Prepare and Submit Your Android Branded Mobile App

Ready to create and set up your own branded app on Android? This article will walk you through the necessary steps to help you submit your branded mobile app to the Apple App Store.

About This Feature

Branded Mobile fits into your audience’s existing routines, making it easier for them to learn and engage with your content — all on their own schedule. This means higher course completion rates, improved student satisfaction, and more revenue opportunities for your business.

The Thinkific team will work with you to build your own branded app and ensure that it is approved by Apple and Google. However, there are certain steps that need to be completed by you. These steps are outlined below.

Important Considerations

We strongly recommend creating your Google Play Console account as soon as possible. Creating a developer account in advance can help shorten the time it takes to submit the app.
For the Apple App Store instructions, see: Prepare and Submit Your iOS Branded Mobile App.

Step 1: Prepare and Grant Access to Your Android Branded Mobile App

First things first, you'll need a Google Play Console account! This is where the Thinkific team will build your Android mobile app and where you'll manage it.

Create a Google Play Console Account

Sign up for a Google Play Console account as an Organization. For step-by-step instructions, see Google's article: Register for a Play Console developer account.

There is a one-time fee associated with a Google Play Console account. A paid account is required in order to distribute your app on the Google Play Store.

You will need to register for a Google Play Developer account as an Organization. A Personal account will not provide the necessary access levels.

Finish Setting Up Your Developer Account

Complete Google's verification steps which are required to submit your app for review and publish it on the Play Store.

In Google Play Console, navigate to the Home page from the left sidebar
In the notification banner with the heading Finish setting up your developer account, follow the prompts to verify your identity and verify your organization's website

Create Your App

To get started we'll create your app in Google Play Console.

In Google Play Console, select the All Apps page from the left sidebar
Click Create app
On the next screen, complete the following details:
1. Under App Name, enter your app name as you want it to appear in the app store
2. Under Default language, select your app’s default language
3. Under App or game, select App
4. Under Free or paid, select Free
5. Under Declarations, check each box
Click Create app

Grant Thinkific Access to Your Account

To help build and submit your app to the Google Play Store, Thinkific will need access to your account.

In your Play Console, select Users & Permissions on the left-hand side
Select Invite New Users
Enter the following information:
1. Email: svc-mobileapp-mgt@thinkific.com
2. Access Expiry Date: leave unchecked
Under Permissions, select the Account Permissions tab
1. Check the Admin (all permissions) box
2. Click on Invite User
3. Click the App Permissions tab
4. Click Add App
5. Select the app you created earlier and click Apply
6. Ensure the following options are selected:
  1. App Access: View App information (read-only)
  2. App Access: Edit and delete draft apps
  3. Releases: Release to productions, exclude devices, and use Play App Signing
  4. Release apps to testing tracks
7. Click Apply
8. Click Invite User
9. Confirm your selection by clicking Send Invite

The invite will be automatically sent to the Thinkific team. See this article for detailed information: Add developer account users and manage permissions.

Step 2: Set up your Google Cloud environment

These Google Cloud steps are new, if you have feedback please let us know!

Set up Google Cloud for Your Organization

In Google Cloud, click the menu icon on the top left corner
Scroll to the bottom of the side bar menu and select Google Cloud setup
Under the Production heading, click Start
Click Begin the setup
Follow the prompts to complete 'Task 1: Organization'
1. Note: Tasks 2-10 are not required at this time

Add an "Organization Policy Administrator" Role to Your Organization

Note: This step is not required for organizations that were created before May 3, 2024.

Select your organization's name from the resource selector beside the Google Cloud logo (it will show a building icon next to it, not 3 hexagons)
Click the Menu icon (3 lines), then IAM & Admin, then IAM
Click Grant Access
Under Add Principals, click the New principals input field and type in your Google account holder email address (the one you're already signed in with)
Under Assign Roles, click the Select a role drop down menu and type in "Organization Policy Administrator"
Click Save

Allow Service Account Key Creation for Your Organization

Note: This step is not required for organizations that were created before May 3, 2024.

Click the Menu icon (3 lines), then IAM & Admin, then Organization policies
In the Filter search bar, type or paste in "Disable service account key creation"
In the screenshot shown above, you'll see that two constraints are shown. You will need to complete the steps below for both constraints
Click the first Disable service account key creation
Click Manage Policy
Under Policy source, select Override parent's policy
Under Rules, if there is an existing Rule, click the trash can icon to delete it
Click Add a rule
Under Enforcement, select Off
Click Set policy
Repeat steps 4-10 for the second Disable service account key creation constraint

Create a Google Cloud Project

We use a Google Cloud Project to store information related to your app.

In Google Cloud, click the drop down menu beside the Google Cloud logo in the top left corner
Click New Project
In the Project name field, enter your app's name
1. Important: your app's name should match the name you input in your Thinkific admin so that we can identify your project from our side
Under Location, click Browse
Select the organization you created earlier
Click Create
Once your project is created, you'll see a notification under the bell icon
Click Select Project

Grant Thinkific Access to Your Google Cloud Project

Ensure your project/app's name is displayed beside the Google Cloud logo (it will show an icon of 3 hexagons beside it, not a building icon)
Click the Menu icon (3 lines), then IAM & Admin, then IAM
Click Grant Access
Under Add principals, enter our email: svc-mobileapp-mgt@thinkific.com
Under Assign Roles, click Select a role
Under Quick Access, click Basic
On the right column under Roles, click Owner
Click Save

If you are encountering an error while saving, see the Troubleshooting section at the bottom of this guide.

Step 3: Set Up In-App Purchases in the Google Play Store

If your website offers paid digital content to the general public, you will be required to include In-App Purchases. If all of your courses are free, are sold primarily to businesses (B2B), or are bundled with physical goods or services, you may be exempt from this requirement - please let Thinkific know as soon as possible if you think you may be exempt from requiring In-App Purchases.

Create a Payments Profile in Google Play

In your Play Console, open the Settings menu on the left-hand side
Select Payments profile
Create your payments profile. For more information, see: Create a payments profile

Reduce Your App Store Fees

This optional step allows you to reduce your app store fees from 30% to 15%. The Google Play Store offers reduced rates to qualified businesses. To enrol in this program, follow the instructions outlined here: Enrol in the Google Play Store 15% service fee tier.

Step 4: Launch Your App

App Approval and Launch

Once your app is reviewed and approved by Google, it will be ready to publish to the Google Play Store for your audience to access and download. Your Technical Team member will work with you to arrange your app's launch.

Troubleshooting

The 'Domain Restricted Sharing' organization policy is enforced

This organization policy is enforced by default depending on how and when your organization was created in Google Cloud.

To override this policy, follow the steps below:

In Google Cloud, select your organization’s name (it will show a building icon next to it, not 3 hexagons)
Click the Menu icon (3 lines), then IAM & Admin, then Organization policies
In the Filter search bar, type or paste in “Domain restricted sharing”
Click Domain restricted sharing
Click Manage Policy
Under Policy source, select Override parent’s policy
Under Policy enforcement, select Replace
Under Policy values, select Allow All
Click Done
Click Set Policy