Publish to the Google Play Store

Google Play console offers you three type of testing tracks to QA your App before you make it available to end users.

Internal testing allows you to release your app to a very specific set of users within your team or organization. There can be multiple internal tests before a stable version is released to the general public.

Now best practices for Internal testing. Conduct an initial quality assurance check by quickly distributing your app among up to 100 invited testers without the need to wait for app reviews.

Google recommends running an internal test before releasing your app to the closed or open tracks. If needed, you can run internal tests concurrently with closed and open tests for different versions of your app.

Then you have closed testing also known as alpha release on the Play Store. The purpose of this testing is to Get early feedback on new features from trusted users outside of your organization.

Now best practices for Closed testing. To get more targeted feedback, run a closed test with specific users. You can use individual email addresses or Google Groups, or even invite selected pre-registered users to join these tests.

Provide a channel for testers to send you feedback. Offer testers the ability to provide feedback by email, through a website, or in a message forum.

Open testing is also known as beta release on the Play Console. Open testing is the final step before releasing your app to the general public on the play Store. The purpose of this testing is to Gather quantitative and qualitative feedback on your app or game from a large number of testers.

Now best practices for Open testing. Recruit more users into your open test by linking users straight to your details page on Google Play from any of your marketing channels.

Opt in to the pre-launch report to discover any issues found in your Open or closed testing track.

Gather private feedback during open or closed tests and reply to testers directly in Play Console. Feedback during open or closed testing is only visible to you and will not affect your public rating.

If you’re testing a paid app using an open or closed test, testers still need to purchase it. However for an internal test, testers can install your app for free.

Production is the final step. When you release your app to production, it will be available to everyone on Play Store according to your target devices and countries. But wait, there is something recently introduced between testing and final release.

It is called Pre-registration. With pre-registration, your store listing is published before you launch so that users can register their interest. When you launch, users who have pre-registered will receive a notification to download your app and your app will be installed automatically on eligible devices.

Google recommends testing your app before starting pre-registration. Pre-registration campaigns can only last 90 days, after which you need to launch your app to production.

When developing real world apps you will usually want to have at least one internal test, one closed test and one open test before going to production. 
 In this course, you will see how to release your app to Internal test and then to production.

In Google Play Console, click Internal Testing in Left Navigation panel for your selected app. Click Create new release. Upload the app budle generated in the earlier episode. Wait for few minutes and confirm that app bundle is upladed succeefully.

You may update the release name which identifies the app release in the play console. Then enter the release notes such as any specific bug fixes, specific UI enhancements or feature additions etc. Try to be specific in your release notes instead of just simple note as Bug fixes or UI enhancements. For this demo app, I will enter:

Click Save. Click Review release. Expand the warning. It says, This release will not be available to any users because you haven’t specified any testers for it yet.

You will do that soon. Click Start rollout to Internal testing. Click Testers tab now. Click Create email list under Testers. Give your list a name. Add email addresses.and hit enter.

Click save changes.

You can let testers know how to provide you the feedback using this field. CLICK copy link and then you can share that link with your testers. On clicking the link, they will get an invitation to join the testing annd will be able to download and test your app. Click save changes.

Before the app is reviewed for the first time, users will see a temporary name for the app on Google Play. You are all set for Internal Testing now. Wait for the feedback from Internal Testers.