diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-submit-android.yml b/.github/workflows/build-submit-android.yml
index 87c7457706..e3e01a48f0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-submit-android.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-submit-android.yml
@@ -10,12 +10,25 @@ on:
         options:
           - testflight-android
           - production
+      submit:
+        type: boolean
+        description: Submit the build to Google Play (disable to only produce the APK artifact)
+        default: true
   workflow_call:
     inputs:
       profile:
         type: string
         description: Build profile to use
         required: true
+      submit:
+        type: boolean
+        description: Submit the build to Google Play (disable to only produce the APK artifact)
+        default: true
+      runner:
+        type: string
+        description: Runner for the build job (defaults to Linux-x64-32core)
+        required: false
+        default: ''
     outputs:
       package-version:
         description: Version from package.json
@@ -56,48 +69,24 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   build:
     if: github.repository == 'bluesky-social/social-app'
-    name: Build and Submit Android
-    runs-on: Linux-x64-32core
+    name: Build Android
+    runs-on: ${{ inputs.runner || 'Linux-x64-32core' }}
     concurrency:
       group: android-build
       cancel-in-progress: false
     outputs:
       package-version: ${{ steps.get-build-info.outputs.PACKAGE_VERSION }}
       version-code: ${{ steps.get-build-info.outputs.BSKY_ANDROID_VERSION_CODE }}
-      apk-artifact-name: build-${{ steps.timestamp.outputs.time }}.apk
     steps:
-      - name: Check for EXPO_TOKEN
-        run: >
-          if [ -z "${{ secrets.EXPO_TOKEN }}" ]; then
-            echo "You must provide an EXPO_TOKEN secret linked to this project's Expo account in this repo's secrets. Learn more: https://docs.expo.dev/eas-update/github-actions"
-            exit 1
-          fi
-
       - name: ⬇️ Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
         with:
           fetch-depth: 5
 
-      - uses: pnpm/action-setup@0ebf47130e4866e96fce0953f49152a61190b271 # v6.0.9
-
-      - name: 🔧 Setup Node
-        uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
+      - name: 🔧 Setup Expo project
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-expo-project
         with:
-          node-version-file: package.json
-          cache: pnpm
-
-      - name: 🪛 Setup jq
-        uses: dcarbone/install-jq-action@4fcb5062d7ce9bc4382d1a352d19ba3ba2c317c1 # v4.0.1
-
-      - name: ⚙️ Install dependencies
-        run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
-
-      - name: 🔨 Setup Expo CLI
-        uses: expo/expo-github-action@eab7a230208c952974db8c3245cfd78402c7b385 # 9.0.0
-        with:
-          eas-version: '19.0.5'
-          packager: 'pnpm --allow-build=dtrace-provider'
-          token: ${{ secrets.EXPO_TOKEN }}
+          expo-token: ${{ secrets.EXPO_TOKEN }}
 
       - uses: actions/setup-java@1bcf9fb12cf4aa7d266a90ae39939e61372fe520 # v5.4.0
         with:
@@ -105,35 +94,26 @@ jobs:
           java-version: "17"
 
       - name: 🔤 Compile translations
-        run: pnpm intl:build 2>&1 | tee i18n.log
-
-      - name: Check for i18n compilation errors
-        run: if grep -q "invalid syntax" "i18n.log"; then echo "\n\nFound compilation
-          errors!\n\n" && exit 1; else echo "\n\nNo compilation errors!\n\n"; fi
+        uses: ./.github/actions/compile-i18n
 
