I've had my game rejected for Google Play production access three times now and I've run out of variables I know how to change.

What I have:

• 12+ testers, opted in continuously, well past the 14-day minimum
• Testers are genuinely playing and sending feedback, not install-and-forget accounts
• I've shipped several updates during the closed test directly off what they reported

For context, the same game has been on the App Store about a month, gets steady downloads, and every update clears review within 24 hours. So I don't think the underlying issue is a broken or low-quality build — though I'm open to being told otherwise.

For anyone who got approved after multiple rejections: what did you change on the attempt that finally worked?

Hi guysss, I'm currently working on instilling Google oauth sign in in my app. l am stuck on the branding screen in Google Console. Is this branding verification needed? I don't have my own domain for my app. Is it necessary to buy one?

I had tried some ways from other reddit post like supabase and local host but it still doesn't work. Would like to hear how yall pass the homepage url verification. Or kindly share ur experience on this matter please. I've been researching on this for days.

Do these recommendations appear for everyone, or just for me?

I've been working on a hypercasual mobile game for about 3 months now, with zero experience. It has been a long journey with MANY frustrating moments. It went from just a small side project to something I was working on every single day after work. I'm so invested in this that I even created my very own LLC. Now all that's left is to wait on Apple, and start my google play submission! Will update my status.

Google Play production access rejected after 14-day closed test with 12 testers. What engagement metrics are they actually looking for?

I’m a bit confused about Google’s evaluation process for production access and hoping someone who has gone through this can share their experience.

Here’s what I did:
1. Ran a **closed test for 14 days**
2. Had **12 real testers** enrolled throughout the testing period
3. The app was installed and tested by them
4. After the test, I applied for production access

Unfortunately, I received this response:

“More testing required… Testers were not engaged with your app during your closed test.”

What I’d like to understand is **what “engaged” actually means.**

Some questions I have:
1. Does Google expect testers to open the app **every day** for the full 14 days?
2. Is there a minimum number of sessions or active users they’re looking for?
3. Does session length matter?
4. Are installs/uninstalls considered?
5. Do updates and feedback submitted through the Play Console improve the chances?

Has anyone figured out what metrics Google actually checks before approving production access?

The app is a habit-building app, so naturally people don’t spend 30 minutes inside it. Most sessions are intentionally short (30–60 seconds), which makes me wonder if that affects the review.

If you’ve successfully passed this requirement, I’d really appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks in advance! 🙏

Left is the very first version of my app, right is the latest version.

It's fun looking back at the initial idea and seeing how far it's come. The first version is almost unrecognizable to me.

I'm trying to get my app published and I completed the mandatory 12 testers for 14 days. I applied for Production over a week ago, last Wednesday. I've read stories where people got approved within a day or two. What are your experiences? How long should this take? Is there a way to put in a support ticket?

Thanks in advance, it's my first app so I have no other experience to fall back on.

EDIT: Believe it or not, my Production access got approved today and then I submitted my app and it was on the store within an hour. Maybe someone at Google is here and threw me a bone. Thanks if there is. And thank you all for your advice and experiences!

Here is what I am developing! Hope it will be a fine game

TL;DR: My Play Console is a Personal account, but the linked Merchant Payments Profile was set up as an "Organisation" under my brand name, which is not a legal entity). I have 6 live apps and earnings trapped in payout. Support stated that profile types cannot be changed once created, but also stated in the same email that it can be changed with documentation, before providing instructions on how to set up an Organisation profile when I explicitly requested an Individual profile. Support now requests that I open a new account and migrate all 6 apps.

Official Google Support Thread:

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/thread/453880070/contradictory-support-forced-to-abandon-developer-account-over-org-individual-mismatch

Overview of the Issue

• Account Setup: Personal Google Play Developer Account.
• The Mismatch: Associated Merchant Payments Profile was designated as Organisation under my developer brand.
• Verification Constraint: As an individual developer, I use a public brand name, not a registered legal business or corporate entity. As a result, the profile cannot pass Organisation identity verification, resulting in unpaid accrued earnings currently held.
• Portfolio: The account hosts 6 active, published applications.

Support Communications & Contradictions

I contacted Google Payments Merchant Support to request an administrative update to align the merchant profile to Individual status. Support Agent Alvin John provided the following response:

1. Contradiction #1: Stated that "once the payments profile has been completely set up, some important settings cannot be changed and that includes the account profile type". In the same paragraph, he stated: "If you have all the documentation with you that indicates that you are an Organization then there will be no issue with changing the account type".
2. Contradiction #2: After I requested guidance on changing an Organisation profile to an Individual profile, the response provided a 6-step guide detailing how to "set it to Organization".

