I have been using the default Alpha closed test track to get feedback from a helpful set of my users. Everything has worked fine. The latest apk on there is versionCode 10.
Now I've realised I want to have a subset test extra features, so I created a new test track, turned off the list on Alpha, and turned it on on the new track. I uploaded a new apk versionCode 16, and would expect those people to see an update available. I have included my own email account in that, but nothing appears. I've even uninstalled the app and reinstalled, but it offers me the Alpha track option.
Any ideas?
Sorted it!
The users have to LEAVE being a tester, then rejoin. When they rejoin it will put them on the correct apk/track.
Related
I have a published app in google play. Is it possible to publish an app update, that will affects only the new users? So the existing users will not be able to update.
Thanks!
If by "new users" you mean the normal public that did not install your app yet, then no. That is not possible. Once you publish your app, anybody will be able to access the new version.
You could potentially publish it under a different app-id as a brand new app that just happens to be an almost exact copy of your old app, then there will be no update path from one to the other, but there is no way that "new users" wouldn't find your original app first, or that old users wonder what that weird new clone app is.
If you want an app that is only available to a specific set of people for testing, or create different apps for experimenting, you can read up on it here: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/12053285
Actually it is possible and is related to versionCode.
Basically, if you upload an app with versionCode lower than already installed by your users, they will not be able to update, just new user will.
Google explain some use cases where it would be used:
In some specific situations, you might wish to upload a version of
your app with a lower versionCode than the most recent version. For
example, if you are publishing multiple APKs, you might have pre-set
versionCode ranges for specific APKs. For more about assigning
versionCode values for multiple APKs, see Multiple APK Support.
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.
My company has an app published in the google play store/android marketplace. One of the issues that we're fixing in the next version of the app is adding back xlargeScreen = true (it was somehow set to false in the previous version, so now the app isn't showing up on larger tablets). We're trying to get the alpha/beta testing setup so we can make sure we have all our problems fixed before we push the apk to live.
I've uploaded an apk to alpha and published it. I made a google+ community, added it to the accepted testers and sent out the link for the app. But, when we go out to the link and get set as testers nothing happens. If I go to the google play store, it shows the date for the newest upload to the account but the 'install' button attempts to install the previous live version (which is incompatible with the test device, yay!). Also someone else used their device and all the install did was install the old version to their device.
I've considered the "wait up to 24 hours for the publish to go through" being the problem, but the first alpha was uploaded Friday at lunch and would not work at lunch today, on Monday. I moved the old apk to beta and put a new one in alpha (more bug fixes yay) at lunch today. I checked all the settings and everything looks correct, but I can't see how I'm suppose to actually download the beta or the alpha at this point. And if I'm suppose to download the production version 1) How am I suppose to do that on the device that's incompatible with the production version and 2) how do I choose between the beta and the alpha version?
Ok, so it takes about 2 hours to be published for alpha/beta and it will be availible in the google play store in place of the live app if you opt in.
My specific problem was the the new alpha/beta apk was still incompatible with the device. I wish there was some notice on the page to show that you are viewing a test version (or better yet, a way to select alpha/beta/production on the google play page after you opt-in).
Turns out that <uses-permission> will in some cases make a device incompatible if it's missing the feature. Adding <uses-feature android:name="problem feature" android:required="false" /> for the offending permissions fixed my issue.
So I'm having trouble uploading a new APK to the play store with billing enabled.
Currently I have a published app that is paid and I want to change it to a subscription app such that the users get a yearly subscription and hence latest data to the app.
Now my issue is that the developer console will not let me upload a draft APK with the permissions for billing enabled. I log into the dev console, go to APK, change from simple to advanced mode, save my new APK as a draft and once uploaded I get the following error:
This configuration cannot be published for the following reason(s):
All devices that might receive version 1 would receive version 2.
Some devices are eligible to run multiple APKs. In such a scenario, the device will receive the APK with the higher version code.
I updated the Version code and the version number to be one higher than the current as well as different combinations of upping only one of the two values with still no success.
The app is being signed with the same keystore.
Thanks,
DMan
Figured out what this actually means now. Basically it was just telling me that I need to archive the current apk in order to actually publish the new apk. The new apk was successfully added as a draft. This message was just worded a little awkwardly and actually means that in order to publish version 2 version 1 must be archived NOT that there was anything wrong with the saved draft I performed.
Thanks,
Dman
Yes, all you have to do is to disable the old aplication, after that a the Publish botton will be available to push on the top left area so your new APK will be published
Did you disable your first version? By default, after uploading in advanced mode, both your first and 2nd version are activated. Looks to me like it's just saying that you've got 2 APKs active, that will reach the same devices thus one of the 2 is useless.
I published my first app in Google Play today, woot! Once I saw my app listed in Google Play, I realized I needed to make a change and post an update.
I made my code changes and incremented versionCode and versionName in the manifest file. I then built my apk, signed with the same key as the original apk submitted to Google Play.
I uploaded a new apk, deactivated the original apk, then activated the new one and clicked Save.
I waited a couple of hours, looked in Google Play and could see that yes, the new value I put in versionName had updated.
On my Android Phone, I had originally installed the first version, but when I go to Google Play on that phone, I see the new version of my app, but the only options are "Open" and "Uninstall".
What do I need to do to my app in the Dev Console, or wherever, so the Update option appears when me or any other user goes to my app in Google Play?
Doing some research in Android Developer, I read this:
android:versionCode
An internal version number. This number is used only to determine whether one version is more recent than another, with higher numbers indicating more recent versions. This is not the version number shown to users; that number is set by the versionName attribute.
The value must be set as an integer, such as "100". You can define it however you want, as long as each successive version has a higher number. For example, it could be a build number. Or you could translate a version number in "x.y" format to an integer by encoding the "x" and "y" separately in the lower and upper 16 bits. Or you could simply increase the number by one each time a new version is released.
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html
Then I found this:
Google Play can manage updates to preloaded applications, provided the following conditions are met:
Package Name with the same Version Code of pre-loaded app must to be uploaded to the Developer Console
http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=113476&topic=2365760&ctx=topic
So I'm confused, do I increment the Version Code or not. I'm pretty sure I should increment it, but then again the Update option is not showing up.
Congratulations on your first app! It's a very exciting moment!
Yes, you increment your Version Code when you make an update to your app.
When you were testing your updated version, did you install the apk file onto your device? You might have updated it unknowingly. Google play will therefore detect that you have matching version codes with the app on your device and the app you uploaded and will not offer to update it.
You must always increment the version code when updating an app on Google Play. Your update will not be accepted unless you do.
As for your update not showing up, Google Play takes time to refresh it's servers. My updates have sometimes taken more than 24 hours to be pushed to the device, while new installers get the latest version withing 2 hours usually.