I recently published an application to production mode on the play-store, the app status has changed from review to open testing, what does this mean? Might I have selected an option by mistake or it is a normal term as am meeting it for the first time.
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Internal testing: The app is not visible to the general public on Google Play. The app is only available to a list of people you manually set - you add their emails, and they get an invitation.
Closed testing: Same as Internal testing (not publicly visible, has an allow-list), but you get a Google report. Google will test your app and give you feedback.
Open testing: Visible to the general public on Google Play, but with a "Pre-release" warning. People can review the app, but the reviews are only visible to you.
Production: Visible to the general public. User reviews are public.
The workflow I use is:
I set the app as Internal testing (even if it is just my email address) . Right after doing this I
Promote the app to "Close testing" (even if it is just my email address) - so I can get Google's report right away.
After getting Google's report and fixing what they suggest (or ignoring it), I promote the app to production.
The reason why I jump from internal to closed testing is because I want Google's report right away. I do internal testings outside Google Play (I develop with React Native and Expo - and I use Expo for internal testings). So, the moment I submit the app it is already internally tested.
I also go straight from "closed testing" to "production" because my apps have a small audience, and I'm okay with public feedback. But if you are afraid you app may have bugs and it can hinder the app reputation with bad reviews, do the "open testing" first.
There's some testing type.
I hope you may know what production is. Production means when an application is completely ready for every device.
What's the difference between an internal, closed, and open test?
You can create releases on three testing tracks before you release
your app to production. Each phase of testing helps you gather the
feedback you need to make improvements to your app throughout its
development.
Internal testing: Create an internal testing release to quickly
distribute your app to up to 100 testers for initial quality assurance
checks. We recommend running an internal test before releasing your
app to the closed or open tracks. If needed, you can run internal
tests concurrently with closed and open tests for different versions
of your app.
Tip: You can also use internal testing to test apps that are not fully
configured (see below). Closed testing: Create a closed testing
release to test pre-release versions of your app with a wider set of
testers to gather more targeted feedback. Once you've tested with a
smaller group of colleagues or trusted users, you can expand your test
to an open release. On your Closed testing page, an alpha track will
be available as your initial closed test. If needed, you can also
create and name additional closed tracks.
If you're testing an existing app that you've published before, only
users in your test group will receive an update for your closed
version.
Open testing: Create an open testing release to run a test with a
large group and surface your app's test version on Google Play. If you
run an open test, anyone can join your testing program and submit
private feedback to you. Before choosing this option, make sure your
app and store listing is ready to be visible on Google Play.
Copied from google support.
Easy way : Open testing
Pre-launch reports
Spot issues before they affect your users. Test on a range of Android
devices to learn more about your app's stability, performance, accessibility, and more.
Here's another beautiful question with answer
Related
I have found the other versions of my question on SO and have already tried to contact Google through their dev support trying both the chat/email options, but have yet to get a straight answer about this.
I have an app that is currently using the internal testing track on Google Play. I have numerous testers all of which can download the app, use it and test it no problem. The reason I want to use internal testing, for now, is that the documentation states there is no verification period between versions and testers get the new version immediately.
The issue I am currently experiencing is that a tester who already has the app is not served an updated version when they return to the store page. If they uninstall and reinstall the app, the new app they install serves the new version.
My question is why would the new version be available but not present the user with the 'Update' button to install the new version?
Is there an issue with the app being on the internal test track? Does my app need to be verified? Can an app be verified using the internal test track? It has been 17 days since my initial upload to verify the app, which seems rather long to wait for the verification.
Does anyone have some insight into this issue? I am running out of ideas and it is rather annoying to have testers need to uninstall and reinstall the app every new version I would like tested.
After almost a month I finally have the update button. Here are the steps I took:
Create a new Closed Testing Track and go through all steps required to post a closed testing app.
Wait until the app is verified and the store page updates with the relevant store page data. (This took ~3-4 business days)
I can now publish to the Internal Testing Track, see the Update button, and use it. I no longer need to publish to the Closed Track unless I want to.
