app-release

name	app-release
description	Pre-submission audit for iOS App Store and Google Play Store. Run before every app release to catch rejection causes, verify metadata, privacy compliance, and platform-specific requirements. Covers Expo/React Native specifics, common rejection reasons, and store optimization.
user-invocable	true

App Release Readiness Audit

Senior mobile release engineer. Audits the app for store submission readiness, catching rejection causes before they happen.

When to Use

Run /app-release before every store submission. Nearly 40% of first-time submissions are rejected due to preventable issues.

Audit Process

1. Read the mobile plan (.claude/plan-mobile.md) to understand current state
2. Scan config files (app.json, package.json, Info.plist, AndroidManifest.xml) for missing or incorrect values
3. Run checklists platform by platform (iOS, Android, universal)
4. Check for common Expo/React Native pitfalls (privacy manifest, 16KB pages, etc.)
5. Generate a readiness report with PASS/FAIL/WARN per item

Report Format

## App Release Readiness Report

### Score: X/Y items passed

### FAIL (blocks submission)
- [ ] Item description — **Fix:** specific action

### WARN (risk of rejection)
- [ ] Item description — **Risk:** explanation

### PASS
- [x] Item description

Checklists

1. Developer Accounts & Legal

• Apple Developer account active ($99/year) — not expired
• Google Play Developer account active ($25 one-time)
• Tax and banking info complete (App Store Connect)
• All agreements signed (App Store Connect + Google Play Console)
• Privacy policy URL live and accessible — top 3 rejection cause
• Support URL live and accessible
• Terms of service / CGU URL live (if applicable)
• Contact email functional and responsive

2. App Identity & Bundle

• Bundle ID matches everywhere: app.json, Xcode project, App Store Connect, Google Play Console
• Version number follows SemVer (e.g., 1.0.0)
• Build number incremented from last submission
• App name consistent across app.json, stores, splash screen
• CFBundleDisplayName is the real app name (not "mobile" or placeholder)
• URL scheme registered and unique

3. App Store Assets

• App icon 1024x1024, no alpha channel, no transparency — instant rejection if wrong
• Android adaptive icon (foreground + background layers)
• Screenshots for ALL required device sizes:
  • iOS: 6.7" (1290x2796), 6.5" (1284x2778), 5.5" (1242x2208)
  • Android: phone + 7" tablet + 10" tablet (if supporting tablets)
• Screenshots show value proposition, not just UI
• First screenshot = core value in 3 seconds
• App preview video (optional, but increases conversion 20%+)
• App description under 4000 characters
• Keywords optimized (iOS: 100 char limit, comma-separated, no spaces after commas)
• Short description / subtitle concise and compelling

4. Privacy & Permissions (top rejection area)

iOS Privacy Manifest (required since iOS 17)

• PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy file included
• Privacy manifest aggregation enabled in Podfile.properties.json:

  { "apple.privacyManifestAggregationEnabled": "true" }
  

• Required Reason APIs declared (React Native typically needs):
  • NSPrivacyAccessedAPICategoryFileTimestamp — reason: C617.1
  • NSPrivacyAccessedAPICategorySystemBootTime — reason: 35F9.1
  • NSPrivacyAccessedAPICategoryDiskSpace — reason: E174.1
  • NSPrivacyAccessedAPICategoryUserDefaults — reason: CA92.1
• NSPrivacyCollectedDataTypes accurate (empty array if no data collected)
• NSPrivacyTracking set to false (unless using ATT)

Permissions (Info.plist / AndroidManifest)

• Every permission has a clear, user-facing usage description
• No unused permissions requested (Apple rejects for this)
• Camera/microphone/location only if app actually uses them
• No tracking without ATT prompt (iOS)

App Store Connect — App Privacy

• Privacy nutrition label filled accurately
• Data collection categories match actual behavior
• "Data Not Collected" only if truly zero data collection

Google Play — Data Safety

• Data safety section filled accurately
• Data types, purposes, and sharing disclosed
• Encryption status declared
• Data deletion policy described (if applicable)

5. Metadata Compliance

• Age rating questionnaire completed accurately (both stores)
• Category selection aligned with actual app functionality
• Copyright information filled (year + entity name)
• Content rating accurate (IARC for Google Play)
• No placeholder text in any metadata field
• No mention of other platforms ("also available on Android" in iOS listing)
• No pricing/availability claims that could become outdated

6. Technical Quality

Build

• Production build (not development) — no dev menus, no debug banners
• No crashes on cold start (test 10+ times)
• No crashes during normal navigation flows
• App size optimized (under 200MB for iOS cellular downloads)
• Android App Bundle format (.aab), not APK
• iOS built with minimum Xcode 15 / iOS 17 SDK
• Android targets API level 35+ (required from August 2025)
• 16KB page size support (Android 15+, required November 2025)

Testing

• Tested on PHYSICAL devices, not just simulators
• Tested on multiple screen sizes
• Tested with slow/no network (offline mode if applicable)
• Tested with system dark mode (even if app is light-only — no visual glitches)
• Tested with Dynamic Type / large text (accessibility)
• Tested with VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android)
• Memory usage under 100MB during normal use
• No memory leaks detected (Xcode Instruments / Android Profiler)

Performance

• App launches in under 3 seconds
• Smooth scrolling (60fps) in all lists
• No jank during navigation transitions
• No excessive battery drain

7. Deep Linking & Universal Links

• apple-app-site-association file deployed on web domain
• assetlinks.json file deployed on web domain
• AASA served with Content-Type: application/json
• AASA not behind redirects (Apple requires direct response)
• associatedDomains entitlement in iOS build
• Team ID in AASA matches Apple Developer account
• SHA-256 fingerprint in assetlinks matches Android keystore
• Deep links tested from Safari (iOS) and Chrome (Android)

8. App Review Preparation (top rejection area)

• Demo account credentials provided (if login required)
• Clear review notes explaining non-obvious features
• Contact information up to date
• If app requires specific hardware, explain in notes
• Screenshots of all features included in notes (for complex apps)
• Explain offline functionality if app works without network
• Explain any background activity

9. Monitoring & Analytics

• Crash reporting configured (Sentry, Crashlytics, etc.)
• Source maps uploaded for production builds
• Alerts configured for crash spike detection

10. Post-Submission

• TestFlight tested by real users before App Store submission
• Google Play internal testing track tested before production
• Phased rollout configured (Google Play: percentage rollout)
• Release notes written (user-facing changelog)
• Marketing materials ready (website, social media)

Additional Resources

• platform-guide.md — iOS, Android & Expo/React Native specific guidelines, checklists, and pitfalls
• rejections.md — Top rejection reasons with prevention strategies