foto-duplicate-finder/docs/PLAY_RELEASE_CHECKLIST.md

# Google Play release checklist

Work top to bottom. Items marked **[code]** are already handled in this repository;
the rest are things you must do in the Play Console / with your own accounts.

## 1. Identity and signing

- [x] Final **application id** chosen: `de.softwareapp_hb.fotodup.finder`
      (`applicationId` in `app/build.gradle.kts`). It can **never be changed after the
      first release**, so treat it as locked. `namespace` and the Kotlin package of
      the same name are aligned with it; debug builds append `.debug`.
- [x] Generate an **upload keystore** (keep it safe; if you lose it you cannot
      publish updates) — **[code]** done: `fotodup-upload.jks` in the project root
      (git-ignored, `alias upload`), `CN=Hadrian Burkhardt, L=Potsdam, C=DE`.
- [x] Copy `keystore.properties.example` to `keystore.properties` and fill it in.
      **[code]** done — the file is in place, and the Gradle build picks it up automatically and
      signs release builds; without it the release APK stays unsigned.
- [ ] Enable **Play App Signing** in the Play Console and upload the certificate of
      your *upload* key:
      ```bash
      keytool -exportcert -alias upload -keystore fotodup-upload.jks -rfc > upload_cert.pem
      ```
      Upload key fingerprint (SHA-256), to confirm the right key was registered:
      `AA:8C:3D:6C:D0:55:46:50:48:ED:04:3E:AF:34:2B:66:B4:13:87:C9:E0:DA:29:70:5A:0D:18:47:08:1A:4C:7A`.
      Enrolment happens with the first upload: Google then holds the app signing key and this
      one only signs uploads.
- [ ] Store the keystore + passwords in a password manager / secure vault. Back it up.

## 2. Versioning

- [x] Set `versionName` (user-visible) **[code]** — `1.0.1` in `app/build.gradle.kts`.
- [x] `versionCode` **[code]** — currently **2**. It is the counter Play orders uploads by, so the
      first upload will be 2 and every later upload must be higher.

## 3. Build the release artefacts

```bash
./gradlew :app:bundleRelease      # -> app/build/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab
./gradlew :app:assembleRelease    # -> APK for local testing
```

- [x] **[code]** verified 2026-10-13: `bundleRelease` and `assembleRelease` both succeed.
      `app/build/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab` is 2,944,100 bytes
      (`sha256 f8e6a29a0daf60d025409e19be878c3e8f1359a06b3f9fca300bb4aec9ebb726`) and is signed with
      the upload key. The release APK reports `versionCode=2 versionName=1.0.1 targetSdk=36` and
      exactly the permission set listed in step 5 — **no `INTERNET`**, so "nothing leaves the
      device" holds in the shipped artefact, not just in the source manifest.
- [ ] Upload the **`.aab`** (not the APK) to the Play Console.
      ⚠️ **Expect a native-debug-symbols warning here, and ignore it.** Play scans the bundle, finds
      `base/lib/<abi>/libandroidx.graphics.path.so`, and reports *"This App Bundle contains native
      code, and you've not uploaded debug symbols"*. It is a recommendation, not an error: it does
      not block the upload, review or rollout.
      - That one library (4 ABIs, ~37 KB total) is **not** this project's code — it arrives
        transitively through `androidx.compose.ui:ui-graphics` →
        `androidx.graphics:graphics-path:1.0.1`. The project has no `ndk` / `externalNativeBuild` /
        `jniLibs` config and no native sources at all.
      - There is nothing to upload: the published `graphics-path-1.0.1.aar` ships **stripped** libs
        (`symtab=0`, no `.debug_*` sections, no symbol entries anywhere in the AAR), and the
        commonly-suggested fix does not apply — with `ndk.debugSymbolLevel = "FULL"` the build
        succeeds but produces no `app/build/outputs/native-debug-symbols/` output and adds nothing
        to the bundle, because AGP only packages symbols for native code it builds itself.
      - Excluding the lib (`packaging { jniLibs { excludes += "**/libandroidx.graphics.path.so" } }`)
        would silence the warning but risks `UnsatisfiedLinkError` inside Compose's path handling,
        for a 37 KB saving. Not worth it.
      - What it actually costs: symbolication of frames *inside that Compose helper*. Kotlin/Java
        crashes are unaffected — the R8 mapping rides inside the bundle
        (`BUNDLE-METADATA/com.android.tools.build.obfuscation/proguard.map`), so Play deobfuscates
        them automatically.
- [ ] Keep `app/build/outputs/mapping/release/mapping.txt` for every release so you
      can de-obfuscate crash reports (upload it under *Release > App bundle explorer*).

