Publishing and Best Practices

You've built your Solana mobile app. It handles transactions, integrates with wallets, and delivers the experience you envisioned. Now comes the part most developers underestimate: getting it into users' hands.

Mobile distribution is not like deploying a web app. You can't just push code to a server and call it done. Every app store has gatekeepers, policies, and approval processes. Some of these are designed to protect users. Others exist because centralized platforms want control over what runs on "their" devices.

For crypto apps, this tension is amplified. You're building software that handles real money, implements self-custody, and often challenges traditional financial systems. The app stores have specific (and sometimes restrictive) policies for this category.

The Distribution Landscape

You have three primary distribution channels for a Solana mobile app:

Google Play Store

The dominant Android distribution platform. Roughly 3 billion active Android devices run through Play Store as their primary app source.

Strengths:

• Massive reach

• Established trust with users

• Built-in payment infrastructure

Challenges for crypto apps:

• 30% fee on digital goods (though this doesn't apply to crypto transactions)

• Restrictions on certain crypto features

• Policy changes can affect approved apps retroactively

Apple App Store

The only legitimate distribution channel for iOS apps. Apple's walled garden gives them complete control over what runs on iPhone and iPad.

Strengths:

• High-value user base

• Strong security reputation

• Users comfortable with paid apps

Challenges for crypto apps:

• Even stricter crypto policies than Google

• Wallet apps must be from organizations, not individuals

• In-app purchase requirements can conflict with token economics

• No sideloading (except in limited EU markets)

Solana dApp Store

An alternative app store designed specifically for Solana applications. Runs on Android devices.

Strengths:

• No anti-crypto bias in policies

• On-chain publishing with NFT-based app registry

• Direct relationship with users (no 30% platform tax)

• Community governance potential

Challenges:

• Smaller user base (requires manual dApp Store installation)

• Android only

• Less discovery than mainstream stores

Why Traditional App Stores Fight Crypto

Understanding why Apple and Google have restrictive crypto policies helps you navigate them.

It's about control and revenue:

App stores built their businesses on being the intermediary between developers and users. They take 15-30% of every transaction that flows through their payment systems. Crypto apps threaten this model in several ways:

1. Direct payments: Users can pay developers directly in SOL or tokens, bypassing App Store fees entirely

2. Token economies: Reward tokens, governance tokens, and NFTs don't fit neatly into their in-app purchase model

3. Self-custody: Users holding their own keys don't need the platform's "protection"

And it's about liability:

If a user loses money in a poorly designed crypto app, who do they blame? The developer, sure. But also the platform that distributed it. Apple and Google are risk-averse corporations. They'd rather reject borderline apps than deal with regulatory scrutiny or user lawsuits.

This isn't conspiracy. It's incentive structures. Understanding these incentives helps you design your app and its messaging to work within the system.

The Publishing Decision Tree

Your distribution strategy depends on your app's features and your target audience.

If your app needs iOS users

You have no choice but to work with Apple. This means:

• Registering as an organization (not individual) if your app includes wallet functionality

• Providing test accounts for App Review

• Potentially limiting certain features that conflict with App Store guidelines

If your app is Android-only and crypto-native

Solana dApp Store becomes attractive:

• Crypto-friendly policies

• No platform fees

• Your users are already comfortable installing apps outside Play Store

If you need maximum reach on Android

Publish to both Play Store and dApp Store:

• Play Store for discovery and mainstream users

• dApp Store for crypto-native users who want the full experience

• You can even use the same APK with different signing keys

Hybrid approach

Many successful Solana apps use embedded wallets (like Privy) specifically to work within App Store guidelines. The wallet is invisible to Apple/Google; it's just "authentication" from their perspective. Users who want more control can connect an external wallet via MWA.

What This Course Covers

Over the next lessons, we'll walk through:

1. Solana dApp Store publishing: The on-chain NFT system, CLI tools, and submission process

2. App store review strategies: How to pass Apple and Google review with a crypto app, including test account setup

3. Mobile security essentials: Protecting API keys, secure storage, preventing reverse engineering

4. Production best practices: Monitoring, updates, and maintaining a live crypto app

By the end, you'll understand how to get your app into users' hands across all three distribution channels, and how to keep it there without security incidents or policy violations.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• A working Solana mobile app (React Native, Flutter, or native)

• Android Studio with SDK tools installed

• Node.js 18-21 (the dApp Store CLI has specific version requirements)

• A funded Solana wallet for minting Publisher and App NFTs (mainnet SOL required)

• Your app's assets: icons (512x512), screenshots, descriptions

If you're also targeting Apple App Store, you'll need:

• An Apple Developer account ($99/year)

• Enrollment as an organization (not individual) for wallet apps

• Xcode and the iOS development environment

Let's start with the Solana dApp Store: the most crypto-friendly option.