App not updating for alpha testers on google play

android google-play

62,034

Solution 1

Nothing with Google Play is automatic. They have a caching system much like Apple App Store among others. From my experience, once or twice a day the cache system gets flushed and the market gets updated.

At some point after that, the updates get pushed. This can be a multi-day process unfortunately.

Solution 2

Just had the same problem. My update wasn't available after 48 hours. Tried closing the app store and restarting the phone, which didn't work. Then I went into the phones settings and cleared the play stores cache, which worked immediately, and I could download the latest alpha version.

Solution 3

In addition to the time it takes for app updates to fully process, the Google Play app itself also caches app information, so your users (and you) may be seeing a cached version of your Google Play list.

Here's a trick to force Google Play to fetch the latest version of your app. This works every time for me.

How to reset the Google Play app's cache:

Force close the Google Play app
Open the Settings app
Go to Applications > Application Manager > Google Play Store > Storage
Click Clear Cache

The Google Play app's cache should now be reset. Try finding your app again and see if it shows the latest version.

Solution 4

Google announced on March 2018 the availability of an internal test track.

According to documentation:

You should create an internal test if you want to quickly distribute your app for internal testing and quality assurance checks.

[…]

An internal test can have up to 100 testers per app.

Solution 5

reposting @Aeramor comment as an answer as this solved the issue for me.

Force quit AND clear the play store cache/data and it will update instantly

View more solutions

62,034

Cote Mounyo

Updated on July 08, 2022

Comments

Cote Mounyo almost 2 years

My app is being tested using Google Play. I am one of my alpha testers, naturally. I released a new alpha version of the app. I was expecting it to update automatically on my device. But it's not updating. Am I missing a step? According to Google

Once they install the app and opt in, they'll automatically be updated to the new test version.
- Geobits almost 11 years
  
  "Automatic" is not automatic. How long have you waited? Give it 12 hours, at the very minimum, before you start worrying.
- Cote Mounyo almost 11 years
  
  Wow! 12 hours! I published yesterday some time before 6pm (maybe 4pm). So for sure it has been 12hours. Still I was expecting immediate.
- Geobits almost 11 years
  
  It used to be quite a bit quicker, but the Play Store has grown a lot in the last few years. Also, make sure you have the Play Store version of the app on your device, not the signed-with-debug-key-by-eclipse version.
- Cote Mounyo almost 11 years
  
  Thanks! since you posted no "response" I had to give each of your comments an upvote and accept the one response.
- Jonny almost 9 years
  
  I had it work like once or twice, but this time I waited well beyond 24 hours and still no update... something must be broken? I had to go manually to the app page on Google Play, with the device, and tap the Update button manually. I'd just like to also point out that using stuff like Crashlytics Beta for alpha/beta distribution will update apps instantaneously. I guess IAP and stuff won't work however unless the app goes through Google Play (?)
- Kirill Karmazin about 4 years
  
  Open Play Store app > main menu > My apps & games -> every time you open this page it checks for updates. No need to clear cache or anything else. Cheers
Cote Mounyo almost 11 years

This is disheartening news. I am on a tight schedule with my testers and this wait is not good.
Geobits almost 11 years

On a tight schedule it might be easier to set up a host and just give them a link where an updated version is kept.
Cote Mounyo almost 11 years

So eventually my phone got an update. But some of my testers didn't get updated. Do you know why that might be? tagging @Geobits
Cote Mounyo almost 11 years

So eventually my phone got an update. But some of my testers didn't get updated. Do you know why that might be?
Budius almost 11 years

that's due to mainly two factors. 1) Google Play scans each .apk individually looking for malicious apps, and that scans need computational power that is queued 2) server replication ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replication_(computing) ). It will be great if stuff was instant, by digital-life still not so perfect.
Marcos Vinicius over 10 years

@CoteMounyo maybe some tester doesn't have the google play configured to update yours apps automatic, in this case the tester has to access manually the google play and update your apps.
darrenp over 10 years

Thanks. That's really useful for forcing Google Play to update its cache (or whatever it is doing).
Aeramor over 8 years

