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Prerequisites

Before setting up your app in Google Play Console, ensure you have:
  • A Google Play Console developer account ($25 one-time payment)
  • Your app’s package name ready (from app.json)
  • Your app configured and ready for production builds
You need a Google Play Console developer account to publish apps and test in-app purchases. The $25 registration fee is a one-time payment.

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Create your app in Google Play Console

1

Create new app

  1. Open Google Play Console
  2. Select All apps > Create app

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App details

  • Select a default language and add your app name as it should appear on Google Play
  • Specify whether your application is an app or a game
  • Specify whether your application is free or paid
  • Add an email address for Play Store users to contact you

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Declarations

  • Acknowledge the “Developer Program Policies” and “US export laws” declarations
  • Accept the Play App Signing Terms of Service
  1. Click Create app
You’ll be redirected to your app’s dashboard page after successful creation.
2

Complete app setup

When the app is created, you’ll be taken to the app’s Dashboard page.
  1. Click View tasks in the Finish setting up your app section
  2. Complete all required tasks in the checklist:
Let us know about the content of your app:
  • Set privacy policy
  • App access
  • Ads
  • Content rating
  • Target audience
  • Data safety
  • Government apps
  • Financial features
  • Health
Manage how your app is organized and presented:
  • Select an app category and provide contact details
  • Set up your store listing
You must complete all required tasks before you can upload your app or proceed with testing. Some tasks may take time to process.
All tasks should show as completed in your dashboard before proceeding to the next steps.

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Configure license testing

To test in-app purchases, you need to configure license testing for your development and testing accounts.
1

Access license testing settings

  1. Open Google Play Console
  2. In the sidebar, click Settings
  3. Scroll down to find License testing under Monetization and click it
2

Configure test accounts

  1. Choose license testers: Add the email addresses you want to use for testing
  2. Make sure the account you’re using on your Android testing device is added to the testers list
  3. License response: Select RESPOND_NORMALLY
  4. Click Save changes
Add multiple test accounts to test different scenarios. You can add up to 20 test accounts for license testing.
Your test accounts will receive purchase responses as if they were real purchases, allowing you to test the complete purchase flow.

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Create production build

Before proceeding to closed testing, you need to create a production build of your app.
1

Build for production

Build your app for production using EAS Build:
eas build -p android --profile production
This command creates a production-ready Android App Bundle (.aab) file that you’ll upload to Google Play Console.
2

Track build progress

Monitor your build progress using one of these methods:
  • Open the URL printed in the terminal, or
  • Visit the EAS dashboard
  • Select your newly created production build
Production builds typically take 10-15 minutes to complete, depending on your app’s complexity and current build queue.
3

Download build artifacts

When the build completes:
  1. Under Build artifacts, click Download to get the .aab file
  2. Save the file to a secure location on your computer
You now have a production-ready Android App Bundle that you can upload to Google Play Console for closed testing.
Keep your production build (.aab file) secure and don’t share it publicly. This file contains your app’s production configuration and should only be uploaded to Google Play Console.