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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.
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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?
Related
I have a very strange issue that I have been stuck on all day.
My CI/CD automatically uploads the latest version from the main branch to the internal testing track in Google Play Console a few times a day.
As you can see in the image below, the latest version in the internal testing track is a few hours old, and it says it’s “available to internal testers”.
However, I’ve noticed that testers actually don’t get updated versions, and when I open the testers invite link and check the internal testing app out in Google Play in the browser it says Updated on Aug 8, 2022.
This matches what's in the Release History in the Google Play Console.
Additionally, when I install the app on my device through internal testing it says 21.07.2022.
What I've tried / thought could be the problem
Around August 8 I activated Managed Publishing, so I thought that could've been the issue, but according to the docs Managed Publishing should not affect internal testing at all. The app is not yet released on production but on August 8 I did promote a version to production and it passed the review, but since I have managed publishing turned on it is not yet available for users.
I've read tons of similar issues on SO and in other places, but I haven't found any solution to my problem. I’m not sure what could be wrong. I’ve had the usual struggles with internal testing versions being slow to be delivered to testers, having to clear cache etc, but this is something completely new to me.
Update
When going to the start page of the Google Play Console and pressing on All Apps the information for the app says the following:
App status: Closed Testing
Update status: Ready to publish
Perhaps this is a hint to what is wrong? Maybe it is related to the closed testing track not being published due to Managed Publishing?
My question
Why is the latest internal testing version in Google Play Console not available for testers?
I am super grateful for any help.
I faced the same problem. I uploaded to "Internal testing" and was not able to install on my own devices. I then pushed the App to "Closed testing" (same app, same testers) and I was then able to install the App. It still gives a warning that the App has not been reviewed, but it enables installs on tester devices from my email list.Closed testing
I contacted google and got the following response:
As per checking, the testers are listed on internal and closed testing tracks. Each track must be unique for if the testers are present on both tracks, issues may occur. I recommend to remove or uncheck the testers lists from closed testing track. Once done, testers must opt-out from the testing first, then clear their cache and opt-in to the testing.
Another option is to deactivate either one of the testing tracks, then testers must opt-out, clear cache and opt-in again to the testing.
This didn't work, however, since any changes to the testers list for Closed Testing was blocked by managed publishing.
What I ended up doing was to turn off managed publishing and instantly unpublishing the app, as I don't want it available for users yet. Now it's unpublished for all the tracks and I have created a new "beta" app to be able to use its internal testing track. I'm very disappointed with Managed Publishing and will think twice before ever using it again.
I had a build of my app in Google Play Open Beta. I released it to Production. Now, even though my friends are downloading it from the Google Play store, and they are not in my beta, it seems to be telling them that they can only use a test card for purchasing! How do I:
1) Close the beta completely.
2) Change it so people are spending real money in my app, when they download it from my app store?
It looks like people should be spending real money, from my beta page -- I've just removed all the testers and changed the country availability to just Aruba. My beta track page looks like this:
Have I made the right change? Am I just waiting for everything to propogate, now?
The actions I took after posting this question solved the problem. I needed to remove testers, and turn off the open beta test by restricting it to only one country, I guess. All done!
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.
I had some doubt regarding android app release,
please respond me as soon as possible.
1. How long it will take for app review in google play ?
2. How soon my app will appear in play store after review ?
3. Can i update my app while app is being reviewed ?
4. How can let the user know about app supporting android OS ?
Google Play doesn't review your app prior to release really like Apple does, so it's very rapid, like 2 to 3 hours after you submit the app.
See above: your app will appear in Google Play Store 2 to 3 hours after you submit it to Google Play.
If you're really that quick, sure!
Wut? If you mean the Android Level supported y your app, that information goes in the manifest.xml and Google Play Store will check for compatibility with the device before allowing the user to download.
Releasing through Google Play Store is extremely easy! Good luck!
How long it will take for app review in google play?
Usually just a few hours, there is no fixed amount of time, in my experience about 6 hours was the maximum
How soon my app will appear in play store after review?
There will be no separate update to inform you that the review is done, its all seamless you publish the app, google will review and put it on playstore.
Can i update my app while app is being reviewed?
Yes, google will just stop the review for your previous apk(? not sure about hopefully someone will correct me on this), but most certainly they will start the process flow of their review process to the latest apk you uploaded
How can let the user know about app supporting android OS?
If your app isn't supporting some android OSes, then your app wont be available in the play store for that OS, but they will still see your app in the web, but when they try to install the app on their device through web, incompatible device error will be shown
EDIT
Will review process held for each app update?
yes every apk upload will go through the review process flow
I've pushed a beta version of my app to the play store and am now trying to see it in the play store on my device. It's not showing up.
How can I tell whether it has been published?
When I go to the play store on my laptop and search for my app, only the production version shows. If I click on the search result, it goes to the app store page with a warning "you don't have any devices". That part is fine. But should the search results also show my beta version?
I've set up a google group of which I'm a member.
I'm assuming that if the play store shows it on my laptop and doesn't show it on my device, then I have some sort of configuration problem - that is what I'm trying to debug in the first place. However, without knowing if the beta version is published, I'm in the dark.
Any one know how to deal with this situation?
The best way to verify that the Beta app is installed on your device is to actually install the app on your device from the Google Play store using the account with which you have opted-in to the Beta Test group. You can then verify that the Version Code of the Apk is indeed the Version Code of the BETA Apk that you have uploaded. You might want to print the version code to logcat as your app stats so that you can verify it easily. You can then also opt-out of the BETA test and reinstall the app through the Play Store and verify that it is NOT the Beta Apk by once again looking for the version code.
The Play Store now allows open and closed beta testing, although this was not always the case. If your application is in open beta testing, then it should be in the search results, given you've got a version in production. (I'm lead to believe that if your app is in open beta but you don't have a production version, it will not be in the search results).
In order to test to see if your application is available in the search results, you must disassociate yourself with your developer Google account to do your search. This will remove the association that your Google account has already with the application. It sounds like you've done that "on your laptop" since it says you say it says you have no devices. If your computer is logged into Google, you'll need to open a private browsing window or log out of that Google account, then do your search. If the search returns no results, the application will not be discovered by new users. But those same new users could still be in the beta by using the beta link that you have the option of distributing.