How to Upload Appinventor App to Google Play

Apps yous create in App Inventor may exist added to the Google Play Shop.

The procedure is not difficult but at that place are many steps to the procedure and you will need to create some graphic images to illustrate and promote your app in the store.

Summary of the Steps

• Set your app'southVersionCode andVersionName.
• Apply for a Google Programmer account (one time fee of US $25 after which you can upload an unlimited number of apps, forever).
• Create at least two and up to viii screenshots of your app for brandish in the store'southward app listing.
• Create a "feature graphic" and a high resolution icon for use in the store list.
• Use the App Inventor provided keystore file, or use a keystore file you have created elsewhere or previously.
• Build and export your app as a .apk file to your calculator.
• Create a title for your app in the store
• Write a clarification for your app to appear in the store
• Decide on complimentary versus paid (paid requires a "merchant account" to be prepare).
• Upload your apk file, keystore file, epitome files and title and description, and provide some additional information (such equally product category, pricing, and target audition).

Detailed Steps

• Prepare your app'sVersionCode andVersionName. Open your app in App Inventor. Select theScreen1 component in the Designer and and so refer to the Properties ofScreen1, at the right side of the screen. At the lesser of the backdrop list, you should see aVersionCode andVersionName items. TheVersionCode is a decimal number indicating the version of your app. It starts at one, and every time you revise the app for submission to the Google Play store, it must exist incremented by one such that the next upload is "2", then "iii" and and then on. Separately, y'all tin can enter a text version proper name – this may contain annihilation you want it to comprise. Well-nigh developers will apply one.0, ane.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc, to signal minor updates, and then alter that 2.0 for the adjacent major update.
• Sign upwardly for a Google developer account – https://play.google.com/apps/publish/signup/ – or login into your existing developer business relationship.
• Create a set of screen snapshots subsequently installing and running the app on your phone.  On my phone, I simultaneously printing the Power button and the Volume Down button and Android creates a screen snapshot image or photo of my screen. I utilise that to create screen snapshots of various screens in my app. Then I either email the photo files to myself and download on my estimator, or connect up my phone over USB and copy files. If your app may also run on a tablet, you will demand to create screen snapshots on a tablet device. Specifics on screen snapshots as quoted from Google:
  • "JPEG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha)
  • Minimum dimension: 320px
  • Maximum dimension: 3840px
  • The maximum dimension of your screenshot tin can't be more than twice as long as the minimum dimension."
• Pattern your feature graphic and high resolution icon. For this you volition need some graphic software. Y'all can create images using painting programs, or GIMP (free), but there are likewise commercial drawing and analogy programs that may practice a better job (just cost coin). If you lot do not know how to utilize these painting or drawing programs, you will need to learn how to utilise them – or if y'all are lucky, may exist you take a friend that does graphic design!
  For your characteristic graphic:
  • JPEG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha)
  • Dimensions: 1024px past 500px

  For your icon graphic:

  • 32-bit PNG (with alpha)
  • Dimensions: 512px past 512px
  • Maximum file size: 1024KB"
• Create your app's Title (up to 30 characters)
• Create your app'south production description (up to 4000 characters)
• Make up one's mind your app'south price. App's that start out equally gratis will always remain free (can not change to a paid app later on). However, to have a paid app you must set up a "merchant account" with Google (non described in this tutorial – y'all will see information on setting upwards a "merchant account" in the Pricing & Distribution section of the Google Play list management – come across analogy beneath).
• Download the .apk file to your computer. In App Inventor, open your project and and so select Build | App (save .apk file to my figurer).
• About keystore files.In App Inventor, the Projects menu has options to import and export keystore files. A keystore file is a digital signature that uniquely identifies the app. If you lot have a keystore file you from elsewhere (such as creating Java apps in Android Studio or Eclipse), y'all and import that file here. If you practice not have a keystore file, App Inventor will create one for you and associate it with your business relationship. When you Build apps in App Inventor, your .apk files will be "signed" with this keystore file.A keystore file is a unique digital signature. If y'all afterwards wish to update your app, you must provide the original keystore file. If y'all lose the keystore file, then y'all volition non be able to update the existing app in the store (although yous could yet delete information technology or remove it from the store).  This also means that you would lose any user reviews or comments near your app. Therefore, store and backup your keystore file to a safe place. I store mine on 2 computers plus accept a copy located in a deject storage system. A LOST KEYSTORE FILE CAN NEVER BE RECOVERED; ONCE LOST, IT IS LOST FOREVER.You can apply Projects | Export keystore to salvage a re-create on your reckoner; employ Import keystore to load an existing keystore file into App Inventor and and so Build your .apk file.
• Upload your .apk file and other "assets" to the Google Play shop. Later on your file is uploaded (optionally you may skip the .apk upload and move to the product clarification, if y'all wish, and then upload the .apk afterward). As you can come across, you tin can proceed down a set of options at left to incrementally add each of the required files and data to the shop listing.
  
• Other issues – if your app targets Android devices running Android OS earlier 4.0, then you also need to create a 180×120 pixel "promo graphic". Meet the screen shots and icon reference, below.

As you lot tin can run into, none of these steps are super difficult but they may be time consuming! The hardest parts are likely to be doing the graphic design for your feature graphic and high res icon files, and setting up a merchant account if you intend to accuse a price for your app.

Additional References

• Sign upward for a developer account – https://play.google.com/apps/publish/signup/
• How to register for a programmer account – https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-programmer/answer/6112435?hl=en
• Getting Started with Publishing – http://developer.android.com/distribute/googleplay/start.html
• App Inventor specific:  http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/ai2/google-play.html
• Google'due south bank check list to preparing a store list:http://developer.android.com/distribute/tools/launch-checklist.html
• Google'southward specifications for screen shots and icon images: https://back up.google.com/googleplay/android-programmer/answer/1078870
• Google's information on designing promotional graphics for use as the "featured graphic" and the high resolution icon:  http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2011/10/android-market-featured-paradigm.html

How to Place Your App Inventor Apps in the Google Play Store was originally published on App Inventor two - Larn to Code!

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Source: https://sites.google.com/site/rkgetsweb/place-your-app-inventor-apps-in-the-google-play-store

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