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I've successfully completed the publishing process for an APK to the Internal Test Track.
But when I try to view the App for download on the Google Play Store using the "VIEW ON GOOGLE PLAY" link in the screenshot below...
...it opens a new window with the following error:
I've also tried using the testers link "download it on Google Play." below...
...but it results in the same message stating the App can't be found.
This is the first time the App has been published and it's being done on the Internal Test Track.
The automated testing picked up a few warning and minor issues but no errors:
Has anyone experienced this issue before? I've contacted Google support for advice but I thought it would be worth trying here too and seeing if anyone had any suggestions on what to try next.
Thanks.
If this is the first time your app is being published on a track, it will take a couple of hours to be processed. This is only a one-time thing though, for future updates, the availability will be immediate on the internal test track.
Once the app is available, you'll also need to follow the opt-in link to be eligible for the download of the app.
Please delete cache and data of google play app on your device, then new updated version will be available
For Android App Bundles (AAB)
On the left menu, select Release > Devices and versions > App bundle
explorer.
Select the artifact filter near the top right of the page.
On the “Choose an artifact” table, select the right arrow on the
artifact you want to view.
Select the Downloads tab.
To share a link to install a specific APK: In the “Internal app
sharing link” section, select Copy shareable link.
As of today, the format of the shareable link:
https://play.google.com/apps/test/<package.name>/<version.number>
For Both APKs and AABs
You can use Internal app sharing instead.
Upload an APK or app bundle on the internal app sharing upload page
Then you can make your app available to anyone by sharing a download link.
Before anyone can download, they need to turn on internal app sharing on their Google Play Store app.
Open the Google Play Store app Google Play.
Tap Menu Menu > Settings.
In the “About” section, tap the Play Store version 7 times.
After the Internal app sharing setting appears, tap the switch to turn on
internal app sharing.
More information can be found here.
Answer for latest play console 2021
I was having same problem but since play console is lot different I didnt found any suitable solution but after trying a bit, this was solution that worked for me.
Play Console > Setup > Internal App Sharing > Email Lists > Make sure your email list is checked and saved.
In uploader and tester section make sure 'Anyone you shared link with can download' is selected.
Thats it.
I also created video on how this problem can be solved:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAiu76l4-7s
I just went through this completely unintuitive process, so let me clear up some myths:
Internal testing does NOT require the app be publicly released
The review process for your app apparently needs to complete before the app is available, as others pointed out, but the Play Console gives no indication this is a prerequisite, and happily states in several places that the App is available to internal testers when it is not. In my case the review took about a month to complete, which is why the "We are experiencing longer than normal review times" message was appearing in the console. This was the initial creation of my app, so I don't know which items-under-review were actually required, as the whole backlog completed at the same time (also with no notice to me).
Even at this point, if I follow the 'join' link on my phone, I still have the same issues the OP had. Clearing Play Store cache and other tricks did nothing. Instead, I had to click it from a PC, follow the prompts, and choose to install to a specific device (which requires the 7-tap developer mode on the device mentioned by others)
My case, hope it help. (Internal testing)
Make sure:
Change your version code for new release.
Add tester emails.
After upload and share link, must do these steps to download:
Open the Google Play Store app Google Play.
Click the Menu icon Menu > Settings.
In the "About" section, tap the Play Store version 7 times.
Once the Internal App Sharing setting appears, tap the switch to enable internal app sharing.
Click Enable.
Hours on this.
In my case the missing step was to enable Managed Google Play, which "Manage your private app and make it available to specific organisations". You don't need to apply an organisation filter, and simply use the internal test tracks.
The setting is found in Setup > Advanced Settings > Managed Google Play
#pierre was right. But that was some time ago, and now that link is not called Opt-in URL, but Join on the web. Just ask your testers to open it before they download the application.
We just had a related issue in this completely horrible process - documenting here because it burned a week for us.
Problem: We got approved on closed and production 2x but no one could see our app in internal, closed, public test tracks or on the public store.
How it happens: As far as I can tell when you start a Closed Test Track an organization gets auto-selected on Setup > Advanced Settings > Managed By Google and/or you can (irreparably!) set one yourself on the Closed Testing page. This means that only people in your org will be able to access it.
Solution: If Internal/Closed/Production is not showing up the solution may be: In Setup > Advanced Settings > Managed By Google you UN-check your org for it to be publicly available, as in the helpful alert in the screenshot below.
Duh. Worst default ever? :)
For me, i clicked the link play console gave me on phone
https://play.google.com/apps/internaltest/***********
But it didn't work, i clicked the link with pc, got the play store link, and clicked link on phone, and it worked !
For me, the issue was that of the version X.Y.Z, Google Play Console uses Z to determine the newest version of the app. So if, for example, the previous version of your app was 1.70.170, then 2.1.171 would work, but 2.1.1 would not show up for you as it would be considered older than 1.70.170.
