Publish your custom mobile app on the Play Console (Android)

  • Updated

If you use a mobile app branded with your own colors and name, we need to publish it through your developer account in Google Play Console. This article explains how to do that.

This will allow you to receive all the updates, features and improvements of our 360Learning mobile app, automatically.

Prerequisites

You need to have an active and validated developer account in Google Play Console. You can follow Google’s official documentation in this article:

In particular, you will need a DUNS number, which is an identifier provided by Dun & Bradstreet to verify businesses. You can request one for free, but the process may take up to 30 days. In France, requesting a DUNS number requires a SIRET number. Read this article ↗ for more information (section "Creating a developer account for an organization").

Step 1: Create the app

Follow the steps in Google’s official documentation ↗. Here it is, paraphrased:

  1. Go to https://play.google.com/console/developers/ and connect with your developer account.
  2. In the tab Home, click Create app.
  3. Give a name (this is the name that will appear publicly, it will remain identical when the app is updated).
  4. Choose a Default language
  5. In App or game, select App.
  6. In Free or paid, select Free.
  7. Check all Declarations.
  8. On the bottom right, click Create app.

Step 2: Grant access to 360Learning

This will allow us to update the app directly in your account, and request validation from Google, without requiring manual actions from you.

We need access to 2 email addresses that will be provided by your Customer Success Partner or your Solution Expert. You can find more info about inviting users in Google’s official documentation ↗.

  1. Go to https://play.google.com/console/developers/ and connect with your developer account.
  2. In the left sidebar, click Users and permissions.
  3. On the top right, click Invite new users.
  4. In Email address, enter the first email address provided by your Customer Success Partner or your Solution Expert
  5. In App permissions, click Add app, select the name of the app created in the previous step, and click Apply.
  6. Select the first option Admin (all permissions).
  7. At the bottom right, click Apply.
  8. At the bottom right, click Invite user.
  9. Click Send invite.
  10. Repeat from step 1, and enter the second email address provided by your Customer Success Partner or Solution Expert at step 3.

Step 3: Wait for Google’s validation

The initial publication of the app, and all its future updates, require validation from Google (to make sure the app complies with their Developer Program Policies).

This review is done by humans and can take several days to complete.

Once the app is validated, we will automatically publish and update the custom 360Learning app for you.

If the app is rejected, you will receive a message with the explanation. The following section describes how to handle rejections.

Handle rejections

The rejections we’ve seen so far come from a misunderstanding of the group self-registration feature — incorrectly interpreted as an account creation feature. If that happens to you, we’re sharing below a template answer that you can use (note that they only respond to appeals in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean).

If you’re facing rejection for a different reason, contact us; we’ll help you solve the issue. You can also find more info in Google’s help article.

Issue found: Invalid data deletion section on your Data safety form

  • The User Data - Account Deletion Requirement requires that if your app allows users to create an account from within your app, then it must also allow users to request for their account to be deleted. Developers are required to complete an accurate Data safety form that discloses their account creation practices.

    You have declared that your app does not allow users to create an account in your app’s Data safety form and we’ve detected that there is account creation available.

    Issue details

    We found an issue in the following area(s):

    • Policy Declaration - Data Safety Section: "You have provided log-in credentials in Play Console, indicating presence of app account."

    To bring your app into compliance, follow these steps:

    Please make changes to align your app’s data deletion section within the Data safety form with the app’s behavior. This can be done by either:

    • Updating your Data safety form in to declare account creation, or

    • Removing account creation functionality from your app or libraries used in your app. Additionally, remove any test login credentials that may have been shared in Console.

    If there are issues with your answers to the data deletion questions in your Data safety form, you can temporarily proceed with app and Data safety form updates by clicking “remove answers” in your responses to the Data safety form and filing for an extension.

    For helpful resources, you can:

    • Learn more about our Account Deletion Policy for Google Play’s Data safety section

    • Read through our Help Center for more details and FAQs.

    • Watch the Google Play PolicyBytes - Data safety form walkthrough.

    • Check Google Play SDK Index to see if your SDK provider has shared a link to their data safety guidance. Review how any third-party code (such as third-party libraries or SDKs) in your app collects and shares user data.

    About the User Data - Account Deletion Requirement

    The User Data - Account Deletion Requirement, requires that if your app allows users to create an account from within your app, then it must also allow users to request for their account to be deleted.

    An app account is a unique user identity that developers provide as a user-facing feature to serve the user across applications and devices (can often include use of usernames, email-addresses and passwords). App accounts generally include a mechanism to verify an identity, such as password, phone number OTP (one-time password), 2FA (two-factor authentication), biometric, SSO (single sign-on), and so on.

    All developers must complete the data deletion section within the Data safety form for every app detailing whether they allow users to create an account or not. Your app must be in compliance with this policy. If your app continues to be non-compliant, your app may face additional enforcement actions in the future.

Suggested answer

Hello Google review team,

You have declared that your app does not allow users to create an account in your app’s Data safety form and we’ve detected that there is account creation available.

We are appealing this decision, because we think there was a misunderstanding.

The mobile app doesn't provide any account creation feature.

There is a SELF-REGISTRATION button on the login screen, but it only displays a pop-up stating that an administrator must be reached to get an account. The end-users can't create an account from the app, he must get it from an administrator.

Could you please review the app again? 

Have a nice day,

<Your company name> team

 

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