Android Question Best guide for signing and publishing app?

[Sandman]

It's been about seven years since I created a brand new app for the Play Store, and things seem more complicated now when it comes to the signing.

I'm about to launch a new app, and for that I searched the forum, the documentation, and the video guides to better understand the steps required to sign and publish. I still feel very unsure on what to do. I'm also worried that I might accidently choose an option that I can't change at a later point, just because I can't understand the consequences right now. *

I've found these two guides:

Signing your application before uploading to Google Play

The result of compiling your application is an APK file. This is a package file that contains the compiled source code and the assets files. The APK file must be signed before installation. Signing the file means that it is not possible to later modify it without the private key that was used to...

www.b4x.com

Updated in 2010, and also a pinned thread. As far as I can tell it's still entirely correct. But doesn't contain any information on how the process is with Google Play Console.

Google Play App Signing

Google Play App Signing service allows developers to let Google store the app signing key for them. Developers need to use a different key, the upload key, to sign the app before release. The advantage of this service is that with the help of Google support you can generate a new upload key in...

www.b4x.com

Updated in 2021. This one contains steps involving Google Play Console, but it's not updated so I can't really match the Console website to the guide. (Plus it seems very technical, with many manual steps. In the end there's a suggestion for making a batch file, perhaps a forum member has made a userfriendly one that works well and can be shared?)

So my question is this, is there a guide somewhere that is more updated and easier to follow? There are lots of members here creating new apps all of the time, how do you know what steps to use?


* Actually publishing an app feels a whole lot more complicated than actually designing and coding it.

 

[asales]

Do you will update a existent app or create a new?
To update an old apk I don't made any changes.
To publish a new app I created a new key, using the new B4A, and follow this tutorial:

App Bundle - Publishing NEW apps using AAB to play store with New keystore

There is an increasing concern about how to publish apps using the app bundle (aab) format. I will try as much as possible to simplify the steps for you. IMPORTANT UPDATE IN POST #3 OPTION 1: Creating and Using New Keystore File This option can be used by those who are new and about to create...

www.b4x.com

 

[Sandman]

Do you will update a existent app or create a new?

Create a new app. I'll clarify that in #1.

Thanks, that tutorial matched the current process a lot better than what I had found. Unfortunately it was updated in 2021, and Google has changed enough since then that the guide doesn't match reality entirely. However, if one pick the option to let Google handle the signing key things are a lot simpler. I picked that option, I hope it doesn't come back to kick my ass later on...

 

[AnandGupta]

I use in B4A project (new app)

    #SignKeyFile: file
    #SignKeyPassword: code

And in G.Console select "Let Google sign"

More peace of mind.

 

[Sandman]

And in G.Console select "Let Google sign"

You've done this for some apps? And no problems in any way?

 

[AnandGupta]

You've done this for some apps? And no problems in any way?

No problem yet. Neither from Google.
Updated twice.