diff --git a/.github/workflows/mobile-android-release.yml b/.github/workflows/mobile-android-release.yml
index 3e0045f24..0fcf6ff2a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mobile-android-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mobile-android-release.yml
@@ -9,22 +9,8 @@ on:
       - 'mobile-android-v*'
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
-      bump_patch_version:
-        description: 'Bump the mobile marketing version patch number before release'
-        required: false
-        default: false
-        type: boolean
       release_version:
-        description: 'Optional exact mobile marketing version override, e.g. 0.0.15'
-        required: false
-        type: string
-      bump_android_version_code:
-        description: 'Increment the Android versionCode before release'
-        required: false
-        default: false
-        type: boolean
-      android_version_code:
-        description: 'Optional exact Android versionCode override'
+        description: 'Optional exact mobile marketing version assertion, e.g. 0.0.22'
         required: false
         type: string
       publish_github_release:
@@ -69,9 +55,6 @@ jobs:
         id: release
         env:
           MOBILE_ANDROID_RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ github.event.inputs.release_version }}
-          MOBILE_ANDROID_BUMP_PATCH_VERSION: ${{ github.event.inputs.bump_patch_version }}
-          MOBILE_ANDROID_VERSION_CODE: ${{ github.event.inputs.android_version_code }}
-          MOBILE_ANDROID_BUMP_VERSION_CODE: ${{ github.event.inputs.bump_android_version_code }}
           MOBILE_ANDROID_PUBLISH_RELEASE: ${{ github.event.inputs.publish_github_release }}
         run: node scripts/prepare-android-release.mjs
 
diff --git a/mobile/app.json b/mobile/app.json
index e957cefba..27d3b7d88 100644
--- a/mobile/app.json
+++ b/mobile/app.json
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
       "allowBackup": false,
       "permissions": ["RECORD_AUDIO", "MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS"],
       "package": "com.stably.orca.mobile",
-      "versionCode": 2
+      "versionCode": 4
     },
     "plugins": [
       "expo-router",
diff --git a/mobile/scripts/prepare-android-release.mjs b/mobile/scripts/prepare-android-release.mjs
index f01c5d1d2..e318d7c60 100644
--- a/mobile/scripts/prepare-android-release.mjs
+++ b/mobile/scripts/prepare-android-release.mjs
@@ -22,31 +22,12 @@ function fail(message) {
   process.exit(1)
 }
 
-function parsePositiveInteger(value, name) {
-  if (!/^\d+$/.test(value)) {
-    fail(`${name} must be a positive integer`)
-  }
-
-  const parsed = Number(value)
-  if (!Number.isSafeInteger(parsed) || parsed <= 0) {
-    fail(`${name} must be a positive integer`)
-  }
-
-  return parsed
-}
-
 function validateSemver(version, name) {
   if (!semverPattern.test(version)) {
     fail(`${name} must use x.y.z format`)
   }
 }
 
-function bumpPatchVersion(version) {
-  validateSemver(version, 'Current mobile version')
-  const [major, minor, patch] = version.split('.')
-  return `${major}.${minor}.${Number(patch) + 1}`
-}
-
 function writeOutput(name, value) {
   const outputPath = process.env.GITHUB_OUTPUT
   if (!outputPath) {
@@ -74,10 +55,6 @@ const tagVersion = githubRef.startsWith(androidTagRefPrefix)
 const requestedVersion = input('MOBILE_ANDROID_RELEASE_VERSION')
 const bumpPatch = truthy(input('MOBILE_ANDROID_BUMP_PATCH_VERSION'))
 
-if (requestedVersion && bumpPatch) {
-  fail('Use either MOBILE_ANDROID_RELEASE_VERSION or MOBILE_ANDROID_BUMP_PATCH_VERSION, not both')
-}
-
 if (tagVersion) {
   validateSemver(tagVersion, 'Android release tag version')
 }
@@ -86,43 +63,36 @@ if (requestedVersion) {
   validateSemver(requestedVersion, 'MOBILE_ANDROID_RELEASE_VERSION')
 }
 
-if (tagVersion && requestedVersion && requestedVersion !== tagVersion) {
-  fail('MOBILE_ANDROID_RELEASE_VERSION must match the mobile-android-v tag')
+if (bumpPatch) {
+  fail('MOBILE_ANDROID_BUMP_PATCH_VERSION is no longer supported; commit mobile/app.json first')
 }
 
-if (tagVersion && bumpPatch) {
-  fail('MOBILE_ANDROID_BUMP_PATCH_VERSION is only supported for manual branch runs')
+if (tagVersion && tagVersion !== currentVersion) {
+  fail('Android release tag version must match the committed mobile app version')
 }
 