I've looked over most of the documentation and nowhere does it say in writing that your build needs to be verified to have the Update button appear, nor does it say anywhere that it is required to be in at least Closed Testing to be verified.
I hope this helps someone else in the near future as this was quite annoying.
Although a little cumbersome, when using internal testing, you'll provide your users with a URL where they can download the app (via the play store), note, this URL can be found under your "How testers join your test" section, on your "testers" tab, on your 'Internal testing' page.
When you create a new version, the testers who already have the app installed, can use the same URL provided in the first place, and they can click to download via the play store (counter-intuitive as they already have it), but when it takes them to the play store, it will give them an option to update the app, and you'll see your updated release note ect...
This means you won't need to go through the Closed testing approach and wait to get it verified.
I hope this helps somebody, I didn't want to create a closed tracked and get it verified as my app is very early into dev.
••••• Solved •••••
The app is available. It just took some time to appear. The reason why I saw it as beta is because my Google account was used for alpha tests.
If you have the same problem, just delete your account from the testers and wait some hours.
•••••••••••••••••••••
My team and I are working on a mobile game. We tested it in alpha mode and decided to launch it today. From the alpha version, we asked Google to release the app in production mode. The console tells us the app is totally sent but we can't find it on our mobile stores and when I want to see the app on the web store, it shows me the app is in Beta release.
Can someone tell me why we get this ? We didn't ask to pass in beta mode.
Do we just need to wait a bit ?
I see your app on the Play Store. I searched for it and it shows up as https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=be.barracudapps.tradeontube. So it is published and others can find it. But do you know that your app targets Android 5.0 and up?
I have an Android app that is currently on an Internal Test Track (Version 1). I am trying to upload a new version (Version 2), but I want my current users to still test Version 1.
The console will not let me retain Version 1.
Is there a way I can have user Group A test Version 1 and user Group B test Version 2?
I did try using an Internal Test and Alpha test. But the Alpha version was downloaded to both groups even when only a single group was selected for it.
All the explanations are on this help page
Summary:
you can only have one internal test
you can have multiple closed tests, but users need to opt-in
It sounds like you want to have version 1 on a (new) closed track and will need to get your existing users to opt-in to that, and rmeove them from the internal test
Then have version 2 on a new internal test track that targets group B.
The other option would not be to have an internal test track at all, and have two closed test tracks, one for Group A, and one for Group B.
Internal test tracks are normally for very quick release for developers or immediate QA within your own company. Closed test tracks are usually trusted testers, or for people within your company not necessarily within the development team who can wait a little bit for the rollout to complete.
This isn't really a whole answer to your problem, but I have figured out that you can send people links to download a certain version of the app with 'Internal App Sharing' on the Google Play Console.
So yeah, set up 'Internal App Sharing'. (Sorry, I'm too lazy to write up steps on how to do that.)
After I set that up, when I use the 'App bundle explorer' to observe an apk or app bundle, there is a Downloads tab:
And I copied that shareable link and sent it to my phone. And then I opened that shareable link on my phone. I had to enable internal app sharing in my google play store settings (look this up because it's not obvious how to do it) on my phone. And then the link sent me to a page where I could download that specific version.
Not sure if this type of thing could be used to solve your problem but it's worth a shot.
I have been trying for several weeks now to get the Google Alpha / Beta testing functionality on the Play Store to work with no success. As far as I can tell I have followed the process but clearly something is not working from my side. I hope someone on SO can tell me what I'm doing wrong.
I have created both an Apha and Beta testing community.
I have added the Beta testing community to the Beta testing section that relates to using Google+ communities to test. My Beta testing community does have members added.
Although I have an Alpha testing community, none of the Alpha testing methods are currently enabled.
On my test device, using a Google account that is a member of my Beta testing community, I only ever see the version of my app that is currently in Prod. I have spent days waiting just in case it takes a couple of days to show up (at least a week which I assume should be long enough).
I need to test the release version because I am trying to test some inapp billing functionality that I had to change due to security warnings from Google relating to my current Prod version.
