Publishing Overview

Publishing your Median app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store is the final step from build to distribution. You can publish yourself using Median’s guides and build outputs, or use Median’s App Publishing Service so our team handles submission and store listings on your behalf.

To publish your app to the Apple App Store, you need an active Apple Developer Program membership and access to App Store Connect: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/ ($99 annual fee).

To publish your app to Google Play you need a valid Google Play Developer Account: https://play.google.com/apps/publish/signup ($25 one-time fee).

Related Documentation

App Publishing Options

Median's App Publishing Service

If you need help getting your app live in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, Median’s Publishing Team can publish your app on your behalf. Our Publishing Service includes a 100% money-back publishing guarantee. We publish using your existing developer accounts so the app stays under your brand.

What’s included:

• End-to-end submission to the Apple App Store and Google Play
• Creation of app store listings and high-quality screenshots, optionally using our Figma template: https://www.figma.com/community/file/1471925742378558731
• Secure preparation of keystores, signing certificates, and provisioning profiles
• Full configuration of OneSignal for iOS and Android, so you can start sending push notifications immediately
• On-device pre-release testing for iOS via TestFlight - no Mac or Xcode required
• You review and approve the app and all app store data before final submission
• Management of app review feedback with guarantee of approval\*

Website changes flow through to your app automatically. If a future store update is needed because of a core software update or native app changes you receive a reduced fee for the publishing service.

Example native app changes that require an update to the app stores, and corresponding approval:

• new app icon
• new splash screen image or animation
• addition of native plugins, including adding push notifications
• app store listing update including new screenshot images

To add App Store Publishing to your app, open the Services tab when viewing your app on our App Studio platform.

Account type - You must enroll as an Organization, not an Individual, to invite team members including our publishing team to publish your app to the Apple App Store on your behalf. If you have an Individual membership you can update to an Organization membership here: https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/updating-your-account-information/

Self-Publishing

You can also publish the app yourself:

• Use our Publishing Guide as your main reference
• Android: Upload the AAB from the Median App Studio directly to the Google Play Console
• iOS: Upload the IPA from the Median App Studio to App Store Connect via our API integration

You can add the publishing service later if you run into issues. The money-back guarantee only applies when our team handles the initial submission.

iOS - Apple App Store

For Median self-service publishing, the standard workflow is:

1. Open your app in the Median App Studio and go to Build & Deploy.
2. Click Configure in the iOS IPA section.
3. In Apple Developer API Connection, enter your Issuer ID and Key ID, and upload your Private Key (.p8) file.
4. In Bundle ID & App Store Connect App:
   • Register the Bundle ID for your app.
   • Create the App Store Connect app record in App Store Connect using that Bundle ID.
   • Verify the App Store Connect app record in Median App Studio.
5. In Signing & Upload Settings, select Distribution Profile and set Upload to App Store Connect to Automatic.
6. Build your iOS IPA in the Median App Studio (if Automatic Upload is not selected you can manually click "Upload" after the build is complete).
7. Wait for Apple to process the uploaded build in App Store Connect.
8. In App Store Connect, open TestFlight, resolve any required prompts, and add testers.
9. Before App Review, complete the App Store listing in App Store Connect, including metadata such as app name, subtitle, description, keywords, category, support URLs, app privacy details, age rating, review contact information, compliance questions, and screenshots for the required device sizes.
10. After testing and completing the App Store listing, select the processed build and submit it for App Review.

You do not need a Mac, Xcode, or Apple Transporter for this standard workflow. Xcode and Transporter are optional manual alternatives only.

Android - Google Play Developer Account

For Median self-service publishing, the standard Android workflow is:

1. Open the Google Play Console.
2. Click Create app and create the Google Play app record for your app.
3. Complete the required Play Console setup items, including store listing details, screenshots, app content declarations, content rating, target audience, privacy policy, and app access information.
4. Open your app in the Median App Studio and go to Build & Deploy.
5. Build your Android App Bundle (AAB) in the APK/AAB section.
6. Download the generated AAB file from the Median App Studio.
7. In Google Play Console, open your app and create a release for your chosen testing or production track.
8. Upload the AAB file to that release, complete any required release notes and review prompts, and submit the release for Google review.

Google Play Console is where you create the app record, manage store listing details, upload the AAB, configure testing and production tracks, and submit the app for review.

App Requirements

Our Publishing Guide includes detailed guidance and instructions to help you meet the quality standards required for approval on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Summary

Choose self-publishing with our Publishing Guide and your App Studio builds, or Median’s Publishing Service for end-to-end submission management and app store listing creation. In both cases you need to register for a corresponding Apple and/or Google developer account. Use the links above for store-specific steps and our Publishing FAQ for common questions.