How to Publish a Bubble.io App to the App Store and Google Play: A Practical Checklist
Building the app is only half the job; getting it approved is the other half. Apple and Google each have their own accounts, assets, privacy requirements and review rules, and a missed detail can cost days. This checklist walks through publishing a Bubble.io mobile app to the Apple App Store and Google Play, based on the requirements that trip founders up most often.
Note: store policies and Bubble’s mobile publishing flow change. Always confirm current requirements in Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines, Google Play Console help and Bubble’s documentation before you submit.
Step 1: Set up your developer accounts early
- Apple Developer Program: an annual membership (currently $99 per year). Enrolment as an organisation requires a legal entity and a D-U-N-S number, which can take time to obtain, so start early.
- Google Play Console: a one-time registration fee (currently $25). Newer personal accounts may be subject to testing requirements before production release, so read the current rules for your account type.
- Use accounts owned by you or your company, not your developer’s personal accounts. You must own the listing, reviews and revenue.
Step 2: Prepare your store assets
| Asset | Notes |
|---|---|
| App name and subtitle | Check availability, and keep it consistent with your branding |
| App icon | High-resolution, no transparency issues, no store-forbidden elements |
| Screenshots | Required sizes differ by device class and store; capture real screens |
| Description and keywords | Write for users first, then for search |
| Support URL and contact email | Must work and be monitored |
| Privacy policy URL | Required for virtually all apps |
| Age rating answers | Answer questionnaires honestly |
Step 3: Get privacy and data disclosures right
Both stores ask what data your app collects and why. Apple uses “App Privacy” labels, and Google uses a Data safety form. To fill these in accurately:
- List every data type you store: name, email, location, photos, purchase history, identifiers.
- List every third-party service that receives data: analytics, payments, AI providers, push notification services.
- Match your privacy policy to what you declared. Inconsistencies are a common cause of rejection.
If your app lets people create accounts, plan for in-app account deletion. Apple requires apps that support account creation to offer a way to delete the account from within the app, and Google has comparable expectations.
Step 4: Login rules
If you offer third-party social login, Apple’s guidelines require an equivalent privacy-preserving login option, which in practice often means adding Sign in with Apple. If the reviewer cannot log in, the app is rejected, so always provide a working demo account in the review notes, with sample data loaded.
Step 5: Payments and subscriptions
Stores have strict rules on how digital goods and subscriptions are sold inside apps, and on whether you may link to outside payment methods. These rules vary by region and have changed through court rulings and regulation, so read the current guidelines for the countries you target. Physical goods and real-world services usually follow different rules than digital content. Decide early, because it affects how your pricing and checkout are designed.
Step 6: Test like a reviewer
- Install the build on real iPhone and Android devices, not only simulators.
- Test poor connections, airplane mode, interrupted uploads and permission denials.
- Check every permission prompt: camera, location, notifications. Each needs a clear, honest purpose string.
- Try small and large screens, and both orientations if supported.
- Walk the whole journey: install, sign up, use the core feature, log out, delete the account.
- Remove placeholder text, test data and any broken links.
Step 7: Submit and respond to review
Submit the build with complete review notes: what the app does, demo credentials and anything that is not obvious, such as hardware requirements. If you are rejected, read the message carefully, fix the stated issue and reply politely through the resolution centre. Rejections are common and usually fixable.
The most common rejection reasons
- Broken or incomplete app: crashes, dead links, placeholder content.
- Login problems: reviewer cannot access the app.
- Privacy mismatches: policy and disclosures disagree with behaviour.
- Missing account deletion.
- Minimal functionality: an app that is just a thin wrapper around a website may be judged as lacking value.
- Payment rule violations.
- Misleading metadata: screenshots or descriptions that do not match the product.
After approval: updates and maintenance
Publishing is the start of a maintenance cycle. Bubble’s mobile tooling supports over-the-air updates for some changes, while others require a new store submission. Plan a release routine, monitor crash reports and reviews, and keep your Bubble plan and plugins up to date. Our guide to Bubble.io maintenance covers what ongoing care looks like.
See it in practice
Our Quranious case study describes a mobile application built on Bubble.io and published to the Apple App Store. For the technology overview, read our guide to the Bubble.io native mobile app builder, and use our MVP launch checklist for the wider go-live plan.
Frequently asked questions
How long does app review take?
It varies. Reviews often complete within a few days, but your first submission, an organisation account or a rejection can lengthen it. Do not schedule a marketing launch for the day you submit.
Do I need both stores?
Not necessarily. Launch where your audience is. Many founders start on one platform and add the other after validating demand.
Can I update the app after approval without a new review?
Some content and logic changes may be delivered over the air, but changes to native components, permissions or store listing details typically need a new submission. Check Bubble’s current documentation.
Next step
SA Solutions delivers mobile application builds on Bubble.io with launch-ready delivery to the Apple and Google stores. Book a free Idea Audit to scope yours.