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Publishing Dobbscoin Wallet to Google Play Store

This guide walks you through the steps to sign and publish the Dobbscoin Wallet app to the Google Play Store.

Prerequisites

  • Android Studio installed (or command-line build tools)
  • Java JDK 17 or higher
  • A Google account for the Play Developer Console

Step 1: Create Your Signing Keystore

The keystore contains your private key used to sign the app. Keep this file and passwords secure - if lost, you cannot update your app.

Option A: Using Android Studio

  1. Open Android Studio
  2. Go to Build → Generate Signed Bundle / APK
  3. Select Android App Bundle (recommended) or APK
  4. Click Create new... under Key store path
  5. Fill in the details:
    • Key store path: Choose a secure location (e.g., ~/keystores/dobbscoin.jks)
    • Password: Create a strong password
    • Key alias: dobbscoin (or your preferred name)
    • Key password: Create a strong password (can be same as keystore)
    • Validity: 25+ years recommended
    • Certificate info: Your organization details
  6. Click OK to create the keystore

Option B: Using Command Line

keytool -genkey -v -keystore dobbscoin.jks -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 -alias dobbscoin

You'll be prompted for:

  • Keystore password
  • Your name, organization, city, state, country
  • Key password

Store Your Credentials Securely

Create a keystore.properties file (DO NOT commit to git):

storeFile=/path/to/dobbscoin.jks
storePassword=your_keystore_password
keyAlias=dobbscoin
keyPassword=your_key_password

Important: Back up your keystore file and passwords in a secure location. Consider using a password manager.

Step 2: Configure the Build for Signing

Edit wallet/build.gradle

Add the signing configuration to the android block:

android {
    // ... existing config ...

    signingConfigs {
        release {
            def keystorePropertiesFile = rootProject.file("keystore.properties")
            if (keystorePropertiesFile.exists()) {
                def keystoreProperties = new Properties()
                keystoreProperties.load(new FileInputStream(keystorePropertiesFile))

                storeFile file(keystoreProperties['storeFile'])
                storePassword keystoreProperties['storePassword']
                keyAlias keystoreProperties['keyAlias']
                keyPassword keystoreProperties['keyPassword']
            }
        }
    }

    buildTypes {
        release {
            signingConfig signingConfigs.release
            minifyEnabled true
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
}

Step 3: Set Up Google Play Developer Account

  1. Go to Google Play Console
  2. Sign in with your Google account
  3. Pay the one-time $25 registration fee
  4. Complete the account details:
    • Developer name (shown on Play Store)
    • Contact email
    • Website (optional)
  5. Accept the Developer Distribution Agreement

Step 4: Build the Release App Bundle

Option A: Using Android Studio

  1. Open the project in Android Studio
  2. Go to Build → Generate Signed Bundle / APK
  3. Select Android App Bundle
  4. Select your keystore and enter passwords
  5. Choose release build variant
  6. Click Finish

The AAB file will be at: wallet/build/outputs/bundle/release/wallet-release.aab

Option B: Using Command Line

cd androidbob

# Clean and build
./gradlew clean

# Build release AAB (requires keystore.properties configured)
./gradlew :wallet:bundleRelease

The AAB file will be at: wallet/build/outputs/bundle/release/wallet-release.aab

Verify the Build

# Check the AAB was created
ls -la wallet/build/outputs/bundle/release/

# Optionally verify the signature
jarsigner -verify -verbose -certs wallet/build/outputs/bundle/release/wallet-release.aab

Step 5: Create Play Store Listing

In Google Play Console:

  1. Click Create app
  2. Fill in app details:
    • App name: Dobbscoin Wallet
    • Default language: English (US)
    • App or game: App
    • Free or paid: Free

Store Listing Content

Use the prepared content from the market/ directory:

Asset File Dimensions
App icon market/market-app-icon.png 512x512
Feature graphic market/market-feature-graphic.png 1024x500
Screenshots market/screenshot-*.png Various
Short description market/market-promo-text.txt Max 80 chars
Full description market/market-description.txt Max 4000 chars

Required Information

  • Privacy Policy URL: Host the PRIVACY_POLICY.md file and provide the URL
  • Category: Finance
  • Content rating: Complete the questionnaire (likely "Everyone")
  • Target audience: 18+ (financial app)

Step 6: Upload and Submit

Upload the App Bundle

  1. In Play Console, go to Release → Production
  2. Click Create new release
  3. Upload the wallet-release.aab file
  4. Add release notes (e.g., "Initial release of Dobbscoin Wallet")

Complete Required Sections

Before you can submit, complete all sections marked with warnings:

  • Store listing (graphics, descriptions)
  • Content rating questionnaire
  • Pricing & distribution
  • App content (privacy policy, ads declaration, etc.)
  • Target audience and content

Submit for Review

  1. Review all sections show green checkmarks
  2. Click Review release
  3. Click Start rollout to Production

Google's review typically takes 1-3 days for new apps.

Post-Publication

Monitor Your App

  • Check the Play Console dashboard for crashes and ANRs
  • Respond to user reviews
  • Monitor for policy violation warnings

Updates

To publish updates:

  1. Increment versionCode and versionName in wallet/build.gradle
  2. Build a new signed AAB
  3. Upload to Play Console under a new release

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"App not signed correctly"

  • Ensure you're using the same keystore for all releases
  • Verify the signing config in build.gradle

"Target SDK too low"

  • Current target SDK is 35 (Android 15), which meets requirements

"Missing privacy policy"

  • Host PRIVACY_POLICY.md on a public URL and add to store listing

Build fails with ProGuard errors

  • Check proguard-rules.pro for missing keep rules
  • Review build output for specific class issues

Security Reminders

  1. Never share your keystore - it's your app's identity
  2. Back up your keystore - losing it means you can't update the app
  3. Use Google Play App Signing - Consider enrolling for additional protection
  4. Keep credentials out of git - Use keystore.properties (gitignored)

Support

For technical issues with the Dobbscoin Wallet codebase, refer to:

  • Repository documentation
  • Issue tracker

For Google Play publishing issues: