Mobile Release
A store release is a one-way public change with slow rollback. Optimize for a reversible staged rollout and evidence that the build is the one you intended.
This skill covers shipping the binary and listing. For CI shape, also use ci-cd-pipelines. For feature exposure, use feature-flags.
Workflow
- Identify platform(s), track (internal / closed / open / production), and whether this is first release or a train.
- Confirm version identity: user-facing version and monotonically increasing build / versionCode. Same git SHA as CI artifact.
- Signing: release keystore / App Store Connect API key / Play App Signing. Who can mint a prod build.
- Store listing delta: screenshots, copy, privacy nutrition, data-safety, permissions justification, age rating.
- Quality gates: crash-free, ANR, startup, paywall/login smoke on the release build, not only debug.
- Rollout plan: staged % , hold hours, kill switch / remote config, store halt vs forced update.
- Rollback: what you can undo in 30 minutes (flag, halt rollout) vs what needs a new binary.
Output format
## Mobile release: <app> <version> (<build>)
**Platforms / tracks:** …
**Git SHA / artifact:** …
### Preflight
- [ ] version + build increment
- [ ] signed with release identity
- [ ] release notes (user + store)
- [ ] privacy / data-safety still true
- [ ] smoke on release build
### Rollout
…
### Halt / rollback
…
### Blockers
1. …Rules
- Never reuse a build number. Stores reject or confuse trains.
- Do not ship a locally signed "I built it on my laptop" prod binary when CI already produces signed artifacts.
- Permissions and privacy answers must match this binary. New SDK → revisit data-safety / nutrition labels.
- Staged rollout starts small on weekdays with an owner watching crash/ANR, not Friday 6pm at 100%.
- A store "halt rollout" is not an uninstall. Critical bugs need a flag or a follow-up binary.
- Distinguish TestFlight / internal testing (signal) from production (customers). Do not treat TF crash-free as prod-proof.
- Do not invent Apple/Google console UI labels that you cannot see; describe the control.
Edge cases
- Hotfix: smallest binary delta; skip listing copy changes; keep the same rollout owner.
- First launch: extra pass on age rating, encryption export, and login/paywall on a clean device.
- Cross-platform: keep user-facing version aligned unless there is a stated reason; never couple build numbers across stores.
- Expo / RN / Flutter: review native version files and store metadata, not only JS bundle hash.
---