Deploying to App Stores

Complete guide to submitting your Expo app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Deploying to App Stores

Once you’ve built your production app, the final step is submitting it to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This guide walks through the entire submission process.

Prerequisites

Before submitting to app stores:

Apple App Store

• Apple Developer Program membership ($99/year)
• Production iOS build (.ipa file)
• App Store Connect account
• App screenshots and metadata
• Privacy policy URL (required)

Google Play Store

• Google Play Developer account ($25 one-time fee)
• Production Android build (.aab file)
• Google Play Console access
• App screenshots and metadata
• App manually uploaded at least once (API limitation)

Submitting to Apple App Store

1. Create App in App Store Connect

   1. Go to App Store Connect
   2. Click My Apps > + > New App
   3. Fill in app information:
      • Platform: iOS
      • Name: Your app name (max 30 characters)
      • Primary Language: Main language
      • Bundle ID: Select your bundle identifier
      • SKU: Unique identifier (e.g., com-company-app-001)
      • User Access: Full access or Limited access
2. Configure App Information

   Required Information:

   General > App Information

   • Privacy Policy URL (required)
   • Category (Primary and Secondary)
   • Content Rights (whether it contains third-party content)

   App Privacy Starting December 2020, you must answer privacy questions:

   • What data does your app collect?
   • Is data linked to user identity?
   • Is data used for tracking?

   Common answers for Expo apps:

   • If using expo-updates: Select Crash Data collection
   • If using analytics: Declare analytics data collection
   • If using authentication: Declare user identity data
3. Prepare App Metadata

   Version Information > App Store

   Required assets:

   • Screenshots (iPhone and iPad)

     • iPhone 6.7”: 1290 x 2796 pixels (at least 3)
     • iPhone 6.5”: 1284 x 2778 pixels (at least 3)
     • iPad Pro 12.9”: 2048 x 2732 pixels (optional)

   • App Preview Videos (optional but recommended)

     • 15-30 seconds showcasing your app
     • Portrait or landscape orientation

   Text Content:

   • Description: Full description (max 4000 characters)
   • Keywords: Comma-separated (max 100 characters)
   • Support URL: Customer support website
   • Marketing URL: App marketing page (optional)
   • Promotional Text: Featured text (max 170 characters, can be updated without new version)
4. Build and Submit with EAS

   Build and submit in one command:

   eas build --platform ios --auto-submit
   

   Or build first, then submit:

   # Build
   eas build --platform ios --profile production
   
   # Submit latest build
   eas submit --platform ios
   

   Configure submission in eas.json:

   eas.json

   {
     "submit": {
       "production": {
         "ios": {
           "ascAppId": "1234567890",
           "appleId": "[e-mail]",
           "appleTeamId": "ABC123XYZ"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   Find your ascAppId:

   1. Go to App Store Connect > Apps
   2. Click your app
   3. Go to App Information
   4. Find Apple ID under General Information
5. Submit for Review

   After upload completes:

   1. Go to App Store Connect
   2. Navigate to your app version
   3. Complete any missing metadata
   4. Add build:
      • Click + next to Build
      • Select your uploaded build
      • Wait for processing (10-15 minutes)
   5. Complete App Review Information:
      • Contact information
      • Demo account (if login required)
      • Notes for reviewer
   6. Complete Version Release settings:
      • Manual release or Automatic release
   7. Click Submit for Review
6. App Review Process

   Timeline:

   • Initial review: 24-48 hours typically
   • Rejections can be appealed
   • Emergency reviews available (with justification)

   Common Rejection Reasons:

   • Missing privacy policy
   • Crashes on launch
   • Incomplete functionality
   • Misleading metadata
   • Requires demo account but none provided
   • Uses private APIs
   • Minimal functionality

   After Approval:

   • Auto-release or manual release
   • Available on App Store within hours
   • Can be removed or updated anytime