Once you got the application from google play store link will be available on internal testing page inside.
Click on Internal testing
Step 1: Click copy link and use any browser
Step 2: after that it will show Accept Invitation already you are opened your added mail id from the google play developer console for internal tester on this application.
Step 3:
finally click on download it on google play
thats all. enjoy your coding...
Go to settings --> then internal app testing and add your testers there. Follow the instructions in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAiu76l4-7s
I was running an app in the Google Play in Beta and then just recently "released to production" using a higher version APK.
However when I go to Google Play listing my app still says AppName (Beta)? I thought it just needed some time to propagate but I made the change 2 days ago and its still showing like that.
Anyone know how to correct this?
It actually looks like its some kind of caching issue or user specific issue.
I decided to open Google Play store from a different browser (where I was not logged in) and the app was no longer showing as Beta.
Only when viewing Play store from my logged in account and from my phone is it showing (BETA).
So for any non-beta testers viewing it for the first time on their phone or via browser I assume its going to show up correctly, which is good enough for me.
It seems that this is from the user's account side. If one specific account subscribed to a beta program it will show as (BETA) on the Google Play Store.
So to remove the beta the user just has to do the following:
Open the Google Play Store on the device.
Find the app he wants to leave.
Tap the app to open the detail page for the app.
Scroll down to find the section on beta testing.
Tap Leave.
Note: I Didn't find out a way to remove this on the Play Console but google i think they should have an option to do it.
I face the same issues . I have published my app two days before but it still showing that App Name(Beta). This happens due to only if you are the beta tester of that app .When you see it from another browser or other google play store ,It won't show beta.But keep in mind that you aren't a member of tester for this app.
To resolve this problem do these things:-
Please remove your account as beta tester from that app.
Or, Log out from device.Again login google account in your device .
3) Clear cache of Google Play Store.
Perhaps ,this will help you. Thanks..
It is due to Play Store caching , clear data of the Play Store , you will no longer see it as beta, plus make sure you are trying to see app on play store from a non-beta account.
It's simple l, just delete the tester list from testers in internal testing console, then clear cache from playstore, your good to go.
I had this problem and it turned out to simply be that I was logged in to google with an account that had signed up as a beta tester. I logged out of google and then the page displayed correctly. So it seems to me the (beta) is related to your account and not the software release which is sub-optimal coding on the part of google.
It showing AppName(Beta) just because of you are a Beta tester for that app.
There are two options:
Logout from browser and then check(different user that should not be a tester)
copy URL and open in in different browser
In my case I had to clear storage of play store application on my device.
Somehow I could not update, my test track was paused, there was no way to opt out so out of desperate I just cleared storage of play store app and done, everything back in normal. PS: Yeah I also deleted app and reinstalled before that maybe this was not necessary, don't know.
Although #Ruben Miquelino's answer is correct, it is not practical to ask every user (users already on beta) to go to a link and remove beta.
I have found a better solution for this problem, If we deactivate the beta track and change target countries(only for beta) then those users will automatically be moved to Production (after Google's review process & Play store cache expiry)
I have a dev version of my app that is not published in the Play Store. I would like to test dynamic links with it, but whenever I click a dynamic link, it opens the play store, and I get a not found error (because there is no corresponding package in the Play Store).
What's the recommended way of testing this? It would also apply to staging environments, etc... that are not published.
I was able to test it like this:
I published a closed alpha version of an app - open only to my email (beta should work just the same)
Opted in via the opt-in link in the developer console (it's on the APK section)
After that, clicking the dynamic link I created on the Firebase console worked as expected, without having my app out in the open.
Caveats:
Connected Google users - might cause a problem if only one is on the alpha group list
It takes a bit of time to get started. Make sure you can see the app in Google Play before trying to click the link
Updates, fixes and changes take time until they actually appear on Google Play. Google Play now offers internal testing, a level below alpha that propagates updates quicker.
The other answer above is technically correct, but you can get close to simulating the real behavior without putting anything on the Google Play Store.
If your application is installed, the dynamic link will open your application. This is true even if your app is not listed on the Play Store. If this is not working for you, your app is not properly set up to receive dynamic links.
If your application is not installed, you will be taken to the Play Store and you will see app not found. After, you can sideload the app to simulate a Play Store install.
I'm a developer and i was thrilled when I was watching Google IO 2013 and learned about the new Beta testing feature. So I created a Google+ community and a google group and placed the testers in there (me included).
All we get (the developers and testers) when we visit the https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.package.stuff
is this:
Is there any trick I am missing? I would really like to use this feature.
I know there are alternatives like https://testflightapp.com/ but I'd rather keep my app under this environment where I can "promote" the Beta apk to the Production phase and so on.
