Beta testing

Setting up a beta

1. Create the project. Or reuse the production listing if you intend the beta to become the release.
2. Upload and sign the build. See App signing. Confirm signedApkUrl exists before inviting anyone.
3. Set status to closed_testing. Studio then reports Saved. Test link is ready.
4. Send the link yourself. It is a normal listing URL. It is not gated, so anyone who receives it can install.
5. Collect feedback off-platform. A form or a group. Reviews on a hidden listing are not visible in the catalog, and are of limited use to you.

What a beta does not include

• No tester allowlist, opt-in URL or seat count.
• No expiry on the link.
• No separate feedback inbox inside Studio.
• No crash reporting, so a beta that closes the app silently looks like a beta nobody used.
• No analytics separation — beta traffic counts in the same visit and download figures.

Turning a beta into a release

Set the status to published. That is the whole conversion. There is no promotion step, so make sure the listing text, screenshots and data-safety declaration are release-quality first — the beta cohort sees the draft prose, and the public will too.

• Bump the manifest version code for the release build even if the code did not change, so an installed beta updates cleanly.
• Re-read the short description against the beta's actual behaviour.
• Check the Privacy row says Submitted.
• Verify the Will not install on your Windows PC behaviour if you shipped a beta to PC users with an Android build.