I wanted to share an update and also say thank you to the AppHive testing community.

My app, Promise Yourself, was rejected the first time after completing the 14-day closed test with 12 testers. Most of those testers were from my personal circle, and Google rejected the production access request saying there was not enough tester engagement.

For the second attempt, I wanted to increase the number of real testers and get more activity around the app. I joined AppHive partway through my testing period and participated in a Hive where multiple developers were testing each other’s apps.

For several days, I opened and tested other apps, took screenshots, and also had other developers test Promise Yourself. There was one app I could not test properly because the testing link was not available / accessible, so I reported that. I was later removed from the Hive due to testing activity requirements, but the time I did spend there still helped me understand how important broader tester participation is.

By the end of the second attempt, I had around 25–27 total testers/downloads across my original testers and the AppHive group.

When I reapplied for production access, I explained clearly that:

• I had increased the tester count beyond the minimum.
• More people had tested the app.
• The app’s core promise/check-in flow had been used.
• The app is already live on the Apple App Store.
• Users from different countries have already downloaded and used it on iOS.
• The app is simple by nature, so normal usage sessions are short but intentional.

This time, Google approved the app for production within about 2 days.

My biggest learning:

The 12-tester requirement may be the minimum, but it is safer to have more testers and more visible activity. For simple apps, especially habit/check-in apps, testers may only use the app for 30–60 seconds at a time, so it helps to have a stronger testing explanation when applying for production.

Thank you to everyone who tested Promise Yourself during the process. The experience was not perfect, but it did help move the app forward and finally get Android production access approved.

Hope this helps other developers who are going through the same closed testing process.

I wanted to share my experience in case it helps other indie developers going through Google Play’s closed testing / production access process.

My app, Promise Yourself, was rejected the first time after completing the 14-day closed test with 12 testers. Most of the testers were people I personally knew — friends/family/internal testers. The app was installed and tested, but after around 7–8 days of review, Google rejected production access with the reason that testers were not engaged enough.

The confusing part was that for a simple habit/promise app, normal sessions are naturally short. A user might open the app, check in, and leave within 30–60 seconds. So I wasn’t sure what “engagement” really meant from Google’s perspective.

For the second attempt, I changed a few things:

• I increased the number of testers beyond the minimum.
• I kept my original 12 testers.
• I also joined an app testing group where other developers tested each other’s apps.
• In total, I had around 25–27 testers/downloads involved.
• I made sure the app was actually opened and used during the testing period.
• I clearly explained in the production access form what was different this time.
• I mentioned that the app is already live on the Apple App Store and being used by people across different countries, which helped show that the app is functional and production-ready.

During the second test, I did not make major app updates. The main difference was broader tester participation and a stronger explanation in the production access submission.

After submitting again, Google approved production access within about 2 days.

My takeaway:

The 12-tester minimum seems like the floor, not the safest target. If you are building a simple app where sessions are naturally short, I would not rely on exactly 12 testers. Try to get more testers, make sure they actually open and use the core flow, collect feedback, and explain your testing process clearly in the form.

For anyone stuck after a rejection, I would recommend:

1. Get more than 12 testers if possible.
2. Make sure testers actually open the app repeatedly.
3. Ask testers to use the core feature, not just install the app.
4. Keep screenshots or notes of testing activity if you are organizing it manually.
5. In the production access form, explain what testers did, what changed from the first attempt, and why the app is ready.
6. If the app is already available elsewhere, mention that as supporting context.

This process is still pretty opaque, but in my case, increasing tester coverage and writing a clearer production access explanation seems to have made the difference.

I want to use hive app for getting my app tested for 14 days as part of the closed testing on Google play store so that I can push my app to production. However, I would love to know how exactly app hive community works and what are the immediate steps that I need to make.

I want to use hive app for getting my app tested for 14 days as part of the closed testing on Google play store so that I can push my app to production. However, I would love to know how exactly app hive community works and what are the immediate steps that I need to make.