Launch plan · Mobile apps
Where to launch a mobile app
A mobile launch is gated by the stores. Registration, identity checks, testing rules and review all take time, so the store work starts weeks before any public announcement.
01
Six weeks out: store accounts and testers
Open the developer accounts early and recruit testers, because the stores set their own timelines.
Google Play
New personal accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before production access.
Account registration fee, $25 one time
Apple App Store
Enrol in the Apple Developer Program ($99 a year) and allow time for app review.
Account registration fee, $99 a year
02
Launch week: one board and one community
Once the app is live in the stores, give one launch board a planned day and answer every comment.
03
First month: lasting discovery
Add listings that keep working after the launch spike.
AlternativeTo
People search it for replacements to apps they already use. Standard review can take months, or $5 for priority.
Free + paid options, paid from $5 priority review
itch.io
For games and experimental apps; uploading is free and you choose the revenue share.
Commission on sales, Open revenue share, set by you
Before you start
- Link to the store pages from your own site, so launch traffic lands somewhere you control.
- Collect screenshots and a short video once; the stores and launch boards all ask for them.
Fees, queues and rules change. Every channel page shows when it was last checked and links to the site's own pages.
See every channel for mobile apps