Mobile App Management
Use Mobile Management to connect your store accounts, prepare branded assets, and ship app updates without leaving the Creator App. Frontro handles the build pipeline. You still control the Apple App Store and Google Play accounts, release approvals, testers, and store listing content.
You need your own store account for each platform you want to ship. For iOS, that means an active Apple Developer account. For Android, that means an active Google Play Console account. If you are migrating an existing app that is already live, contact creator support before you continue. Existing app replacement is a support-assisted flow.
Getting Started
- Open Settings in the Creator App.
- Go to Mobile Management.
- Click Add New.
- Choose iOS or Android.
- Complete the setup wizard for that platform.
Platform Setup At A Glance
| Platform | Setup flow | First distribution target | What you provide |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS | Developer Access -> App Listing -> In-App Purchases -> Push Notifications | TestFlight | App Store Connect API key, app selection or bundle ID, vendor number, APNs key |
| Android | Create App -> Service Account -> Keystore -> Push Notifications | Google Play Internal Testing | Google Play Console app, Frontro admin access, API consent, package name, signing keystore, optional Firebase config |
iOS Setup
The iOS wizard verifies each step before you continue.
1. Developer Access
Upload your App Store Connect .p8 key, then enter the Issuer ID and Key ID from App Store Connect -> Users and Access -> Keys.
Frontro uses this connection to read available apps and submit builds on your behalf.
2. App Listing
Choose one of these paths:
- Create a new app if you are launching a fresh iOS app for the channel.
- Select an existing app only if support has confirmed the migration plan.
If you create a new app, use a stable bundle ID in reverse-domain format such as com.company.channelname. The bundle ID cannot be changed after Apple creates the app record.
3. In-App Purchases
Enter the vendor number from App Store Connect -> Payments and Financial Reports. Frontro verifies the value and prepares the purchase configuration used by the app.
4. Push Notifications
Upload an APNs .p8 key and enter its Key ID. You can reuse the same Apple key from Step 1 if it has APNs permissions. Otherwise, create a separate APNs key in the Apple Developer portal.
After Setup
When all four steps are verified, the app moves into the management area and can be built for TestFlight. Expect the first TestFlight build to take longer than later builds while Apple finishes processing it.
Android Setup
Android setup uses a separate four-step wizard tailored to Google Play.
1. Create App
Start by creating the Android app in Google Play Console:
- Sign in to Google Play Console.
- Click Create app.
- Enter the app name and choose Android as the app type.
- Complete the required declarations.
If your Play Console account is new, Google may also require identity, device, and phone verification before production publishing. You can still continue with Frontro setup while those checks are in progress.
2. Service Account
This step authorizes Frontro to manage the app in Google Play.
- Add
builder@frontrow-creator.iam.gserviceaccount.comas an admin user in Google Play Console -> Users and permissions. - Grant app-level admin access for the app you are setting up.
- Confirm API consent inside the wizard.
- Verify the package name for the app.
Frontro uses this access to upload builds, manage distribution, and keep the Play Console record in sync with your app configuration.
3. Keystore
Android releases must be signed. During setup, you configure the signing keystore Frontro will use for future builds.
Keep these values safe:
- Keystore file
- Keystore password
- Key alias
- Key password, if it differs from the keystore password
Without the same signing identity, future updates cannot be published to the same Play Store app.
4. Push Notifications
Firebase setup is optional during the initial pass. If you want Android push notifications, upload the exact google-services.json file for the package you verified in Step 2.
You can return to Settings later if you want to finish Firebase after the app is already connected.
Managing Your App After Setup
Once setup is complete, both platforms move into the same management workspace. The available tabs depend on platform, but the day-to-day flow is similar:
- Overview: connection status and setup summary
- Splash Screens: launch assets
- Logos: app icons and brand marks
- Listing: store metadata, descriptions, screenshots, and categories
- Deployments: build history and promotion actions
- Testers: TestFlight testers on iOS, Internal Testing guidance on Android
- Settings: platform-specific configuration such as push notifications and signing
Android also exposes an Internal Testing workspace that checks backend readiness before deployment and helps you distribute pre-release builds through Google Play Internal Testing.
Deployment Notes
iOS
- New builds land in TestFlight first.
- Test in TestFlight before promoting a build to production.
- Apple review timelines vary. Plan for extra time on first submission and on major updates.
Android
- New builds land in Internal Testing first.
- The readiness checklist verifies package name, API consent, Google project ID, keystore details, and app icon availability before deployment.
- Testers are managed directly in Google Play Console.
Troubleshooting
Permission denied during Android deployment
If a deployment fails with a permissions error, go back to Google Play Console -> Users and permissions and confirm that builder@frontrow-creator.iam.gserviceaccount.com has Admin (all permissions) access for the app.
First Android deployment requires manual upload
For some apps, the first signed Android bundle still needs a one-time manual upload to Testing -> Internal testing in Google Play Console. After that first release, later deployments can run through the automated path.
Version code already used
Google Play rejects reused version codes. Start a new build so Google Play receives a higher version code than the previous upload.
Wrong Firebase file
Android push setup only works with the exact google-services.json file for the app's package name. If upload fails, download a fresh file from Firebase and make sure it belongs to the same Android app record you connected in Mobile Management.
Existing app migration
If you are replacing an app that is already in the store, do not continue on your own. Contact creator support so the migration plan, signing identity, and store ownership are reviewed first.
What To Do Next
- Channel Management for channel-wide configuration
- Monetization for subscriptions and purchase setup
- Analytics for app performance monitoring
- Onboarding Checklist for the rest of your launch setup