BUT: if I load the release version of the app directly (instead of downloading from the Play Store) I can see that it is seeing this account as a "test account" because when I test the inapp billing I get the correct message telling me that the subscription will renew every day but I won't be charged. However the Beta version of the app never appears in the "BETA" tab in the Play Store.
I have noticed something "strange" (possibly) in the developer console though: When I click on the "Beta Testing" tab it shows 10399 supported devices and 0 excluded devices for the Beta app. However if I click on the line of the Beta app where you can promote the app etc, the details that are then displayed indicate 0 supported Android devices. Why would this be? This seems to be conflicting information on the console.
Note: The current Prod version of my app was developed using Eclipse. I have recently converted to Android Studio and this is my first upload using Android Studio.
Where else should I be looking to get my app to appear in the Play Store
Thanks
I was just setting up the Beta testing release for the first time and couldn't make the app visible in Play Store. Found the reason in Play Console Help:
After publishing an alpha/beta app for the first time, it may take a few hours for your test link to be available to testers. If you publish additional changes, they may take several hours to be available for testers.
After about 35 minutes the app was published.
As this might not be the issue mentioned in original question, it might help someone.
In my case I had published the Beta version and had created the testers but not linked them together. What I had to do was:
Go to manage releases
Choose a testing method - Closed Beta Testing
Then when testers list shows, make active the group of testers you would like to test the app.
Save
Get Opt-in URL link and paste it in a new tab (you should be logged in to google)
Then click at the "Become a Tester" button
You should now be a tester and ready to go.
#Important If you still can not find the app by searching in Play Store just copy the "Opt-in URL" into your tester phone's browser and you should see the app.
Hope it helps
What solved this problem for me was clearing my Play Store app data.
In my case, I had already been on the testers list for days, already accepted the invitation link, and already gotten testing working on other devices. But, the Play Store still wouldn't show the beta version of the app on this particular device.
I went to "App info" for the Google Play Store app, "Memory", then "Clear data". Then I re-opened and was able to see the beta test app.
Disclaimer: Use with caution. Clearing your app data may remove some important information. I haven't personally experienced any problems with it, but that doesn't mean you won't.
The suggestion from #Edgehog to use Open Testing solved my problem regarding being able to see my app in the Beta tab of the Play Store.
I have not found a reason yet why the closed beta testing (using emails or groups/communities) would not work.
Make sure you also check this answer
browser cache
an actual active "testing track"
We are having the same problem in my company. Currently we are investigating possibility that maybe first install on beta channel installs prod version and updates to beta channel version when first app update is released on beta channel. It is weird workflow but the comment on Play Store "Future updates will include beta versions" supports this
There are a couple of reasons why this might happen but admittedly we did not 100% confirm this.
1) One reason is that you are viewing Google Play under another account that is not on the beta tester list.
2) The other might be an issue (or feature) with the release management. Added a user to an existing closed beta release list. Changing a list does not activate or force a Save for the "Managed testers" section. After we edited another field (e.g. feedback channel) then the Save button became active and we clicked save. This might only then propagate changes. We cannot 100% confirm this was the issue we were facing but our experience points to this.
Background
The Android developer console has 3 tabs for publishing the app's apk file:
alpha, beta and production, as shown here:
as I recall from one of Google IO lectures, one cool way to check how good is your app before making a 100% scale publishing, is to allow only a percentage of the users to download the app first. I think it's called "staged rollouts" , because you can rollout the publishing in case it had too many problems to be published to all.
My question
What is exactly the difference between them, especially between Alpha and Beta?
Only the production stage is available for people on the play store, right?
which one/s allow to publish only to specific people/percentage , and in which way do you do it?
which stage allows in-app billing, at least for testing ? I don't get why can't i test it out even before uploading the app.
in the percentage method, if I publish a new app version using the same way, will it first update for the people who were lucky enough to install the previous version?
To answer your questions:
What is exactly the difference between them, especially between Alpha and Beta?
There isn't much difference between the two aside from the fact that you just start with a small number of testers for alpha testing and switch to a bigger group for beta
Only the production stage is available for people on the play store, right?
By default, only production is available on the Play Store. However, you can now add an option in your Play Store page for users to opt into an open Beta program. Link
which one/s allow to publish only to specific people/percentage , and in which way do you do it?
