I want to roll out my app to the testers by using the Google Play Store and publishing it as a beta version.
I've completed all the steps listed by google (including uploading the apk, updating all the store entries, setting images and so on)- furthermore I've created a beta entry for the app.
My issue now is, that there is no opt-in url for the testers to download the app, although the status sais that the app has been rolled out, as you can see in the following picture:
What should I change in order to get the app to the stage where the testers can download it from the store?
After waiting a couple of minutes (and drinking a cup of coffee) the opt-in link suddenly appeared after waiting for one and a half hour. Patience was the key!
see you can get beta testers
either set the list of testers email id in your developer console by
grouping them together in a field.
And then out out for beta testing
select max number of tester
those who are tester send them the url for the application you want
to test
5)They are going to test it and send you the feedback
Related
I have an existing Android app, and I created a new Closed Alpha release in the Google Play console, and invited myself as a tester.
Now I'm signed in to Google Play with the email address I invited as a tester, but Google Play only shows the existing production version of the app, not the newer version in the alpha release. How do I get the alpha release?
There are 2 different possibilities that I can think of that could be the problem:
You have not added yourself correctly - Click on "Closed Testing" then "Manage track". Next go to "Testers" and add yourself to the email lists. Then scroll down to the "How testers join your test" section and open the link to join the test. Make sure the email of your Google account matches the one you added to the testing list. Now press "Become A Tester"
Google Play is reviewing the release. If you go to "Publishing overview" you may see that the update is in review. You will be able to download it from Google Play once it has been reviewed. From my experience this usually takes from a 1-5 days but sometimes may take longer.
In Google Play, in the page for the app, you need to scroll down to "Join the beta" and tap "Join", even though this is the alpha release, not the beta.
I am confused about android application testing. when I publish an alpha version, do all the people who are registered as testers in the whole world have access to the app or do I get a link and send it to whoever I know to test it. if its the latter how can I get testers for my app.
Alpha and beta tests are working in the same way. You upload your app to google play, fill out all the fields in your store entry and then you need to create a Google Plus community. Copy and paste the URL of the community into the Google Play developer console as testers, you will see another URL2, this URL2 has to be opened by your testers. Now you need to find people joining your group in Google Plus and tell them the procedure for tester:
Open URL2
and confirm to participate the testing
The installation has to be started with a browser, the URL of your app is the same as for apps in production.
If you ship a new alpha version, your testers get the new version automaticly if they have configured that.
From here on everything is as it is for apps in production.
I agree it is a kind of an odd procedure and I hope I explained it clear. However, what you can always do, just upload your apk to a web server and provide your testers with the link for the app on your webserver, your testers only need to accept installations from third party. You can't get ratings for such an app.
Later what you said only will work out in alpha testing, you should have separate testing team in your organization so that you can share the URL with them to test the app or you can add them using their google play account so that the app will be visible only to them in their Google play app, not to all of the real time users.
Until you upload the apk in production mode, your app will not be visible to other users.
I have developed my app and have published it through Google Play for alpha testing. As one of the testers I get an opt-in link, where I signed in as a tester. After that I was hoping to download the app directly with my phone by going to the Play Store on my phone. But as it seems to turn out, I have to got to the app's web profile and then from there click download; only then does the Play Store download the app to my phone.
I want to get other alpha testers involved and I was hoping to make the process easier for them. Is there an easier way? As in, once they opt-in, I would like them to just use their Android phone to download the app the way they would any other app. Is there a way?
Clarifications:
I am not looking for an alternative to Google Play
I have already gone through the Google Group creation process. My question is concerning what happens after a group member opts-in. Can they use their phone directly (play-app on phone) or must they download from the website? So far I have not been successful using the play-app.
You need to publish the app before it becomes available for testing.
if you publish the app and the apk is only in "alpha testing" section
then it is NOT available to general public, only for activated testers in the alpha section.
EDIT:
One additional note: "normal" users will not find your app on Google Play, but also the activated tester can not find the application by using the search box.
Only the direct link to the application package will work. (only for the activated testers).
Here is a check list for you:
1) Is your app published? (Production APK is not required for publishing)
2) Did your alpha/beta testers "Accept invitation" to Google+ community or Google group?
3) Are your alpha/beta testers logged in their Google+ account?
4) Are your alpha/beta testers using your link from Google Play developer console? It has format like this: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.yourdomain.package
Publish your alpha apk by pressing the submit button.
Wait until it's published.
