Creating an account on the App Store (for iOS apps) and Google Play (for Android apps) involves following certain steps and adhering to their respective guidelines. Though the process for both stores is quite similar, there’re certain differences in terms of costs, account type, and approval process.
So let’s review the guidelines and challenges for each Store one by one first (key sources of information for this post are Apple Developer Support and Play Console Help).
1. App Store (iOS)
Step 1: Enroll in the Apple Developer Program
From Apple Support guidelines: The Apple Developer Program is a membership-based service for organizations, individuals, and sole proprietors/single-person businesses interested in creating apps for distribution on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Membership includes access to beta OS releases, advanced app capabilities, and tools to develop, test, and distribute apps and Safari extensions.
To start the registration process you’ll need to enroll through the Apple Developer Program website (https://developer.apple.com/programs/). You can sign in with your Apple ID or create a new one if you don't have an Apple ID already.
The enrollment process involves agreeing to the terms and conditions (signing a Program License Agreement) and paying the applicable annual fee.
There’re 4 types of Program License Agreements (you agree when signing to the English version, any other translations are just for your reference):
Apple Developer Program License Agreement - if you want to distribute FREE apps.
Paid Applications Agreement (Schedules 2 and 3 of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement) - acceptance of the latest version in App Store Connect is required to offer paid apps and in-app purchases.
Apple Developer Enterprise Program License Agreement - to distribute proprietary, in-house apps within your organization
iOS Developer University Program License Agreement - permits a University teaching a course about iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and/or tvOS application development to enable students to load applications developed in the course and to share such applications with other participants in the same course. If students would want to distribute commercial apps/apps outside of the course, they would need to enroll separately in programs 1 or 2 above.
When you join a program, you’ll see additional membership-related options in your account.
The Apple Developer Program annual fee is 99 USD and the Apple Developer Enterprise Program annual fee is 299 USD, in local currency where available.
So if you want to make money from your app, you’ll need to sign the Paid Applications Agreement. You may join the Apple Developer Program as: a) individual or sole proprietor/single-person business - the fee is paid right away. b) legal entity (a company, non-profit organization, joint venture, partnership, or government organization) - the fee is paid after the documents are approved by Apple.
Organizations enrolling in the Apple Developer Program will need:
Legal entity status
A D‑U‑N‑S Number
Legal binding authority
A website
Organizations can, later on, add their development team to their account on the developer website.
Step 2: Create an App Store Connect Account
Once you are enrolled in the Apple Developer Program, you can sign in to App Store Connect (https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/) using your Apple ID.
Click on "My Apps" and then select "Create App" to start the process of adding a new app to the App Store.
Follow the on-screen instructions to provide the necessary information about your app, such as its name, description, keywords, and app icon.
Step 3: Xcode
Ensure you have Xcode, Apple's Integrated Development Environment (IDE), installed on the Mac from which you want to submit the app. You can download Xcode from the Mac App Store or from the Apple Developer website (https://developer.apple.com/xcode/).
Connect Your Device to Xcode: Connect the iOS devices you plan to use for testing to Xcode.
Step 4: Prepare Your App for Review
Rebuild and Archive the App: Make sure you have successfully built and archived your app using the registered device. To do this, follow the standard procedures to build and archive your app in Xcode.
Before submitting your app for review, ensure that it complies with Apple's App Review Guidelines (https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/). Address any issues or concerns that could lead to rejection during the review process.
Step 5: Submit Your App for Review
Once your app is ready, navigate to "App Store Connect" and click on "My Apps." Select your app and follow the instructions to submit it for review by Apple's App Review team.
The review process typically takes a few days, during which Apple will evaluate your app for compliance with their guidelines and overall quality.
About the percentage, that Apple will be taking from your revenue, we were making a post before (you may access it HERE).
2. Google Play (Android)
To publish Android apps on Google Play, you'll need to create a Google Play Developer account.
Step 1: Sign up for a Google Play Developer Account
Go to the Google Play Developer Console (https://play.google.com/apps/publish) and sign in with your Google account or create a new account if you don't have one.
Agree to the Developer Distribution Agreement and pay the one-time registration fee (if applicable in your region) to create your developer account. The enrollment process involves agreeing to the Developer Distribution Agreement and paying a one-time 25 USD fee.
You may sign the Developer Distribution Agreement for a: a) personal account; b) organization's account.
In addition to name and contact details organizations will need to provide the organization's phone number, which must be verified, and the organization's website.
Step 2: Submit Your New App
Unlike Apple's App Store, Google Play does not require device registration or any specific development environment setup to submit your app.
Once you have a developer account, click on "Create Application" in the Developer Console.
Choose the default language and give your app a title. This title will be displayed on Google Play, so make sure it accurately represents your app.
Fill in the necessary information about your app, including its description, screenshots, app category, contact email, and pricing (if applicable).
Prepare your App Bundle and upload it to the Developer Console. This file contains your app's code and resources.
Step 3: Content Rating and Review
Complete the content rating questionnaire for your app, indicating the appropriate age group and content maturity level.
Submit your app for review by Google. The review process ensures your app adheres to the Google Play Developer Program Policies (https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy/).
Once your app is approved, it will be available for download on Google Play.
About the percentage, that Google will be taking from your revenue, we were making a post before (you may access it HERE).
In summary, certain steps are quite the same for both Stores, the process with Apple may seem a bit more complicated and it is for organizations (longer verification). For individuals, it seems longer with Apple due to devices’ registration, but when you submit the app, Google would require more forms and details to fill in, thus balancing the timeline. For visual clarity, here’s a table.
Please note that the account creation and app submission processes may evolve over time, so it's essential to refer to the official documentation provided by Apple and Google for the most up-to-date instructions.
When you develop your application with us, all you need to do is create an account, and we'll take care of all the following steps on your behalf.
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