Launch checklistThe app launch checklist that ships you on day one.
What's inside
Six phases, from build complete to live in stores.
Product & QA
21 tasks
Store listing prep
14 tasks
Privacy & compliance
11 tasks
Submit to stores
13 tasks
Day-one playbook
8 tasks
Total tasks
67 tasks
Two paths
Track it yourself, or let Newly do the compliance for you.
Track it yourself
Free interactive checklist below
Tick items off as you work through them. Progress saves to your browser, you can filter by App Store or Google Play, and you can export the whole list to Markdown to share with your team.
Open the checklistOr let Newly handle it
Compliance forms, filled for you
If you build with Newly, we generate your privacy policy, fill in the App Store Privacy and Google Play Data Safety forms based on the SDKs your app actually uses, ship the right Privacy Manifest, and produce store-ready screenshots and metadata for both stores.
Build with NewlyInteractive
Tick the boxes, keep your progress.
Filter by store, tick items off, export to Markdown when you’re done. Saves locally in your browser — no account needed.
1. Product is finished — really
Before you touch App Store Connect or Play Console, prove the app actually works for someone who is not you.
2. App testing checklist
A repeatable QA pass that catches the issues every reviewer notices first.
3. App store listing prep
The metadata that decides whether anyone clicks Install. Most rejections start here.
4. Legal & policies
The boring docs Apple and Google check before they even open the app.
5. Publish app to app store
The actual click-the-button steps. Plan for at least one rejection and you will be pleasantly surprised when there is not one.
6. Launch day & after
Most of the failure modes happen in the first 48 hours. Have a plan.
Reality check
The 5 things that get apps rejected on the first submission.
Missing in-app account deletion
Required by both stores since 2024. If users can sign up inside the app, they must be able to delete their account inside the app — not via a support email.
Reviewer can't sign in
If your app has authentication, attach a working test account in the App Review notes. Phone-OTP-only flows must include a special test number.
Privacy declarations don't match SDKs
If your app uses PostHog, Sentry, RevenueCat, or any analytics SDK, every data type they collect must appear in your App Privacy and Data Safety declarations.
Screenshots don't show real content
Apple specifically rejects screenshots that look like marketing mockups instead of the actual product. Show real screens with real (or realistic) data.
Straight from the source
The official Apple and Google guidelines behind every item.
Apple App Store
- App Store Review Guidelines
The full rulebook App Review uses. Sections 2 (performance), 4 (design), 5 (legal) cover most rejections.
- Manage app privacy in App Store Connect
Step-by-step for filling out the App Privacy questions Apple shows on your product page.
- App privacy details on the App Store
The full taxonomy of data types and use cases behind the privacy "nutrition label".
- Screenshot specifications
Required iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro sizes for App Store Connect.
Apple updates the Review Guidelines on a rolling basis — re-check the date stamp before a major submission.
Google Play
- Google Play Developer Policy Center
The umbrella policy: restricted content, monetization, store listing, spam, malware.
- Prepare your app for review
The App content page that gates publishing: privacy policy, ads, target audience, content rating.
- Provide info for the Data safety section
How to fill out the Data Safety form so Play stops blocking your release.
- Meet Google Play's target API level requirement
The targetSdkVersion floor required to publish or update apps on Google Play.
Many Play policies link to short interstitial sub-policies — open the page and follow each linked section.
Tooling
Free tools to finish every line on the checklist.
Skip the compliance grind. Let Newly fill the forms.
Newly turns a one-line description into a complete React Native & Expo app with a real codebase you own — and then handles the tedious bits: privacy policy, App Store Privacy nutrition labels, Play Data Safety form, Privacy Manifest, and ready-to-upload AAB / IPA bundles for both stores.