed to paid later.
  4. Check the required declarations at the bottom and click "Create app".
Google Play docs — Create and set up your app
3 Set Up App Signing
  1. In the left sidebar, go to Release → Setup → App integrity.
  2. Under App signing key certificate, click "Choose signing key".
  3. Select "Use a different key" → "Export and upload a key from Java keystore".
  4. Paste the SHA-256 fingerprint you saved from Part 1, Step 3.
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You do not need to upload the keystore file.

Google only needs your SHA-256 fingerprint. Paste it into the field provided.

Google Play docs — Use Play App Signing

Part 4 — Complete Your Store Listing

In the left sidebar, go to Grow → Store presence → Main store listing.

1 App Details
Field Limit Writing Guidance
App name 30 chars Your app's title as it appears on the Play Store. Keep it short, clear, and memorable. Avoid keyword stuffing.
Short description 80 chars Shown in search results directly below the app name. Highlight the single most important benefit — users decide whether to tap based on this line.
Full description 4,000 chars Describe key features, use cases, and who the app is for. Use short paragraphs and line breaks for readability. The first 2–3 lines show before "Read more".
2 App Category

Select the category that best describes your app (e.g., Business, Education, Productivity, Lifestyle). Choosing the right category affects discoverability in the Play Store.

Google Play docs — Main store listing & category
3 Upload Your Visual Assets
Asset Where to Upload Spec Reminder
App icon Store listing → Graphics 512 × 512 px · 32-bit PNG with alpha · max 1 MB
Feature graphic Store listing → Graphics 1024 × 500 px · JPEG or 24-bit PNG · no alpha
Phone screenshots
min. 2, max. 8		 Store listing → Phone screenshots JPEG or 24-bit PNG · min 320 px · max 3840 px on any side · portrait 1080×1920 recommended
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If you need help creating these assets, the AI Studio Download section includes a "Need help with assets?" prompt. Our design team can generate compliant screenshots and branding assets for your listing.

Google Play docs — Add preview assets (icon, feature graphic, screenshots)

Part 5 — Complete Policy & Content Requirements

1 Content Rating

Go to Policy → App content → Content rating, click "Start questionnaire", enter your email, select your app's category, and answer all questions honestly. Click "Submit" to receive your official rating.

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Providing inaccurate content rating answers is a policy violation and can result in your app being removed. If your app's content changes significantly in a future update, retake the questionnaire.

Google Play docs — Content ratings questionnaire
2 Privacy Policy

Go to Policy → App content, under Privacy Policy, paste your publicly accessible Privacy Policy URL and click "Save".

Google Play docs — Privacy policy & User data policy
3 Data Safety

Go to Policy → App content → Data safety and click "Start". Answer each question accurately covering:

  • Data collection — Does your app collect any data?
  • Data sharing — Is any data shared with third parties?
  • Security practices — Is data encrypted in transit?
  • Data deletion — Can users request deletion of their data?
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Common rejection reason

Submitting the Data Safety form with incomplete or inaccurate answers is one of the most frequent reasons apps are rejected during review. Take time to answer each question carefully.

Google Play docs — Data safety section
4 Target Audience & Content

Go to Policy → App content → Target audience and select the age group your app is designed for.

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If your app targets children under 13, additional requirements apply under the Families Policy, including restrictions on data collection and advertising.

5 Ads Declaration

Declare whether your app contains advertisements. Even if your app is free of ads today, this field must be completed.

Part 6 — Test Before Publishing (Recommended)

Before submitting to Production, Google Play provides testing tracks that allow you to share your app with a limited audience for feedback.

Track Audience Best For
Internal
Internal Testing 		Up to 100 invited testers Quick quality check with your own team before wider release
Alpha
Closed Testing 		Specific invited group Broader structured feedback from a select group before going public
Beta
Open Testing 		Anyone who opts in Large-scale real-user feedback; ideal before a full production launch

How to Set Up Internal Testing

  1. In the left sidebar, go to Release → Testing → Internal testing.
  2. Click "Create new release" and upload your .aab file.
  3. Go to the Testers tab and add email addresses of your test team.
  4. Share the opt-in link with your testers.
Google Play docs — Set up an internal test

Part 7 — Upload Your AAB and Submit for Review

1 Create a New Production Release
  1. In the left sidebar, go to Release → Production.
  2. Click "Create new release".
  3. Under App bundles, click "Upload" and select the .aab file from Part 2.

Wait for the upload to complete. Google Play will analyse the bundle and display a summary including the version code and any detected issues.

Google Play docs — Prepare and roll out a release
2 Add Release Notes

In the "What's new in this release?" field, enter a brief description for users. For a first release:

"Initial release of [Your App Name]."

Click "Next" to proceed.

3 Choose Your Rollout Strategy
  • Full rollout (100%) — Your app goes live to all users simultaneously once approved. Suitable for most first releases.
  • Staged rollout — Release to a percentage of users first (e.g., 10%), monitor for issues, then gradually increase to 100%. Recommended if you have a large existing audience.
Google Play docs — Release app updates with staged rollouts
4 Review and Submit
  1. Click "Review release".
  2. Google Play will display a checklist of warnings and errors:
    • Errors (red) must be resolved before submission.
    • Warnings (yellow) can usually be acknowledged and do not block submission.
  3. Once all errors are resolved, click "Start rollout to Production" and confirm.
Google Play docs — Review and roll out a release

What Happens After Submission

TimelineWhat to Expect
1–3 daysMost first-time submissions are reviewed within this window
Up to 7 daysReviews can take longer depending on app category or policy checks
Email notificationGoogle will email you when your app is approved or if action is required

Once approved, your app will be live on the Google Play Store and discoverable by users worldwide.

Part 8 — Publishing Updates

Every time you make changes to your app in AI Studio and want to release an update, follow these steps.

1 Build a New AAB in AI Studio
  1. In AI Studio, open your app and go to the Download section.
  2. Open the download panel, select the version, and click "Download AAB (Google Play)" to queue a new bundle build.
  3. Wait for the email notification with your new .aab download link.
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AI Studio automatically increments the version code and version name with every build. This is a strict Google Play requirement and is handled for you automatically.

2 Upload the New AAB to Google Play Console
  1. In Google Play Console, open your app.
  2. Go to Release → Production → Create new release.
  3. Upload the new .aab file.
  4. Update the release notes to describe what changed.
  5. Click "Review release" → "Start rollout to Production".

Update reviews typically complete within 1–3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most first submissions are reviewed within 1–3 days. In some cases it can take up to 7 days, particularly for apps in regulated categories such as finance or healthcare.

Yes. A Google Play Developer account is required and costs a one-time $25 USD registration fee.

Only if you are registering as an organisation (company or business). Individual accounts do not require a DUNS number. If you need one, apply early — processing can take up to 30 days.

The fingerprint is displayed only once after keystore generation and cannot be retrieved from AI Studio. If you lose it, contact our support team immediately before attempting to publish.

Yes. AI Studio supports both web and Android builds independently. You can run both simultaneously.

Google will email you with the specific reason for rejection. Common reasons include an incomplete Data Safety form, a missing or inaccessible Privacy Policy URL, or a store listing that does not accurately represent the app's content. Address the flagged issue and resubmit.

Need Help?

If you run into any issues during the publishing process, our support team is here to help.