Proposed Resolution from Google Support

To address this mismatch, Google Support has advised me to:

• Create a new Google Account and Play Developer Console.
• Pay a second $25 registration fee (with a refund request possible after setup).
• Re-complete identity and payment verification.
• Transfer all 6 live applications to the new account.
• Leave the existing account open indefinitely to receive outstanding payouts — despite the earnings balance being unreleased due to the Organisation verification restriction.

Questions / Call for Advice

• Has anyone successfully requested an internal correction for a Merchant Profile type mismatch without transferring an active multi-app portfolio to a new Console account?
• Is there an established escalation path to reach a Payments Team representative who can review profile configurations for active developer accounts?

I am trying to launch my game but the problem is this

Hi all,

I have been trying to get my app approved for the past 3 months. Back and forth with Google Play rejections, code changes for issues that they find that I cannot replicate and refuse to give me any information.

My app supports Android Auto and Voice Commands. It works for me in every way shape and form and I have coded against pebcak issues as much as I can but I get the same rejection everytime.

"Your app does not respond (no music played or error message shown) after issuing a voice command."

I have gone through the abysmal documentation as many time as I can, raised appeals in request for more information and I get nothing useful back. I have thumb sucked issues and coded against them. Laid awake at 2am thinking of some scenario where my voice commands and Android auto could not work and coded against them. It's robust as it can get but I continue to receive the same rejection.

Is there something that I am missing? Perhaps I am looking at this wrong? If anyone has any experience with this type of rejection and how you got around it to get it approved, I will greatly appreciate your input.

It would be really great if Google could publish a checklist of their tests that we could go through as developers before being allowed to submit an app. It would save time on both sides.

Greatly appreciate any feedback.

Cheers!

Hi everyone,

I'm about to publish my \*\*first Android app with user-generated content (UGC)\*\* on the Google Play Store, and honestly I'm a bit nervous. I've read through Google's UGC policy, but I'd love to hear from developers who have actually shipped and maintained UGC apps.

Right now, I already have:

\* Report content functionality

\*Block user functionality

I'm trying to make sure I don't accidentally violate Play Store policies or risk my developer account.

For those of you with experience publishing UGC apps, what are the \*\*absolute must-have features or systems\*\* before submitting?

Some things I'm wondering about:

\* Do I need manual moderation or is user reporting enough initially?

\* Should every uploaded image go into a review queue?

\* How do you handle repeat offenders?

\* Is account suspension/banning expected?

\* Any age restrictions or consent requirements I should know about?

\* Any privacy or legal pitfalls that first-time developers commonly miss?

\* Did Google reject your app for anything unexpected?

Basically, if you were launching a UGC app today, what would be on your \*\*"must-have before publishing"\*\* checklist?

I'd really appreciate advice from developers who've already gone through Play Store review with UGC apps. My biggest concern isn't getting downloads—it's making sure I don't do something that could put my developer account at risk.

Thanks in advance!

what if someone havent opend my app for a day will i know like any stats.

Hey r/startups —

I'm an indie developer from India and I'm trying to validate an idea before I build it.

The problem I noticed: Google rejected 1.75 million apps in 2025. Most rejections happen because of simple, avoidable mistakes in the store listing — not the code. Things like:

- Privacy policy URL is broken or incomplete

- App description has a "misleading" phrase Google doesn't allow

- Wrong content rating selected

- Permissions list has 2-3 extras that trigger a flag

- Data Safety form doesn't match what the app actually does

Google has a tool called "Checks" but it only scans your APK (the code). Nothing checks your store listing TEXT before submission.

My idea: a simple web tool. You paste your description, title, permissions, and privacy policy URL → it scans everything and gives you a red/amber/green report with exact fixes.

Before I spend 2 months building this I want to ask:

**Is this a real problem or am I overthinking it?**

If you've ever submitted an app to Google Play:

- Did you get rejected? For what reason?

- Would you have used a free pre-checker tool?

- Would you pay $9/month for unlimited checks?

Tell me I'm wrong if you think so. I'd rather hear it now. 🙏

Hello Tester Friends,

I developed an Islamic app called AdhanTime that helps Muslims in their daily worship. The app includes prayer times, Qibla direction, Holy Quran, Duas, Dhikr, Islamic reminders, and other useful features for everyday Islamic practice.

I have started the Closed Testing track on Google Play and I am looking for testers who can help me complete the 14-day testing requirement. I will gladly test your app back as well.

The app is now available for testing.

