This article is part of the Ionic Framework / Capacitor Advent Calendar 2020.
Once you get used to shipping apps, you start to get a rough sense of Apple and Google review times. If nothing gets flagged, Apple is usually within 24 hours (except Sundays) and Google around 12 hours—though it varies with when you submit. For example, "I submitted to Apple on Wednesday at 1 p.m., so release will probably land between 5 and 7 a.m. the next day."
New apps often get feedback, so I usually expect something like three days, but something recently upended that rule of thumb: the Google Play Console "Content rating." My new app has been stuck unable to release because this step has sat at "In progress" for five days with no update. (It used to clear in less than a day—or I feel like I could request app review even before it finished.)
Content rating is evaluated by an external organization, not Google, so there is no predictable schedule at all. Maybe processing is badly delayed because of the pandemic—I have never seen anything like this.
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859655#ratings
That brings me to the title: you can submit this content rating as soon as your app concept is solid—even if the app is not built yet (no binary required). You do not even need an app icon or screenshots. Really, planning alone is enough to apply.
So if you are building a new app, I recommend pausing development for a moment and submitting the content rating first. Until it clears, you cannot distribute to testers either, so getting it done early matters a lot.
There is literally nothing else to do here, so if you are reading this, I suggest submitting the rating request right away.
See you next time.