Creation of Google Play Store access

This document describes the procedure for granting AppScho the rights to publish an application on the institution's Google Play Store account.

This document describes the process for granting app publishing permissions on the institution's Google Play Store account to AppScho.

These permissions are necessary for the release of any alpha and beta versions to the institution (for testing purposes) as well as for the final release of the app.

Creation of the Store List

Warning

Google regularly makes aesthetic, navigational and wording updates. As a result, the procedure below may not be accurate.

To avoid any risk of error, we ask you to carefully read the following points:

Elements may have been moved or hidden in a drop-down list for example. Make sure to look into your whole screen.

The wording of the sentences on the screenshots and your browser, some titles, section names or paragraphs can be modified to be more explicit.

In case the procedure is no longer valid or "broken", please stop the procedure and contact us.

Go to your Google Play Console account, in the "All apps" section

Click on "Create an application".

Choose the main language of the application and enter the name of the application in the Title field (this name can be changed and translated at any time), then indicate below that it is an application and that it is free.

Further down the creation page, please read and accept the "Program Rules" for developers and the "United States Export Laws" for publishing the application

At this point you arrive at the console's Dashboard

Scroll down the page to the "Initial Setup > Configure Your Application" section and click on "View Tasks".

Now click on "Access to applications" to be redirected to a form

Then click on "All features are available without special access" and on "Save".

Return to the dashboard by clicking just above the title "Access to applications".

Now click on the "Announcements" section just below "Application Access" to go to the next form

Indicate in this new form that the application does not contain ads by clicking on "No, my application does not contain ads" then on "Save".

Return to the dashboard by clicking just above the title "Ads".

Now click on the "Target" section just below "Content Classification" to go to the next form

In this form you are asked to define the age range, for this select "16-17" and "18 years and older" then click "Next".

Then click on "Next". You have nothing to complete in the 4th section.

Then click on "Save".

Return to the dashboard.

Now click on the "Select your application category and enter your contact information" in the "Manage the organization and layout of your application" section.

 

In "Category of your application", fill in the following information :

  • Application or game : Application

  • Category : Education

 

Click on "Manage Tags" this point, a popup containing all the tags managed by the Google Play Store should be displayed

Now select from the drop down list :

  • Teaching

  • Productivity

  • Calendar if the application has the schedule feature

  • Education

  • Productivity

Then select Apply.

Back on the "Play Store List Settings" page, go to the "Contact Information on the Play Store List" section and enter the following information:

  • Email address: Corresponds to the email address of the developer of the account

  • Phone number (optional): Corresponds to the number of the developer of the account (prefer the number of the service concerned and not of a legal entity in order to prevent possible departure)

  • Website (optional): Corresponds to the main page of the school or institution.

The email adress should be a generic one and accessible by any admin.

Do not use any employee-related email : in case of their departure, you will not be able to access your Google Play Store account for legal reason.

Now click on "Save".

Return to the dashboard by clicking on "All applications" at the top left of the page.

Creating access via the AppScho account

Warning

Google regularly makes aesthetic, navigational and wording updates. As a result, the procedure below may not be accurate.

To avoid any risk of error, we ask you to carefully observe the following points: Elements may have been moved or hidden in a drop-down list.

The wording of the sentences on the screenshots and your browser, some titles, section names or paragraphs may have been modified by Google to be more explicit.

In case the procedure is no longer valid or "broken", please stop the procedure and contact us.

Go to your Google Play Console account, in the "Settings > Users & Permissions" section.

Click on "Invite new users".

Enter the following email address : "playstore@appscho.com" .

Then click on "Add an application" located at the bottom of the page Select the application you just created and click on "Apply".

A popup should appear with several rights assigned, select the following rights :

  • Access to applications

    • Modify and delete draft applications

  • Financial data

    • Do not check anything

  • Releases

    • Make apps available to all users, exclude devices and use Google Play app signing Deploy test versions of apps

    • Manage test versions and edit tester lists

  • Play Store Presence

    • Manage presence on the Play Store

  • User feedback

    • Do not check anything

Once the permissions are checked, click on the Apply button at the bottom right of the popup

Then select the "Account permissions" tab to display the list of permissions

Select the following permissions:

  • Application Access

    • View application information and download aggregate reports (read-only)

  • Financial Data

    • Leave it unchecked

  • Releases

    • Manage test channels and edit tester lists

  • Presence on the Play Store

    • Leave it unchecked

  • User feedback

    • Leave it unchecked

Once all permissions are selected, click on the "Invite a user" button

Creation of access to the API

If there is no existing project, click on "Create a project" and accept the terms of use. Once uploaded, click on "Create a service account" at the bottom of the page.

Click on the Google Cloud Platform console link without closing the current page, then on "Create a service account".

On the page that appears, fill in the following information:

  • Service account name: AppScho

Click on "Create". ("Créer" here in the French version)

On step 2, click on "Select a role" and type in the search bar: "Service account token creator".

Select the role: "Service account token creator".

Click on "Continue"

On step 3, you have nothing to do. Only click on "Ok" to proceed.

Locate the line starting with "appscho@" and Click on the 3 vertical dots to the right of this line then Click on "Create a key".

On the page that appears on the screen, select "Add a key > Create a key".

On the popup that appears on the screen, select "JSON" and click on "Create".

Save the file that will be downloaded to your computer. You can now close the tab and return to the Google Play Console.

As soon as you have downloaded the JSON file, please send it to your AppScho project manager.

Finalization of the API access procedure

Reload the "API Access" page and click on "Grant Access" next to the account that was created

In the form, make sure that the following permissions are checked in "Account Permissions":

  • Access to applications

    • View application information and download aggregate reports (read only)

  • Financial Data

    • Nothing checked

  • Play Services

    • Nothing checked

  • Releases

    • Create, edit and delete draft versions of apps

    • Make apps available to all users, exclude devices and use Play app signature

  • Deploy apps to test channels

    • Manage test channels and edit tester lists

  • Play Store Presence

    • Manage presence on the Play Store

  • User feedback

    • Nothing checked

Now click on "Invite a user" at the bottom right of the screen and then on "Send invitation".

Normally you should be redirected to the "Users and permissions" page.