Upload the App on Play Store

You can publish a mobile application developed on the Kuika platform to the Google Play Store through the Google Play Console. For this, you need to have a Google Play Developer account. In this tutorial, you will learn the four steps to create a Google Play Developer account.

Steps to Create a Google Play Developer Account:

1. Registering for a Developer Account

To access the Google Play Console, you need to register a developer account using a Google account. To create a developer account, you must be over 18 years of age and have activated two-step verification on your Google account. After completing the developer account registration, you can access the Play Console.

2. Adding Account Information

After creating your developer account, select your account type on the first screen in the Play Store. There are two account types available: Personal and Business

• Information Required for Personal Account:
  • Previous Play Console and Android experience
  • Website
  • Developer name to be shown to customers on Google Play
  • Name of the person responsible for communication
  • Contact email address verification
  • Contact address
  • Phone number verification according to international standard
  • Preliminary information for future applications
    

• Information Required for Corporate Account:
  • Organization name
  • Organization type
  • Organization size
  • Organization address
  • Organization phone number verification
  • Organization's website
  • Past Play Console and Android experience
  • Developer name to be shown to customers on Google Play
  • Name of the person responsible for communication
  • Corporate communication email address verification
  • Telephone number conforming to international standard
  • Preliminary information for future applications
    
    

3. Approval of Contract and Terms and Conditions

After filling in your account information, you must accept the Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement and Google Play Console Terms of Service.

4. Account Payment Transactions

The final step in creating a Google Play Developer Account requires you to pay a one-time registration fee. You can complete the account creation process by paying with supported credit or debit cards.

To publish a mobile app developed with Kuika on the Google Play Store, you need to fulfill some requirements.

1. Developer Account: Create a Google Play Developer account for access to Google Play Console and app publishing.
2. App Creation: Add your app information and provide an email address for users to contact you via the “Create App” option in the Google Play Console.
3. Size Limit: APK size should not exceed “150 MB”. For larger files, you can use app packaging.
4. Configure Signature: You must digitally sign your app. You can complete this process using Google Play App Signing.
5. Version Requirements: A different “Version Code” must be used for each update for your application packages and this code must not exceed “2100000000”.
6. Target API Level: You must comply with Google Play's target API level requirements.
7. App Details: You must include the name, short description, full description, icon, feature graphic and screenshots for your app.

Your mobile app;

• A name with a maximum of 50 characters,
• Short application description with a maximum of 80 characters,
• Full application description with a maximum of 4000 characters
• 512 Pixel x 512 Pixel application icon in 32 bit PNG format (Max. 1024 kb),
• 1024 Pixels x 500 Pixels feature graphic in JPEG or 24-bit PNG format,
• You must have a minimum of two screenshots in JPEG or 24-bit PNG format with a minimum size of 320 pixels and a maximum size of 3840 pixels.
  

The maximum size of your screenshot cannot be more than twice the minimum size.

8. Languages and Translations: The default language is English, but you can add language translations and visual elements.
9. Category and Tags: You can make it easier for users to find your app by categorizing it correctly and adding tags.

You can follow the steps below to publish the mobile application you developed in Kuika on Google Play Store.

1. After logging into the Kuika platform, open the mobile project you will work on from the “Apps” screen.
2. Then click on the “Configuration Manager” module.

3. From the screen that opens, give a name (1) to the configuration and click the “CREATE” (2) button.

4. Click on the “Android” tab in the App Settings modal.
5. Configure the following fields in the “Mobile App Settings” section:
   • App Name: Enter the name of your app to be displayed on the device.
   • Bundle ID: Enter the unique identifier of the app, usually in the format “com.workspaceadi.appname”.
   • Version: This is the version number of your app, usually specified as “1.0.0”.
   • App Version Code: The version code of your app, usually an integer and incremented with each update.
   • Minimum Android Version: The minimum version of the Android operating system required for your app to run. The current minimum Android OS version for the Kuika platform is “Android 8”.
   • Use Cleartext Traffic: Allows you to determine whether your application can use "HTTP ” traffic.
   • Trust All Certificates: Allows you to specify whether your app will accept all "SSL ” certificates as trusted.
   • Haptic Enabled: Allows you to determine whether haptic feedback will be enabled in your app.

