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.
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.
••••• Solved •••••
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.
•••••••••••••••••••••
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?
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 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)
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.