Google Play has recently introduced new testing requirements for new personal developer accounts1. According to these requirements, developers must conduct a closed test with a minimum of 20 testers opted in for at least 14 consecutive days before applying for production access. This may seem like a daunting task, but it actually has many benefits for your app quality and success. In this blog post, we will explore some of the benefits of having 20 testers for your app before launching on Google Play.
Benefit 1: You can identify and fix issues early
One of the main benefits of having 20 testers for your app is that you can identify and fix issues early, before they affect your app’s performance and user satisfaction. By testing your app on real devices and configurations, you can discover bugs, crashes, ANRs, performance issues, UI glitches, and other problems that may not be detected by automated tests or emulators. You can also get feedback from your testers on your app’s functionality, usability, design, and features. This way, you can fix the issues and improve your app quality before you launch it to the public.
Benefit 2: You can optimize your app for mobile SEO and user acquisition
Another benefit of having 20 testers for your app is that you can optimize your app for mobile SEO and user acquisition. By testing your app on Google Play, you can measure your app’s core vitals, such as user-perceived ANR rate, user-perceived crash rate, and stuck partial wake locks2. These metrics affect your app’s discoverability and ranking on Google Play, as well as the user expectations and ratings. If your app exceeds the bad behavior thresholds on these metrics, it may be less visible on Google Play, or even show a warning on your app’s store listing. By testing your app with 20 testers, you can monitor and improve your app’s core vitals, and make your app more discoverable and successful on Google Play.
Benefit 3: You can track and increase your app revenue and retention
A third benefit of having 20 testers for your app is that you can track and increase your app revenue and retention. By testing your app on Google Play, you can access various tools and programs that can help you monetize and grow your app. For example, you can use Google Play Billing to offer in-app purchases and subscriptions, Google Play In-App Review API to prompt users to rate and review your app, Google Play Instant to let users try your app without installing it, and Google Play Pass to offer your app as part of a subscription service. You can also use Google Analytics to track and analyze your app’s performance, user behavior, and revenue. By testing your app with 20 testers, you can experiment with different monetization and growth strategies, and find the best ones for your app.
Conclusion
Google Play’s new testing requirements may seem like a challenge, but they are actually an opportunity to improve your app quality and success. By testing your app with 20 testers for 14 days, you can identify and fix issues early, optimize your app for mobile SEO and user acquisition, and track and increase your app revenue and retention. You can also use Android Tester Lab, a service that lets you test your app on real devices and configurations hosted by LambdaTest, to make your testing process easier and faster. You can sign up for a free trial account here and start testing your app on Android Tester Lab today.