If you lost your upload key (the key used to sign new versions of your app before uploading to Google Play), don't panic. If you have Play App Signing enabled — which is used by almost all new apps — you can replace the upload key without losing your app or users.

It's important to understand that there are two different keys:

• Upload key — stored by the developer and used only to upload new versions of the app.
• App signing key — stored by Google and used to sign the APKs that users receive.

That's why losing the upload key does not lead to losing the app.

How to restore the ability to publish updates?

1. Create a new keystore (.jks) and a new upload key in Android Studio.
2. Export the new key's certificate to a .pem file.
3. Open Google Play Console and go to App Integrity section.
4. Select Request upload key reset.
5. Specify the reason (e.g., I lost my upload key) and upload the upload_certificate.pem file.
6. After the request is approved, sign the new version of the app with the new key and upload it to Google Play.

How long does the key reset take?

Typically, Google reviews the request within 1–2 business days, although in some cases it may take a bit longer. After confirmation, you can immediately publish new versions of the app.

What if the App Signing Key is lost?

If you use Play App Signing, this key is stored by Google, so it cannot be lost.