If you're submitting your Android app to Google Play Store for the first time, Google requires that you manually upload it through their web user interface. After you have submitted it once through the web user interface, you will be able to use expo upload:android for subsequent submissions.
This page will guide you through creating an app in Google Play Console and uploading the first release.
- Open Google Play Console.
- Click the CREATE APPLICATION button. A modal will pop up.
- Select Default language, fill in the Title input and click CREATE.
- You'll be redirected to a new subpage where you can set Product details. You don't need to set them now, come back and do this later.
- Go to the App releases tab and scroll to the Internal test track section. Click the MANAGE button.
- Click the CREATE RELEASE button.
- Opt in to app signing by Google Play. Althought it's not necessary, this will let you upload your app if you somehow happen to lose your Android Keystore. Click the CONTINUE button.
- Click BROWSE FILES and choose the
.apk(or.aab) file from your computer to upload the archive.
- Once the upload completes, you'll see the archive type along with the Version code. The Version code is used to identify your app's releases. Each new release needs to have a unique Version code. If you're using the Expo Managed Workflow you can set this value in
app.json-expo.android.versionCode.
- Scroll down and click SAVE.
- You'll be redirected to the Review summary subpage. If you're using the Expo Managed Workflow you'll see the Errors section. Click VIEW ERROR MESSAGE to find out that you are required to have a privacy policy set. See another guide to learn how to do it - expo.fyi/missing-privacy-policy.
