Insights · 5 min read
How to move your app into your own Apple and Google accounts
By Austin Hunter ·
A lot of business apps are published under the developer's account instead of the owner's. That works until the developer moves on. Both Apple and Google have official ways to move an app to a different account while keeping its store listing, reviews and existing users, so you don't have to publish a new app and start over. The details change from time to time, so use each platform's official help page as the final word. This is the shape of it.
Before you start
- Create your own developer accounts in your company's name: Apple Developer Program ($99 a year) and Google Play Console (a one-time $25 fee). Finish the verification and tax and banking details, which can take a few days.
- Get the current source code and confirm someone can still build the app. A transferred app you can't update isn't worth much.
- List the services attached to the app (sign-in, push notifications, payments, analytics), because some of them are tied to the developer account and need updating after the move.
Apple (App Store Connect)
Apple calls this an App Transfer. The Account Holder of the current account starts it in App Store Connect and names the receiving account, and the Account Holder of the receiving account accepts it. Apple lists criteria an app must meet to be transferable, so check Apple's "App transfer" help page first. Ratings, reviews and the app's existing users move with it.
Google Play
Google supports moving apps between Play Console developer accounts too. Both accounts need to be active and in good standing, and the request is reviewed. Google's help page "Transfer apps to a different developer account" describes the current steps and what moves with the app.
After the move
- Re-check in-app purchases and subscriptions, and update any purchase tools (for example RevenueCat) to the new account's credentials.
- Update push notification keys, sign-in configuration and signing certificates where they were tied to the old account.
- Make a small test release, so you know the new account can actually ship updates.
We can do the legwork
We publish and maintain our own apps in both stores. If your app is stuck under someone else's account, we can plan the transfer, handle the technical clean-up afterwards, and keep it current on a care plan with every account in your name.