Are you preparing to soft launch your app. Well I’m going to show you how to select the soft launch countries within iOS and Google Play.
Where to Soft Launch Your App
For those who are planning to soft launch their app, I recommend that you do it in different countries. I usually stay away from the U.S. and Canada. Instead, I try other places like the Philippines, which is very similar to a Western country and drives cheaper traffic. You can do this by using the App Store Connect and Google Play.
How to Soft Launch in App Store Connect
Open App Store Connect and access the app. Once you click the app, you will see its information. When you are ready for submission, you will have to fill out the needed information. I suggest that you don’t choose the “Automatically release this version” option because it will automatically release your app once Apple approves it. You will not be able to time it properly.
For your soft launch, set a date way into the future, for instance, a year later. You don’t have to worry about this as you can always come back to it later and adjust it.
The good thing about this is that Apple will see the review, approve it and get it ready for the App Store. Once done, you can go into pricing availability and select the country.
Uncheck the pre-order checkbox and make the app free. For the Availability, you can select all, which is default, or you can select the countries where you want to launch. After that, run your acquisition campaigns as well.
How to Soft Launch in Google Play
Open the Google Play console and go to Pricing & Distribution. Just like Apple, you can have it as free or paid. Just pick your choice.
In the Countries section, you will see the “Manage Countries” button. You can make it available or unavailable everywhere. You can also select the countries where you want to launch. Then hit submit and you’re done. After this, you can proceed in doing your soft launch marketing campaigns.