Android
How do I sell my Android app? Valuation, buyers, and the Google Play app transfer
Short answer
To sell your Android app, agree a price and payment (ideally through escrow), then move it with Google Play’s official app transfer: you submit the request from your Play Console with both accounts’ registration transaction IDs, and the buyer approves it. Users, statistics, ratings, reviews and subscriptions move with the app; test tracks, earnings reports and past orders don’t. Apps with in-app purchases are unpublished until the new owner publishes them again, so plan the handover day. Don’t sell your developer account itself: Google’s policies forbid buying and selling accounts outside its official process.
Based on Google Play Console Help, checked September 2026. Google changes these rules. If anything here conflicts with Google’s app transfer page, Google wins.
Thinking of selling? Send me the store link and rough numbers; I usually reply within a few hours, with no fees for you. Send me your app
How much is my Android app worth?
Android apps are valued like iOS apps: as a multiple of profit. Flippa reports that apps sold on its marketplace in 2025 went for an average of 2.4x profit, with the top quarter at 5.4x. I haven’t found public data that splits multiples by platform, so the fundamentals matter more than the store: revenue trend, organic installs, revenue model and how much of your time the app needs. Flippa also notes that ad-heavy and one-time-purchase apps tend to sell for lower multiples than apps with recurring revenue. More in how much is my app worth.
Who buys Android apps?
The same groups that buy iOS apps: direct buyers, app holding companies, marketplace buyers, broker clients and, now and then, a strategic acquirer. Many buyers stick to one platform, so ask early. As for me: I mainly buy iOS apps, and I’m open to Android apps when the fit is right, in deals from $10K to $1M+. The best fit is an app that has been live for at least 6 months with steady revenue. I don’t buy games, SaaS, or web-only products. The wider list is in companies that buy apps.
How does the Google Play app transfer work?
You request it from your Play Console, and the buyer approves it in theirs. The steps from Google’s app transfer help page:
- Check eligibility. Both developer accounts must be registered and active, and your account and the transferred apps must comply with Google Play policies. A brand-new receiving account pays Google’s one-time $25 registration fee first.
- Get both registration transaction IDs. Google asks for the transaction ID of your account’s registration and of the buyer’s.
- Download your records. Export earnings, payout and bulk reports for your taxes. They stay with your account.
- Get paid safely. Have the buyer fund escrow before you submit the request. How that works: app sale escrow.
- Submit the transfer request from your Play Console account.
- The buyer reviews and approves the request in their account.
- Relink services (see below) and republish if the app has in-app products.
What moves with the app in a Google Play transfer, and what doesn’t?
Users, ratings, reviews, statistics and subscriptions move; reports, past orders, promotions and test tracks stay behind.
| Item | What happens |
|---|---|
| Users, statistics, ratings, reviews, subscriptions | Move with the app |
| Package name | Stays the same |
| App signing registration | Moves; the buyer can request a new upload key or a signing key upgrade |
| Test tracks (internal, closed, open) | Don’t move; recreate closed testing groups |
| Earnings, payout and bulk reports | Stay with the seller; download them first |
| Orders before the transfer | Stay in the seller’s account |
| Promotions | Don’t move; existing promo codes stay valid |
| Apps with in-app purchases | Unpublished until the buyer publishes again; the buyer needs an active payments profile |
| Google Cloud (Play Games Services, APIs), Firebase, Analytics | Relink manually: add the buyer as Owner of Cloud projects, relink Firebase, re-grant Analytics |
| AdMob and other ad SDKs | Changed in the app build; the buyer ships an update with their own IDs |
Based on Google docs (Play Console Help: transfer apps), checked September 2026. Google also notes that revenue in the transfer year counts towards both account groups’ service fee thresholds.
What happens to subscriptions and RevenueCat on Android?
Subscriptions and subscribers move with the app. If you use RevenueCat, the buyer creates a Google Cloud service account in their own project, grants it the required permissions in Play Console and uploads the key to RevenueCat. RevenueCat says new credentials can take up to 36 hours to start working, so set them up before transfer day. The buyer also sets up real-time developer notifications again (a Pub/Sub topic). More in selling a subscription app.
What should I check before closing an Android app sale in 2026?
Developer verification status, and that you’re transferring the app rather than the account.
- Android developer verification. From September 30, 2026, Play packages must be registered with a verified developer, or the app is removed from Google Play. Google says most were registered automatically; confirm the app’s status before you close.
- Testing requirement on new personal accounts. Personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before publishing to production. Google doesn’t say whether that applies to an app transferred into such an account, so if the buyer’s account is new and personal, have them check.
- Selling the whole account: don’t. Transfer the app. Google’s Play Console requirements prohibit buying, selling or renting accounts on third-party marketplaces, and the official account ownership transfer isn’t available for personal accounts that earn money.
Can I sell the Android and iOS versions of my app together?
Yes, and it usually makes sense to sell them together, because a buyer gets the combined revenue and users. Each platform uses its own transfer (Play Console and App Store Connect). Run them on the same handover day and tie the escrow release to both being complete. The iOS side of the process is in how to sell an iOS app.
Frequently asked questions
Can I transfer an Android app to another developer account?
Yes. Google Play has an official app transfer: you submit the request from your Play Console account with both accounts’ registration transaction IDs, and the receiving developer approves it.
Do ratings and reviews move when I sell my Android app?
Yes. Google says users, statistics, data, comments, ratings and subscriptions related to the app move with it.
Will my Android app go offline during the transfer?
Apps with in-app purchases are unpublished until the new owner publishes them again, so coordinate the handover. Google doesn’t document downtime for other apps; plan a quiet day either way.
Can I sell my Google Play developer account instead?
No. Google’s Play Console requirements prohibit buying and selling accounts on third-party marketplaces. Transfer the app instead.
I want to sell my Android app. Do you buy Android-only apps?
Sometimes. I mainly buy iOS apps, and I’m open to Android apps when the fit is right, in deals from $10K to $1M+. The best fit is an app that has been live for at least 6 months with steady revenue. Send the Play Store link and rough numbers, and I usually reply within a few hours.