Definition
What Google Play pre-registration is
Google Play pre-registration is the Play Store's way of collecting committed users before your app is released. Users tap Pre-Register on your listing, and at launch they get a notification. If they opted in on an eligible device, Play can auto-install your app for them on day one. It is the Android counterpart to an App Store pre-order, and its job is the same: turn pre-launch interest into a concentrated launch-day install spike.
You set it up in Play Console. Google recommends turning pre-registration on 3 to 6 weeks before your planned launch, and a campaign can run for at most 90 days before you have to ship to production. You can have up to two apps or games in pre-registration at a time, and your app bundle needs to be uploaded to at least one release track first.
Pre-registration rewards
Google adds one lever the App Store does not: a pre-registration reward. You can offer a single one-time free item that users receive after they pre-register, to push interest, installs, and day-one conversions. You create one reward per campaign, and once it is set you cannot edit or delete it, so decide what it is before you launch the campaign.
Where pricing comes in
Pre-registration is most associated with games, but it is available for any app, and the pricing caveat is the same as everywhere else on the store. Google Play generates your prices in other countries by auto-conversion from your base, which is a currency conversion, not a localized price. A day-one install spike is only worth as much as the prices those new users meet, so localize before you open pre-registration, not after.
Examples
Example
You plan to launch a productivity app and turn on pre-registration in Play Console four weeks ahead, with a reward of a free month of your Pro tier. Users across many countries pre-register. On launch day, Play notifies them and auto-installs the app for those who opted in.
The day-one spike arrives, but the users in lower-income markets open the app and see a Pro price that is a raw conversion of your US price, two to three times too high for their purchasing power. The reward got them in the door; the mispriced upgrade lost them at the paywall. Localizing the price first is what would have converted that launch cohort.
Frequently asked
How does Google Play pre-registration work?
Users tap Pre-Register on your listing before launch. At release they get a notification, and if they opted in on an eligible device, Play auto-installs the app on day one. Google recommends turning it on 3 to 6 weeks before launch, and a campaign can run up to 90 days.
What is a pre-registration reward?
A single one-time free item users receive after pre-registering, meant to drive interest, installs, and day-one conversions. You create one reward per campaign, and it cannot be edited or deleted once set.
Is pre-registration only for games?
It is most common for games, but it is available for any app. The launch-boost mechanics are the same, and so is the pricing caveat: Play auto-converts your prices to other countries, which is not the same as localizing them.
Further reading
- App Pre-Launch Marketing: Pre-Orders, Pre-Registration, and Day-One PricesApp pre-launch marketing in 2026: how App Store pre-orders and Google Play pre-registration build a day-one install boost, and the prices it lands on.
- App Pricing Localization: What It Is and How to Get It RightApp pricing localization means setting prices that fit each country's purchasing power, not just converting currency. The cornerstone guide for both stores.