mobile-app-launch-checklist

# Mobile App Launch Checklist

Generate a structured, actionable launch checklist tailored to the user's app,
target platform(s), and timeline. Walk through each phase sequentially, confirm
completion of critical items, and flag blockers.

## Inputs

| Input       | Required | Description                        | Default            |
| ----------- | -------- | ---------------------------------- | ------------------ |
| App name    | Yes      | Name of the app being launched     | —                  |
| Platform    | Yes      | iOS, Android, or both              | Both               |
| Launch date | No       | Target launch date                 | 4 weeks from today |
| App type    | No       | Free, freemium, paid, subscription | Freemium           |

Ask for these inputs before generating the checklist. Adjust timelines and
requirements based on the target platform.

---

## Phase 1: Pre-Submission Preparation (2-4 Weeks Before)

### App Quality

- [ ] Crash-free rate exceeds 99.5% across all supported devices
- [ ] All core user flows tested end-to-end (onboarding, purchase, key features)
- [ ] Performance benchmarks met:
  - Cold launch under 2 seconds
  - Smooth scrolling at 60fps
  - Memory usage within platform limits
  - Battery impact acceptable (no background drain)
- [ ] Accessibility audit complete (VoiceOver/TalkBack, Dynamic Type, contrast)
- [ ] Offline behavior handled gracefully (error states, cached data)
- [ ] Edge cases tested: no network, low storage, permissions denied,
      interruptions

### Privacy & Compliance

- [ ] Privacy policy URL live and accessible
- [ ] **iOS:** App Tracking Transparency prompt implemented (if tracking)
- [ ] **Android:** Data safety section completed in Google Play Console
- [ ] GDPR compliance verified (if serving EU users): consent flows, data
      deletion
- [ ] CCPA compliance verified (if serving California users)
- [ ] Data collection accurately declared on both platforms
- [ ] Third-party SDK privacy policies reviewed

### Legal

- [ ] Terms of service URL live and accessible
- [ ] EULA prepared (required if subscription or in-app purchases)
- [ ] Open source license compliance: all libraries audited, attributions
      included
- [ ] Trademark search completed for app name

### Analytics & Monitoring

- [ ] Crash reporting integrated (Firebase Crashlytics, Sentry, or Bugsnag)
- [ ] Event tracking implemented for key actions (signup, purchase, core
      features)
- [ ] Funnel definitions configured (onboarding completion, trial-to-paid)
- [ ] Real-time dashboard set up for launch day monitoring
- [ ] Alerts configured for crash rate spikes and error thresholds

### Deep Linking

- [ ] **iOS:** Universal Links configured with apple-app-site-association file
- [ ] **Android:** App Links configured with assetlinks.json
- [ ] Deep links tested from email, SMS, social media, and web
- [ ] Deferred deep linking works for new installs (if applicable)

---

## Phase 2: Store Asset Preparation

Prepare all required store assets. See platform-specific reference files for
detailed specifications:

- [references/ios-submission.md](references/ios-submission.md) — Full iOS App
  Store Connect walkthrough, screenshot specs, common rejection reasons
- [references/google-play-submission.md](references/google-play-submission.md) —
  Full Google Play Console walkthrough, asset specs, policy requirements

### iOS App Store Connect

- [ ] App icon: 1024x1024 PNG, no transparency, no rounded corners
- [ ] Screenshots prepared for required device sizes:
  - 6.7" (1290x2796) — iPhone 15 Pro Max
  - 6.5" (1284x2778) — iPhone 14 Plus
  - 5.5" (1242x2208) — iPhone 8 Plus
- [ ] App preview video recorded (optional, 15-30 seconds, H.264)
- [ ] App description written (up to 4000 characters)
- [ ] Promotional text written (up to 170 characters, editable without review)
- [ ] Keywords field populated (up to 100 characters, comma-separated)
- [ ] What's New text written for version 1.0
- [ ] Age rating questionnaire completed
- [ ] App Review Information prepared:
  - Demo account credentials (if login required)
  - Review notes explaining non-obvious features
  - Contact information for reviewer questions
- [ ] App category and subcategory selected
- [ ] Support URL configured
- [ ] Copyright field filled

### Google Play Console

- [ ] Hi-res icon: 512x512 PNG
- [ ] Feature graphic: 1024x500 PNG or JPG — **REQUIRED, prominently displayed**
- [ ] Screenshots: minimum 2, maximum 8 per device type (16:9 or 9:16)
- [ ] Short description written (up to 80 characters)
- [ ] Full description written (up to 4000 characters, optimize for search)
- [ ] What's New text written
- [ ] Content rating questionnaire completed (IARC)
- [ ] Data safety form completed
- [ ] App category and tags selected
- [ ] Contact details configured (email required, phone/website optional)
- [ ] Target audience and content declarations completed

### Both Platforms

- [ ] Store listing localized for target markets (if applicable)
- [ ] Screenshot text and captions proofread
- [ ] All URLs (privacy policy, terms, support) return 200 status
- [ ] Preview the listing as users will see it

---

## Phase 3: Build & Submit

### iOS Submission

- [ ] Archive build in Xcode with Release configuration
- [ ] Upload build via Xcode or Transporter
- [ ] Export compliance questionnaire answered (encryption usage)
- [ ] Build appears in App Store Connect (allow 15-30 minutes for processing)
- [ ] Internal TestFlight testing completed (team members)
- [ ] External TestFlight testing completed (beta testers, requires Beta Review)
- [ ] All app metadata finalized in App Store Connect
- [ ] Submit for App Review
- [ ] **Expected review time:** 24-48 hours (can be longer, plan buffer)

### Android Submission

- [ ] Signed Android App Bundle (AAB) generated — APKs no longer accepted
- [ ] ProGuard/R8 obfuscation verified (no crashes from minification)
- [ ] Internal testing track: upload and verify on real devices
- [ ] Closed testing track: distribute to beta testers
- [ ] Open testing track (optional): broader beta audience
- [ ] Pre-launch report reviewed in Google Play Console (automated testing)
- [ ] All store listing metadata finalized
- [ ] Set staged rollout percentage (start at 10-20%, NOT 100%)
- [ ] Submit for review
- [ ] **Expected review time:** hours to 7 days (new apps take longer)

### Common Rejection Reasons

Avoid these before submitting. See reference files for full lists.

