I have a dev version of my app that is not published in the Play Store. I would like to test dynamic links with it, but whenever I click a dynamic link, it opens the play store, and I get a not found error (because there is no corresponding package in the Play Store).
What's the recommended way of testing this? It would also apply to staging environments, etc... that are not published.
I was able to test it like this:
I published a closed alpha version of an app - open only to my email (beta should work just the same)
Opted in via the opt-in link in the developer console (it's on the APK section)
After that, clicking the dynamic link I created on the Firebase console worked as expected, without having my app out in the open.
Caveats:
Connected Google users - might cause a problem if only one is on the alpha group list
It takes a bit of time to get started. Make sure you can see the app in Google Play before trying to click the link
Updates, fixes and changes take time until they actually appear on Google Play. Google Play now offers internal testing, a level below alpha that propagates updates quicker.
The other answer above is technically correct, but you can get close to simulating the real behavior without putting anything on the Google Play Store.
If your application is installed, the dynamic link will open your application. This is true even if your app is not listed on the Play Store. If this is not working for you, your app is not properly set up to receive dynamic links.
If your application is not installed, you will be taken to the Play Store and you will see app not found. After, you can sideload the app to simulate a Play Store install.
Related
I have an app that is released only as an "internal test" on the Google Play store
When I go to the Google Play store on my phone, the app does not show up at all, under "installed" or "updates" or any other tab
When I click the 'internal testing' link (the one that Google Play Console says to give to internal testers), it opens Google Play and shows my app's store page. The store page shows the correct latest version, but I'm unable to install it. My only options are "uninstall" and "open" (which opens the currently installed old version of the app)
I have "enable auto-update" enabled from the Google Play store page
I've waited two days
I've made sure the app is closed completely on the phone
As far as I can tell, there's no way to update the app without uninstalling it, which deletes all the app data. How can my testers update the app?
Updating seems to be broken for apps that Google has not reviewed yet, which they don't do for internal apps.
I released the app to closed beta, causing Google to review it, and stopped using "internal releases" altogether. I'm not sure which of the two was the fix, but now auto updates work.
I think I've found a workaround. It's now worked 3 times out of 3, so fingers crossed.
First, uninstall whatever version you have on your device.
Then visit the link provided from Google Play Console on a PC instead, and from there you click the 'If you don’t have the app installed, download it on Google Play.'-link.
Once there, press install, and choose your device.
This way, the latest version of the app is installed on your device, and not some random version; like seems to be the case, using the Play Store on the device.
Not ideal, but it works :)
Requirements for getting the Internal Update on Play store
Add your same email Account in internal testing which you used as in play store.
Join Beta Testing program which will be visible when you search the same app on play store.
Turn on internal-app-sharing on playstore - > PlayStore->Setting->About ->PlayStore-version(press 7 times), Turn On Internal App Sharing in General Settings of play store.
Wait for some days & Get the app link from play store console to get the update version
Problem Statement:
I published App on Google Play but can't see it there - instead it shows error message saying that Item Not Found.
Summary:
I published an App on Play Store. Its current status is Published as can be seen from following snapshot.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=171vhJJ5ED_g1v2ElD5xBwdRAcrW0RoNF
When i tap on VIEW ON GOOGLE PLAY, I can see it there as well with Published status.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16Zy7GXhreeSdli7IBrhFBvwNP51m8HTm
Problem is, when i tap VIEW ON GOOGLE PLAY in Android Phone, i can't see there any App and see following
https://drive.google.com/open?id=12Pa7ITr93OlQJQV5UXbJfNYI8fEG66LR
Although App is allowed in ALL countries, but still i can't see it in Play Store.
I believe the issue you're having is when you search Google Play Store for your app's name, your app doesn't come up although, but you can download it if you had the app's direct link in the Play Store and even shows published on your developer portal.
Publishing an app to the Google Play Store doesn't have a fixed/specific time before it becomes downloadable (search and download) from the Play Store. Sometimes, it takes few hours while other times it could take days. This is because it is being deployed to all the Google Play servers worldwide. Mine takes about 2-3 days sometimes. Just be patient and wait for some time.
If the status of an app is PUBLISHED, then it is actually published.
The answer to your question lies in the nature of the algorithm the Google Play store uses for their search/query. You probably used a common app name (or the variant of a common app name). Generally, apps with a large number of active users top the list in search results. Your app is on the list, it's just at the bottom of the list.
This article sheds a little light on how the search algorithms work and what you should always look out to ensure your app's immediate visibility.
I hope this helps. Merry coding!
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)
Google states the following regrading there open beta service "For early access apps (new apps that haven't been published to production): Users can find your beta version via search on the Play Store. Once users find your listing, they can install your app normally."
Source
I published my app to open beta last night but when I log out of any google related service and search on the play store my app is not visible. It is titled Fractal Plus. The opt-in URL seems to work fine.
https://play.google.com/apps/testing/biz.MagiTek.FractalPlus
Anyone know how I can fix this?
The 'Early Access' feature on the Play Store may still be being rolled out to users. On one of my devices the play store does not have an Early Access section yet and I cannot see your app via a search, however on another device I am able to see your app in the play store search results.
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.