App Release Checklist

Everything you need to get your app live on the web and the stores!

So, you've vibe-coded something cool for your phone with Bolt.new. What's next? How do I get this to the app stores? Let's talk about that.

We'll divide this into a few different phases. Take things one step at a time, there's a handful of little and somewhat bigger things to do, but you'll get through them :).

How to use

Do whatever works for you, but I like to copy this markdown into a new Issue in your app's Github repo. That way, you can check it off as you go!

1. Finishing touches to your code in Bolt

You could technically do these after downloading your project, but might as well do them here, especially the parts that Bolt can generate for you

• Create an icon and splash screen image, add them to your project. Follow the guide here: https://docs.expo.dev/develop/user-interface/splash-screen-and-app-icon/
  • Our Figma template (above link) is really helpful for the layout. You can draw your own icon, use tools in Figma, or even ask ChatGPT to generate a logo with a transparent background.
• Create a Privacy Policy page (URL: /privacy)
• (Optional) Create an /about page for your store listing
• (Optional but recommended) Connect your Bolt project to Github

2. Sign up as a developer for the stores

You'll need accounts with Google and Apple in order to publish to the stores. It can take a little time to get these fully-enabled, so, once you have something you want to publish, sign up for these first

• Sign up for the Apple Developer program ($99 USD/year)
• Sign up as a Google Play developer ($25 USD one-time)

3. Build and deploy (and test!)

Download your app to your computer to run the deployment commands (use the file export or Github connection)

All

• If there's any features you can't test in Expo Go, add those and create a Development Build to wrap up development.

iOS

• Run npx testflight to build your iOS app and submit it to the App Store for testing and eventual release
  • Check your email to confirm that your app submitted successfully to Testflight
• Download Testflight, add the code from your email, and test your app

Android

• Run eas build --profile production --platform android to build your Play Store-ready app
• Create a store listing at https://play.google.com/console, upload your app to the "Internal" track to start testing, and use the link to install it
  • Another option: use the preview build profile to create an APK file you can sideload.
  • NOTE: new Play Store developer accounts will need to meet pre-release testing requirements before final release Learn more

Web

• Run npx expo export --platform web to build your web project
• Run npx eas-cli deploy --prod to deploy to web.

Optional

• Consider integrating EAS Update so you can make many bugfixes without resubmitting to the stores.

3. Get your assets and copy in order

You'll need a handful of images and some text while filling out your store listing. Let's make them now.

Screenshots

Recommendation: Use https://app-mockup.com/ (free) to create the correct sized screenshots with borders/designs, so you can use any device's screenshots when making them

iOS

• One screenshot matching the size of the iPhone 16 Pro Max (1320 x 2868px)
• (if targeting iPad) one screenshot matching the 13" iPad (2048 × 2732px)

Android

• Two screenshots with a 9x16 pixel ratio or more vertically (basically any Android phone)

Others

App Store / Play Store

• Store description
  • Let Bolt or ChatGPT generate this for you!

Play Store

• 512 x 512px version of the icon
  • resize the iOS icon in macOS Preview or MS Paint
• 1024 x 500px feature graphic
  • Ask ChatGPT to generate one based off your app icon
• Short description (up to 80 characters)

4. Submit to the stores!

With everything in order, just fill everything out until the App Store and Play Store let you submit!

App Store (iOS)

• Go to App Store Connect to complete the store listing that was automatically created for you
  • In the main page ("1.0" release), add your screenshots, description, review information, and select the build that was uploaded via npx testflight
  • In App Information, set your app name (must be unique), category, and age rating
  • In App Privacy, set your privacy policy URL, indicate any data you collect, and click Publish
• On the main page, click Add for Review to submit!

Play Store (Android)

• On the Play Store Console, go to the app you created earlier.
• Start on the Dashboard and keep clicking into all the tasks until they're done:
  • Setup privacy policy, content rating, all the disclosures about news apps, government apps, etc.
  • Set contact details
  • Setup store listing (you'll use your screenshots, feature graphic, icon, description, and short description here
  • At the very bottom of the Dashboard, click on "Select countries and regions" to set app availability
• Under Test and Release -> Testing -> Internal, choose your release and promote it to Production.
• Back on Dashboard, submit for review!

Appendix

Tools and accounts you'll probably use as you complete these steps

• Create a Github account.
• Download Github Desktop (there's other ways, but Github Desktop is super-easy; just a few clicks and you'll be syncing between Bolt and your desktop)
• Download Visual Studio Code (you'll use this to edit a few files)
• Create an Expo account (you'll use this to build and publish your app)