Where to Launch an Android App: Google Play, F-Droid and Other Stores
Launch an Android app on Google Play, and plan around its testing rule: a personal developer account created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days before it can apply for production. Add open testing for a soft launch, F-Droid if the app is open source, and Show HN or a community post that links the Play page.
How does the 14-day testing rule change an Android launch?
Google Play’s help page on testing requirements states that developers with personal accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with a minimum of 12 testers who have been opted in continuously for at least 14 days. Only then can you apply for production access from the Play Console dashboard. The page states the rule for that group of accounts, so check which kind and which date apply to yours before you plan around it.
That turns the first two weeks into the real launch. The testers are not a formality: they are the first users, the first bug reporters and, if you treat them well, the first reviewers. So start with the schedule and not the store page. Recruit the testers before you start the clock, make sure they know to stay opted in for the full period, and ship at least one update during it so they can see the app improving.
Which stores and channels are worth setting up?
Everything here was read on the platforms’ own pages on 13 November 2026, except where a site refused our automated check.
01 Google Play Console
The developer console for publishing to Google Play, where account, testing and listing live.
- Fee
- A one-time registration fee, per its help page
- Extra checks
- Its help pages include a section on device verification requirements for new developer accounts
- Listing text
- App name up to 30 characters; short description up to 80; the short description is the first text users see
Write the 80-character short description as the result a user gets, and put the keyword inside a sentence, not a list. The help page warns that repetitive or irrelevant keywords in the name or descriptions can lead to suspension.
The same page says that by publishing you license your icon, screenshots and videos to Google for promotion. Use images you are happy to see reused. The Google Play listing assets page covers the graphics you will be asked for.
02 Play closed and open testing
The testing tracks inside Play Console, one required for new personal accounts and one a soft launch.
- Closed test
- Required before production for affected accounts; start it after completing app setup
- Open testing
- Shows your test version on Google Play and lets anyone join and send private feedback
- Apply for production
- When 12 testers have stayed opted in for the preceding 14 days
Recruit from people who signed up on your site, from a friend group you can name and from a community post asking for testers. Give them a one-page note: what to try, what to report and how to leave feedback.
After production access, open testing lets a larger group try a newer build in public without replacing the main release. Use it for risky changes you want real devices to meet first.
03 F-Droid
A repository and app store for free and open-source Android apps, with a published inclusion policy.
- Rule
- Every app in the main repository must be free, libre and open-source software
- Fallback
- An app that does not meet the criteria can still be offered through a separate repository
- Fit
- Open-source apps whose users value privacy
It is a poor fit for an app that depends on closed libraries, ads or proprietary services, which the policy aims to exclude. If your app is open source, check each dependency against the policy before you apply, since one non-free dependency can block inclusion.
Its inclusion page also carries a banner saying Google is changing how people install apps, and asking for help. Whatever you think of that, read current Android installation rules before you build a plan on direct installs.
04 Samsung Galaxy Store
Samsung’s own store for Galaxy devices, documented on the Samsung Developers site.
- Documentation
- A Galaxy Store section with an overview and docs, plus a Seller Office
- What we read
- Only the overview page; we did not read its fees, review times or eligibility rules
- Fit
- Apps with Galaxy-specific features or a Samsung audience
A second store adds a second review and a second set of release notes to maintain. Add it only when you can see that Samsung users are a meaningful share of your testers or installs.
Check the seller registration page before you plan around it, because we could not verify what it requires.
05 Hacker News (Show HN)
A technical audience that likes an Android app with a clear implementation story and an easy way to try it.
- Guideline
- Something others can try, ideally without sign-ups or emails
- Cost
- Free to post; account needed
- Fit
- Utilities, developer tools and open-source apps
Link the Play open-testing page or a signed build from your repository, and state the minimum Android version. A reader who cannot install it will tell you in the first reply.
Do not post a store page that says coming soon. The guidelines call off topic anything that cannot be tried, and a waiting page is exactly that.
06 Android communities on Reddit
Subreddits where people ask for app recommendations and share ones they found.
- Access
- Reddit refused our automated check, so we state no community’s current rules
- Rule of thumb
- Read the rules and any self-promotion thread first
- Format
- Answer a request for a specific kind of app with yours, if it truly fits
Recommendation threads are the best use: someone asks for a habit tracker that works offline, and your app is one. Say you are the developer, say what it does not do and ask for feedback.
Do not post the same text in several communities on the same day. Moderators and readers notice, and the posts read as an advertisement.
07 Post your build ideas (our launch board)
A free board we run, where an Android app’s landing page gets a public listing and a comment thread.
- Cost
- Free; no account; no queue
- Going live
- One emailed link
- Limit
- A small audience; no promise of reach
List the landing page in the launch form during the closed test, and put the tester sign-up on it. Browse the Android app ideas and the ideas board for the kinds of products people propose.
Keep the Play link on the landing page rather than in the launch: a published launch is final, so you change the button there when production opens and the launch keeps working.
Which store did we leave out, and why?
For the plan across both mobile platforms, see the mobile apps page, and for the dated steps the playbook for launching an Android app. The how to publish an app on Google Play guide covers the console screens.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need 12 testers to publish an Android app?
Only for personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023, per Google Play’s help page: they must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in continuously for 14 days, then apply for production access. We read the rule only for that group, so check the help page for your own account type and date.
Is F-Droid a good second store for my app?
Only if your app is free, libre and open-source software, since its inclusion policy requires that for the main repository. Check every dependency against the policy first. An app that does not qualify can still be offered through a separate repository. For closed-source apps, F-Droid is not the place to spend time.
Can I use open testing as a soft launch?
Yes. Google Play’s help page says open testing surfaces your test version on Google Play and lets anyone join and submit private feedback. It suits a wider trial of a new build once your closed test is done. Say clearly in the listing that it is a test, and read the feedback.
Post your build ideas publishes this page and runs a free launch board that competes with some of the sites it names. Facts about other sites came from their own pages on the date shown above; terms, queues and prices change, so confirm on their sites before you decide. About the publisher.