Google Play wants 12 testers for 14 days.
We organise them.
Until twelve testers stay opted in for fourteen straight days, Google will not let you publish — your finished app just sits there. Friends and family rarely go the distance. Paid testers with a reason to show up do.
Production access — locked
Production access — unlocked
The gate opens only when 12 testers stay engaged for the full 14 days. Illustrative example, not live data.
What Google actually requires
- Applies to personal developer accounts created after November 13, 2023.
- At least 12 testers must be opted in to your closed test.
- The closed test must run for 14 consecutive days before you can apply for production access.
- Google looks for signs of real engagement, not just installs.
Policy details change. Always check the Google Play Console Help for the current wording.
Why friends and family fail this test
We tried it ourselves with one of our own apps. Ten friends opted in. Most opened the app once, one gave feedback now and then, and after two weeks it went quiet. Nobody owes you 14 days of attention for free. The requirement quietly assumes something most indie devs do not have: a pool of people with a real reason to keep testing.
Why not just post the link in a Discord?
You can, and you will get installs. What you will not get is twelve people who stay for fourteen days. Drive-by testers uninstall by day three, Google sees the drop-off, and your 14-day clock starts over. The requirement is not "get installs", it is "sustain engagement" — the one thing a free post cannot promise.
What TesterPayKit does instead
Paid everyday testers
Students, retail and gastro workers, parents, retirees. They test because it pays, and they keep showing up because validated sessions are what gets them paid.
Evidence, not promises
With our optional recording tool (an "SDK") you see real sessions: screens visited, time spent, what was actually exercised. You know testing happened instead of hoping it did.
Bug reports built for the fix loop
Testers report what breaks with screenshots, context and reproduction steps. Pull them straight into Claude Code or Cursor through our SDK and MCP (the bridge to AI coding tools), so a found bug becomes a fixed bug instead of a "good luck".
TesterPayKit is in public beta. Tester capacity is limited and allocated in order of signup.
How it works
- 1 Create a free account and add your app as a project.
- 2 Share your closed-testing opt-in link and tell us what to focus on.
- 3 We match testers from our pool who install your app and use it across the 14 days.
- 4 Watch sessions arrive in your console, then apply for production access.
Pick an outcome, not a tester count
Placeholder pricingYou can buy 12 testers for 15 € almost anywhere. What you cannot buy there is proof they actually tested and bugs you can act on. That is what you pay for here.
Gate
Clear the gate
from €299
- 12+ real testers, opted in for the full 14 days
- Daily opted-in count, so you know you will pass
- Replacements matched from the pool when someone drops
Evidence
Know it really happened
from €499
- Everything in Basic
- Validated sessions: screens visited, time spent, what was exercised
- Screenshots plus a short, human-readable test report
Bug Hunt
Ship with a fix list
from €1,199
- Everything in Evidence
- Structured bug reports with repro steps and device data
- UX-friction notes and a launch-readiness checklist
- Pull bugs straight into AI coding tools like Claude Code or Cursor
Free during the public beta. These are the planned packages for after launch — indicative prices, finalised before anyone pays anything.
Frequent questions
Is this against Google’s rules?
No. Google wants real people genuinely using your app, and that is exactly what happens here. TesterPayKit is not an install farm: testers are paid for real usage time, sessions are validated, and click-farming patterns are filtered out.
Do I need the SDK for this?
No. For the closed-testing requirement your testers simply join via your opt-in link and use the app. The SDK is optional and adds session evidence and structured bug reports on top.
What if a tester drops out during the 14 days?
Drop-outs are normal, which is why a pool beats a friend list. We monitor your opted-in count and match replacements from the pool when someone leaves.
I want to earn money testing apps.
Great, that is the other half of the marketplace. Become a tester and get paid for validated sessions.
Stop begging friends. Get testers with a reason to show up.
Free during the beta. Your first project takes a few minutes to set up.