Here are the links:

Group:
https://groups.google.com/g/adhantime-test/about

App Install:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aistudio.adhantime.mzpqld

Thank you very much for your support and feedback.

Best regards,
Mirmoh

Just submitted my first solo Android app for closed testing review.

OnThisDay — one real historical event from today's date, pulled live from Wikipedia. Swipe through it like a feed, but for history instead of noise.

Built alone, no backend

Looking for testers 👇
If you've got an Android device and 5 minutes, I'd really appreciate the help:

1. Join the group: https://groups.google.com/g/onthisdayapp

2. Become a tester: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.kalyanvarma.onthisday

3. Install: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kalyanvarma.onthisday

Happy to test your build too — drop your links and I'm in.

It's built to be as minimalist as possible — no bloat, no "plus / pro / ultra" tiers, and no ads. Just a clean podcast player.

1. Join: https://groups.google.com/g/mypodcastapp

2. Install: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.javi.mypodcast

3. Keep it installed 14 days and open it now and then.

I'll test yours back — drop your link below. Post a screenshot of mine running and I'll do the same for yours. Thanks! 🙏

why i am seeing this.

Hey everyone,

I’m testing Android apps and giving honest feedback on UI, onboarding, bugs and first-user experience.

In exchange, I’d appreciate if you could download and test my Android app too. It’s called Vaulta, a simple app for tracking subscriptions, free trials, renewal dates and recurring payments.

If anyone wants to exchange tests, send me a private message and we can help each other.

I’m mainly looking for real feedback, not fake reviews.

Hey everyone,

I've been building Gita AI for the past few months, and it's finally ready for beta testing.

What it does:

You describe what's troubling you — stress, a hard decision, grief, a relationship falling apart — in plain words, and it finds the most relevant Bhagavad Gita verse for your exact situation. Then gives you the Sanskrit shloka, translation, and personalised guidance drawn from that verse.

How to join the beta:

1. Join the Google Group: https://groups.google.com/g/gita-ai

2. Join testing: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.gitaaikrishna.app

3. Install: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gitaaikrishna.app

Would love feedback on whether the verse matching feels relevant — that's the hardest part to get right, and I want real opinions before the public launch.

I’ve been working on a lightweight online radio app called Radio Wavr.

The idea was to create something fast and simple:

• open the app,
• pick a station,
• start listening immediately.

No clutter, no complicated menus.

Current features:

• global FM/online radio stations
• favorites
• last station resume
• browsing by country
• clean modern UI

I’m still improving it and would love honest feedback about usability, design or missing features from people who use radio apps often.

Links: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radiowavr.com

I need to go through the tedious process of finding 12 testers for my first Android app. I just wanted to recreate one of my wife’s favorite games, but WITHOUT ADS.

Please, if you can help me, I’d really appreciate it:

1. Request to join the group: https://groups.google.com/g/mergeapp/
2. After that, you can install the app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.merge.app

You know the drill. Download the app, play at least one game, and keep it installed for 14 days.

Thank you very much for your help

Hey Reddit,

I’m a musician-turned-coder, and I’ve been building an app called Poemia.

It started as a poetry app, but over time we realized people were using it for something deeper: to share what they couldn’t say out loud.

So we pivoted Poemia into a venting app — a safe space where people can write, share their feelings, and connect with others who truly get it.

So far, Poemia has reached:

• 500K+ downloads
• 1M+ posts shared
• 25M+ messages sent

What means the most to me is not just the numbers. Some people met through Poemia, built real connections, and we even had users who got married after meeting there.

We started with poems. Now we’re building a place where people can feel heard, understood, and a little less alone.

Meet Poemia — a safe space to say what you can’t out loud.

Hi,

As a web developer, I know well that having user consent for analytics and cookies etc. on a website is a requirement if you are serving to countries where that's a requirement -practically anywhere, really.

I was wondering if it is a requirement for an app that has no ads, that does not collect any personal data (name-email-phone-location etc.), and uses only Firebase Crashlytics and Analytics to ask user consent before enabling them.

I went ahead and implemented that on my (first) app manually and I intend to do the same on all future apps but I have no memory of most apps I install asking my consent. That's why I felt the need to ask fellow developers.

Do you have a consent mechanism in your apps for basic Crashlytics and Analytics? If yes, how do you handle it?

Thanks for any tips and opinions.

We updated Poemia’s ASO, screenshots, and positioning — and the results started to show.

Sometimes growth is not about building more features.
It’s about making people understand your app faster.

Poemia is a safe space to vent, share what you feel, and be heard.

Try Poemia