App Store Launch Checklist for Indie Developers

I have shipped enough small apps to know that the build is rarely the only thing that can stop a launch. A missing privacy link, a screenshot that describes an old screen, or review notes that assume the reviewer already understands the product can turn a finished app into a stalled submission.

This App Store launch checklist is deliberately plain. It is the version I would use when launching a focused iPhone app without a large team.

1. Prove the release build

Install the exact archive you intend to submit on a clean device. Walk through the first minute, the main job, the purchase path and the empty state. Check offline behaviour and the first permission prompt. If the app needs a server, test the server as it exists today, not as it worked last week.

2. Make the store page tell one story

Your name, subtitle, first screenshot and opening description should point at the same job. Avoid turning the subtitle into a list of every feature. A person should understand who the app is for and what it helps them finish before they reach the second screenshot.

Use the language people actually use when describing the problem. For example, “track App Store sales on iPhone” is clearer than “analytics companion”. Specific intent is easier to recognise and easier to find.

3. Check the details that are easy to forget

• Support URL and privacy policy open on a phone.
• Age rating, category and privacy answers match the current build.
• Pricing, availability and in-app purchases are intentional.
• App Review notes explain the main path and any test account or sample data.
• Screenshots show the current interface and the important first action.

4. Choose the release moment

Automatic release is convenient. Manual release is useful when you need to coordinate a post, a directory listing or a customer email. The right choice is the one that lets you watch the first few hours instead of discovering the launch by accident.

5. Prepare the first-week loop

Before release, decide what you will check each day: installs, purchases, crashes, reviews and the questions people ask. Keep the first response small. One confusing screen fixed quickly is more valuable than a long roadmap written from assumptions.

I use Dispatch Kun to keep App Store sales, reviews and release signals in one place, and Revenue Bear for the revenue review. The point is not more dashboards. It is a short loop between what happened and what to improve next.