By Sampath Mallidi, CEO of Revidd · October 2026

Getting a branded channel app approved on every TV store is mostly paperwork, testing and patience. This page is a plain checklist for broadcasters, built only from each store's own public developer pages, which we read on October 26, 2026. Where a store does not publish a detail, we say so. None of them publish a review time we could find, so we give none.

TL;DR: Before you submit anywhere, have a final build, a test login that works, a privacy policy, store artwork in the right sizes and a way to fix and resubmit fast. Then work through each store's own list below. Review time is set by the store, not by you or your vendor, so plan for it.

What do you need before you submit to any TV app store?

Every store asks for a similar base. Get these ready once and reuse them.

• A final build with no placeholder content and no broken links.

• A test login that works for the reviewer, with your back end switched on. Apple and Samsung both ask for test account details.

• A privacy policy at a public address, and a support contact.

• Store artwork: icon, banner or splash, and screenshots, cut to each store's sizes.

• A title and description for each language you sell in.

• A version number that goes up with every build.

• Someone who owns the developer accounts and watches the review emails.

How do you pass Roku certification?

Roku says it reviews all new and updated public apps for design and performance, and checks them against its platform requirements. Its page also describes automated checks: static analysis of the code, and a behavior check for free, ad supported and subscription apps that covers deep linking.

• Fix every static analysis error. Roku says they must be resolved before an app can be scheduled for publishing.

• Launch to a fully rendered home screen within 15 seconds, per Roku's page.

• Keep scene changes to 3 seconds or less, and start playback within 8 seconds.

• Test on the Roku devices the page names, and make sure the app works on all devices that get the current OS.

• Support the back button, closed captions, deep linking and Direct to Play.

• Sign in on the device, not on an outside web page.

• If the app has ads, include an app-ads.txt file.

• Avoid deprecated calls. Roku warns they can fail certification.

• Raise the version number on every build.

Roku states no review time for the first review. It says apps that need extra testing are reviewed in the order received, with feedback expected within a week of submission.

What does Samsung require?

Samsung publishes its process in the TV Seller Office. You create the app, upload the package, which runs an automatic pre-test, fill in the app details, then request a release. Samsung reviews the app, runs verification testing and tells you the result. If it fails, you fix the problem and resubmit.

• Package ID and title must be unique and match. A duplicate package name blocks registration, and the title in your config file must match the default title you enter.

• Every new upload needs a higher version number than the last one.

• Updates must be signed with the same author signature as the earlier version.

• Declare only the permissions you use. Using restricted ones without approval is blocked at the pre-test.

• Assets: a 1920x1080 PNG foreground icon, a 512x423 background icon, and screenshots at 1280x720 or 1920x1080, each under the size limits on Samsung's page.

• A UI description file (PPTX), a privacy policy address if you collect personal data, and a contact email.

• Test account details with enough credit to test on every platform you picked.

Samsung's pages state no review or release time.

What does LG require?

LG's three stages are submit through Seller Lounge, QA testing by LG, then launch on its store. Failed apps come back with a list of issues to fix.

• Fill in the self checklist with your real test results and upload it. LG says that without it, or with too little detail, the app can be rejected without a QA process.

• Only mark an item N/A if it truly does not apply. LG says inaccurate answers get the app rejected.

• Check content, user experience, and how you store credentials and keys. LG's checklist covers all three.

• Add a UX scenario. LG calls it recommended, and it helps their testers.

• Use the current checklist template from LG. LG's FAQ says apps sent with the previous version will not be approved.

• Expect every new version to go through approval again. Approval of one version does not cover later ones.

LG's pages state no timeframe for any stage.

What does Apple TV review look at?

Apple reviews tvOS apps under its App Review Guidelines. The ones that catch streaming apps most often:

• Completeness (2.1): a final build with working links, and for login apps, demo account details with your back end switched on.

• Remote control (2.4.3): the app must work with the Siri Remote, with no other hardware needed.

• Purchases (3.1.1 and 3.1.2): paid subscriptions and paid access to content go through Apple's in app purchase, and subscriptions must be available across the user's devices.

