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Ship Your App to a Play Closed Test

The capstone project for Mobile App Development with React Native & Expo: Build, Test and Publish a Real App from Nigeria — a free Data & Tech course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

One shared link (Google Doc, Notion page or README section set to 'anyone with the link') listing: the public GitHub repository, the Play closed-testing opt-in link or EAS APK link, the privacy policy and account-deletion page URLs, the Data Safety evidence, the low-end device test notes, and the two-minute demo video.

What to do, step by step

  1. Part 1 — The app: build a React Native + Expo app of your own design, or extend SabiSell with at least three features not built in the lessons. It must have at least four screens with Expo Router navigation, at least one form with validation, local persistence that survives an app restart with the network off, a backend (Supabase or an API of your own) with sign-in, one device feature (camera, image picker, sharing, location or notifications) requested with a just-in-time permission, and a working in-app account-deletion path.
  2. Part 2 — Low-end evidence: test the app on a real Android phone with 4 GB of RAM or less (borrow one if needed). Record the device model, Android version, cold-start time, and the behaviour of your longest list with 200+ items. State one performance change you made because of what you saw, with before-and-after numbers.
  3. Part 3 — Store readiness: publish a privacy policy page and an account-deletion request page (a free static page is fine) whose text matches what the app actually collects, including any third-party SDKs. Fill in Google Play's Data Safety form and export or screenshot your answers. Confirm the build targets Android 16 (API 36) and passes the 16 KB page-size check in the Play Console app bundle explorer.
  4. Part 4 — Publish: create a Google Play developer account (or use one you have), upload a production AAB built with EAS Build to a closed-testing track, and recruit at least 12 testers. Submit the opt-in link. If you cannot afford the $25 account yet, submit instead an EAS-built APK download link plus a written checklist of every Play Console step you completed up to the fee, and say so — the rubric reduces but does not zero the store-readiness score.
  5. Part 5 — Code and docs: push the code to a public GitHub repository with a README that explains the architecture (folder structure, data model, sync strategy), how to run it, and what you would build next. Include at least three automated tests. No secret keys in the repository — use environment variables and say which ones are needed.
  6. Part 6 — Demo: a two-minute screen recording showing the core flows on a real phone, including going offline and coming back online. Put every link (repo, closed-test opt-in or APK, privacy policy, deletion page, Data Safety evidence, video) in one shared document and submit that link.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 7 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
The app works: four or more screens with Expo Router, a validated form, a backend with sign-in, and no crashes in the demo's core flows25%
Offline-first done properly: local persistence survives restart with the network off, changes sync when back online, and the sync strategy is explained in the README15%
Device feature integrated with a just-in-time permission and a graceful denied state; in-app account deletion works10%
Low-end device evidence is real and specific (model, RAM, Android version, cold start, long-list behaviour) with one measured performance improvement10%
Store readiness: privacy policy and deletion page match the app's actual data collection including SDKs, Data Safety answers completed, target API 36 and 16 KB compliance confirmed, and a closed-testing track with testers (or the documented fallback)25%
Code quality: clear folder structure, README with architecture and run instructions, at least three automated tests, no secrets committed15%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish Mobile App Development with React Native & Expo: Build, Test and Publish a Real App from Nigeria before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Mobile App Development with React Native & Expo: Build, Test and Publish a Real App from Nigeria is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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Ready to earn this certificate?

Mobile App Development with React Native & Expo: Build, Test and Publish a Real App from Nigeria is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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