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name mobile-app-store-prep
description Prepare a mobile app for App Store and Play Store submission. Covers app icons, screenshots, metadata, privacy policy, age ratings, and review guideline compliance. Use when the user is getting ready to publish their app.
standards-version 1.7.0

App Store Prep

Trigger

Use this skill when the user:

  • Wants to publish their app to the App Store or Play Store
  • Asks about app store requirements, screenshots, or metadata
  • Needs help with app icons, descriptions, or keywords
  • Mentions "publish", "submit", "app store", "play store", "release", or "store listing"

Required Inputs

  • Target stores: App Store (iOS), Play Store (Android), or both
  • App name: final display name (may differ from project name)
  • Current state: has the app been submitted before, or is this the first release

Workflow

  1. App icon requirements.

    Platform Size Format Notes
    iOS 1024x1024 px PNG, no alpha Single icon; iOS generates all sizes
    Android 512x512 px PNG, 32-bit Used in Play Store listing
    Adaptive (Android) 108x108 dp foreground + background PNG For launcher; configure in app.json

    In Expo app.json:

    {
  "expo": {
    "icon": "./assets/icon.png",
    "android": {
      "adaptiveIcon": {
        "foregroundImage": "./assets/adaptive-icon.png",
        "backgroundColor": "#FFFFFF"
      }
    }
  }
}

    Tips: no transparency on iOS (Apple rejects it), no text in the icon (does not scale), test on dark and light wallpapers.

  2. Screenshot requirements.

    iOS (App Store Connect):

    Device Size (portrait) Required
    iPhone 6.7" (15 Pro Max) 1290 x 2796 Yes (at minimum one set)
    iPhone 6.5" (11 Pro Max) 1242 x 2688 Recommended
    iPhone 5.5" (8 Plus) 1242 x 2208 Only if supporting older devices
    iPad Pro 12.9" 2048 x 2732 Required if iPad app

    Minimum 1 screenshot, maximum 10 per device size. First 3 are visible in search results.

    Android (Play Console):

    Type Size Required
    Phone 320-3840 px, 16:9 or 9:16 Min 2, max 8
    Tablet 7" 320-3840 px If targeting tablets
    Tablet 10" 320-3840 px If targeting tablets
    Feature graphic 1024 x 500 Required

    Tips: use real device screenshots with a clean status bar, or design marketing frames. Tools: Fastlane screengrab/snapshot, or design in Figma with device frames.

  3. App metadata.

    iOS:

    Field Limit Notes
    App Name 30 chars Shown below icon; cannot include generic terms alone
    Subtitle 30 chars Appears below name in search
    Keywords 100 chars Comma-separated, not visible to users
    Description 4000 chars Not indexed for search; sell the app
    Promotional Text 170 chars Can update without new build
    What's New 4000 chars Release notes

    Android:

    Field Limit Notes
    App Name 30 chars Title in Play Store
    Short Description 80 chars Shown in listing header
    Full Description 4000 chars Indexed for search

  4. Privacy policy. Both stores require a publicly accessible privacy policy URL. Must cover:

    • What data is collected
    • How data is used
    • Third-party services (analytics, crash reporting, ads)
    • Data retention and deletion policy
    • Contact information

    Set in app.json:

    {
  "expo": {
    "ios": {
      "privacyManifests": {
        "NSPrivacyAccessedAPITypes": []
      }
    }
  }
}

    And provide the URL in App Store Connect / Play Console.

  5. Age rating / content rating.

    • iOS: Fill the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect (violence, language, etc.). Apple updated the age rating system in January 2026; review your responses.
    • Android: Complete the content rating questionnaire in Play Console (uses IARC system)

    Both are required before the first submission.

  6. Review guideline checklist. Common rejection reasons:

    Issue Platform How to avoid
    Crashes on launch Both Test on real devices, not just simulators
    Placeholder content Both Remove "lorem ipsum" and test data
    Missing login credentials iOS Provide demo account in review notes
    No privacy policy Both Add URL before submitting
    Misleading metadata Both Screenshots must show actual app UI
    External payment links iOS Do not link to web payment outside IAP
    Missing App Tracking Transparency iOS Add ATT prompt if using IDFA
    Missing AI disclosure iOS If using AI, explain what it does and what data it uses
    Target API too low Android Must target latest or latest-1 API level (API 36 from Aug 2026)

  7. Version numbering.

    {
  "expo": {
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "ios": {
      "buildNumber": "1"
    },
    "android": {
      "versionCode": 1
    }
  }
}
    • version (semver): displayed to users in the store
    • buildNumber (iOS): must increment for each upload to App Store Connect
    • versionCode (Android): must increment for each upload to Play Console

Key References

Example Interaction

User: "I'm ready to publish my app. What do I need?"

Agent:

  1. Runs mobile_validateStoreMetadata to check app.json for missing fields
  2. Reviews icon size and format
  3. Lists required screenshots per device
  4. Checks for privacy policy URL
  5. Walks through metadata fields (name, description, keywords)
  6. Reminds about age rating questionnaire
  7. Points to mobile-ios-submission or mobile-android-submission for the actual submission flow

MCP Usage

Step MCP Tool Description
Validate metadata mobile_validateStoreMetadata Check all required store fields are present
Build for store mobile_buildForStore Create production build (EAS Build)
Check build health mobile_checkBuildHealth Verify project compiles before building

Common Pitfalls

  1. Icon with alpha channel on iOS - Apple rejects icons with transparency. Export as PNG with a solid background.
  2. Screenshots from simulator with debug overlay - Status bars with debug info, development banners, or Expo Go branding will get rejected.
  3. Forgetting buildNumber / versionCode increment - Each upload must have a higher number than the previous. Build will be rejected otherwise.
  4. Generic app name - Apple rejects names like "Calculator" or "Weather" that are too generic. Add a unique qualifier.
  5. Missing privacy manifest on iOS - iOS 17+ requires declaring API usage reasons. Expo handles common ones, but custom native code needs manual entries.
  6. Screenshots not matching current UI - Both stores reject screenshots that misrepresent the app. Update screenshots with every major UI change.

See Also