       # EXPO_PUBLIC_ENV is handled in eas.json
-      - name: Env
+      - name: ✏️ Write environment variables
         id: env
-        run: |
-          export json='${{ secrets.GOOGLE_SERVICES_TOKEN }}'
-          echo "${{ secrets.ENV_TOKEN }}" > .env
-          echo "EXPO_PUBLIC_RELEASE_VERSION=$(jq -r '.version' package.json)" >> .env
-          echo "EXPO_PUBLIC_RELEASE_VERSION=$(jq -r '.version' package.json)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "EXPO_PUBLIC_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER=$(git rev-parse HEAD)" >> .env
-          echo "EXPO_PUBLIC_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER=$(git rev-parse HEAD)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "EXPO_PUBLIC_BUNDLE_DATE=$(date -u +"%y%m%d%H")" >> .env
-          echo "EXPO_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN=${{ secrets.SENTRY_DSN }}" >> .env
-          echo "EXPO_PUBLIC_BITDRIFT_API_KEY=${{ secrets.BITDRIFT_API_KEY }}" >> .env
-          echo "EXPO_PUBLIC_GCP_PROJECT_ID=${{ secrets.EXPO_PUBLIC_GCP_PROJECT_ID }}" >> .env
-          echo "$json" > google-services.json
+        uses: ./.github/actions/write-env
+        with:
+          env-token: ${{ secrets.ENV_TOKEN }}
+          sentry-dsn: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_DSN }}
+          bitdrift-api-key: ${{ secrets.BITDRIFT_API_KEY }}
+          gcp-project-id: ${{ secrets.EXPO_PUBLIC_GCP_PROJECT_ID }}
+          google-services-token: ${{ secrets.GOOGLE_SERVICES_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: 🏗️ EAS Build
         env:
           PROFILE: ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight-android' }}
         run: >
           SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN=${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
-          SENTRY_RELEASE=${{ steps.env.outputs.EXPO_PUBLIC_RELEASE_VERSION }}
-          SENTRY_DIST=${{ steps.env.outputs.EXPO_PUBLIC_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER }}
+          SENTRY_RELEASE=${{ steps.env.outputs.release-version }}
+          SENTRY_DIST=${{ steps.env.outputs.bundle-identifier }}
           pnpm use-build-number-with-bump
           pnpm eas build -p android
           --profile $PROFILE
@@ -143,6 +123,39 @@ jobs:
         id: get-build-info
         run: bash scripts/setGitHubOutput.sh
 
+      # Hands the built bundle off to the submit / universalApk jobs. Retention is
+      # deliberately short (1 day) since it's only an intra-run handoff artifact.
+      - name: 🚀 Upload AAB artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@043fb46d1a93c77aae656e7c1c64a875d1fc6a0a # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          name: android-aab-${{ github.run_id }}
+          retention-days: 1
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          path: build.aab
+
+  submit:
+    name: Submit to Google Play
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: [build]
+    # Submit unless explicitly disabled; on events where inputs is empty this still submits.
+    if: ${{ inputs.submit != false }}
+    steps:
+      # eas submit reads app config from the repo, so we need a checkout.
+      - name: ⬇️ Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 5
+
+      - name: 🔧 Setup Expo project
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-expo-project
+        with:
+          expo-token: ${{ secrets.EXPO_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: ⬇️ Download AAB artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c # v8.0.1
+        with:
+          name: android-aab-${{ github.run_id }}
+
       - name: 🚀 Submit to Google Play
         env:
           PROFILE: ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight-android' }}
@@ -156,7 +169,43 @@ jobs:
           webhook-type: incoming-webhook
           payload-templated: true
           payload: |
-            {"text": "Android ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight-android' }} build submitted to Google Play!\n```Version Number: ${{ steps.get-build-info.outputs.PACKAGE_VERSION }}\nBuild Number: ${{ steps.get-build-info.outputs.BSKY_ANDROID_VERSION_CODE }}```"}
+            {"text": "Android ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight-android' }} build submitted to Google Play!\n```Version Number: ${{ needs.build.outputs.package-version }}\nBuild Number: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version-code }}```"}
+
+      # Record the commit only after a successful submit, so a failed submit doesn't
+      # advance the "most recent testflight" marker.
+      - name: ⬇️ Restore Cache
+        id: get-base-commit
+        uses: actions/cache@55cc8345863c7cc4c66a329aec7e433d2d1c52a9 # v6.1.0
+        if: ${{ inputs.profile == 'testflight-android' }}
+        with:
+          path: most-recent-testflight-commit.txt
+          key: most-recent-testflight-commit
+
+      - name: ✏️ Write commit hash to cache
+        if: ${{ inputs.profile == 'testflight-android' }}
+        env:
+          GITHUB_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
+        run: echo $GITHUB_SHA > most-recent-testflight-commit.txt
+
+  # Runs in parallel with submit: the QA APK shouldn't be blocked by a Play submission failure.
+  universalApk:
+    name: Build universal APK
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: [build]
+    outputs:
+      apk-artifact-name: build-${{ steps.timestamp.outputs.time }}.apk
+    steps:
+      - name: ⬇️ Download AAB artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c # v8.0.1
+        with:
+          name: android-aab-${{ github.run_id }}
+
+      # bundletool needs a JRE. ubuntu-latest ships a default JDK, but pin it explicitly
+      # like the build job so the toolchain is deterministic.
+      - uses: actions/setup-java@1bcf9fb12cf4aa7d266a90ae39939e61372fe520 # v5.4.0
+        with:
+          distribution: "temurin"
+          java-version: "17"
 
