Reaching the stores is the last mile of every mobile app. With .NET MAUI you start from the same project, but each platform has its own rules.

Android: signed AAB package

Google Play requires the AAB (Android App Bundle) format signed with an upload key. The key is created once and must be kept safe: without it you cannot publish updates.

dotnet publish -f net10.0-android -c Release \
  -p:AndroidKeyStore=true \
  -p:AndroidSigningKeyStore=upload-key.keystore \
  -p:AndroidSigningKeyAlias=upload \
  -p:AndroidSigningKeyPass=env:ANDROID_KEY_PASS \
  -p:AndroidSigningStorePass=env:ANDROID_STORE_PASS

Passwords are read from environment variables: never write them in the project file.

iOS: certificates and provisioning

For iOS you need a Mac (remote is fine), an Apple Developer account, a distribution certificate and a provisioning profile for the app. Publishing produces an IPA package to upload with Apple's tools.

dotnet publish -f net10.0-ios -c Release -p:ArchiveOnBuild=true \
  -p:CodesignKey="Apple Distribution: Company Ltd" \
  -p:CodesignProvision="MyApp App Store Profile"

Checks before submitting

• Version: ApplicationDisplayVersion for the user and ApplicationVersion, a number that must always increase.
• Icons and splash screen defined once in the MAUI project and generated for each platform.
• Privacy policy and data collection declarations, required by both stores.
• Permission texts that are clear and consistent with actual use.
• Tests on real devices, in Release, before every submission.

Automate

A continuous integration pipeline that builds, signs and uploads the test version reduces errors and time: releasing becomes a repeatable operation, not a manual ritual.