Hi everyone,

I just wanted to come back and say thank you. My app, Empower Soul Path, was granted Google Play production access this week, and a big part of that is the people from this sub who joined my closed test.

It didn't work the first time, so here's what I learned in case it helps someone else going through the 12 testers / 14 days process:

1. Opted-in isn't enough, testers have to actually open the app.

My first application was rejected with "your app requires more testing." When I checked Play Console → Grow users, 22 devices had installed the app but only 1 had actually opened it. Google seems to look at real engagement, not just installs.

2. A rejection restarts the clock.

After the rejection, I needed a fresh 14 days of continuous testing starting from the review date, not from my original start date.

3. What worked the second time:

\- A short daily reminder in the testers' group: "please open the app for a few seconds today"

\- Testing other people's apps back every day (reciprocity really matters here)

\- Asking for honest feedback, not just opens. Testers found real bugs (an untranslated sentence, a layout issue on tablets, unclear pricing), and I fixed all of them before production

4. Answer the production access form in detail.

I described exactly what testers reported and what I changed because of it. I think that helped.

My offer still stands: if you're in the middle of your 14 days, reply or DM me with your testing link and I'll test your app daily too.

Thank you again. It's a small thing to open someone's app every day, but it made a real difference for a solo developer like me. 🙏

Got Google Play production access on the 2nd try. Thank you, testers + what I learned