Controlling when to publish your app on the Google Play Store

Question

I've developed an app for a client and is readying it for deployment on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The client wants a simultaneous release, so I'm trying to control when it goes out on the stores.

For Apple, you simply toggle the option, telling it you want to control when its released after submitting it for review.

How do you do the same for the Google Play Store? Most searches turned up defunct options from the previous iteration of the Play Store Console. The Managed Publishing option says "you control when updates to your app are published on Google Play". Does this include new app being "rolled out" for the first time under Production, to use Google's terminology?

Answer 1

By looking into the documentation it seems like the first release to production does not qualify for Managed Publishing. It says specifically that:

Your app must already be available to use managed publishing – you can’t use it when publishing an app for the first time.

You can read more about it here: Control when app changes are published with managed publishing.

Answer 2

1. first you have to create the release and upload the app bundle and do all required steps then publish and full rollout. you will be told app is in review now.
2. Go to Publishing overview and now you can turn it on.
3. when app gets approved from Google you you will find it in Publishing overview tab and then you can find button publish now.

if Publishing overview is turned on your app won't be published to store unless you press publish button which will appears after google accept your app or your update.