Introduction
What is the Release Manager?
The Release Manager is your central hub for publishing and managing your mobile app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store — directly from your Tapcart dashboard. Instead of switching between App Store Connect, Google Play Console, and Tapcart, you can handle everything in one place.
What You Can Do
Submit app updates — push new versions of your iOS and Android apps to the App Store and Google Play
Update your app listing — edit your app title, description, keywords, screenshots, and more per platform
Track build progress — monitor your builds in real time as they process and move through review
Manage beta testing — distribute TestFlight builds (iOS) or APK downloads (Android) for internal testing
Resolve account issues — get notified of account blockers (expired memberships, unsigned agreements) with direct links to fix them
Supported Platforms
Platform | Store | Developer Portal | API Credential Type |
iOS | Apple App Store | App Store Connect | API Key (.p8 file) |
Android | Google Play Store | Google Play Console | Google Service Account (via Firebase) |
Getting the Most Out of the Release Manager
To unlock the full capabilities of the Release Manager, we recommend connecting both of your store accounts:
For iOS — Upload your App Store Connect API key (.p8 file)
For Android — Connect your Google Play Store via a Google Service Account
Without these connections, some features will be disabled — including the ability to update Release Notes, track app versions, and manage some aspects of your store listings. You can still access the Release Manager dashboard, but full functionality requires verified credentials for each platform.
The next section walks you through connecting your accounts step by step.
Setting Up Your Accounts
To unlock the full functionality of the Release Manager, you'll need to connect your Apple App Store and/or Google Play Store accounts. Each platform is set up independently — you can configure one now and add the other later.
Connecting Your Apple App Store Account
You'll need to upload an App Store Connect API key (.p8 file). This requires Admin or Account Holder permissions in App Store Connect.
When you first open the Release Manager, the iOS platform card will show a "Setup Required" badge with a prompt to get started:
Step-by-Step
Go to App Store Connect → Users and Access → Integrations → App Store Connect API
Click the + button to create a new key with the Admin role
Copy the Issuer ID (shown at the top of the page) and the Key ID (shown in the table)
Download the .p8 file — this is a one-time download, so save it somewhere secure
Once you have those three items, head to the Release Manager in your Tapcart dashboard:
On the iOS platform card, click "Get started"
Enter your Issuer ID and Key ID
Upload your .p8 file
Tapcart will upload and verify your credentials automatically
The form will look like this — enter your Issuer ID, Key ID, and select your .p8 file:
Once verified, you'll see a "API Key Configured and Verified" confirmation. You can re-test your credentials at any time using the "Test Again" button.
Troubleshooting
If verification fails, check the following:
The API key has the Admin or App Manager role
The .p8 file matches the Key ID you provided. Don't change the name of the file
The Issuer ID is correct
The API key hasn't been revoked in App Store Connect
For a detailed walkthrough, see Provisioning an App Store Connect API Key for iOS Builds.
Connecting Your Google Play Store Account
The Google Play setup has a few more steps. It requires Firebase Analytics to be configured first, followed by creating a Google Service Account that connects Tapcart to your Play Console.
Step 1: Ensure Firebase Is Configured
Before you can set up Google Play credentials, Firebase Analytics must be integrated with your app. If it's not configured yet, the Release Manager will show a "Firebase Integration Required" message.
For help setting up Firebase, see Firebase Analytics – Tapcart.
Step 2: Create a Service Account
Once Firebase is connected:
On the Android platform card, click "Get started"
Click "Create Service Account"
Tapcart will automatically provision a Google Service Account for you
What happens under the hood: When you click "Create Service Account," Tapcart runs an automated setup behind the scenes:
Creates a service account (android-app-updater) in your app's GCP project
Enables the Android Publisher API in your project
Generates a private key for the service account and stores it securely in Tapcart's Secret Manager
Grants CI/CD access so the build pipeline can retrieve the credentials at build time
You don't need to do any of this manually — it all happens in a few seconds.
Step 3: Invite the Service Account to Google Play Console
After the service account is created, you'll see the service account email address. You need to invite it to your Play Console:
Copy the service account email displayed on screen
Go to your Google Play Console
Navigate to Users and Permissions
Click "Invite new users"
Paste the service account email and grant it Admin access
Return to the Tapcart dashboard and click "I've Invited the Service Account"
Tapcart will verify access to your Play Console. Once confirmed, you'll see a "Service Account Configured" status.
Troubleshooting
"Android App Not Found in Play Console"
This usually means no APK or AAB file has been uploaded to Google Play Console yet. Even if your app listing exists, Google Play requires at least one build to be uploaded before the app is accessible via the API. Upload your first build, wait 5–10 minutes for permissions to propagate, then click "Verify App & Service Account".
"Firebase Integration Required"
Firebase Analytics must be set up before you can create a service account. See the Firebase setup guide linked above.
Verification errors
If access verification fails, confirm that the service account email has been invited with Admin permissions in your Play Console and that the invitation has been accepted.
What Happens Without Credentials?
Feature | No Credentials | At Least One Platform Connected |
View dashboard | Yes | Yes |
Create a release | No | Yes (for connected platform) |
Track build progress | No | Yes |
Edit release notes | No | Yes |
Manage TestFlight testers | No | Yes (iOS only) |
Account Blockers
The Release Manager monitors the health of your Apple Developer and Google Play Developer accounts in real time. If there's an issue that could prevent a release, you'll see a blocker with details on what's wrong and how to fix it.
Where Blockers Appear
Dashboard — The platform card shows a red "Blocked" badge with a message and help link
Create Release page — A warning banner appears at the top explaining the issue
Blockers Modal — When all platforms are blocked, the submit button changes to "View Blockers"
iOS Blockers
Blocker | Severity | How to Resolve |
Required agreements missing or expired | Critical | Sign in to your Apple Developer Account and accept any pending agreements |
Unsigned Paid Applications Agreement (PLA) | Warning | The account holder must sign the PLA in Apple Developer Account |
Expired or inactive membership | Critical | Renew your membership in Apple Developer Account |
Membership expiring soon | Warning | Renew before it expires in Apple Developer Account |
Android Blockers
Blocker | Severity | How to Resolve |
App not found | Critical | Check your app listing in Google Play Console — an APK/AAB may need to be uploaded first |
Account not verified | Critical | Complete verification in Google Play Console |
App removed | Critical | Review the removal reason in Google Play Console |
App suspended | Critical | Review the suspension reason in Google Play Console |
Policy warning or violation | Warning | Review your policy status in Google Play Console |
API error | Warning | This may be temporary — check Google Play Console and try again |
Resolving Blockers
Click the action button on the blocker (e.g., "Review in Apple Developer Account") — this opens the external console in a new tab
Resolve the issue there (sign an agreement, renew a membership, verify your account, etc.)
Return to the Release Manager — the system re-checks your account status automatically
Once resolved, the blocker disappears and you can proceed with your release
Need Help?
Please reach out to us through LiveChat on your Tapcart Dashboard or email us at [email protected]!