**iOS top rejections:**

- Crashes or bugs during review
- Broken links (privacy policy, support URL)
- Incomplete metadata or placeholder content
- Login required without demo account provided
- Guideline 4.3: spam or duplicate app
- Guideline 2.1: app not fully functional

**Google Play top rejections:**

- Data safety form inaccurate or incomplete
- Missing privacy policy for apps requesting sensitive permissions
- Deceptive behavior (description doesn't match functionality)
- Broken core functionality
- Target audience misconfigured (apps for children have extra requirements)

---

## Phase 4: Launch Day

Follow the hour-by-hour launch day timeline in
[references/launch-day-timeline.md](references/launch-day-timeline.md) for a
detailed execution plan.

### Release Strategy

- [ ] **iOS:** Release manually (not automatically after approval) for control
- [ ] **Android:** Staged rollout at 10-20% initially
- [ ] Coordinate release timing across platforms (if launching on both)
- [ ] Choose launch time: Tuesday-Thursday, 9-10 AM in primary market timezone

### Monitoring (First 6 Hours)

- [ ] Watch crash-free rate in real-time (target: >99.5%)
- [ ] **Android:** Monitor ANR (App Not Responding) rate (target: <0.5%)
- [ ] Check App Store Connect / Play Console for review alerts
- [ ] Monitor support channels for user-reported issues
- [ ] Track download velocity against projections
- [ ] Watch first user reviews and ratings

### Support Readiness

- [ ] Prepared responses drafted for common issues:
  - Login/account problems
  - Payment/subscription questions
  - Feature explanations
  - Known issues acknowledgment
- [ ] Support team briefed on new features and known limitations
- [ ] Escalation path defined for critical issues

### Marketing Activation

- [ ] Social media posts scheduled (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram)
- [ ] Product Hunt launch prepared (if applicable — launch at 12:01 AM PT)
- [ ] Reddit posts in relevant subreddits (follow community rules)
- [ ] Press outreach sent to relevant journalists/bloggers
- [ ] Email announcement sent to waitlist/existing users
- [ ] App Store / Play Store promotional campaign activated (if using)

### Go/No-Go Decision Points

- **Halt rollout if:** crash-free rate drops below 99%, critical bug in core
  flow
- **Proceed to 50% if:** 4+ hours stable, no critical issues, reviews positive
- **Proceed to 100% if:** 24+ hours stable at 50%, metrics within targets

---

## Phase 5: Post-Launch (Week 1)

### Review Management

- [ ] Respond to every review (positive and negative) within 24 hours
- [ ] Flag and report fraudulent/spam reviews
- [ ] Categorize feedback themes for product roadmap input
- [ ] **iOS:** Implement SKStoreReviewController for in-app review prompts
      (after positive moments, max 3 times per 365 days)
- [ ] **Android:** Implement In-App Review API (after meaningful engagement)

### Crash Triage & Hotfix

- [ ] Review crash reports daily for the first week
- [ ] Prioritize crashes by user impact (affected users x severity)
- [ ] Ship hotfix within 48 hours for any crash affecting >1% of users
- [ ] **iOS:** Request expedited review for critical hotfixes
- [ ] **Android:** Use staged rollout to validate hotfix before full release

### Metrics Review

Track and review these metrics at Day 1, Day 3, and Day 7:

| Metric                   | Target | Action if Below            |
| ------------------------ | ------ | -------------------------- |
| D1 Retention             | >40%   | Review onboarding flow     |
| D7 Retention             | >20%   | Review core value delivery |
| Crash-free rate          | >99.5% | Prioritize stability fixes |
| Store rating             | >4.0   | Address top complaints     |
| Trial-to-paid conversion | >5%    | Review paywall and pricing |
| Session length           | >3 min | Review engagement hooks    |
| Onboarding completion    | >70%   | Simplify onboarding steps  |

### Feature Request & Visibility

- [ ] Submit App Store feature request to Apple editorial team (via App Store
      Connect → App Features page)
- [ ] Apply for Google Play editorial feature (via Play Console → Store presence
      → Feature request)
- [ ] Compile feature request list from user feedback for v1.1 planning
- [ ] Schedule v1.1 planning session based on launch data

---

## Generating the Checklist

When producing the checklist for the user:

1. **Tailor to platform.** Remove iOS-specific items for Android-only launches
   and vice versa. Keep both sections for cross-platform launches.
2. **Adjust timeline.** Map checklist phases to the user's actual launch date.
   Add specific dates to each phase header.
3. **Flag blockers.** Mark items that block submission (privacy policy, app
   icon, signed build) distinctly from nice-to-haves (preview video, Product
   Hunt).
4. **Save as file.** Write the completed checklist to
   `LAUNCH-CHECKLIST-{AppName}.md` in the project root.
5. **Offer to deep-dive.** After generating the checklist, ask if the user wants
   to walk through any specific phase in detail, referencing the appropriate
   reference file.