## 4. Store listing

Ready-to-paste copy and the generated graphics live in
[docs/STORE_LISTING.md](STORE_LISTING.md) (milestone M10). Everything below is a Console
action except the items marked **[code]**.

- [ ] App name (≤ 30 chars): "Foto Dup Finder".
- [ ] Short description (≤ 80 chars) — two options are drafted and length-checked in
      STORE_LISTING.md.
- [ ] Full description (≤ 4000 chars) — drafted and length-checked in STORE_LISTING.md.
- [x] **App icon** 512×512 PNG **[code]** — `tools/make-store-assets.sh` renders it from the
      same vectors as the adaptive icon in `res/drawable/ic_launcher_*`.
- [x] **Feature graphic** 1024×500 PNG **[code]** — same script.
- [x] **Screenshots** (at least 2, up to 8) **[code]** — four are captured and normalised to
      1080×2160 in `store-assets/screenshots/` (git-ignored): empty state, scanning
      (`5353 / 5385`), results (**17 duplicate groups, 54 of 5385 photos, 83.5 MB reclaimable**)
      and the Options menu. They were shot after a real permission grant and over the generated
      demo library (`tools/make-demo-photos.py`), so neither the "Photo access needed" banner nor
      a personal photo is in frame; the demo library is deleted from the test device again once
      the captures are done.
      Upload the four, then drag **03-results** to first place — the results screen is the one
      that sells, and the empty state is the weakest opener.
      ⚠️ Play rejects a screenshot whose longer side is more than 2× its shorter side, so a
      1080×2400 phone capture has to be cropped to 1080×2160;
      `tools/make-store-screenshots.sh` does exactly that (status and navigation bars only).
- [ ] Category: *Tools* (or *Photography*). Tags: photo cleanup, duplicates.

## 5. Policy and compliance

- [ ] Host [PRIVACY.md](../PRIVACY.md) at a public URL and paste that URL into the
      Play Console. **This is mandatory** because the app accesses photos. The contact address
      in it is final (`softwareapp.hb@gmail.com`), so the file publishes as-is.
      This is the one item here that cannot be finished from the working copy, because the repo
      has **no git remote** yet. Shortest route:
      1. create a public repository and push this working copy:
         ```bash
         git remote add origin git@github.com:<user>/foto-dup-finder.git
         git push -u origin main
         ```
      2. **Settings › Pages › Source: Deploy from a branch**, branch `main`, folder `/ (root)`;
      3. the policy then renders at `https://<user>.github.io/foto-dup-finder/PRIVACY.html` —
         open that in a private window to prove it needs no login, then paste it into
         **App content › Privacy policy**.

      Any static host works the same way; the requirement is only that the URL is public, stable
      and readable without an account.