• Privacy (5.1.1): a privacy policy in the store listing and inside the app, and account deletion inside the app if people can create accounts.

• Screenshots and previews (2.3): show the app in use, not just a title card or login page.

• Ads (2.5.18): keep them to the main app, age appropriate, with a close or skip button when they interrupt.

Apple's guideline page states no review time.

What does Fire TV test?

Amazon publishes test criteria for Appstore apps. It says apps must pass a series of tests to be published, and that apps that break its content policy are rejected, with an email to the developer.

• Make the whole app work with the up, down, left and right buttons of the remote.

• A single button press must not send people to the Home screen.

• The Home button must preserve state, and the app should exit within 2 seconds of Home being pressed.

• Stay under the install size limit of 4 GB. Amazon recommends 2 GB or less.

• If loading takes longer than 15 seconds, show the user something.

• Make every sign in option work.

• Avoid device permissions that Fire devices do not have, such as the camera.

Amazon's criteria page states no review time. Its test criteria page was marked last updated September 18, 2026.

What does Android TV check?

Google lists TV app quality tests, in three tiers. The first tier, TV Ready, is the baseline for any TV app.

• Navigation with the five way remote, and the Back button leading back to the TV home screen.

• A 320x180 banner with the app name, plus a launcher icon of at least 160x160.

• Android App Bundles, which Google says are mandatory for TV apps in the Play Store.

• From August 1, 2026, Google says TV apps must support both 32 and 64 bit and meet the 16 KB page size rule.

• Compliance with the Play Developer Policy Center.

Google says the Play team will email you if the app does not meet the requirements. It states no review time. It also notes that a non compliant TV build can block other listing updates until fixed.

What about Vizio?

Vizio's own content partners page, which we read on October 26, 2026, has a submit your app form and says partners work with Vizio's Partner Management Team to onboard and launch. It lists no submission steps, requirements or review time, and Vizio's developer specs sit behind a login. So we list nothing more here rather than guess. Ask your Vizio contact for the current steps, and treat the checklist at the top of this page as your base.

Why is store review time outside your control?

Each store runs its own queue. Roku says extra testing is handled in the order apps arrive. Apple says submissions may not be reviewed in the order you send them. Samsung, LG, Amazon and Google do not publish a timeframe. Any number you see on a vendor blog is that vendor's estimate, and those estimates disagree with each other. The reliable plan is to submit early, answer rejection emails the same day, and keep your fixes small.

How do the stores compare?

Should you do this yourself or use a platform?

If you have an in house app developer and want full control of every store build, doing the submissions yourself is reasonable. You get the control, and you also own the accounts, the artwork, the test logins and every resubmission.

If you would rather not run a TV app team, Revidd builds native branded apps for Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV from one integration, with apps live in as little as 1 to 2 weeks plus store review. Store review is outside our control, as it is for anyone. Revidd powers streaming that reaches more than 38 million viewers and 5.2 million monthly active viewers across 15 countries. See the OTT apps page for the devices, or book a demo and tell us which stores you need first.

More on the build side: how to build an OTT app, getting your channel on Roku and Apple TV, no code OTT app builders compared and the platform overview.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Roku, Samsung or LG app review take?

None of them publish a standard review time on the developer pages we read. Roku says apps that need extra testing get feedback within a week of submission. Treat any other number as an estimate, not a promise.

Why do TV apps get rejected?

The official pages point to the same causes: missing or wrong checklist answers, no working test login, version or signature mistakes, policy breaks, and apps that fail the store's own tests. Each store tells you the reasons.

Do I need to give the reviewer a test login?

For Apple and Samsung, yes. Apple asks for demo account details with your back end switched on, and Samsung asks for test account details with enough credit to test.

Can one app build go to every TV store?

No. Each store has its own package type, artwork sizes and checks, so you prepare each one separately.

Do I have to submit again after every update?

Yes for the stores that say so. LG states that approval of one version does not cover later ones, and Samsung and Roku describe update submissions that are reviewed again.

When did you last check these pages?

October 26, 2026. Store rules change, so check each store's page before you submit. We plan to recheck monthly.