(e.g.: CURRENT APK published on Apr 28, 2015, 2:20:13AM)
Select Alpha testers - click Manage list of testers.
Share the link with your testers (by email).
(e.g.: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/uk.co.xxxxx.xxxxx)
It should be noted that releasing an alpha app for the first time may take up to a few hours before an opt-in link is available and invitations are sent out to the email addresses in your testers list.
From Google support:
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. [source]
You may want to wait until you have an initial opt-in link before publishing more changes to the app because doing so is likely to increase your wait time for receiving your tester link; or, may lead to your testers testing with the incorrect version.
Hope that clears things up for anyone confused about why they don't have an opt-in link as depicted in screenshots in this SO thread!
Under APK/ALPHA TESTING/MANAGE TESTERS you find:
Choose the method you want.
Then you need to first upload your Apk. Before it can be published you need to go to the usual steps in publishing which means: you need icons, the FSK ratings, screenshots etc.
After you added it you click on publish.
You find the link for your testers at:
Google play store provides closed testing track to test your application with a limited set of testers pre-defined in the tester's list known as Alpha Testing. Here are some important things to be considered to use alpha testing.
Important
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
Managing Testers for Alpha Testing
The Screenshot is most recent as of answering this question. You can see the manage testers for closed alpha testing, You can add and remove tester one by one or you can use CSV file to bulk add and remove. The list of defined email addresses will be eligible for testing the app, here you can a control whom to provide the app for testing. Hence, this is known as Closed Testing.
You can see the link(washed out by red line), once your app available to test, your testers can download and test the app by going to the below-given link. For that Google will ask once to the tester for joining the testing program. Once they have joined the program, they will receive an app update. As stated by store, it may take 24 hours to make an app available for testing.
Once your app available, Your invited testers can join the test by going the link https://play.google.com/apps/testing/YOUR PACKAGE NAME
Managing App Releases
After the Manage testers card, there is a card for manage release, from here you can manage your alpha releases and roll-out them to production by clicking the button at the top of the card once they well tested. This process of rolling out from testing to production/public is known as stagged roll-out. In stagged roll-out, the publisher publishes by the percentage of users, to better analyze the user response.
You can also manage multiple alpha release app versions from here, at the bottom of the screenshot you can see that I have once more apk build version being served as alpha test app.
Managing Closed Track Testing Availability
Apart from the user based control, you have one more control over the availability of the app for a test in the country. You can add limited countries tester to the app. suppose your list of the testers are from multiple countries and you want the application to be tested in your country only, rather removing testers from the testing list, you can go through Alpha Country Availability. It gives more precise control over testers.
Here, In Screenshot, my app is available worldwide states that my testers (from testers list) can test the app in all countries.
In my experience the flow is:
you publish the app as beta in Google Play and create the Google+ community
invite the tester to the community
once he has joined, send him the link of the test app in Google Play
the tester opens the link in the browser (not google play app)
registers as tester
in the browser, install the apps to the device (the app will be magically pushed to the device)
Another issue of that page if you use multiple playstore accounts:
In some cases you still get a 404, even if you are currently logged in with the right account, the one you joined the beta community with.
As a workaround, you can clear the browser cache, use another browser for the beta signup, or just use the incognito mode of your browser.
You can use a Google Group and have your alpha testers just join the group. Everything else should just be handled through the Google Play Store App.
So I've went through all the steps to upload my .apk to the Google dev console, and I've added my Google group for the list of people that will be testing it. Then it asked me to publish my app so I can get the opt- in link to send to my testers. I'm supposed to be able to send out a non production ready app to beta testers, but when I try to set up the beta channel, it wants me to publish my app and wants it to be production ready. Can anybody walk me through the steps of setting up my beta app so I can get the opt in link to send to my Google group?
Just upload your Beta into the Beta channel. You actually have to publish the app. This only publishes the Beta for your testers, not a production channel.
So the steps usually are:
upload apk into Beta
paste the link to your community/Google group
publish the app (top right corner)
grab the opt-in link and send it to your testers
send a Play Store link or the signed apk to your testers
This takes like 2-24 hours for your testers to see the app in the Play Store. Some of my testers still don't see the app after 4 days.. Seems not completely reliable, yet.
Hope this helps. Have fun :)
I have developed my app and have published it through Google Play for alpha testing. As one of the testers I get an opt-in link, where I signed in as a tester. After that I was hoping to download the app directly with my phone by going to the Play Store on my phone. But as it seems to turn out, I have to got to the app's web profile and then from there click download; only then does the Play Store download the app to my phone.