       - name: 🔧 Setup bundletool
         uses: amyu/setup-bundletool@cc2e1857284660bd625e43f2c8a45626f034302f # v1.1
@@ -164,19 +213,24 @@ jobs:
           version: "1.18.3"
 
       - name: 🔑 Decode keystore
-        run: echo "${{ secrets.ANDROID_KEYSTORE_BASE64 }}" | base64 --decode >
-          keystore.jks
+        env:
+          ANDROID_KEYSTORE_BASE64: ${{ secrets.ANDROID_KEYSTORE_BASE64 }}
+        run: echo "$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_BASE64" | base64 --decode > keystore.jks
 
       - name: 📦 Build signed universal APK
+        env:
+          ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD }}
+          ANDROID_KEY_ALIAS: ${{ secrets.ANDROID_KEY_ALIAS }}
+          ANDROID_KEY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.ANDROID_KEY_PASSWORD }}
         run: |
           bundletool build-apks \
             --bundle=build.aab \
             --output=universal.apks \
             --mode=universal \
             --ks=keystore.jks \
-            --ks-pass=pass:${{ secrets.ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD }} \
-            --ks-key-alias=${{ secrets.ANDROID_KEY_ALIAS }} \
-            --key-pass=pass:${{ secrets.ANDROID_KEY_PASSWORD }}
+            --ks-pass=pass:"$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" \
+            --ks-key-alias="$ANDROID_KEY_ALIAS" \
+            --key-pass=pass:"$ANDROID_KEY_PASSWORD"
 
       - name: 📋 Rename to .zip for extraction
         run: mv universal.apks universal.zip
@@ -204,21 +258,7 @@ jobs:
           webhook-type: incoming-webhook
           payload-templated: true
           payload: |
-            {"text": "Android ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight-android' }} APK is ready for testing!\n```Artifact: ${{ steps.upload-artifact.outputs.artifact-url }}\nVersion Number: ${{ steps.get-build-info.outputs.PACKAGE_VERSION }}\nBuild Number: ${{ steps.get-build-info.outputs.BSKY_ANDROID_VERSION_CODE }}```"}
-
-      - name: ⬇️ Restore Cache
-        id: get-base-commit
-        uses: actions/cache@55cc8345863c7cc4c66a329aec7e433d2d1c52a9 # v6.1.0
-        if: ${{ inputs.profile == 'testflight-android' }}
-        with:
-          path: most-recent-testflight-commit.txt
-          key: most-recent-testflight-commit
-
-      - name: ✏️ Write commit hash to cache
-        if: ${{ inputs.profile == 'testflight-android' }}
-        env:
-          GITHUB_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
-        run: echo $GITHUB_SHA > most-recent-testflight-commit.txt
+            {"text": "Android ${{ inputs.profile || 'testflight-android' }} APK is ready for testing!\n```Artifact: ${{ steps.upload-artifact.outputs.artifact-url }}\nVersion Number: ${{ needs.build.outputs.package-version }}\nBuild Number: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version-code }}```"}
 
   # Releases are cut from tags named after the version (e.g. "1.124.0"), so when a production
   # build is dispatched against such a tag we attach the APK to the matching release. This runs
@@ -226,7 +266,7 @@ jobs:
   attachToRelease:
     name: Attach APK to GitHub Release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [build]
+    needs: [build, universalApk]
     if: ${{ inputs.profile == 'production' && github.ref_type == 'tag' && github.repository == 'bluesky-social/social-app' }}
     permissions:
       contents: write
@@ -254,7 +294,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ steps.release-check.outputs.exists == 'true' }}
         uses: actions/download-artifact@3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c # v8.0.1
         with:
-          name: ${{ needs.build.outputs.apk-artifact-name }}
+          name: ${{ needs.universalApk.outputs.apk-artifact-name }}
 
       - name: 🏷️ Rename APK for release
         if: ${{ steps.release-check.outputs.exists == 'true' }}