Force quit AND clear the play store cache/data and it will update instantly.
DenisGL about 8 years

Could you please tell us where is this setting: I didn’t fin it.
Andrei Herford about 8 years

Go Device Settings -> Apps -> All and click on the Play Store App entry. Scroll down and click on Clear Cache. Maybe this might help. However in my case the Update to my Alpha Test version was still not available.
Stevey about 7 years

If you forget to copy that link, it looks like you can never get an alpha link again. EVER. What the hell?
Benedicte Raae about 7 years

On my Sony Xperia look for "Google Play Store" ie. not together with apps starting with P and the "clear cache" is an option under "Storage".
Mike Becatti about 6 years

This is what I tried but the update won't show up on some phones no matter what I do.
Mike about 6 years

Same things happens on my side as well, Bloodhound.
pstanton about 6 years

if you need immediate updates to testers, you can use the "Internal Test" track now
Lucy almost 6 years

Worked for me immediately, too! Thanks for this tip!
user1539401 over 5 years

I can't make my release update on the Internal Test track at all.
Arie Agung over 5 years

In my case it still need hours for the internal test track user to receive update. I don't what's wrong or maybe it is the way it is.
Jake Stoeffler over 5 years

Thanks @josh marsden. That was fun, but didn't solve it for me :)
Ricardo Stuven over 5 years

Make sure you uninstall the app installed from the non-internal track and reinstall it using the opt-in URL to install the app from the internal track, which has the form https://play.google.com/apps/internaltest/INTERNAL_APP_ID. In the docs, read about: "Step 3: Share your opt-in URL with users".
solaza almost 5 years

up to 100 testers per app means 100 emails added or 100 devices in total. As I know you can have unlimited devices connected to one email and that is potentially limitless
Ethan Arnold almost 5 years

@user3562927 Yes you can, it's under the list of allowed participants in the internal test.
Lamour almost 5 years

This worked for me but I had to go to App Storage > Google Play Store > Clear Storage & Clear Cache
IlyaEremin over 4 years

@pstanton looks like "internal Test" is not immediate. Still takes couple hours to update for me. Shame on you, Google
Brlja over 4 years

I have added new tester to internal test track and he could not see "You are internal tester.." message and option to download test version. Clearning Google Play Store data and cache solved the issue.
Blue Bot over 4 years

"instantly" is a big word for Google.. Force quit -> clear cache -> clear data is not working for me.. still need to wait a couple hours - horrible dev experience, ended up resending apk's via emails..
Julian K almost 4 years

In my version of Android step 3 is "Apps & notifications > See All [57] Apps > Google Play Store > Storage & cache > Clear cache"
Jyaif over 3 years

Force quite + Clear data used to do the trick. Not anymore. It takes hours for the internal track version to be available on certain phones. This is not acceptable at all.
Uniphonic over 3 years

Worked for me! Another way to get into the app settings is holding down on the Play Store app icon, and then tapping "App info", then tapping Storage, then tapping "Clear data".
arberg about 3 years

No amount of clearing cache or waiting (3) days helped me. I had added myself as Internal Track tester. I know Google Play on device recognized it, because it warned I should add different account as I have multiple accounts and app was owned by other account (which I did, didn't help). What worked was using the link Ricardo mentions above. The invite link isn't listed as required but an optional method for inviting, but apparently its sometimes required. App then was shown in play store with title 'Xxx (Internal Beta)'. Ahh, also see stackoverflow.com/a/17752339/197141
arberg about 3 years

Clear cache/data didn't work for me nor did waiting 3 days. I used link, that worked. See my other comment to Ricardo's answer for more details, or even better this answer below: stackoverflow.com/a/17752339/197141
Nagaraj Alagusundaram almost 3 years

The instruction by @Aeramor really helped a lot. It works! :)
Graciela Carrillo over 2 years

This is the only thing that worked for me in March 2022!
Oscar Gonzalez over 2 years

Right now (for internal testers), I get the update in 30 minutes. But when I open the link of invitation I have to update the page before click on "download it on Google Play".
grrigore about 2 years

This worked for me.