Set up Apple Developer & Google Play Console accounts for app publishing

[teetangh]

Summary

Create and verify developer accounts on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store to enable app publishing. This is a prerequisite for CI/CD deployment (#38) and app store submission (#26).

Important: Both platforms require a D-U-N-S Number for organization accounts. Since both Apple and Google use the same D-U-N-S system, apply for it once and reuse across both platforms. Allow up to 30 days for D-U-N-S processing (5 days via Apple's lookup tool, up to 30 via D&B directly).

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Prerequisites

• Registered legal entity (Private Limited, LLP, etc.) — not a sole proprietorship, DBA, or trade name
• Certificate of Incorporation
• PAN card (for Indian entities)
• Registered business address documents
• A domain-associated email address (e.g., hello@familiarise.com)
• Public website associated with the organization

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Step 1: Obtain D-U-N-S Number (shared across both platforms)

The D-U-N-S Number is a unique 9-digit business identifier from Dun & Bradstreet, required by both Apple and Google for organization accounts.

• Check if your organization already has one: D&B Lookup or Apple's D-U-N-S Lookup
• If not found, request a free D-U-N-S Number (via Apple's tool: ~5 business days; via D&B directly: up to 30 days)
• Have business registration documents ready — D&B may contact you to verify business type, employee count, etc.
• Ensure the legal entity name and address on the D-U-N-S record exactly match what you'll use on Apple and Google — mismatches cause verification failures

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Step 2: Apple Developer Program

Cost: $99 USD/year

Account Creation

• Create an Apple Account (if not already) with two-factor authentication enabled
• Go to Apple Developer Program Enrollment
• Choose Organization enrollment type
• Provide: Legal Entity Name, D-U-N-S Number, website URL, phone number
• Confirm legal binding authority (must be owner/founder, executive, or senior lead)
• Verify identity using government-issued photo ID (passport or driver's license) via iPhone/iPad/Mac

Verification & Payment

• Wait for Apple verification (~3-5 business days)
• Agree to the Apple Developer Program License Agreement
• Pay $99 USD annual membership fee (prepaid cards and Apple Account balance not accepted)

Post-Enrollment

• Access App Store Connect at appstoreconnect.apple.com
• Create an App Store Connect API Key (needed for CI/CD — see Set up branching strategy & CI/CD pipeline (Globe.dev + GitHub Actions + Fastlane) #38)
  • Go to Users and Access → Integrations → App Store Connect API
  • Generate a key with "App Manager" role
  • Download the .p8 private key file (only downloadable once)
  • Note the Key ID and Issuer ID
• Create a Distribution Certificate
  • In Xcode: Settings → Accounts → Manage Certificates → Apple Distribution
  • Or via Apple Developer portal: Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles
• Create an App ID for com.familiarise.mobile
• Create a Provisioning Profile (App Store distribution type)

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Step 3: Google Play Console

Cost: $25 USD one-time

Account Creation

• Sign in to Google Play Console with a Google Account
• Enable 2-step verification on the Google Account
• Pay $25 USD one-time registration fee (prepaid cards not accepted)
• Choose Organization account type
• Provide: Organization name, D-U-N-S Number, developer email, phone number

Verification

• Verify email and phone via one-time passwords
• Ensure Google Payments profile name and address match D&B profile exactly
• Wait for Google to verify organization details (typically a few days)
• Complete Android developer verification if prompted (government ID + credit card under legal name)

Post-Enrollment

• Set up a Google Play Service Account (needed for CI/CD — see Set up branching strategy & CI/CD pipeline (Globe.dev + GitHub Actions + Fastlane) #38)
  • Go to Google Cloud Console
  • Create a service account with "Service Account User" role
  • Generate a JSON key file
  • In Play Console: Settings → API access → Link the service account
  • Grant "Release manager" permission
• Set up a Payments/Merchant profile for receiving payouts (if selling paid apps or IAP)
• Create the app listing for Familiarise

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Timeline Estimate

Step	Duration
D-U-N-S Number	5-30 business days
Apple verification	3-5 business days
Google verification	2-5 business days
Total (sequential worst case)	~6 weeks
Total (parallel after D-U-N-S)	~5 weeks

Start with the D-U-N-S Number immediately — it's the longest lead time and blocks everything else. Once you have it, Apple and Google enrollment can proceed in parallel.

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Dependencies

• Blocks Set up branching strategy & CI/CD pipeline (Globe.dev + GitHub Actions + Fastlane) #38 — CI/CD pipeline (needs API keys, signing certs, service accounts)
• Blocks App Store Publishing Prep #26 — App Store Publishing Prep (needs store access to create listings)

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References

• Apple Developer Program Enrollment
• Apple D-U-N-S Lookup
• Google Play Console Setup
• Google Play Account Requirements
• D-U-N-S Number for Google Play
• Android Developer Verification