Phased release on the App Store and staged rollout on Google Play
App Store phased release sends an update to users with automatic updates over 7 days (1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 100%) and can be paused for up to 30 days in total, while a Google Play staged rollout goes to the percentage you set and only grows when you raise it yourself.
What do phased release and staged rollout do?
Both send an update to part of your users first, so a crash or a bad change reaches a few people before it reaches everyone. They work differently: Apple runs a fixed 7-day schedule that you can pause; Google gives you a percentage you control by hand.
| App Store phased release | Google Play staged rollout | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies to | Version updates only | Updates only, not a first release |
| Who gets it | Random users with automatic updates on | Random users, chosen per release |
| Schedule | Fixed: 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 100% over 7 days | The percentage you set; never grows by itself |
| Manual download | Anyone can still download the update from the App Store | Users outside the percentage keep the previous version |
| Pause | Up to 30 days in total, unlimited pauses | Halt rollout, then resume |
| Finish early | Release to all users | Raise to 100% |
| Reviews from rollout users | Yes, public | Yes, public |
How does App Store phased release work?
The schedule is fixed:
| Day | Share of users with automatic updates |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1% |
| 2 | 2% |
| 3 | 5% |
| 4 | 10% |
| 5 | 20% |
| 6 | 50% |
| 7 | 100% |
To turn it on, open the version page in App Store Connect and, under Phased Release for Automatic Updates, choose to release the update over 7 days. You can set it while the version is in Prepare for Submission, Waiting for Review, In Review, Waiting for Export Compliance, Pending Developer Release or a rejected state. The Account Holder, Admin or App Manager can manage it.
Things to know:
- Pause: up to 30 days in total, as many times as you need. On resume, the schedule continues from the day it stopped.
- Release to all users: available any time once the version is Ready for Distribution.
- Manual downloads: anyone can get the update from the App Store at any time, so phased release limits automatic updates, not access.
- Removal from sale (including a lapsed membership) stops the phased release for that version; on reinstatement the version goes to all users immediately.
How does a Google Play staged rollout work?
- Open Test and release, Production and create or edit the release.
- Click Review release. In the Staged rollout section, enter a percentage.
- Click Start rollout to production.
- To grow it: Manage rollout, Update rollout, enter a higher percentage, Confirm update.
- To stop it: Manage rollout, Halt rollout. No more users receive the version.
- To continue: Manage rollout, Resume rollout, set the percentage, confirm.
Users in the rollout are not notified that they are in it, and they can leave public reviews. Staged rollouts also work on open and closed testing tracks. Country targeting can be set for production releases, but once the rollout starts you cannot remove countries.
When should you stop a release?
Decide the stop rules before you start, then check them daily during the rollout:
- Crash or ANR spike in the new version (Xcode Organizer and crash tools on iOS, Android vitals on Android)? Pause or halt now; fix and ship a new build.
- A wave of 1-2 star reviews naming the new version? Pause, read them, decide if the cause is a bug or a change people dislike.
- A core flow broken (sign-in, purchase, sync) for some users? Halt even at 1%; that is what the 1% is for.
- Server load growing faster than expected? Pause on iOS or hold the percentage on Play while you scale.
- Nothing wrong after 2 to 3 days? On Play, raise the percentage in steps; on iOS let the schedule run or release to all.
A halted Play rollout can be resumed with the same version; to replace it, upload a new build with a higher version code.
Typical Google Play percentage plan
There is no official schedule on Google Play. One cautious approach is to mirror Apple's curve: start at 1 to 5%, then 10%, 20%, 50% and 100%, one step per day if crash rates and reviews stay normal. Slow it down for risky releases (payments, data migrations), speed it up for small fixes.
Where does this fit in the release flow?
Test the build first with TestFlight or a Google Play testing track, submit it as in How to publish an app on the App Store or on Google Play, and expect the review times in App Store review time. The App Store Connect side panels are explained in What is App Store Connect?.
During a rollout, the earliest public signal is reviews. Uptika's Reviews page shows both stores' reviews filtered by version, and on paid plans an alert fires when several 1-star reviews arrive within two days.Uptika's Daily ping then shows every morning what moved since the last reading: keyword ranks, category chart positions and new 1–2 star reviews, so a weak build shows up within a day. Start on the free plan or the 7-day Growth trial.
Questions
What is phased release on the App Store?
An option for version updates that releases the update over 7 days to a random sample of users who have automatic updates turned on. Anyone can still download the new version manually from the App Store at any time.
What percentage does phased release use each day?
Day 1: 1%, day 2: 2%, day 3: 5%, day 4: 10%, day 5: 20%, day 6: 50%, day 7: 100% of users with automatic updates on.
Can I pause a phased release?
Yes. You can pause for up to 30 days in total, with no limit on the number of pauses. When you resume, the release continues from the day where it stopped.
How does a Google Play staged rollout work?
You choose a percentage when you start the production rollout. Users are picked at random, the percentage never grows by itself, and you raise it, halt it or resume it from Manage rollout. It is only available for updates, not for a first release.
Does phased release slow down a critical fix?
Only if you leave it on. You can release to all users at any time once the version is Ready for Distribution, and on Google Play you can raise the rollout to 100%.