I want to get other alpha testers involved and I was hoping to make the process easier for them. Is there an easier way? As in, once they opt-in, I would like them to just use their Android phone to download the app the way they would any other app. Is there a way?
Clarifications:
I am not looking for an alternative to Google Play
I have already gone through the Google Group creation process. My question is concerning what happens after a group member opts-in. Can they use their phone directly (play-app on phone) or must they download from the website? So far I have not been successful using the play-app.
You need to publish the app before it becomes available for testing.
if you publish the app and the apk is only in "alpha testing" section
then it is NOT available to general public, only for activated testers in the alpha section.
EDIT:
One additional note: "normal" users will not find your app on Google Play, but also the activated tester can not find the application by using the search box.
Only the direct link to the application package will work. (only for the activated testers).
Here is a check list for you:
1) Is your app published? (Production APK is not required for publishing)
2) Did your alpha/beta testers "Accept invitation" to Google+ community or Google group?
3) Are your alpha/beta testers logged in their Google+ account?
4) Are your alpha/beta testers using your link from Google Play developer console? It has format like this: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.yourdomain.package
Publish your alpha apk by pressing the submit button.
Wait until it's published.
(e.g.: CURRENT APK published on Apr 28, 2015, 2:20:13AM)
Select Alpha testers - click Manage list of testers.
Share the link with your testers (by email).
(e.g.: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/uk.co.xxxxx.xxxxx)
It should be noted that releasing an alpha app for the first time may take up to a few hours before an opt-in link is available and invitations are sent out to the email addresses in your testers list.
From Google support:
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. [source]
You may want to wait until you have an initial opt-in link before publishing more changes to the app because doing so is likely to increase your wait time for receiving your tester link; or, may lead to your testers testing with the incorrect version.
Hope that clears things up for anyone confused about why they don't have an opt-in link as depicted in screenshots in this SO thread!
Under APK/ALPHA TESTING/MANAGE TESTERS you find:
Choose the method you want.
Then you need to first upload your Apk. Before it can be published you need to go to the usual steps in publishing which means: you need icons, the FSK ratings, screenshots etc.
After you added it you click on publish.
You find the link for your testers at:
Google play store provides closed testing track to test your application with a limited set of testers pre-defined in the tester's list known as Alpha Testing. Here are some important things to be considered to use alpha testing.
Important
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
Managing Testers for Alpha Testing
The Screenshot is most recent as of answering this question. You can see the manage testers for closed alpha testing, You can add and remove tester one by one or you can use CSV file to bulk add and remove. The list of defined email addresses will be eligible for testing the app, here you can a control whom to provide the app for testing. Hence, this is known as Closed Testing.
You can see the link(washed out by red line), once your app available to test, your testers can download and test the app by going to the below-given link. For that Google will ask once to the tester for joining the testing program. Once they have joined the program, they will receive an app update. As stated by store, it may take 24 hours to make an app available for testing.
Once your app available, Your invited testers can join the test by going the link https://play.google.com/apps/testing/YOUR PACKAGE NAME
Managing App Releases
After the Manage testers card, there is a card for manage release, from here you can manage your alpha releases and roll-out them to production by clicking the button at the top of the card once they well tested. This process of rolling out from testing to production/public is known as stagged roll-out. In stagged roll-out, the publisher publishes by the percentage of users, to better analyze the user response.
You can also manage multiple alpha release app versions from here, at the bottom of the screenshot you can see that I have once more apk build version being served as alpha test app.
Managing Closed Track Testing Availability
Apart from the user based control, you have one more control over the availability of the app for a test in the country. You can add limited countries tester to the app. suppose your list of the testers are from multiple countries and you want the application to be tested in your country only, rather removing testers from the testing list, you can go through Alpha Country Availability. It gives more precise control over testers.
Here, In Screenshot, my app is available worldwide states that my testers (from testers list) can test the app in all countries.
In my experience the flow is:
you publish the app as beta in Google Play and create the Google+ community
invite the tester to the community
once he has joined, send him the link of the test app in Google Play
the tester opens the link in the browser (not google play app)
registers as tester
in the browser, install the apps to the device (the app will be magically pushed to the device)
Another issue of that page if you use multiple playstore accounts:
In some cases you still get a 404, even if you are currently logged in with the right account, the one you joined the beta community with.
As a workaround, you can clear the browser cache, use another browser for the beta signup, or just use the incognito mode of your browser.
You can use a Google Group and have your alpha testers just join the group. Everything else should just be handled through the Google Play Store App.