6. Select “ADD NEW” from the "Play Store Settings" section.
7. In the modal that opens, there are three different “Publish Types” to suit your needs:

• Appetize: Allows cloud-based testing of mobile apps. After naming the relevant field, enter the authentication key used to programmatically access the Appetize service in the "Appetize API Token" field.

• APK: The file format used for the distribution and installation of Android applications. After naming the relevant field, in the “SHA-256 Certificate Fingerprints” field, enter the SHA-256 information to be used in the application signing process on the “Play Console” screen.

• AAB: It is the file format used in the distribution of Android applications. You can complete the configuration by filling in the relevant fields below:some text
  • Signing Store File: Add the file with “.jks” extension for the key store.
  • Signing Store Password: Enter your password.
  • Signing Key Alias: Enter the key alias.
  • Signing Key Password: Enter the password for the key.
  • SHA-256 Certificate Fingerprints: Enter the SHA-256 information to be used in the application signing process
    

After entering the information for the publication type you have selected, complete the process by clicking the “CREATE” button.

Publishing your Android app is the process of making your app available to users, usually through platforms such as the Google Play Store. Here is the step-by-step process of publishing your Android app:

1. Creating a Google Play Developer Account

First you need to have a Google Play developer account.

2. Login to Google Play Console

Sign in to the Google Play developer account you created. On the “All Apps” page, click the "Create App ” button in the upper right corner.

3. Configure Application Settings

• App Details:

• App Name: Enter the name of your app.
• Language Support: You can select the languages that the app will support.
• Pricing and Distribution: Choose whether your app is free or paid.
• Declarations: Agree to policies such as Developer Program Policies and US export laws.
  
  

4. Testing and Publishing Your App

• Starting Testing Now:
  • Select Testers: During the beta testing phase, you can test your app with specific users.
  • Create and Roll Out Release: Allows you to release a beta or full version.
• Set Up Your App:

• Set Privacy Policy: Set your privacy policy and add its URL.
• App Access: Choose which APIs or services your app will have access to.
• Ads: Configure advertising policies for apps that contain ads.
• Content Rating: Set your app's age rating and eligibility level.
• Target Audience: Determine the target audience of your app.
• New App: Set custom settings for apps that offer news content.
• Covid-19 Contact Tracing and Status App: Adjust settings for Covid-19 contact tracing apps.
• Data Safety: Explain data security policies.
• Government Apps: Adjust settings for government or public sector apps.
• Financial Features: Adjust custom settings for financial transactions and payment methods.
  
  

5. Create Your Publication

• Release Your App:
  • Production Track: Set your live release settings.
  • Open Testing Track: Make it open to beta testers.
  • Closed Testing Track: Test with a limited beta tester audience.
  • Internal Testing Track: A private test version for an internal team or organization.
  • Production to Beta: Convert the live release to beta.
  • Manage Production: Manage your live release.

Go to the “Production ‘ tab on the left panel and click on the ’Create New Release” button. Add your “AAB” file here.

6. Fill in Main Store Listing Information

• App Name: Enter the name of your app.
• Short Description: Short description of your app.
• Full Description: A detailed description of your app.
• App Icon: The icon or logo of your app.
• Feature Graphic: A large graphic or banner used to promote your app.
• Video: A promotional video of your app.
• Phone Screenshots: Screenshots of your app for phones.
• 7-inch Tablet Screenshots: Screenshots for 7-inch tablets.
• 10-inch Tablet Screenshots: Screenshots for 10-inch tablets.
• Chromebook: Allows you to specify that your app is compatible for Chromebook devices.
  
  

7. Submit Your App for Review

After filling in the required fields, go to the “Publishing Overview” tab and click the "Send App For Review" button to submit your app for review. The review process verifies that your app complies with Google Play policies. Once your app is approved, it will be available for download by users. If there are any issues, you can receive feedback, fix your app and submit it again.

By following these steps, you can get your app published.