Release Process

Step-by-step guide for releasing a new version.

Prerequisites

GitHub repository secrets must be configured:

Secret	Purpose
GOOGLE_SERVICES_JSON	Base64-encoded google-services.json
MAPS_API_KEY	Google Maps API key
RELEASE_KEYSTORE_BASE64	Base64-encoded release keystore (.jks)
RELEASE_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD	Keystore password
RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS	Signing key alias
RELEASE_KEY_PASSWORD	Signing key password
GIST_TOKEN	Personal access token for badge updates

These secrets are consumed by the Setup Secrets reusable action.

Steps

1. Develop on staging — all feature branches merge into staging via PRs.

2. Bump version — update version.properties on the release branch:

   versionCode=16       # increment by exactly 1
   versionName=1.9.0    # bump at least one semver part
   

3. Regenerate baseline profiles (recommended when critical user journeys changed):

   ./gradlew :app:generateReleaseBaselineProfile
   

   Requires a device or emulator (API 28+). Commit the generated files in app/src/release/generated/baselineProfiles/. Stale profiles still work (ART ignores removed methods) but won't cover new hot paths. See Performance — Generating Profiles for details.

4. Create PR staging → main — this triggers:

   • Unit Tests — detekt + tests + coverage comment
   • Version Check — validates version bump
   • Baseline Profile Verification — AAB integrity + PR comment

5. Merge to main — this triggers:

   • Build & Release — builds signed APK, creates GitHub release with tag v<versionName>
   • Project Stats — updates badges
   • Update Module Graph — commits graph if changed
   • Deploy Docs — publishes docs site if docs changed

6. Verify — check that the GitHub release was created with the correct tag and APK.

Commit message

Use the release prefix for the version bump commit:

release: 1.9.0

See Commit Messages for all prefixes.