[seenu-k]

App-changing merges currently upload Android to closed testing. This change submits them to Play production alongside the existing web/backend deployment. Every app-changing PR, including cosmetic fixes and app dependency updates, must include a Cider version bump and finalized release notes. Backend-only, public website, documentation, tests and release tooling changes need no Android release.

The existing required Analyse and test job compares PRs with their base SHA and main pushes with the previous push. It checks shipped app inputs, requires a higher stable Cider version and finalized Play-compatible release notes, and leaves published changelog history alone. AGENTS.md documents the release steps and links to the full runbook; CLAUDE.md imports those instructions.

The production Fastlane lane fixes the production track and full rollout status. Play update priority is derived from the Cider version relative to the last submitted release tag: major 5, minor 2, patch 0. Automatic and manual production runs follow the same rule. The app requests Play's immediate flow for a major update; minor and patch releases keep the existing dismissible flexible prompt. No client lockout is added, and Play availability, eligibility, cancellation and review still apply.

Existing v tags record accepted Play submissions. Pending app releases and their urgency survive failed uploads, backend-only merges and unsubmitted follow-up patches. Full checkout history lets the workflow find the previous submitted tag along main's first-parent history. A patch after a submitted major returns to priority 0. Manual artifact-only builds and testing lanes remain available; testing lanes retain explicit priority configuration.

Validation: all 42 Dart release-tool tests passed. Offline tests exercise the actual Fastlane lanes, eight version-delta cases, invalid/non-increasing versions, ignored legacy production overrides, and the actual workflow build-number/tag-selection shell step with real Git history. Ruby, workflow YAML/shell syntax, artwork provenance and diff checks passed. All four required hosted CI checks passed on the priority-mapping commit, including release tooling, full app and Chrome/WASM tests, backend integration and the production web build.

The app version remains 4.1.0, which already has a release tag. This tooling-only PR therefore deploys the web/backend without submitting Android. The next app-changing PR must bump and release its app version; merging it submits the first new production version, subject to Play review and publishing settings.