      > **Note on Play's automatic translation:** it translates the *store listing*, not
      > the hosted policy. If you want the policy in another language, host a translated
      > copy yourself and link it from the listing.
- [ ] Complete the **Data safety** form:
  - *Does your app collect or share any required user data types?* → **No**.
  - Data types accessed: **Photos** — processed on-device only, not collected.
  - *Is all user data encrypted in transit?* → N/A (no transmission).
  - *Do you provide a way for users to request data deletion?* → Uninstalling
    removes all app data.
- [x] Confirm the **permission set** the Console will show. **[code]** done 2026-10-13: `aapt2 dump
      badging` on the release APK reports exactly the table below (plus
      `…DYNAMIC_RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED_PERMISSION`) — and **no `INTERNET`**. Re-check from the
      *merged* release manifest rather than the source one after any dependency change, so nothing
      a library quietly adds slips past:

      | Declared permission | Why | From |
      |---|---|---|
      | `READ_MEDIA_IMAGES` | read the photo library | app |
      | `READ_MEDIA_VISUAL_USER_SELECTED` | Android 14 partial access | app |
      | `READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE` (`maxSdkVersion=32`) | same, on Android ≤ 12 | app |
      | `WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE` (`maxSdkVersion=29`) | legacy delete on Android 10 only | app |
      | `FOREGROUND_SERVICE`, `FOREGROUND_SERVICE_DATA_SYNC` | keep a scan alive | app |
      | `POST_NOTIFICATIONS` | scan-progress notification | app |
      | `…DYNAMIC_RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED_PERMISSION` | framework-generated, not user-facing | AndroidX |

      Deliberately **absent**: `INTERNET` and `MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE`. Both are
      load-bearing for the "nothing leaves the device" claim, so re-check after any new
      dependency:

      ```bash
      ./gradlew :app:processReleaseMainManifest
      grep -A1 '<uses-permission' \
        app/build/intermediates/merged_manifests/release/processReleaseManifest/AndroidManifest.xml \
        | grep -oE 'android.permission.[A-Z_]+' | sort -u
      ```

      (Match `<uses-permission` only. A bare `android.permission.` grep also picks up
      `android.permission.DUMP`, which AndroidX puts on its profile-installer *receiver* —
      a component restriction, not a permission the app requests.)
- [ ] Answer the **Photo and video permissions** declaration in the Console. The app
      requests `READ_MEDIA_IMAGES` (plus `READ_MEDIA_VISUAL_USER_SELECTED` for Android 14
      partial access) and deletes only user-selected files through the system dialog.
      Paste:

      > Foto Dup Finder is a photo-cleanup tool. Reading the photo library **is** its core
      > functionality: it compares photos on the device to find exact and near duplicates
      > and lets the user remove the copies they select. Nothing is uploaded — the app
      > declares no network permission. Deletion always goes through the system consent
      > dialog (`MediaStore.createDeleteRequest`); the app never requests
      > `MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE`.

- [ ] Declare the **foreground service type**. This is the release-blocking item for the
      Android 14+ review. **[code]** The manifest already matches what you will declare:

      | Where | Value |
      |---|---|
      | `AndroidManifest.xml` | `<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_DATA_SYNC" />` |
      | `AndroidManifest.xml` | `<service android:name=".service.ScanService" android:foregroundServiceType="dataSync" android:exported="false" />` |
      | `ScanService.kt` | `ServiceCompat.startForeground(…, ServiceInfo.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_TYPE_DATA_SYNC)` |
      | `ScanService.kt` | `onTimeout()` stops the scan at Android 15's 6-hour `dataSync` cap |

      In the Console go to **App content › Foreground service permissions**, select
      **Data sync**, and paste:

      > The app finds duplicate photos on the device. The user starts a scan and may leave
      > the app while it runs; the foreground service keeps that user-initiated scan alive
      > and shows its progress. The scan reads the photo library and writes a small local
      > index of file hashes. It performs no network access and transfers no data.

      The declaration is **per type**: if a new foreground-service type is ever added to
      the manifest, it has to be declared here too.
- [ ] Complete the **content rating** questionnaire (no objectionable content →
      typically rated Everyone / 3+).
- [ ] **App access** → *All functionality is available without special access*: no login, no
      account, nothing gated.
- [ ] **Ads** → *No, my app does not contain ads* (and no ad SDK in
      `gradle/libs.versions.toml` to contradict the answer).
- [ ] Select the target audience (not designed for children).
- [ ] Answer the remaining *App content* declarations **No** / not applicable: news app,
      government app, financial features, health, COVID-19 contact tracing.
- [ ] Accept the *Developer Program Policies* and *US export laws* declarations.

