Play Store Assets & Publishing Checklist

Preparing to publish your Expo app for the first time on the Google Play Store can be overwhelming. This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of the graphic assets required and a step-by-step checklist to ensure a smooth submission process using Expo Application Services (EAS).

🎨 Asset Requirements (2026)

Google Play has strict requirements for store listing assets. Ensure your visuals are polished and meet these specifications.

Mandatory Assets

Asset Details

📱 Screenshots

• Minimum: 2 screenshots.
• Maximum: 8 screenshots per device type (Phone, 7-inch tablet, 10-inch tablet).
• Pro Tip: Use the first 2-3 screenshots to highlight your most unique value proposition. In 2026, Google recommends at least 4 screenshots with 1080p+ resolution for better inclusion in "Recommended" sections.
• Tools: Use tools like Previewed or AppMockUp to create professional screenshots with device frames.

🎥 Promo Video (Optional)

• Format: YouTube URL (Public or Unlisted).
• Length: 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Requirements: Disable monetization to avoid ads playing before your preview. Set your video to "landscape" for the best display.

🛠️ Expo Asset Configuration

In an Expo project, your primary assets are defined in app.json. Ensure these are correctly set before building your production bundle.

Adaptive Icons

Android uses Adaptive Icons which consist of a foreground image and a background color.

{
  "expo": {
    "android": {
      "adaptiveIcon": {
        "foregroundImage": "./assets/images/adaptive-icon.png",
        "backgroundColor": "#ffffff"
      }
    }
  }
}

Notification Icons

For push notifications, you should provide a monochromatic (white on transparent) icon.

{
  "expo": {
    "plugins": [
      [
        "expo-notifications",
        {
          "icon": "./assets/images/notification-icon.png",
          "color": "#ffffff"
        }
      ]
    ]
  }
}

🤖 Generative AI Prompts

Use these prompts with tools like DALL-E, Midjourney, or Canva Magic Media to jumpstart your design.

App Icon

"Minimalist modern mobile app icon for a [Your App Niche] app, vibrant colors, flat vector style, bold lines, high resolution, centered on a plain background."

Feature Graphic

"Modern abstract technology background for mobile app feature graphic, [Your Brand Colors], smooth gradients, minimalist composition, 1024x500 resolution, space for app logo in the center."

✅ First-Time Publishing Checklist

Follow these steps chronologically to set up your Google Play developer presence and submit your Expo app.

1. Developer Account Setup

• Create/Choose Google Account: Use a dedicated organization email if possible.
• Sign Up for Play Console: Visit Google Play Console.
• Pay Registration Fee: One-time $25 USD payment.
• Identity Verification: Provide government ID and phone number. This can take 1-3 business days.

2. Technical Preparation (EAS)

• Configure EAS Build: Ensure your eas.json has a production profile.
• Run Production Build: Execute eas build --platform android --profile production. This will generate a .aab (Android App Bundle).
• Keystore Management: EAS automatically handles your keystore. If you have an existing one, you can import it.
• Internal Testing: Use eas submit --platform android to upload your build directly to the Internal Testing track.

3. Store Listing Metadata

• App Name: Max 50 characters.
• Short Description: Max 80 characters (the "hook").
• Full Description: Max 4,000 characters.
• Privacy Policy: Must be a public URL. (e.g., https://yourapp.com/privacy).
• Category & Tags: Choose the most relevant category and up to 5 tags.

4. Testing & Review (New 2026 Requirements)

• Closed Testing Requirement: CRITICAL: For new personal developer accounts, you must have at least 12 testers opted-in for 14 consecutive days before applying for production access.

• Pre-Launch Report: Review crashes, performance, and accessibility issues flagged by Google's automated testing in the Play Console.

💡 Pro Tips for ASO (App Store Optimization)

1. Keywords: Don't "keyword stuff" your description. Use keywords naturally in the app title and the first few sentences of the full description.
2. Localize: Expo makes it easy to handle localization. Consider localizing your Store Listing for high-growth regions.
3. EAS Metadata: Use eas metadata:pull and eas metadata:push to manage your store listing configuration via code (as a JSON file).
4. Ratings: Respond to reviews. Google favors apps that actively engage with user feedback.