Publishing React Native App using Google Play Assets Delivery

To publish a React Native app using Google Play Asset Delivery (PAD), follow these steps:

1. Prepare Your App for Google Play Asset Delivery:

   • Update your React Native app to the latest version, ensuring it meets the latest Google Play requirements.
   • Optimize your app's assets, such as images, videos, and other media files, to reduce their size and improve app performance.
   • If your app uses large assets, consider splitting them into smaller chunks to benefit from asset packs.

2. Generate the APK Bundle:

   • Generate an Android App Bundle (AAB) for your React Native app using the following command:

     bashCopy code
     npx react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.js --bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle --assets-dest android/app/src/main/res/
     

   • This command bundles your app's JavaScript code and copies the required assets to the appropriate Android project folders.

3. Configure Google Play Asset Delivery:

   • Open your Android project in Android Studio.
   • Follow the official Google Play Asset Delivery documentation (https://developer.android.com/guide/playcore/asset-delivery/integrate-native) to set up the Asset Delivery feature in your app.
   • Ensure you've added the required Gradle dependencies and configuration in your Android project.

4. Build and Sign the App Bundle:

   • Build your app bundle using Android Studio or use the following command:

     bashCopy code
     cd android && ./gradlew bundleRelease
     

   • Sign the generated AAB using a signing key. Make sure to use the same signing key you used previously when publishing the app on the Google Play Console.

5. Upload the AAB to Google Play Console:

   • Open the Google Play Console (https://play.google.com/console/).
   • Navigate to your app's dashboard and go to "Release" > "Manage Production" or any other track where you want to publish the app.
   • Upload the generated AAB to the appropriate track.

6. Configure Asset Packs (Optional):

   • If your app uses large assets, consider creating and uploading asset packs using the Google Play Console. Asset packs allow you to deliver large assets on-demand, reducing the initial download size of your app.

7. Testing and Publishing:

   • Once the AAB is uploaded, you can start internal testing or alpha/beta testing to ensure everything works as expected.
   • Once testing is successful, click "Start Rollout to Production" to publish your React Native app with Google Play Asset Delivery.

Keep in mind that Google Play Asset Delivery requires Google Play services on the user's device and is only available on Android devices running Google Play Store version 16.9.42 or higher. Make sure to test your app on a variety of devices to ensure compatibility.

Additionally, always review and follow the official Google Play guidelines and documentation for publishing apps on the Play Store to ensure a smooth and successful release.