Submitting to Google Play Store

1. Create App in Google Play Console

   1. Go to Google Play Console
   2. Click Create app
   3. Fill in details:
      • App name: Your app name
      • Default language: Primary language
      • App or game: Select appropriate type
      • Free or paid: Select pricing
      • Accept declarations
   4. Click Create app
2. Complete Store Listing

   Store listing > Main store listing

   Required information:

   App details:

   • Short description (max 80 characters)
   • Full description (max 4000 characters)

   Graphics:

   • App icon: 512 x 512 px PNG (32-bit with alpha)
   • Feature graphic: 1024 x 500 px JPG or PNG
   • Phone screenshots: At least 2 (16:9 or 9:16 aspect ratio)
     • Min 320px, max 3840px
   • Tablet screenshots: At least 2 (recommended)
   • Promo video: YouTube URL (optional)

   Categorization:

   • App category
   • Tags (optional)
   • Content rating (complete questionnaire)

   Contact details:

   • Email address
   • Phone number (optional)
   • Website (optional)
3. Set Up Google Service Account

   For EAS Submit API access:

   1. Go to Google Cloud Console
   2. Create or select project
   3. Enable Google Play Android Developer API
   4. Create service account:
      • IAM & Admin > Service Accounts > Create
      • Name: “EAS Submit”
      • Click Create and Continue
      • Skip optional steps
   5. Create key:
      • Click on service account
      • Keys > Add Key > Create new key
      • Select JSON
      • Download and save securely
   6. Grant access in Play Console:
      • Users and permissions > Invite new users
      • Add service account email
      • Set permissions: Release to production tracks
4. Upload First Build Manually

   Google Play requires the first build to be uploaded manually before API submissions work.

   1. Go to Play Console > Your app
   2. Navigate to Production > Create new release
   3. Upload your .aab file
   4. Add release notes
   5. Save (don’t publish yet)

   Now API submissions will work for future builds.

5. Submit with EAS

   Configure eas.json:

   eas.json

   {
     "submit": {
       "production": {
         "android": {
           "serviceAccountKeyPath": "./path/to/api-key.json",
           "track": "production",
           "releaseStatus": "draft"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   Track options:

   • "production": Public release
   • "beta": Beta testing
   • "alpha": Alpha testing
   • "internal": Internal testing (up to 100 testers)

   Release status:

   • "completed": Immediately publish
   • "draft": Save as draft (review in console before publishing)
   • "inProgress": Start rollout
   • "halted": Paused rollout

   Submit build:

   # Build and submit
   eas build --platform android --auto-submit
   
   # Or submit existing build
   eas submit --platform android --latest
   
6. Complete Remaining Requirements

   Content rating:

   1. Go to Policy > App content
   2. Complete content rating questionnaire
   3. Submit for rating

   Target audience:

   1. Select target age groups
   2. Complete required declarations

   News apps: If applicable, declare news app status

   COVID-19 contact tracing/status: If applicable, complete required information

   Data safety:

   1. Go to Policy > Data safety
   2. Answer questions about data collection:
      • Location data
      • Personal info
      • Photos/videos
      • Audio files
      • Financial info
      • And more…
   3. Explain data usage and sharing
7. Publish Release

   1. Go to Production track
   2. Review your release
   3. Click Review release
   4. Verify all information
   5. Click Start rollout to Production

   Rollout options:

   • Staged rollout: 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 100%
   • Full rollout: 100% immediately

   Review process:

   • Usually 1-3 days
   • Can take up to 7 days
   • Check status in Play Console

Automated Submissions

Using EAS Workflows

Automate builds and submissions:

.eas/workflows/release.yml

name: Release to Stores

on:
  push:
    tags:
      - 'v*'

jobs:
  build_and_submit_ios:
    name: Build and Submit iOS
    type: build
    params:
      platform: ios
      profile: production
      auto_submit: true
  
  build_and_submit_android:
    name: Build and Submit Android
    type: build
    params:
      platform: android
      profile: production
      auto_submit: true