-const version =
-  requestedVersion || tagVersion || (bumpPatch ? bumpPatchVersion(currentVersion) : currentVersion)
+if (requestedVersion && requestedVersion !== currentVersion) {
+  fail('MOBILE_ANDROID_RELEASE_VERSION must match the committed mobile app version')
+}
 
 const requestedVersionCode = input('MOBILE_ANDROID_VERSION_CODE')
 const bumpVersionCode = truthy(input('MOBILE_ANDROID_BUMP_VERSION_CODE'))
 
-if (requestedVersionCode && bumpVersionCode) {
-  fail('Use either MOBILE_ANDROID_VERSION_CODE or MOBILE_ANDROID_BUMP_VERSION_CODE, not both')
+if (requestedVersionCode || bumpVersionCode) {
+  // Why: Android rejects lower versionCode installs; release-only bumps leave
+  // committed dev builds behind shipped APKs and break local testing.
+  fail('Android versionCode changes must be committed in mobile/app.json before release')
 }
 
-const versionCode = requestedVersionCode
-  ? parsePositiveInteger(requestedVersionCode, 'MOBILE_ANDROID_VERSION_CODE')
-  : bumpVersionCode || version !== currentVersion
-    ? currentVersionCode + 1
-    : currentVersionCode
-
-expo.version = version
-android.versionCode = versionCode
-fs.writeFileSync(appConfigPath, `${JSON.stringify(config, null, 2)}\n`)
-
-const tag = `mobile-android-v${version}`
+const tag = `mobile-android-v${currentVersion}`
 const publishRelease =
   githubRef.startsWith(androidTagRefPrefix) || truthy(input('MOBILE_ANDROID_PUBLISH_RELEASE'))
 
-writeOutput('version', version)
-writeOutput('android_version_code', String(versionCode))
+writeOutput('version', currentVersion)
+writeOutput('android_version_code', String(currentVersionCode))
 writeOutput('tag', tag)
 writeOutput('publish_release', publishRelease ? 'true' : 'false')
 
-console.log(`Prepared Orca Mobile Android ${version} (${versionCode})`)
+console.log(`Prepared Orca Mobile Android ${currentVersion} (${currentVersionCode})`)
 console.log(`Release tag: ${tag}`)
 console.log(`Publish GitHub Release: ${publishRelease ? 'yes' : 'no'}`)
diff --git a/mobile/src/mobile-release/prepare-android-release-script.test.ts b/mobile/src/mobile-release/prepare-android-release-script.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..668b4689b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/src/mobile-release/prepare-android-release-script.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import { execFileSync, spawnSync } from 'node:child_process'
+import { mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+const scriptPath = fileURLToPath(
+  new URL('../../scripts/prepare-android-release.mjs', import.meta.url)
+)
+
+const appConfig = {
+  expo: {
+    version: '0.0.22',
+    android: {
+      versionCode: 4
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+let tempDirs: string[] = []
+
+function createAppConfig() {
+  const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-android-release-'))
+  tempDirs.push(dir)
+  const configPath = join(dir, 'app.json')
+  const contents = `${JSON.stringify(appConfig, null, 2)}\n`
+  writeFileSync(configPath, contents)
+  return { configPath, contents }
+}
+
+describe('prepare Android release script', () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    for (const dir of tempDirs) {
+      rmSync(dir, { force: true, recursive: true })
+    }
+    tempDirs = []
+  })
+
+  it('uses committed Android release identity without mutating app config', () => {
+    const { configPath, contents } = createAppConfig()
+
+    const output = execFileSync(process.execPath, [scriptPath], {
+      encoding: 'utf8',
+      env: {
+        ...process.env,
+        MOBILE_APP_CONFIG_PATH: configPath,
+        MOBILE_ANDROID_PUBLISH_RELEASE: 'true'
+      }
+    })
+
+    expect(output).toContain('Prepared Orca Mobile Android 0.0.22 (4)')
+    expect(output).toContain('Release tag: mobile-android-v0.0.22')
+    expect(readFileSync(configPath, 'utf8')).toBe(contents)
+  })
+
+  it('rejects release-only Android versionCode bumps', () => {
+    const { configPath } = createAppConfig()
+
+    const result = spawnSync(process.execPath, [scriptPath], {
+      encoding: 'utf8',
+      env: {
+        ...process.env,
+        MOBILE_APP_CONFIG_PATH: configPath,
+        MOBILE_ANDROID_BUMP_VERSION_CODE: 'true'
+      }
+    })
+
+    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
+    expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+      'Android versionCode changes must be committed in mobile/app.json before release'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('rejects release versions that do not match committed app config', () => {
+    const { configPath } = createAppConfig()
+
+    const result = spawnSync(process.execPath, [scriptPath], {
+      encoding: 'utf8',
+      env: {
+        ...process.env,
+        MOBILE_APP_CONFIG_PATH: configPath,
+        MOBILE_ANDROID_RELEASE_VERSION: '0.0.23'
+      }
+    })
+
+    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
+    expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+      'MOBILE_ANDROID_RELEASE_VERSION must match the committed mobile app version'
+    )
+  })
+})