Most app projects lose weeks at the end because the store accounts were opened at the end. This is the whole path, in order, with the waits marked so you can start them early.
Step 1: open the accounts, in your name, on day one
Apple. Enrol in the Apple Developer Program at 99 USD per membership year. Individuals enrol with an Apple ID and government ID. Organisations must first have a D-U-N-S number, which Apple provides free but which can take a couple of weeks to issue and verify. Apple lists what the programme includes.
Google. Register a Google Play developer account for a one-time 25 USD fee. Identity verification is required and, for personal accounts, so is verifying access to an Android device.
Both accounts should belong to you, the business, not to the developer. The app's listing, reviews and revenue live in that account. UgeWorks sets the accounts up with you and is added as a team member; it never owns the listing.
Step 2: the Google Play closed test
If your Google Play account is a personal account created after November 2023, you cannot publish to production until the app has been through a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in continuously for 14 days. Testers who drop out before 14 days do not count. Then you apply for production access and answer questions about the test.
Plan for it: recruit 15 to 20 people (friends, staff, early customers), get them opted in the same day the test build goes up, and keep them in for the full fortnight. This is the single most common cause of a "why is our app not live yet" conversation.
Organisation accounts do not have this requirement, but do have to complete organisation verification.
Step 3: what the stores need from you before submission
- App name, icon, screenshots for the required device sizes, a short and long description, and a category.
- A privacy policy URL. Both stores require one, hosted on a web page you control.
- A support URL or email.
- Data safety and privacy answers: what data the app collects, why, and whether it is shared. Answer honestly; the reviewers check against the app's behaviour.
- Test credentials if the app has a login, so a reviewer can get past it.
- Age rating questionnaire.
Step 4: review
Apple reviews every build against the App Store Review Guidelines. Google reviews against the Developer Program Policies. Both typically respond within a few days for a new app, sometimes hours, sometimes longer at busy times.
Rejections are normal, especially on a first submission, and are almost always fixable. The common ones, in our experience:
- Crashes or broken flows the reviewer hit. Test on real devices first.
- Missing or non-functional login test credentials.
- A privacy policy that does not match what the app collects.
- Sign-in with a third party (Google, Facebook) on iOS without also offering Sign in with Apple, which Apple's guidelines require in that case.
- Screenshots or descriptions that show features the build does not have.
- Placeholder text, "coming soon" screens, or an app that is really a website in a wrapper.
Fix, resubmit, and respond in the resolution centre. Arguing rarely helps; addressing the specific point does.
Step 5: after it is live
Apps do not stay published for free. Both platforms raise the minimum SDK version apps must target roughly yearly, and both send warnings before removing non-compliant apps. Keep the accounts paid, keep the contact email monitored, and budget a small amount of engineering each year to update dependencies and re-submit.
A realistic timeline
| Item | Typical wait |
|---|---|
| Apple individual enrolment | Days |
| D-U-N-S number for a company | Up to a few weeks |
| Google Play account verification | Days |
| Google Play closed test (personal account) | 14 days minimum, after testers opt in |
| First App Store review | Usually a few days |
| First Google Play production review | Usually a few days, sometimes longer |
Start the accounts in week one. By the time the app is ready, the waits are behind you. This is part of every app project at UgeWorks, including resubmissions.
Questions people ask
Can the developer publish the app under their own account to save time?
They can, and you should not let them. The account owns the listing, the reviews and the revenue. Transferring an app later is possible on both stores but is paperwork you do not need. Open your own accounts on day one.
Do I need a company to publish an app in India?
No. Both Apple and Google allow individuals to publish. A company account shows the company name as the seller and, on Apple, needs a D-U-N-S number.
How many times can an app be rejected?
There is no limit. Each rejection comes with the specific guideline and usually a screenshot. Fix that point and resubmit. Most apps are approved within one or two rounds.
Does the 12-tester rule apply to updates?
No. It applies once, before a new personal account gets production access. After that, updates go through normal review.
Sources
- Apple Developer Program enrollment — 99 USD per membership year
- What the Apple Developer Program includes
- Apple D-U-N-S number support
- Google Play Console registration fee — US$25 one-time
- Google Play closed testing requirements — 12 testers, 14 days
- App Store Review Guidelines
- Google Play Developer Program Policies
Need this built?
Related services
Keep reading
Related guides
Free quote
Get a fixed quote within 24 hours
Prefer not to call or WhatsApp yet? Leave a name and number and a short note. You will get a reply the same working day, not a sales sequence.
Have a project like this?
Send the requirement on WhatsApp. Free 30-minute consultation, fixed written quote within 24 hours, no obligation.