What is developer console beta testing? How is this useful for developers?

Alpha and beta testing

Google helps you be confident before releasing your app to the world. This will help you get initial feedback from your users.

It's always helpful to get user feedback from real users, especially before launch. Google Play makes it easy to distribute previews of your app to alpha and beta test teams anywhere in the world.

In the APK section of the Google Play Developer Console, you will find the Alpha Testing and Beta Testing tabs. Here you can upload APK versions of your apps and define the testers list as a Google group or Google+ community. Once this is done, you will receive a URL that you forward to your testers from which they can choose a testing program.

After logging in, your testers will be taken to the page with your apps and when they download the app, Google Play will provide them with an alpha or beta version. By the way, if a user is selected to your test groups, Google Play will always provide them with an alpha version.

Please note that users cannot provide feedback or feedback on alpha and beta versions of your apps. To collect feedback, you could use the Google Group or Google+ Community, or set up an email address or your own website.

You can use these test programs to optimize your applications, help deploy to new markets, and build your community. There is also more information on using the beta in the launch checklist and localization checklist.

Using alpha / beta testing

Using the Google Play Developer Console, you can select groups of users to alpha / beta test different versions of your app and roll out an app update over time, known as a phased deployment.

Setting up an alpha / beta test

With the alpha / beta testing tools available in your developer account, you can test different versions of your application.

You don't need APK production to publish an alpha / beta app. If you are testing an existing previously published app, only users in your test group will receive the update for your Alpha / Beta version. If you are testing a new app that was previously published, only users in your test group can find and download your app. Once the alpha / beta APK is published, it can take up to 24 hours for your test link to be available to testers. If you make any changes to the appsPricing and Distribution page, including setting the price of your app to Paid or Free, your production, alpha, beta, and any future versions of your app will be affected. Note. When starting a new alpha / beta test, it is recommended that you start with a small group of alpha testers,and then expand your test to a larger beta group.

Step 1: add the APK to your alpha / beta test Log in to your Google Play Play developer console. Click All Apps. Select an application. On the left menu, click the APK button. In the middle of the page, click Test or Beta Click the Add button Select the APK file. Select "Publish" below screenshot for Beta and Alpha Besting,

indicate the difference between testing Alpha and Beta, see the Q&A section at the end of the document.

Step 2: Choose a Test Group If you haven't already, you need to create a Google Group or Google+ Community that includes the people you want to get in your alpha group or beta. Once you've created a Google Group or Google+ Community, you can add it to your testers list in the developer console.

Note. If the user is eligible for alpha and beta, they will receive an alpha.

This is how you add your Google group or Google+ community to your testers list and share your app link.

Sign in to your Google Play Developer Console. Click All Applications. Select an application. In the left menu, press the APK button. In the middle of the page, click Testing or Beta Testing. Under Alpha Testers or Beta Testers, click Test Testers.

Enter your Google Group Email or Google+ Community URL. Note. When adding a test group, be sure to use the following formats:

Google Groups: yourgroupname@googlegroups.com

Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/communities/123456789012345678901

ClickAdd. Copy and share the displayed url link with your testers. Link uses the following format: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.package.name Note. The connection link is displayed only if the application is "published". Apps in Draft or Pending Publishing will not display a selection link.

After clicking the selection link, your testers will receive an explanation of what it means to be a tester and they can participate.

Step 3: Get Feedback Once your alpha or beta testers have enabled and installed your app using the link you provided, they will be automatically updated to the test version.

Since your testers are unable to post reviews for alpha beta apps on Google Play, it is a good idea to let them know where they can provide you with feedback (email, website, etc.).

Alpha / Beta Availability Alpha and beta APKs must have a higher version code than the production APK in order to be available for testing.

To be available to alpha testers, the alpha apk must have a higher version code than the beta apk. If the beta APK is downloaded with a higher version code than the alpha APK, the alpha version will be automatically deactivated. If a Production APK is downloaded with a higher version code than the alpha or beta APK, the alpha and / or beta will be automatically deactivated. Alpha testing team users are eligible for the alpha, beta, or version of your app with the highest version code compatible with their device. Users of the beta testing group are only entitled to the beta or version of your app with the highest version code compatible with their device.

Q&A 1. What exactly is the difference between them, especially between Alpha and Beta?

There isn't much difference between the two, except that you just start with a small number of testers for alpha testing and switch to a large group for beta testing.

2. Only the production stage is available to people in the play store, right?

Yes, that's right.

3.which one only allows you to post to specific people / percentages and how do you do that?

You can do this for both. To do alpha beta testing, you need to send invitations to people on their google + accounts so that they can access your app and be able to download it. Invitations are usually a link that directs them to your app in the play store, which is only visible to them after they accept the invitation

4. What stage allows billing in the application, at least for testing? I don't understand why I can't check it even before downloading the app.

You can do billing in alpha testing, beta testing app. Check the link: http://developer.android.com/google/play/billing/billing_testing.html

5.In percentage method, if I publish a new version of the application using the same path, will it be updated for the first time for people who were lucky enough to install the previous version?

As far as I know, I've seen people who were testers get an update for an app in the first place than everyone else. But I'm not so sure about how it works.

Literature: https://developer.android.com/distribute/googleplay/developer-console.html https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/3131213?hl=en Need to clarify beta testing at developer console