Launch checklist
This is the canonical list of everything to do between joining Apollos and your apps going live in the app stores. Work through it in order — each step links to a detailed guide.
How it works
Launching your apps is a partnership. The Apollos team handles the heavy lifting behind the scenes during onboarding — creating your church's environment, payment processing accounts, push notification setup, and search. Your team provides the branding, content, credentials, and preferences that make the app yours. The steps below are the parts your team owns, and the Launchpad in Admin tracks your progress through them.
Most churches complete this list over a few weeks. Steps 1–3 can happen in any order; the rest build on each other.
1. Set up your organization profile & branding
Add your church's name, website, timezone, logos, brand colors, and support contacts. This information shapes the look and feel of every app surface and appears in your app store listings, so complete it carefully.
→ Set up your organization profile & branding
2. Invite your team
You don't have to do this alone. Invite the teammates who'll manage content, giving, and people, and give each one the right role.
3. Connect your integrations
Connect your church management system (Rock RMS, Planning Center, or CCB) so people and groups stay in sync, plus your media sources (Vimeo, YouTube, and others) so your sermons and videos flow in automatically.
→ Integrations overview → How data sync works
4. Add content and build your feeds
Create or import your first content — sermons, articles, devotionals — and then build the feeds that organize it into the screens your members will see.
→ Create, edit, publish & unpublish content → Feeds: building your app's home screen
5. Configure your apps
Set up your mobile app's tabs (up to five — Apple recommends 3–5) and choose the feed that powers your TV app. If you plan to put Apollos content or giving on your website, set up web embeds too.
→ Mobile app → TV apps (Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku) → Website embeds
6. Set up giving
Connect your payment processing, create your funds (General Fund, Missions, Building Fund — whatever fits your church), and enable giving in the app. If you're moving from another giving provider, plan your donor migration now so recurring givers come with you.
→ Set up giving → Migrate donors to Apollos
7. Preview your apps
Before anything goes live, see exactly what your members will see. Use the Apollos Preview app on your phone and TV to walk through your real content and branding, and share it with your team for feedback.
→ Launchpad: preview and launch your apps
8. Prepare your app store listings
Write your app's name, descriptions, and keywords, and upload screenshots for the Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store, and Roku Channel Store.
9. Request your release
When everything above is done, open the Launchpad and request a release. The Apollos team takes it from there — submitting your apps to the stores and keeping you updated on progress until you're live.
→ Launchpad: preview and launch your apps
Troubleshooting
What does the Apollos team set up for me?
During onboarding, Apollos creates your church's environment (including your church slug), payment processing account, push notification setup, search, and your initial content structure. You'll be asked for credentials and preferences along the way — the checklist above covers everything that's in your hands.
Do I have to launch on every platform at once?
No. Many churches launch the mobile app first and add TV apps, web embeds, or Apollos Tap later. The Amazon and Roku stores only apply if you're launching a TV app.
How long does app store approval take?
After you request a release, the Apollos team submits your apps and the stores review them on their own timelines — typically a few days for Apple and Google, sometimes longer for TV platforms. Your Apollos contact will keep you posted.