Play Store Submission Guide

Step-by-step guide for publishing YouTubeWhitelist on Google Play Store.

Prerequisites

  • Google Play Developer account ($25 one-time fee)
  • Signed AAB file: app/build/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab
  • 7 screenshots (1080x2400) in fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/images/phoneScreenshots/
  • Feature graphic (1024x500) in fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/images/featureGraphic.png
  • App icon (512x512) in fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/images/icon.png
  • Privacy Policy URL: https://degipe.github.io/YouTubeWhitelist/privacy-policy/
  • App source code: https://github.com/degipe/YouTubeWhitelist

Step 1: Create App in Play Console

  1. Go to Google Play Console
  2. Click Create app
  3. Fill in:
    • App name: YouTubeWhitelist - Safe YouTube for Kids
    • Default language: English (United States)
    • App or game: App
    • Free or paid: Free
  4. Accept declarations and click Create app

Step 2: Store Listing

Main Store Listing

  • App name: YouTubeWhitelist - Safe YouTube for Kids
  • Short description (80 chars max): 
    Whitelist-based YouTube client for kids. Parents approve, kids watch safely.
  • Full description (4000 chars max): Copy from fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/full_description.txt

Graphics

  • App icon: fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/images/icon.png (512x512 PNG, ready)
  • Feature graphic: fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/images/featureGraphic.png (1024x500 PNG, ready)
  • Phone screenshots: Upload all 7 PNGs from fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/images/phoneScreenshots/
    1. 01_profile_selector.png — Profile selector
    2. 02_kid_home.png — Kid home screen
    3. 03_pin_entry.png — PIN entry
    4. 04_parent_dashboard.png — Parent dashboard
    5. 05_whitelist_manager.png — Whitelist manager
    6. 06_sleep_mode.png — Sleep mode
    7. 07_export_import.png — Export/Import

Hungarian Listing (optional)

  • Add Hungarian translation from fastlane/metadata/android/hu-HU/

Step 3: App Content (Policy Compliance)

Privacy Policy

  • URL: https://degipe.github.io/YouTubeWhitelist/privacy-policy/

Ads

  • Does your app contain ads?: No

App Access

  • All functionality is available without special access: Yes
  • Note: The app requires a YouTube Data API key which is built into the APK

Content Rating

  1. Start the IARC questionnaire
  2. Answer honestly:
    • Violence: None
    • Sexual content: None
    • Language: None
    • Controlled substances: None
    • User-generated content: Yes (YouTube videos, but filtered by parent whitelist)
  3. This will likely result in a PEGI 3 / Everyone rating

Target Audience and Content

  • Target age group: Select appropriate groups
  • Is this app primarily directed at children?: No
    • Important: The app is a parental tool — it is used BY parents FOR children
    • Selecting “Yes” triggers additional COPPA/GDPR-K requirements
    • The app itself does not collect data from children
  • Appeal to children: The app has a kid-friendly interface but is a parental control tool

Data Safety

Fill in the data safety form:

  • Does your app collect or share any user data?: No
    • The app stores data locally only
    • No data is sent to a server you control
  • YouTube API usage: Data is sent to Google’s YouTube API servers
    • Type: App activity (search queries, video requests)
    • Purpose: App functionality
    • Is this data processed ephemerally? Yes
  • Security practices:
    • Data is encrypted in transit: Yes (HTTPS)
    • Data deletion mechanism: Users can clear app data or uninstall

Government Apps

  • Is this a government app?: No

Financial Features

  • Does this app provide financial features?: No

Step 4: App Releases

Create Production Release

  1. Go to Production → Create new release
  2. App signing: Let Google manage app signing (recommended)
    • Upload your app signing key on first release
  3. Upload AAB: Upload app-release.aab (5.3 MB)
  4. Release name: 1.1.0 (versionCode 2)
  5. Release notes: Copy from fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/changelogs/2.txt

Countries and Regions

  • Select All countries (or specific countries as preferred)

Step 5: Review and Publish

  1. Go to Publishing overview
  2. Review all sections — each should show a green checkmark
  3. Click Send for review
  4. Google review typically takes 1-7 days for new apps

Post-Publication Checklist

  • Verify app appears in Play Store search
  • Test Play Store install on a device
  • Update GitHub README with Play Store badge/link
  • Monitor Play Console for crashes and ANRs
  • Respond to user reviews

Notes

  • The app uses YouTube Data API v3 which requires an API key built into the APK
  • OAuth consent screen has been published to Production mode in GCP Console
  • API key is restricted to YouTube Data API v3 only (no application restriction — needed for multi-device support)
  • F-Droid RFP submitted: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/rfp/-/issues/3586
  • GitHub Release v1.1.0: https://github.com/degipe/YouTubeWhitelist/releases/tag/v1.1.0

Assets Ready

All graphics are generated and ready to upload:

  • App icon: fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/images/icon.png (512x512)
  • Feature graphic: fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/images/featureGraphic.png (1024x500)
  • Screenshots: 7 PNGs in fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/images/phoneScreenshots/