To build, publish, and maintain your Branded Mobile App, GroupApp needs developer access to two accounts registered in your name: an Apple Developer Program account and a Google Play Console account. This article explains why, exactly what access we ask for, and what we do with it. The step-by-step guides linked at the bottom walk you through granting it.
Apple and Google both require apps to be published by the business behind them, and neither store allows a development partner to publish community apps on a customer's behalf from its own account. Publishing from your own developer accounts also means:
Your business name is shown as the developer on both store listings, rather than ours.
Ratings, reviews, and install numbers accumulate on your account and are visible to you in App Store Connect and Play Console.
Any in-app purchase revenue is paid to you directly by Apple and Google, into your own payout details.
Apple Developer Program — 99 USD per membership year, renewed annually. Required for the App Store.
Google Play Console — 25 USD one-time registration fee. Required for Google Play.
That is the full list. You do not need a Google Cloud project, a Firebase project, a Codemagic account, or a Mac — we handle all of the build and release infrastructure on our side.
Enrolling as an organization? Both Apple and Google verify business accounts using a D-U-N-S number for your legal entity. It is free, but Dun & Bradstreet can take up to 30 days to issue one, so start this first. See How to Set Up Your D-U-N-S Number for Your Branded App.
In both cases you invite the same email address: [email protected].
App Store Connect (Apple) — the Admin role. On an organization account this includes Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles automatically.
Google Play Console — Admin (all permissions) at the account level.
You remain the Account Holder on Apple and the account owner on Google throughout. Neither role is transferred to us, and on Google it cannot be.
Admin is the lowest role that works. Store submission, signing certificates, and API credentials all sit behind it — lower roles such as App Manager or Developer cannot create the API keys our build pipeline needs, which would mean coming back to you for manual steps on every single release.
Create your app records, bundle ID, and package name on both stores.
Generate the signing certificates and provisioning profiles your app is built with.
Set up the publishing credentials that connect your accounts to Codemagic, the build service we use to compile and ship your app.
Upload builds, complete the technical parts of your store listings, and submit for review.
Ship updates as GroupApp releases new features, and respond when Apple or Google change their requirements.
We do not add, change, or access your banking, tax, or payout details.
We do not sign legal agreements on your behalf — only the Account Holder can do that.
We do not publish any app other than your branded app from your accounts.
We do not change who holds your developer accounts, or add anyone else to them.
Request your D-U-N-S number if you are enrolling as a business. Start here — it is the longest lead time.
Create your Apple Developer Program and Google Play Console accounts.
Complete Apple's and Google's identity verification.
Invite [email protected] to both accounts using the guides below. On Apple there are two small extras only you can do: switching on App Store Connect API access, and clearing any pending agreements.
Send us your app name, icon, and branding assets.
We configure signing, connect Codemagic, build your app, and submit it for review.
You can revoke our access at any time from your own dashboards, without contacting us: remove the user in App Store Connect under Users and Access, and in Google Play Console under Users and permissions. Once access is removed we can no longer build, update, or resubmit your app, and any release in progress will stop — so please tell us first if it is only temporary.
Can GroupApp publish the app under its own developer account instead?
No. Apple and Google both require apps to be published by the business that operates the community and holds the relationship with its members. Publishing from our account would put your app at risk of rejection or removal.
Should I enrol as an Individual or an Organization?
We strongly recommend Organization on both stores. Your business name is shown as the developer, and — importantly on Apple — only organization memberships can give team members access to signing resources. On an Individual Apple membership, invited users can never be given access to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, which means we cannot sign or build your app at all.
Who pays the store fees?
You do, directly to Apple and Google, billed to your card. GroupApp's fees are separate and cover building and maintaining the app. Watch the Apple renewal each year — if the membership lapses, your app is removed from the App Store until it is renewed.
What is Codemagic?
Codemagic is the continuous-integration service GroupApp uses to compile branded apps and deliver them to the App Store and Google Play. Connecting it is a one-time setup we handle. You do not need a Codemagic account.
Do I need a Mac or any developer tools?
No. Everything on your side is done in a browser. All building happens on ours.
Is a Personal Google Play account a problem?
It can be. Personal accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with 12 testers opted in continuously for 14 days, then apply for production access, before the app can go live publicly. That can add several weeks to your launch. Organization accounts are not subject to this.
How long does all this take?
Account creation and verification is usually the longest wait, especially if you are waiting on a D-U-N-S number. Once your app is submitted, Google states that review can take up to 7 days for some accounts and occasionally longer; Apple does not publish a typical review time, but first submissions generally take longer than updates.
How to Add GroupApp to Your Apple Developer Account (App Store Connect)
How to Add GroupApp as an Admin to Your Google Play Console
Still unsure about anything? Message us at [email protected] and we will walk you through it.
