Upload a Google Service Account Key for Play Store Publishing

Create a Google Cloud service account, grant it Play Console access, download the JSON key, and upload it to Rey so you can publish Android apps to Google Play.

To publish and update your Rey app on Google Play, Rey needs permission to submit builds on your behalf. Google grants this permission through a service account — a special Google Cloud identity with a JSON key file that acts like a password. Once you upload the key to Rey, all future Android submissions and updates happen automatically.

You only need to do this once per Google Play Developer account.

Prerequisites

• A Google Play Developer account with the Admin (all permissions) role.
• A Google Cloud account (any Google account works — no billing required for this flow).
• Your Rey app ready to publish. See App Stores for the full submission overview.

Step 1: Create a Google Cloud project

1. Open the Google Cloud Console

   Go to the Google Cloud Console.

2. Create a new project

   Click the project selector in the top bar, then New Project. Name it something recognizable like rey-play-publishing and click Create.

3. Select the new project

   Once created, make sure your new project is selected in the project selector before continuing.

Step 2: Enable the Google Play Android Developer API

1. Open the API library

   In the Cloud Console, navigate to APIs & Services → Library.

2. Search for the API

   Search for Google Play Android Developer API.

3. Enable it

   Click the result, then click Enable.

Step 3: Create the service account

1. Open IAM & Admin

   In the Cloud Console, go to IAM & Admin → Service Accounts.

2. Create a service account

   Click Create Service Account. Give it a descriptive name like rey-play-publisher and click Create and Continue.

3. Grant a role (optional at this step)

   You can skip granting a Cloud project role here — the required permissions are granted later inside the Play Console. Click Continue, then Done.

Step 4: Create and download a JSON key

1. Open the new service account

   From the service accounts list, click the account you just created.

2. Add a key

   Go to the Keys tab, click Add Key → Create new key, choose JSON, and click Create.

3. Save the JSON file

   A JSON file downloads to your computer. Store it somewhere safe — you’ll upload this file to Rey in the final step.

Treat this JSON key like a password. Anyone with the file can publish apps to your Google Play account. Do not commit it to source control or share it in chat.

Step 5: Grant the service account access in Google Play Console

1. Open the Play Console

   Go to the Google Play Console and select your developer account.

2. Open Users and permissions

   In the left sidebar, click Users and permissions, then click Invite new users.

3. Enter the service account email

   Paste the service account email (it looks like [e-mail]). You can find it back in the Cloud Console service accounts list.

4. Grant account permissions

   Under Account permissions, enable at minimum:

   • View app information and download bulk reports
   • Manage production releases
   • Manage testing track releases
   • Manage store presence
   • Edit and delete draft apps
   • Release apps to testing tracks
   • Release to production, exclude devices, and use Play App Signing

   For the simplest setup, you can grant Admin (all permissions), but least-privilege is recommended.

5. Invite the user

   Click Invite user, then Send invitation. The service account is granted access immediately — no email confirmation needed.

Step 6: Upload the JSON key to Rey

1. Open Publish settings

   In the Rey editor, click Publish in the toolbar and select Google Play as the target.

2. Connect your Google Play account

   In the Google Play Developer account section, click Upload service account key.

3. Select your JSON file

   Choose the JSON key file you downloaded in Step 4. Rey validates the file and confirms the connection.

4. You're done

   Rey is now authorized to publish and update this app on Google Play. You can start a submission from the same screen.

If you rotate or revoke the key later, just repeat Step 4 to generate a new JSON file and re-upload it in Rey. Old keys can be deleted from the Cloud Console service account Keys tab.

Troubleshooting

Rey says the key is invalid

Make sure you uploaded the JSON key (not a P12) and that the Google Play Android Developer API is enabled in the same Cloud project that owns the service account.

Submission fails with a permission error

The service account is missing a required Play Console permission. Return to Users and permissions in the Play Console and confirm every permission listed in Step 5 is enabled for the service account.

I can't find the service account email

In the Cloud Console, go to IAM & Admin → Service Accounts and select your project. The email is listed next to each account and always ends in .iam.gserviceaccount.com.

Next Steps

• Return to App Stores to complete your Google Play submission.
• Preview your app on a real device first with Device Preview.