Connecting to the Google Play Store fails because the app package name couldn't be found

Important

Visual Studio App Center was retired on March 31, 2025, except for the Analytics and Diagnostics features, which will continue to be supported until June 30, 2026. Learn more.

When connecting to the Google Play Store, you may come across an error like this:

The app package name could not be found in your Google Play Console account. Sign in to your Google Play Console account and make sure your app is published.

This error appears when you try to connect to the Google Play Store before Google knows the package name of your app. Make sure you create the app in the Google Play Console first, and publish it to one of the built-in tracks at least once as well. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Fixing this issue

Make sure you have the right app package name, and that the app is published in the Google Play Console.

Verify the app package name

First verify you used the correct app package name. You can see this in the Google Play Console:

• Sign in to the Google Play Console.
• Make sure the app exists in the All applications list.
  • If the app isn't there, create it and go through the publishing steps below.
• The app package name is written in the App name column under the app name itself.
  • If it isn't there, go through the publishing steps below.

Publish the app

If you have the correct app package name and it still doesn't work, that means the app isn't yet published in the Google Play Console. Publish it there first, to the Production, Beta or Alpha track. App Center doesn't support manually created tracks.

• Sign in to the Google Play Console.
• Make sure the app exists in the All applications list. Create the app if it doesn't exist.
• The Status likely says Draft. Your goal is to have the status say Published.
• Go to the settings for the app.
• Go through all the steps in the console to publish the app.