Android Developer Verification with Google Play Console using React Native Expo (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you are publishing an Android app using React Native Expo, you may encounter the new Android Developer Verification process from Google. This process ensures that you prove ownership of your app package before distributing it.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the exact steps I used to verify my app (com.example.myapp) using Expo + EAS Build, including how to automatically inject the required adi-registration.properties file.

What is Android Developer Verification?

Google requires developers to verify ownership of their app before allowing release distribution. This includes:

• Registering your package name
• Providing a SHA-256 certificate fingerprint
• Uploading a signed APK for verification

Once verified, your app is linked to your developer identity.

Step 1: Register Your Package Name

Go to the Google Play Developer verification screen.

Enter your package name

Example:

com.example.myapp

Also fill:

• Friendly Name → Any display name for identification

Step 2: Add SHA-256 Certificate Fingerprint

Next, Google asks for your SHA-256 certificate fingerprint.

You can get it from Expo EAS credentials:

eas credentials

Or during build:

eas build --platform android --profile preview

Look for:

• SHA-1
• SHA-256

Copy the SHA-256 value and paste it into the Play Console.

Step 3: Verification Screen (APK Signing Request)

After submitting SHA-256, Google will show this screen:

Sign and upload an APK to prove ownership of com.example.myapp

A unique verification token

• Instructions to create:

assets/adi-registration.properties

Example token:

CRWWSGEIA89AAAEEAAAEEAAAAAA

Important Requirement

Google does NOT want your real production APK.

They only want a test APK signed with the same key.

Step 4: Auto-Inject File in Expo (Recommended Method)

Instead of manually creating files in Android folder, we use an Expo Config Plugin.

4.1 Create Plugin File

Create this file in your project:

plugins/withAdiRegistration.js

Code:

const { withDangerousMod } = require('@expo/config-plugins');
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');

module.exports = function withAdiRegistration(config) {
  return withDangerousMod(config, [
    'android',
    async (config) => {
      const assetsDir = path.join(
        config.modRequest.platformProjectRoot,
        'app',
        'src',
        'main',
        'assets'
      );

      // Create assets directory if it doesn't exist
      fs.mkdirSync(assetsDir, { recursive: true });

      // Create verification file
      const filePath = path.join(
        assetsDir,
        'adi-registration.properties'
      );

      fs.writeFileSync(
        filePath,
        'CRWWSGEIA89AAAEEAAAEEAAAAAA'
      );

      return config;
    },
  ]);
};

Step 5: Register Plugin in Expo Config

Open your app.json or app.config.js:

{
  "expo": {
    "android": {
      "package": "com.example.myapp"
    },
    "plugins": [
      "./plugins/withAdiRegistration"
    ]
  }
}

Step 6: Build Signed APK Using EAS

Step 6: Build Signed APK Using EAS

eas build --platform android --profile preview

OR for production:

eas build --platform android --profile production

Step 7: Upload APK to Google Verification

Once build completes:

1. Download APK from EAS
2. Go back to Google Play Console
3. Upload the APK
4. Google will verify:

• Package name
• SHA-256 signature
• Registration file

File not found error

Make sure:

assets/adi-registration.properties

is inside:

android/app/src/main/assets/

Wrong SHA-256

eas credentials

The Android Developer Verification process may look a bit confusing at first, especially when you are working with React Native Expo and EAS Build, but once you understand the flow, it becomes very straightforward.

By properly setting up your package name, SHA-256 fingerprint, and verification APK, you can successfully prove ownership of your Android app and continue publishing without issues.

I hope this guide helped you save time and avoid confusion during the verification process.

Support My Work

If this guide helped you or saved your time, you can support me here:

☕ Support | 💻Github

Need Help?

If you have any questions or face any issues, feel free to:

• Leave a comment below
• Contact me directly
• Open an issue on GitHub

I’m happy to help 👍