Android app development: Kotlin apps for Google Play

We build native Android apps in Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, publish them on Google Play under your company's verified organisation account, and keep them in step with Google's yearly target-API deadline.

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At a glance

  • 5.0 from 50 Google reviews
  • Kotlin and Compose, Google's current toolkit
  • Your Play Console, your signing keys

Vimana Digital develops native Android apps in Kotlin with Jetpack Compose for UK businesses: ordering, booking, loyalty, field-service and internal staff apps for phones and tablets. We set up and publish through your own Google Play Console organisation account. Expect 8–16 weeks to a first Google Play launch, and see our mobile app development page for UK cost ranges.

iOSAndroid
Expect 8–
16weeks

Android features our clients ask for

Android runs on a huge range of phones and tablets, from flagship Samsungs to the budget handsets that many trade and warehouse teams actually carry. The features our clients ask for most:

  • Google Paycheckout, plus Stripe or your existing card provider where the sale is for physical goods or services.
  • Push notificationsthrough Firebase Cloud Messaging for order status, reminders and offers.
  • Google Maps and locationfor deliveries, site visits and "nearest branch" features.
  • Camera and barcode or QR scanningusing ML Kit, which works well on cheaper devices.
  • Background worksuch as syncing field data when a signal returns, handled with WorkManager so Android's battery rules don't kill it.
  • Private distributionthrough managed Google Play, so a staff-only app on company handsets, rugged scanners or kiosks never appears on the public store.

Backend, API and admin panel are built by the same team in Laravel or Node.js on AWS or Azure; see bespoke software development. If the app needs to read paperwork or answer questions, our AI services team handles that layer.

Kotlin, Jetpack Compose and the current target API

Our Android apps are written in Kotlin, Google's preferred language for Android since 2019, with screens built in Jetpack Compose. At Google I/O 2026 Google declared Android "Compose-first": all future UI work goes into Compose and the older Views toolkit is in maintenance mode. More than 68% of the top 1,000 apps on Google Play now use Compose in production (Android Developers Blog, 2026).

The second thing to ask any Android developer about is the target API level. Google Play requires new apps and updates to target a recent Android version: from 31 August 2026 that means Android 16 (API level 36), and existing apps must target at least API 35 to remain visible to new users, with an extension to 1 November 2026 on request (Android Developers, 2026). Miss it and the app quietly disappears from search on newer phones. We build against the current target from day one.

How we handle Android's variety:

  • Version coveragewe set a minimum Android version based on the devices your customers and staff actually use, which usually means the last four to five major releases.
  • Real-device testingphones and tablets across manufacturers and screen densities, not only the emulator, because manufacturer skins break things emulators never show. Details on our app testing page.
  • Internal testing trackyou and your staff install work-in-progress builds through Play Console's internal testing track, which needs no store listing and no waiting.

What publishing on Google Play actually requires

Google has tightened who can publish and how, and most of the delays we see on Android launches come from this section rather than from the code.

1. A verified organisation account, which needs a D-U-N-S number. Google Play Console organisation accounts must be verified against a D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet. Google says obtaining one can take up to 30 days (Google Play Console Help, 2026). It is free, but it has to be in your company's registered name and address. We ask for this in the first week of discovery so it is never on the critical path.

2. The 12-tester, 14-day rule. Personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in continuously for 14 days before Google will allow a production release (Google Play Console Help, 2026). It was 20 testers until Google lowered it. This is the rule that stalls a lot of DIY and freelance launches: the app is finished but cannot be published for a fortnight, and if a tester drops out the clock resets. Organisation accounts are reported not to be subject to it, which is one more reason we publish under a verified organisation account in your name.

3. The Data Safety form. Every app must declare what data it collects, why, and whether it is shared, and the declaration must match what the app actually does. Mismatches are a common rejection reason. We complete the form from the app's real data flows and keep it updated when features change.

4. Play App Signing and the upload key. Google manages the app signing key for new apps; the developer holds a separate upload key. We generate it in your account and store the backup with you, so a lost laptop never locks you out of your own app.

5. Review time. Google does not publish a service level. First submissions and new accounts take longer than updates, and policy checks can add days, so we plan the launch date with that buffer.

Already started an Android project that's stuck in testing or verification? Send us the Play Console status and we'll tell you what's blocking it.

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What Google charges

  • Developer registrationa one-off US$25 for the Play Console account, set up in your company's name (Google, 2026).
  • Service fee on digital goods15% on the first US$1 million of earnings each year and 30% above that; 15% on auto-renewing subscriptions regardless of revenue (Google Play Console Help, 2026).
  • Physical goods and servicesexempt from Google Play Billing. Takeaway orders, bookings, trade supplies and service appointments can be paid through Google Pay, Stripe or your existing card provider, and Google takes nothing per transaction.
  • UK regulationthe Competition and Markets Authority gave Google Strategic Market Status on 22 October 2025 and is consulting on steering rules (CMA, 2026); tracked on the mobile app development page.

Is an Android app more expensive than iOS?