You can do that for both. To do alpha,beta testing you need to send invites to people on their google+ accounts so that they can access your app and be able to download it. The invites is usually in the form of a link directing them to your app on the play store which is only visible to them after they accept the invite
which stage allows in-app billing, at least for testing ? I don't get why can't i test it out even before uploading the app.
You can do in-app billing for both alpha,beta testing. Check the link:
http://developer.android.com/google/play/billing/billing_testing.html
in the percentage method, if I publish a new app version using the same way, will it first update for the people who were lucky enough to install the previous version?
As far as my experience goes, I have seen people who were testers get the update for the app first than everyone else. But I am not so sure about how does it work exactly.
Difference between Alpha and Beta testing (Software/Apps Testing)
Alpha Testing is conducted within the organization and tested by an individual developer or a team of developers or testers. This testing is closed for public.
Beta testing is conducted by the end users who are not programmers, software engineers or testers. This testing may be open for public.
Open or Closed Testing
Closed Alpha Testing: This testing is conducted within the organization and restricted by email or group invitations only. Those who are added onto the list of alpha testers on Google Play Store have access to test app.
Open Alpha Testing: Those who have Opt-in link of app have access to test the app. This testing is not restricted by email or group invitations. You can limit the number of testers on Google Play Store.
Closed Beta Testing: This testing is conducted outside the organization and restricted by email or group invitations. Those who are added onto the list of beta testers on Google Play Store have access to test app.
Open Beta Testing: This testing is conducted outside the organization and it is not restricted by email or group invitations. This testing is conducted in real time as the app will be made open for public to install. You can limit the number of testers on Google Play Store.
Generally, alpha testing is first conducted by developers or testers within the organization. Beta testing comes after and is conducted by non-technical or end users outside the organisation. Finally, after completing the testing, the app goes to production.
In app purchase
Licensed users may purchase your in-app products without any resulting charges to the user. Test purchases can be only used in both alpha and beta releases.
To add user license: Google play Console -> Settings -> Developer Account -> Account details -> License Testing
Learn more about testing
#user2511882's answer is great, but there are more information to add.
First of all, alpha and beta channels are designed to test multiple version of app. You can test only one version (identified by versionCode) on each channel, so alpha and beta channels provide two test tracks.
However they have a little difference on test type. You can run closed alpha and open beta test simultaneously, but it's not possible to run two open alpha/beta test nor open alpha and closed beta test.
Another difference is that alpha test APK's version code should be higher than beta test one. If you upload higher version of APK on beta test channel, alpha test will automatically be closed. (This principle applies for production APK too. APK version code should be 'Production < Beta < Alpha'.)
For more details, check this help.
See there are Four types of releases on play console for android developers;
1. Internal testing - It means you wanna share your app among the decided members. It means you have to put their Gmail into the testers list. This is usually for employees.
2. Alpha testing - Same as internal testing, but this time you can send your app to your friends, families, or on your smartphones.
3. Beta testing - This is a serious matter, this is public testing. But people cannot give reviews to your app. You can also limit how many users can install the app.
4. Production - This is the last release, now everybody can install your app, can give reviews, can report to google play if something bad is there. One more thing, now your app appears in play store search listing.
Now there is one more thing, open testing, closed testing, pausing tracks and stage rollouts, don't get confused by these terms.
1. Open testing - It means that you don't need to invite them, like no need to take their Gmail and add it to the user list. (Beta testing)
2. Closed testing - It means that you need to specifically add the user's Gmail into the list. (Alpha testing)
3. Staged rollout - This means we can provide the update to some percentage of users we currently have. Suppose 100 users are there and you rollout for 40% then only 40 users can update the app and after you confirm the app is working perfectly (using crash reports or reviews) then make it available for everyone.
4. Pause Track - See each testing has a track in play console. So if you click the pause track in beta testing then it will pause beta testing [changes occurs in few hours]. Same in internal and alpha. We usually pause test tracks when we release the app in production [usually I do].
Your app will not appear in search results until it is in production.