## 6. Testing before production

- [ ] Create an **internal testing** track and add yourself as a tester; install via
      the Play link on a real device.
- [ ] Test on the oldest supported Android version you can (minSdk 26) and on the
      newest you have (Android 16 / API 36).
- [ ] Test the permission flows:
  - [ ] Deny access — app must not crash and must explain what is needed.
  - [ ] Android 14+ **partial access** ("Select photos") — banner appears and the
    app scans the subset.
  - [ ] Grant full access — scan works.
- [ ] Test deletion:
  - [ ] Move to trash (Android 11+).
  - [ ] Permanent delete (Android 11+).
  - [ ] Refuse the system dialog — nothing is deleted, the app says so.
- [x] Test with a library of several thousand photos to sanity-check scan time. **[code]** done on
      the test device: the 5,363-photo library scans in **20.2 s cold / 11.0 s warm**, and the
      screenshot run over 5,385 photos finished in **11.1 s** (6 unreadable files skipped).
- [ ] Verify no crashes in *Play Console > Quality > Android vitals* after rollout.

## 7. Release notes ("What's new") and rollout

⚠️ **Which block applies first:** `versionCode` is already **2** (`versionName` 1.0.1), because
1.0.1 was cut before anything reached Play — so the *first* upload is 1.0.1 and takes the
**initial release** block. The 1.0.1 block below applies only once 1.0.0 exists on a track.


Release notes are **not stored in this repo** — they are typed into the Play Console
for each release.

Where:

- Production: **Test and release > Production**, then **Create new release**
- Testing: **Test and release > Testing > Internal / Closed / Open testing**

Rules (per Google's *Prepare and roll out a release* guide):

- Up to **500 Unicode characters per language**.
- Language tags go on their own line, wrapping the text — a block starts with a line
  containing `<en-US>` and ends with a line containing `</en-US>`. Several
  `<lang>` blocks can be entered together.
- Notes belong to a **release**, so every track has its own; "Copy from a previous
  release" avoids retyping.
- Google explicitly forbids using release notes for **promotion or to solicit user
  actions** — keep them factual about what changed.
- For app updates list only user-visible changes; the full developer history belongs
  in [CHANGELOG.md](../CHANGELOG.md).

Ready-to-paste block for the first release:

    <en-US>
    Initial release.

    • Finds exact and near-duplicate photos
    • Suggests which copy to keep
    • Moves photos to the trash or deletes them via the system dialog
    • No ads, no account, works fully offline
    </en-US>

Ready-to-paste block for **1.0.1** (the scan-robustness patch):

    <en-US>
    • Fixed a scan that could appear to stop on very large photo libraries
    • The app now recovers gracefully when the photo library is temporarily unresponsive
    </en-US>

- [ ] Upload the `.aab`, paste the notes above, and roll out to **internal** →
      **closed** → **production** (staged rollout recommended).
- [ ] Monitor Android vitals and reviews; respond to feedback.

## 8. Post-launch maintenance

- [ ] Play requires new apps/updates to target recent API levels (API 36 from
      August 2026 **[code]**). Re-check this requirement each year and bump
      `targetSdk`.
- [ ] Watch for newer AGP; when it supports it, update `compileSdk` to 37 and bump
      the Compose BOM and Coil together (see the version note in the README).
- [ ] Optionally add crash reporting later — but note this would change the Data
      safety answers, so weigh it against the "no data leaves the device" promise.

## 9. Optional monetisation

The app currently has no ads and no billing, which is a deliberate differentiator.
If you later add a paid tier, use **Play Billing** (e.g. a one-time "Pro"
purchase) and update:
- the Data safety form (purchase history),
- the privacy policy,
- the store description.

Avoid ad SDKs entirely — they would contradict the app's main selling point.