Set up Google Play Console

Before you can publish your app, you need to create it in the Google Play Console and set up a Service Account for automatic uploads.

The easy way: guided from inside the app

You don’t have to read this guide end to end. BLOCQ walks you through account creation step by step right inside the app: Admin → Publish app → Choose platform. There you get a short explanation per step, the matching “Open” buttons, and you can always return here for more detail.

BLOCQ acts as your tour guide, not a clerk: you create the account yourself on Google’s official sites (BLOCQ never sees your credentials) — we just explain exactly what to do.

Overview

Step	What’s done	Duration
1. Developer Account	Create Google Play Developer Account (incl. identity check)	15 min – a few days
2. Create App	Create app listing in Play Console	~15 min
3. App Details	Fill in required information	~30 min
4. Service Account	Service account for automatic uploads	~20 min

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Step 1: Google Play Developer Account

If you don’t have a Google Play Developer Account yet, you need a Google account and must pay the one-time registration fee of $25.

1. Go to play.google.com/console/signup
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Choose the account type (Personal or Organization)
4. Accept the developer agreement
5. Pay the one-time fee of $25 via your Google Payments profile
6. Complete the identity verification and finish your developer profile

Plan time for identity verification

Since 2024/2025 Google requires identity verification for new developer accounts. You provide or upload:

• your legal name, address and phone number,
• a linked Google Payments profile (also used for the $25 payment),
• for individuals, possibly an official ID document.

The check can take a few minutes to a few days. So start early enough.

One-time Payment

The $25 registration fee is a one-time payment. After that, you can publish unlimited apps.

Just testing? Free account without ID

If you only want to test your app or share it with a few people first, Google offers a free account without ID verification. With it you can distribute your app to up to 20 devices — all you need is an email address to get started. For a public release on the Play Store you’ll later need the regular (paid, verified) account.

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Step 2: Create App in Play Console

1. Open the Google Play Console
2. Click Create app (top right)
3. Fill in the form (see table below)
4. Accept the declarations (program policies, US export laws)
5. Click Create app

Field	Description	Example
App name	Your app’s name in the store	”My Club App”
Default language	Primary language of the app	English
App or game	Type of application	App
Free or paid	Pricing model	Free

Set Package Name

The Package Name (e.g., com.yourcompany.app) is set automatically and cannot be changed later. Make sure it matches your organization.

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Step 3: Fill in App Details

After creating the app, you’ll see the Dashboard. Google requires various information before you can publish.

Complete Required Tasks

Website Required!

You need a publicly accessible website with:

• Privacy Policy - Required for all apps
• Support Contact - Email or contact form

How to create a Privacy Policy:

1. Use a generator (free, GDPR-compliant):
   • eRecht24.de (German)
   • Datenschutz-Generator.de (German + English)
2. Host the page for free:
   • Tiiny.host (super easy - upload HTML, done)
   • GitHub Pages
   • Or on your existing website

Go to Set up your app and click View tasks:

Task	Description
Privacy policy	URL to your privacy policy (Required!)
App access	Does the app require login?
Ads	Does the app contain advertising?
Content rating	Questionnaire for age rating
Target audience	Who is the app for?
News app	Is it a news app?
COVID-19 contact tracing	Relevant for health apps
Data safety	What data does the app collect?
Government apps	Operated by a government?
Financial features	Does the app contain financial features?

Create Store Listing

Go to Store presence → Main store listing:

Element	Requirements
App name	Max. 30 characters
Short description	Max. 80 characters
Full description	Max. 4,000 characters
App icon	512 x 512 px, PNG (32-bit)
Feature graphic	1024 x 500 px
Screenshots (phone)	Min. 2, max. 8 (16:9 or 9:16)
Screenshots (tablet)	Optional, recommended

Generate Texts Automatically

You don’t have to write the app name, short description and full description yourself! BLOCQ can automatically generate these texts with AI - optimized for better discoverability in the store. More about ASO Metadata →

Creating Screenshots

Use the built-in Screenshot Studio in BLOCQ to create professional store screenshots. With 10 pre-made template suites and a visual editor, you can create impressive marketing graphics in minutes. Go to Screenshot Studio →

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Step 4: Set up Service Account

A Service Account allows BLOCQ to upload updates automatically.

4.1 Create Google Cloud Project (if needed)

If you’re using Firebase, you already have a Google Cloud Project. Otherwise:

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Click Create Project
3. Enter a name and click Create

4.2 Enable Google Play Developer API

1. Go to the Google Play Developer API
2. Select your project
3. Click Enable

4.3 Create Service Account

1. Go to Service Accounts in Google Cloud Console
2. Click + Create Service Account
3. Enter Name: “blocq-publisher” and Description: “Service Account for BLOCQ App Publishing”
4. Click Create and Continue
5. Skip role assignment (click Continue)
6. Click Done

4.4 Download JSON Key

1. Click on the newly created Service Account
2. Go to the Keys tab
3. Click Add Key → Create new key
4. Select JSON and click Create
5. The JSON file is automatically downloaded
6. Keep this file safe!

Security

The JSON file contains sensitive credentials. Never share it publicly and store it in a safe place.

4.5 Grant Service Account Access in Play Console

1. Open the Google Play Console
2. Go to Users and permissions (left sidebar)
3. Click Invite new users
4. Enter the Service Account email address (find it in the JSON file under client_email, format: blocq-publisher@project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com)
5. Scroll to App permissions and click Add app
6. Select your created app from the list
7. Click Apply
8. The Permissions dialog opens automatically
9. Select Admin (all permissions)
10. Click Apply at the bottom
11. Click Invite user
12. In the confirmation dialog, click Send invitation

Important

In the “App permissions” step, you must explicitly select your app so the Service Account has access to it. Without this step, BLOCQ cannot upload updates.

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First AAB Upload (Internal Testing)

Important: First Upload Manual

The Google Play API cannot create new apps. You must manually upload the first AAB file before BLOCQ can perform automatic updates.

1. Go to your app in the Play Console
2. Navigate to Release → Testing → Internal testing
3. Click Create new release
4. At App integrity → Choose Google-managed signing (recommended)
5. Upload the AAB file (downloaded from BLOCQ)
6. Add Release notes
7. Click Review release
8. Click Start rollout to Internal testing

Add Testers

1. Go to Release → Testing → Internal testing
2. Click on the Testers tab
3. Create a new email list or add testers
4. Share the Opt-in link with your testers

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Checklist

Before returning to BLOCQ:

• Google Play Developer Account created
• App created in Play Console
• Required tasks completed (privacy, age rating, etc.)
• Store listing with screenshots and description
• Service Account created
• JSON key downloaded and stored safely
• Service Account granted access in Play Console
• First AAB manually uploaded (Internal testing)

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Common Problems

”Service Account has no permission”

Cause: The Service Account wasn’t properly invited in the Play Console.

Solution:

1. Check if the email address is correct
2. Make sure the “Admin (all permissions)” role is assigned
3. Wait 24 hours - permissions can take time to become effective

”No app found”

Cause: The app doesn’t exist in the Play Console yet or the Package Name doesn’t match.

Solution:

1. Create the app in the Play Console first
2. Make sure the Package Name in BLOCQ matches the Play Console

”Release track not found”

Cause: No release has ever been created for this track (e.g., Production).

Solution:

1. Upload the first AAB manually
2. Create at least one release in the desired track

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Next Steps

Publish App Back to the publishing wizard

Set up App Store Connect iOS setup for Apple App Store