How to Publish Your Ecommerce App to the App Store and Google Play

Getting Your App Into the Stores

Building your ecommerce mobile app is the first step. Publishing it to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store is the final — and often most intimidating — step. This guide walks you through the entire process for both platforms, including requirements, best practices, and common pitfalls.

Prerequisites

Apple App Store Requirements

• Apple Developer Program membership: 99 dollars per year, enrolled at developer.apple.com
• A Mac computer: Required for uploading through Xcode or Transporter (Apple's upload tool)
• App Store Connect access: Included with your developer membership
• DUNS number: For organization accounts (not required for individual accounts)

Google Play Store Requirements

• Google Play Developer account: 25 dollars one-time fee, registered at play.google.com/console
• Any computer: Windows, Mac, or Linux — no platform restriction for Google Play uploads
• Google Play Console access: Included with your developer account
• Bank account: For receiving payouts if you sell paid content (not needed for free apps with in-app purchases handled by your ecommerce platform)

App Assets You Will Need

Prepare these before starting the submission process:

App icon: 1024 by 1024 pixels, PNG format, no transparency, no rounded corners (stores apply rounding automatically)

Screenshots: Both platforms require device-specific screenshots

• iPhone screenshots: At least 6.5-inch and 5.5-inch sizes
• iPad screenshots: If you support iPad
• Android phone screenshots: At least one phone size
• Recommended: 5 to 8 screenshots per device showing key app screens

App description:

• Short description: 80 characters (Google Play) or 30-word subtitle (App Store)
• Full description: Up to 4,000 characters covering features, benefits, and keywords

Privacy policy URL: Both stores require a publicly accessible privacy policy page

App category: Choose the most appropriate category (typically "Shopping" for ecommerce apps)

Publishing to the Apple App Store

Step 1: Prepare Your App in App Store Connect

1. Log in to appstoreconnect.apple.com
2. Click "My Apps" and then the plus icon to create a new app
3. Fill in the basic information:
   • Platform: iOS
   • App name: Your store name (must be unique on the App Store)
   • Primary language: Your main language
   • Bundle ID: Matches the ID configured during the build process
   • SKU: A unique identifier you choose (can be anything)

Step 2: Complete the App Information

Fill in all required fields in the App Store Connect dashboard:

Version Information:

• Screenshots for each required device size
• Promotional text (optional but recommended — up to 170 characters, can be changed without a new review)
• Description — Highlight features: product browsing, push notifications, fast checkout, order tracking
• Keywords — Up to 100 characters of comma-separated search terms
• Support URL — Link to your contact or support page
• Marketing URL (optional) — Link to your app's landing page

App Review Information:

• Contact information for the review team
• Demo account credentials if login is required to access app features
• Notes for the reviewer — Explain what the app does and how to test it

Step 3: Upload Your Build

Upload the IPA file generated by BrewmyApp using Xcode or Apple's Transporter app:

1. Download Transporter from the Mac App Store (free)
2. Sign in with your Apple Developer credentials
3. Drag and drop the IPA file
4. Click "Deliver"

Once uploaded and processed, the build appears in App Store Connect under "Builds."

Step 4: Submit for Review

1. Select the uploaded build in App Store Connect
2. Verify all information is complete
3. Answer the content questions (encryption, advertising identifier, etc.)
4. Click "Submit for Review"

Apple Review Timeline and Tips

• Review time: Typically 24 to 48 hours, occasionally up to 5 days
• First submission: May take longer as reviewers are more thorough with new apps
• Common rejection reasons and how to avoid them:
  • "Not enough native functionality" — Ensure your app is a native app, not a WebView wrapper
  • "Incomplete metadata" — Fill in every field including privacy policy
  • "Crashes or bugs" — Test thoroughly before submitting
  • "Missing demo credentials" — Always provide login details for the review team
  • "Guideline 4.2 — Minimum Functionality" — Your app must provide value beyond your website

If Your App Is Rejected

Do not panic. Apple provides specific reasons for rejection and often includes suggestions for fixing the issues. Address each point, resubmit, and the re-review is usually faster than the initial review.

Publishing to Google Play

Step 1: Create Your App in Google Play Console

1. Log in to play.google.com/console
2. Click "Create app"
3. Fill in:
   • App name
   • Default language
   • App or game (select "App")
   • Free or paid (select "Free" for ecommerce apps)
4. Accept the declarations

Step 2: Complete the Store Listing

Main store listing:

• Short description: Up to 80 characters
• Full description: Up to 4,000 characters
• App icon: 512 by 512 pixels
• Feature graphic: 1024 by 500 pixels (displayed at the top of your listing)
• Phone screenshots: At least 2, recommended 5 to 8

Content rating: Complete the IARC content rating questionnaire. For standard ecommerce apps, this takes a few minutes and typically results in an "Everyone" rating.

Target audience: Specify the target age group. For ecommerce apps selling general products, select the appropriate adult age range.

Data safety: Complete the data safety form describing what data your app collects, how it is used, and whether it is shared. Be thorough and accurate — Google reviews this carefully.

Step 3: Upload Your App Bundle

1. Navigate to Production > Releases
2. Create a new release
3. Upload the AAB (Android App Bundle) file generated by BrewmyApp
4. Add release notes describing what the app does
5. Review and roll out

Step 4: Submit for Review

After completing all required sections (store listing, content rating, pricing, data safety), the "Publish" option becomes available.

Google Play Review Timeline

• Review time: A few hours to 3 days for initial submissions
• Subsequent updates: Usually reviewed within hours
• Google's review is generally faster and less strict than Apple's

Optimizing Your App Store Listings for Downloads

App Store Optimization (ASO)

Your app store listing is like a landing page — it needs to convert visitors into downloaders.

Title: Include your primary keyword naturally. "StoreName — Shop for Products" is better than just "StoreName."

Description: Front-load the most important features and benefits in the first two to three lines (these show before the "Read More" truncation):

• Mention specific benefits: "Shop faster with one-tap checkout"
• Reference push notifications: "Get exclusive deals with instant notifications"
• Highlight convenience: "Track your orders in real time"

Screenshots: Your screenshots are the most important conversion element. Best practices:

• Show real product screens with appealing products
• Add text overlays highlighting key features
• Lead with your strongest screenshot — many users never scroll past the first one
• Show the checkout experience to convey speed and convenience
• Include a push notification example to demonstrate the feature

Keywords (Apple): Research what your target customers search for. Include terms like "shopping," "deals," your product category, and your platform name if relevant.

Ratings and Reviews: After launch, request reviews from satisfied customers. Apps with higher ratings get more organic downloads and better search placement. Time your review requests after successful order deliveries.

Post-Launch Checklist

After your app is live on both stores:

1. Test the live app — Download from the store and verify everything works correctly
2. Set up analytics — Track downloads, sessions, and conversions from day one
3. Promote the app — Smart banners on your website, email announcements, social media posts, packaging inserts
4. Send your first push notification — Welcome message to early adopters
5. Monitor reviews — Respond to user feedback promptly and professionally
6. Plan regular updates — Fresh content and feature improvements keep ratings high

Getting Started

BrewmyApp handles the technical build process and provides step-by-step guidance for app store submission. You focus on your listing content and screenshots while the platform handles the code.

Start building your app for free | See how it works

Related reads:

• How to Turn Your WooCommerce Store into a Mobile App
• How to Turn Your Shopify Store into a Mobile App
• No-Code App Builders for Ecommerce
• Ecommerce Mobile App Features Checklist