About one month ago i upload my first App to the PlayStore and I reserved it only for beta testers. The App is now stable and I decide to move it from beta to production tab.
My question is: How can I disable App beta tester so they can rate my app? Is there a why to do that in the developer console or every single beta tester must leave the program from the playstore?
I found this button but I'm not sure what's going to happen if i click yes,
Will all my users continue to use the app and exit the beta testing program without uninstalling and reinstalling the app?
For all those who have my own doubts I wanted to share my solution.
I clicked "YES" on the button that you see in the image, now all my beta testers are able to review and evaluate my app without having to uninstall the application or leave the beta test manually
hope it might be useful to someone in the future
Now the button is called Pause track.
It stops offering the Join the beta button on Google Play.
Related
Within our company we have someone that handles the upload and release of our Android apps to the Google Play Console. He told me that there previously was an option to promote an app from Alpha to Beta. As seen in this video there actually was an option.
However we currently don't see a way to move the Alpha app to Beta. There is only an option to promote the app to production.
Is it still possible to promote the Android app from Alpha to Beta? Or should we upload the same app to Beta again.
I have tried to use this option weeks ago. but I didn't find it, I have made some research about this and it sounds to be removed. to create beta release just go to the beta version and click on create a beta release and click choose from the library, choose the APK in the alpha channel then publish it
I've solved the issue for one of our apps. It seems that Google limited the process so you can't move an app from the closed alpha track to the closed beta track (or any other closed track). This is probably due to the fact that Google wants to promote open beta testing. Once I changed my closed beta track to an open beta track the button reappeared.
Note that once you set the track to open you can't change it back to closed, so you'll have to be sure that this is what you want.
To move the beta track from closed to open:
click on the manage button next to the beta track.
open up the manage testers panel.
select the open beta testing option next to choose a testing method
Now this option available Go Alpha-> Manage
I recently created a new app and had this issue. The solution was to:
Have the app reviewed by Google. It seems you can't do an open test before then.
Go to the "open testing" tab and click "unpause track". For some reason, the beta track is "paused" by default.
When I started distributing my app in Google Play, it was as an opened Beta.
I've recently promote the beta app to production.
The problem is that I have 45k users that have download the app as beta testers, so any review they do is private. I know they can manually get out of the beta, but it's really hard to explain that to them.
So I was thinking of just disabling the beta test, but I'm not sure what is going to happen with all that beta testers.
I couldn't find any documentation about this.
So, if I disable the beta, what is going to happen with them?
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/3131213?hl=en
I know this is an old thread now but I stumbled upon it today after closing a beta for my app with 100,000 beta users. I simply removed the users and those users were able to stay on that APK until they updated in the play store.
if I run a open beta test for payable app in google play store, what happens if I close the beta test. Will the users still be able to use the app forever ?
Situation:
1. I open my App for open beta test
2. USER A finds the app in GooglePLay for betatesting (Thats I guess, not sure how it works really )
3. After while I close the betatest phase.
4. Will USER A still be able to use the app ?
I read somewhere in documentation they go back to the available public version and cant re-enroll as an open beta tester until the next public release is shipped live.
If you close the open beta testing and move on to some other type of testing like closed beta testing or alpha testing, the user (if not mentioned as a tester in the closed beta testing or alpha testing) will be able to use your app but will not be able to make any purchases.
Hope this is what you were looking for :)
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.
How to publish beta test-version in Android play store ?
I'm trying to allow beta test my phonegap build app in the android play store. I already uploaded a signed apk in the beta tab and added a google+ group with some users inside ... but I'm slightly surprised that I cannot find how to install or even find this app on the testers smartphones. I opted myself as user in the group but cant see a link to the app or something like that. Shouldn't the app be already visible to beta users in the app store? Or do I have to push the publish button? The info popup tells:
"Your app can only be used by your testers when it is published to Google Play.
If your app has no production APK then it will only be visible to Alpha and Beta
testers. The link that your testers can use to opt-in will be displayed here when
you have published your app."
Sounds to me that it should be published. But doesn't it mean that the beta apk will be moved to the published-area and not being then a beta any more? I'm afraid that the app will be then visible to all users in the play store not only for my beta testers.
Could someone explain me how to publish a beta for my testers only?
EDIT:
It seems that everything I need is the opt-in link that is missing. Any idea why?
In order to be able to get the link to share with your group you have to first press the "Publish" button in the upper right. After doing this you will see the link to share with users appear as brheal shows above.
I'm adding this graphic to the discussion to help clarify exactly which one to press and which to not press.
Per the discussion above I was still a bit worried about pressing the publish button. I just did it and it works.
For more clarity I thought I'd share what it looks like. After publishing your beta apk you have to wait up to 24 hours (it took mine about 12) and then go to 'Manage list of testers' in your 'Beta Testing' tab. When it's ready you will see the opt in link available to share:
This is really an issue Google should address ASAP. You enter the console hoping to find the sections but the documentation says something else altogether. I just solved this and found the link, here are the steps updated with the current UI of the console which is not matching the documentation:
Open Google Play Console
Open your app
In the left panel go to Release management -> App releases
Scroll down to Open track, Closed track or Internal test track section according to your case, click Manage
Go to the section Manage testers and click Internal test
At the bottom you will see the link if everything is properly configured and the app is published.
VERY IMPORTANT
You need to configure the internal test list, I assume that if you
are looking for the link you've already done this.
The app needs to be published, remember it takes some hours, otherwise you won´t be able to see the link.
Here are the screenshots:
Not enough points to comment, hence a separate answer.
My suggestion is to upload a new build after setting up the beta testing.
I created a new app and rolled out the Beta version of the app.
After that I enabled the "Closed Beta testing" for a list of users - alas no opt-in link was ever generated.
After scratching my head a bit I released a NEW build which generated the opt-in link immediately.
I figured that enabling the "Closed Beta testing" AFTER the Beta version was released could have caused the issue and is maybe why the UI is constructed the way it is.... just a guess.
Try and release a new build.