Applying for production access on Google Play doesn't always end with a yes. When your app needs more testing, Google can ask you to keep your closed test running before you apply again. Google's help page names two reasons:
- Fewer than 12 opted-in testers, for example because some left before their 14 days were up (what counts as a tester).
- Insufficient tester engagement during the testing period.
The first is easy to check. The second is the one that surprises developers.
What "engagement" means
Google doesn't publish an exact measure. What it asks in the application tells you what it looks for: whether testers used all the features, whether their usage looked like real use, and what feedback they gave. Twelve accounts that opted in and never opened the app are unlikely to satisfy that.
How to keep testers engaged
- Give clear instructions. Tell testers what to try and what feedback you want. Google recommends this too.
- Ask for use on several days, not one session on day one. Short check-ins during the 14 days work better than one long questionnaire at the start.
- Give them a way to report back, such as written reports, a form or a chat group, and keep a record of what comes in.
- Tell testers to stay opted in for the full 14 days. Google lists this as a tip, because testers who leave early don't count.
- Act on the feedback and ship updates to the closed test. It improves the app and gives you something concrete to write in the application.
- Keep a buffer. Start with more than 12 testers, so one or two dropping out doesn't sink the test.
If Google asks you to keep testing
Keep the closed test running, add testers if you're short, and make sure they actually use the app. Then apply again with a fuller summary of what testers did and what you changed. Here is how to answer the questions.
Need the testers? Beta Family starts you with 15 testers, asks them to use your app across the 14 days and report back, and replaces anyone who leaves. See the Google Play Production Pass.
More guides to Google Play testing
- Google Play's 12 testers for 14 days rule, explainedNew Google Play developer accounts need 12 testers in a closed test for 14 days before they can publish. What counts, and how to get through it fast.
- How to answer Google Play's production access questionsAfter 14 days of closed testing, Google Play asks three sets of questions before production access. What it asks, and how to answer each part well.
- Closed testing vs internal testing on Google PlayInternal, closed or open testing on Google Play? How the three test tracks differ, and why only a closed test unlocks production for new accounts.