Launching Your Institute's App on Google Play and the App Store: A Checklist
What you need before your institute's app goes live on Google Play and the App Store: accounts, names, icons, screenshots, privacy and review.
Seeing your institute's name on Google Play and the App Store is a proud moment. Getting there is mostly paperwork. This checklist helps it go smoothly.
1. Developer accounts
- Google Play: a Google Play Console account has a one-time registration fee and identity checks. An organisation account needs your business details.
- Apple App Store: the Apple Developer Program has a yearly fee. Organisation accounts need a D-U-N-S number for your business, which can take some days to get.
Start these first; they take the longest. Check each store's current fees and requirements before you apply.
2. Name and identity
Choose an app name that matches your institute's name and is not already taken. Keep it short so it isn't cut off under the icon. Have your logo in high resolution.
3. Icon and screenshots
- An app icon at the sizes each store asks for, simple enough to read at small size.
- Screenshots of real screens: the home screen, a lecture, a test result, a live class.
- A short description: what students get, in plain words, in the first two lines.
4. Privacy and data
Both stores ask what data your app collects and why. You will need a privacy policy on your website that matches what the app actually does, such as storing names, phone numbers and test results to run the course.
5. Payments
If you sell courses inside the app, read the store's current rules on digital purchases. Apple generally requires its in-app purchase for digital content sold in iPhone apps. Plan prices with any store commission in mind.
6. Review
Both stores review apps before they go live. Reviews can ask for a test account, so prepare a demo student login with sample content. Most rejections are about missing information, not the app itself, and are fixed quickly.
7. Launch
- Tell current students first and help them install.
- Put store badges on your website and posters.
- Ask happy students for an honest review in the first weeks.
8. Keep it updated
Stores expect apps to keep up with new phone versions. Plan for regular updates rather than a one-time launch.
With Lariyo, we prepare and submit your branded apps and handle updates; you provide your name, logo and accounts. See apps for every device.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to get an app on the App Store?
Usually a few days to a couple of weeks, depending mostly on developer account approval. Store review itself is often quick.
Do I need a company to publish an app?
An organisation account under your institute's name is best, so the app shows your institute as the publisher.
