Submit android app to play store for approval and not make it public yet

Question

I have quite a simple question, but I cannot find the answer.

I have made an Android app, and I want to check if Google will accept on the Play Store, but I'm not ready to release it. If google will make issues I want to know now before going further. Is there any way I can send it for approval, and then publish it at a later date?

I know I can do Alpha and Beta testing, but I don't know if that means Google will approve the app for the store.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Edit: The feature seems to have been renamed Managed publishing.

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There is a feature called Timed publishing which may be of help.

How does timed publishing work?

When you select timed publishing, your update needs to be processed before it can go live. Processing takes up to a few hours.

When your update is processed, you'll see a Go live button. When you select Go live, you'll make the update available on Google Play within a few minutes.

Answer 2

As there is no release "sign off" on google play, releasing an app to alpha or beta will trigger the whole process. You will get the malware scan as well as the pre-launch-report to tell you about stuff that didn't work.

There is nothing more that i know of.

Answer 3

You can upload your artifact (APK) in your artifact library, after the upload finishes the Google Play Console will tell you if your APK is valid for rollout. However once an artifact is uploaded it cannot be removed (at least I don't know how). The important thing is to NOT roll out your APK to avoid it to be listed as an app in the Play Store.

Answer 4

PlayStore doesn't have an "approval" phase like Apple's AppStore does, when you first launch your app it takes about six hours to be processed and appear to all PlayStore users.