Trigger with:

git tag v1.0.0
git push origin v1.0.0

Using CI/CD

Example GitHub Actions:

.github/workflows/submit.yml

name: Submit to Stores

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      platform:
        type: choice
        options:
          - android
          - ios
          - all

jobs:
  submit:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      
      - uses: expo/expo-github-action@v8
        with:
          expo-version: latest
          eas-version: latest
          token: ${{ secrets.EXPO_TOKEN }}
      
      - name: Submit to stores
        run: |
          if [[ "${{ github.event.inputs.platform }}" == "all" ]]; then
            eas submit --platform android --latest --non-interactive
            eas submit --platform ios --latest --non-interactive
          else
            eas submit --platform ${{ github.event.inputs.platform }} --latest --non-interactive
          fi

Version Management

iOS Version Numbers

CFBundleShortVersionString (Version):

• User-facing version: 1.0.0
• Must increment for each App Store release
• Semantic versioning recommended: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

CFBundleVersion (Build Number):

• Internal build number: 1, 2, 3…
• Must increment for each build
• Can auto-increment with EAS:

eas.json

{
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "ios": {
        "autoIncrement": "buildNumber"
      }
    }
  }
}

Android Version Numbers

versionName (Version):

• User-facing version: "1.0.0"
• Displayed in Play Store
• String value in app.json

versionCode (Version Code):

• Internal integer: 1, 2, 3…
• Must increment for each release
• Can auto-increment with EAS:

eas.json

{
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "android": {
        "autoIncrement": "versionCode"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configure in app.json:

app.json

{
  "expo": {
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "ios": {
      "buildNumber": "1"
    },
    "android": {
      "versionCode": 1
    }
  }
}

Store Requirements Checklist

iOS App Store

• App Store Connect account created
• App created in App Store Connect
• Bundle identifier matches build
• Privacy policy URL provided
• App privacy questions answered
• Screenshots (at least 3 for iPhone)
• App icon (1024x1024px)
• Description and keywords
• Support and marketing URLs
• Content rights information
• Export compliance answered
• Demo account (if app requires login)
• Build uploaded and processed
• Build selected for version
• Version submitted for review

Google Play Store

• Google Play Developer account created
• App created in Play Console
• Package name matches build
• Store listing completed
• Graphics uploaded (icon, feature graphic, screenshots)
• Content rating completed
• Target audience selected
• Data safety form completed
• App categories selected
• Pricing and distribution set
• Google Service Account created
• First build uploaded manually
• Production release created
• Release reviewed and rolled out

Troubleshooting

iOS: “This bundle is invalid”

Issue: Build rejected during upload

Solutions:

• Ensure bundle identifier matches App Store Connect
• Verify build is signed with distribution certificate
• Check for missing required device capabilities
• Rebuild with latest EAS CLI

iOS: “Missing compliance”

Issue: Export compliance warning

Solution: Add to app.json:

app.json

{
  "expo": {
    "ios": {
      "config": {
        "usesNonExemptEncryption": false
      }
    }
  }
}

Android: “Version code has already been used”

Issue: Duplicate version code

Solution: Increment versionCode in app.json or use auto-increment:

eas.json

{
  "android": {
    "autoIncrement": "versionCode"
  }
}

Android: “Upload failed: Forbidden”

Issue: Service account lacks permissions

Solution:

1. Go to Play Console > Users and permissions
2. Find your service account
3. Grant “Release to production tracks” permission
4. Wait 24 hours for permissions to propagate

Submission stuck in processing

iOS:

• Processing usually takes 10-15 minutes
• If stuck > 1 hour, contact Apple Developer Support

Android:

• Check Play Console for error messages
• Verify build uploaded successfully
• Review release status in console

Next Steps

• Over-the-Air Updates - Deploy updates without store review
• Internal Distribution - Beta testing before store release
• Versioning Best Practices - Manage app versions effectively