I had this same issue. The reason the link is not working is because the app must be published before the link will be active. I repeat the app must be published, this does not mean there must be an APK in production. On the top right of your applications developer console page there is a drop down menu that allows you to publish the app. That link will become active immediately and your app will be available in a few hours to your testers on the Play Store.
First of all you need to create or have a Google+ community.
The process is:
Create a new Google + community. It's required to have testers through Developer Console.
Register this community in Google Play Developer Console
Invite your beta testers to this community.
Wait 8-24 hours before sharing the link
Share the link with your testers
Verify that your app is published for Beta Testing
If everything is right, the link should show something like:
I'm having the same problem, the link simply doesn't work, 36 hours after publishing. Might as well not even provide the alpha/beta features if they cripple the developer's ability to move fast...
Anyway, I'm sharing some information provided to me by Google Support, hoping it'll be helpful:
Ensure that you have added a valid Google Group email or Google+ Community URL to the Developer Console and that you are included in the group/community. Once the group/community has been added, the name of the group will display in the “Manage list of testers” link in the testing tab. (Please note when adding a Google Group you need to enter the email address and not the URL).
If you wish to use a Google Group in a Google Apps domain, the Developer Console and Private Channel must be enabled for your domain in the Google Apps Control Panel. More Private Channel info: http://goo.gl/DLGNe
An app must be published for several hours before the opt-in link will become available to testers.
Currently, testers must have only one account on their device. Devices with more than one account will receive the production version of your app. (Please note this requirement is temporary. Stay tuned for updates).
2015 and the alpha/beta testing is, at best, 50% working. About 50% (23 of our 60+) beta tester never gain access to the app via the provided link. All the others have no trouble at all installing the beta app and receiving updates. No rhyme or reason. Single account on their device, some with gmail accounts, some with private email. It's a mixed bag of who gets access and who doesn't. In all cases, once they accept the invitation to join the group they have full access to the group. But they get a 404 when trying access the app. Not worth the trouble. Our fix is to give the testers access to to our private server and pass out the beta versions that way. Updates aren't automagic, but the testers can get the app hassle free
I had the same problem and alpha testers had to get into my Google Plus Community for alpha testers.
I had the same problem (404 error on tester's link), but the cause was different from the one shown in buckson18's answer: in my case the app was published, but the user didn't join the testers Google Group, although he received the invite.
After the user joined the group, the page showed correctly.
Hope this can help someone...
I was also facing this issue. The problem was that Google group was not added. Another important thing to take care is that the account being used for developer console must be member of google group being added. I couldn't find this anywhere in the documentation.
I have been using Beta testings for a couple of years and its very unreliable. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Now they have Open Beta Testing. I tried it today for the first time, and though I followed all the instructions, but it still doesn't show the app in the app store, unless I sign in, which makes it regular old style beta testing. Its much easier and hassle free to use HockeyApp to distribute app for testing.
After wasting hours with Goolge's Alpha and Beta versions, I always end up putting my app into production so that I could keep my testers. Its already hard to convince large number of people to do the testing, and then keep asking them to go through half working or not working procedures to download the app.
I solved it by go to https://play.google.com/apps/testing/[app package] on the device and then click that link and open it with google play
One thing that seems to have worked for us is to use the "opt-in URL" the Play Store developer console provides under "App releases" which should look like:
https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.yourappname.android
This DIFFERS than the URL you see if you're already approved as a tester and visit the app's page on the Play Store in a browser. Ours looks like this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourappname.android
Net net, use the 1st and not the 2nd. Good luck!
It should be noted also that the link is case sensitive so if you've got https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.someAppName - if you put https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.someappname it'll tell you it's not available!
i have uploaded an app yesterday by 6pm but till now i can't find app on Google Play..
Can anyone find an app otherthan private inbox on think link..
please help..
https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=AMTEC+Pvt.Ltd
Does anyone know how much time it will take to upload an app..?
Does time to become visible has anything to do with the content of app..??
I have already uploaded one app that took about few hours but now its almost 24 hours...
There is no validation process after a successful publishing of your app on the Play Store.
Few points to consider:
It will take some time to appear in search results.
If you are using the Google Play Store application on your Android device, then keep in mind that the application could get filtered out due to various criteria and not be visible in the search results of the application, even if it is published. It could be filtered out based on country, screen sizes/resolutions, minimum SDK versions, phone capabilities and much more.
Check out this link about Filters on Google Play to see how some choices in AndroidManifest.xml could also be affecting your application from appearing in Search via the Play Store app on different Android devices.
A lot of times, this happens. The app may be uploaded on the play store but may not be displayed immediately in the search results. You can check whether the app is uploaded or not by going to this link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yourpackagename
Replace 'yourpackagename' with the package name.
If the app is displayed, your upload was successful.