Setting up Google Play Developer API Access
Modified on: Wednesday, 20 Feb, 2019 at 3:41 PM
In order to publish and update your Android branded app, we need access to your Play Store account via the Google Play Developer API. This access must be granted via your Google developer account, as well as on the Google Play Console. If possible, simply provide our support team with the login details for your Google developer account and we'll set this up for you. No need to read further in that case :) However, if you cannot provide us with these login details - e.g., because of corporate policy or two-factor authorization being enabled - then you must follow the steps below to grant us the required access.
Please note that while we have tried to make the screenshots and instructions as generic as possible, what you actually see in your browser may be slightly different because of settings and other projects that may be in your Google account.
1. Open a web browser and navigate to the following URL: http://play.google.com/apps/publish
2. Log in with your Google developer account credentials
3. Once logged in, you should see the following page. Click on “Settings” in the left-hand side menu.
4. In the Account Details area, click on “API access” in the left-hand side menu.
5. In the API access page, click on “CREATE SERVICE ACCOUNT.” Please note that this page may look slightly different based on what has been set up in your Google account to date.
6. This will result in the following modal window appearing. Click on the “Google API Console” link.
7. This will open up a new page in the Google API Console. Click on “CREATE SERVICE ACCOUNT.” Please note that this page may look slightly different based on what all has been set up in your Google account.
8. This will bring up the following page. Please fill in the fields to match the screenshot. If you are blocked from using the publishapp as the “Service account name,” then just make it publishapp2 instead.
After you have filled in details as above, click on “CREATE.”
9. This will then take you to step 2 - “Grant this service account access to project.” Here, set the role of the Service account to the Owner of the Project, as shown in the screenshot below:
10. Verify the “Role” has been successfully set as “Owner” and click on “CONTINUE.”
11. The following page will then appear for step 3 - “Grant users access to this service account.” Click on “CREATE KEY.”
12. This will bring up a modal window on the side to create the key. Make sure “Key type” is set to JSON, then click on “CREATE.”
13. The following modal window will appear and a JSON file should automatically be downloaded to your computer. Please keep this key file somewhere safe as you will need to send it to us after you have completed all steps.
14. Go back to the Google Play Console. If you have closed the window or tab for it, then follow steps 1 – 7 to load it again and navigate to the “API access” settings. You may need to refresh the page, but the “Service Accounts” section will now be updated to show the account you just created. Click on “GRANT ACCESS.”
15. This will bring up a modal window. Configure access for the service account as per the screenshot below. Make sure the “Access expiry date” is set to “Never” and the “Role” is “Release Manager.” Once you have confirmed that these settings are correct, click on “ADD USER.”
16. You will now see that the “GRANT ACCESS” button has been changed to a "View permissions" link.
17. Please send the JSON file you downloaded earlier to our support team. We will then verify everything has been set up correctly and can proceed with updating your application.