Error: Unable to Connect to Your App (Publishing service – Google Play Store)

Introduction

When using the BuddyBoss publishing service to connect your Android app to Google Play, you might see the error:

Unable to Connect to Your App (Publishing service – Google Play Store)

This article explains how to resolve it by meeting the prerequisites and granting the correct permissions to your Google service account.

Ensure Requirements Are Met

1. A release build is uploaded to your Google Play Console.
2. The Service Account Key has been generated and is available in JSON format.
   

Grant and Configure Service Account Permissions

1. Sign in to https://play.google.com/console and select your app.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) > Users & permissions.
3. Click Invite new user, enter your service account email (e.g., [email protected]), and click Next.
4. Under Role, select Admin (or, for least privilege, choose Release manager plus Manage production releases, View app information, and Manage build artifacts).
5. Click Invite user.
6. (If prompted) Accept the invitation by signing in with your service account credentials.
7. You may refer to the tutorial here: Connect Google Play Developer Account
   

Retry Publishing Service Connection

1. In your BuddyBoss plugin or publishing settings, upload or re-select the Service Account JSON key.
2. Click Connect or Test Connection.
3. Confirm that the warning is gone and the connection succeeds.
   

Troubleshooting and FAQs

Q: The warning persists after granting permissions—why?
A: Permission changes can take 15–30 minutes to propagate. Verify the service account email matches exactly and retry after waiting.

Q: Can I limit permissions instead of using Admin?
A: Yes. Use the granular roles listed above under Release manager to follow the principle of least privilege.