A launch checklist for Filipino app makers
The App Store and Google Play basics nobody tells you in one place. Accounts, testers, privacy policy, screenshots, review, and what to do on launch week.
Building the app is the part you planned for. Getting it into the App Store and Google Play is the part that surprises people: the accounts, the forms, the testers, the policy pages, the reviews.
None of it is hard, but a lot of it takes calendar time you cannot skip. This is the checklist we wish every first-time Filipino app maker had before they started. It is general on purpose. Store rules change often, so treat each item as a reminder to check the current official guidance, which we link from our Resources page.
If you want to tick these off as you go, we also have an interactive launch checklist that saves your progress in your browser.
Start these early, because they take time
Developer accounts
- Apple Developer Program. Needed to publish on the App Store and use TestFlight. It is a yearly membership (at the time of writing, US$99 a year; check Apple's site for the current fee). Enrolling as an organization requires a D-U-N-S number for your company, which can take a while to obtain. Enrolling as an individual is faster, but your personal name appears as the seller.
- Google Play Console. A one-time registration fee (US$25 at the time of writing). Google verifies developer identity, and organization accounts need business details.
Personal Google Play accounts have a testing requirement. Newer personal developer accounts must run a closed test with a minimum number of testers, opted in for a minimum number of days, before they can apply for production access. When we last checked it was 12 testers for 14 days in a row. Read the current rule in Play Console Help and plan for it. Two weeks is easy to lose if you only find out on launch day.
Your business identity
If you plan to publish as a company or take payments, sort out registration early. See our plain map to registering a business in the Philippines. Your developer account name, your privacy policy and your support email should all point to the same entity.
Build: the things reviewers check
A privacy policy, at a real URL
Both stores require a privacy policy link, and it must accurately describe what your app collects. In the Philippines, the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173) applies to how you process personal data, and the National Privacy Commission publishes guidance for businesses. Write it in plain language. Say what you collect, why, who you share it with, how long you keep it, and how users can reach you or delete their data.
The privacy forms in each store
- App Store: the App Privacy section in App Store Connect, which becomes the privacy "label" on your product page.
- Google Play: the Data safety form in Play Console.
These must match your privacy policy and what the app actually does, including what your SDKs (analytics, crash reporting, ads) collect. Mismatches are a common reason for rejection.
Account deletion
If your app lets people create an account, both stores expect a way to delete it. Apple requires users to be able to start deletion from within the app. Google Play also asks for a web link where users can request deletion. Build it before you submit, not after a rejection.
Sign-in and demo access
If reviewers need to log in, give them a working demo account in the review notes. A login wall with no test credentials is one of the most common rejections. If you offer third-party or social sign-in on iOS, read the App Store Review Guidelines section on login services before you submit.
Payments
If you sell digital goods or features inside the app (unlocks, subscriptions, coins), the stores generally require their own in-app purchase systems. If you sell physical goods or real-world services (food delivery, a haircut, a parcel), you can usually use your own payment provider such as GCash, Maya, PayMongo or Xendit. Read the payments sections of both stores' policies for your exact case before you build checkout.
Test with real people
- iOS: TestFlight. Invite internal testers from your team, then external testers by email or a public link. The first build for external testers goes through a short beta review.
- Android: internal and closed testing tracks in Play Console. Use them for the tester requirement above.
Recruit testers who match your real users, not just fellow developers. Give them three specific tasks and a way to report problems (a group chat works). Our community board has a section for finding testers, and the Discord is a good place to swap: test someone's app, they test yours.
The store listing
- Name and subtitle that say what the app does, not just the brand.
- Screenshots in the sizes each store requires. Check App Store Connect Help and Play Console Help for current dimensions; requirements change as new devices ship. Show real screens with a short caption on each, starting with the main benefit.
- Description in plain words. Lead with who it is for and what it helps them do.
- App icon that is readable at small sizes.
- Category, age rating questionnaire, and content declarations. Answer them honestly; they affect who can find and install your app.
- Support URL and contact email that actually work.
Submit and review
- Submit earlier than you think you need to. Reviews are often quick but not guaranteed, and a rejection plus fix can add days.
- Read rejection notes carefully and reply politely in the resolution center. Most rejections are fixable in a single round.
- Consider a manual release so you choose the exact moment the app goes live.
Launch week
- Tell your first testers first. They are your warmest audience.
- Post in the communities where your users already are, following each group's rules.
- Record a 45-second voice pitch on Icreatechs about what you built and who it is for. See how to pitch in 45 seconds.
- List it on the Icreatechs showcase through Submit, so other builders can find, try and share it.
- Ask your first users for honest reviews, but never offer rewards for ratings. Both stores prohibit that.
After launch
- Watch crash reports and reviews daily for the first two weeks.
- Reply to reviews, especially the bad ones. Future users read your replies.
- Ship a small update quickly. It shows the app is alive.
- Keep the privacy policy and store forms in sync whenever you add an SDK or new data collection.
Launching is not the finish line. It is the moment real feedback starts. Bring it to the community and keep building.
Something out of date? Fees and rules in the Philippines change. If you spot a number that has moved, tell us in the community and we will fix it.