Slightly, for the same features, and the difference is testing. Apple sells a handful of screen sizes; Android ships on thousands of device models with manufacturer-modified software, so the real-device test matrix is larger and some bugs appear only on one brand's phones. Writing the Kotlin itself costs about what the Swift equivalent would. Magora's 2026 UK guide puts a minimum viable product (MVP: the smallest version worth launching) at £10,000–£25,000 and a production app with its own backend at £25,000–£60,000. Full cost table and maintenance budget: mobile app development.

Your Play Console, your keys

On Android, control comes down to three things: the Play Console organisation account, the upload key, and the source code. All three are yours. The account is created with your company's email and verified against your D-U-N-S number; you are the owner and we are a developer you can remove in one click. The Kotlin source, backend and design files are assigned to you in the contract, because UK copyright does not transfer automatically on payment. If you ever change developer, the next team logs into your console, pulls your repository and carries on.

Keeping an Android app publishable, year after year

Google's rhythm differs from Apple's, and the dates matter:

  1. 1May: Google I/ONew Android version and tooling announced; we check Compose, library and behaviour changes against your app.
  2. 2June to August: new Android shipsTo Pixel first, then other manufacturers over months. We test as it reaches each brand your customers use.
  3. 331 August: target API deadlineNew apps and updates must target the new API level (36 in 2026). Miss it and you cannot ship an update until you catch up.
  4. 4Ongoing:Play policy changes land several times a year with compliance dates; Data Safety, permissions and photo or location access rules have all changed recently.

Android apps we've built

VetaHub Built and live.

R&R Properties app Currently being built; details once the client approves.

The old page claimed Android games and seven industries. We've taken that down because we can't show it.

  • "Amit is very knowledgeable and has been very patient with us, responding quickly to any changes we have asked for (and there has been a lot of changes!)."
    Excel Process Systems Ltd, Google review
  • "Very happy with the service provided by Vimana Digital. Amit is very knowledgeable and flexible in his approach and delivered a great website."
    Ian Adams, Google review

iOS, and where we work

StatCounter's 2025–26 figures show iPhone and Android trading the UK lead month to month, so leaving iOS out usually means leaving out half your audience. Our iOS app development page covers Swift, App Store Review and Apple's fees. If you'd rather meet in person, we're at The Long Eaton Hub; our app pages by city: Nottingham · Derby · Leicester · Long Eaton.

Android appdevelopmentquestions

Not covered here? Call and ask. We reply within 24 hours.

0115 647 0444Get a quote
How much does an Android app cost in the UK?

Typically £10,000–£25,000 for a first launchable version and £25,000–£60,000 for a full app with its own backend, based on 2026 UK agency guides. Android budgets carry a little more device testing than iPhone ones. Once discovery is done you get a written, fixed-scope price before any Kotlin is written.

Will my app be built in Kotlin or Java?

Kotlin, with screens in Jetpack Compose. Google has recommended Kotlin for Android since 2019 and declared Android "Compose-first" in 2026, with the older Views toolkit in maintenance mode. Java still runs, but new Android features and libraries are designed around Kotlin and Compose first.

What is the Google Play 12-tester rule?

A requirement for personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023: a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in continuously for 14 days before production release. We publish under a verified organisation account in your name, which is reported not to be subject to it.

Do I need a D-U-N-S number to publish on Google Play?

Yes, for an organisation account. Google verifies the company against a D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet, which is free but can take up to 30 days to issue. We ask you to apply in week one so verification is finished long before the app is ready.

What is the Android 16 target API deadline?

From 31 August 2026 new apps and updates on Google Play must target Android 16 (API 36), and existing apps must target at least API 35 to stay visible to new users. An extension to 1 November 2026 is available on request. We schedule the update every summer as part of maintenance.

What does Google Play charge?

A one-off US$25 registration fee, then 15% on the first US$1 million a year of digital sales (30% above that) and 15% on subscriptions. Selling something real, such as a takeaway, a booking or trade stock? Then Play Billing doesn't apply and Google takes no cut.

Who owns the Play Console account and signing keys?

Your business. The Play Console organisation account is opened and D-U-N-S-verified in the company's name, Google holds the app signing key, and the upload key backup stays with you. Our login is a developer role you can delete in one click. The Kotlin repository is yours under a written IP assignment, made on final payment.

Should I launch on Android first, or both platforms?

It depends where your customers are. UK users split roughly half and half between Android and iPhone. Android first makes sense for staff tools on company handsets, rugged scanners or kiosks, and where your web analytics show an Android majority. Otherwise plan for both and launch where demand is clearest.

Tell us about your Android app

Describe what the app should do, who will carry it, and whether it's for customers or staff. You'll get our questions back first, then a fixed-scope estimate with the Play Store timeline built in.

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Author: Amit Saini, founder and lead developer, Vimana Digital. Last reviewed: 9 October 2026

"Brilliant service super quick plus did a first class website for my company: Just Engineers Technical Solutions Ltd Thanks Amit" — William Williamson, Google review
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