How to join and leave the app beta program on the Google Play Store
For those developingthe latest and greatest apps on the Play Store, open beta programs and events can boost their following and popularity. Letting everyone see what’s under the hood before the official release can be handy for generating hype, ironing out egregious bugs, and receiving useful criticism while the app is being made. Open betas are practiced by both indie-devs and larger AAA publishers, and you could enroll in them through the Play Store. Read on and take part in some great betas onyour favorite Android gaming phone.
Beta software can be unstable. Bugs can range from minor glitches to outright crashes. Stuff breaks. That’s the purpose of a beta program. Only follow the steps in this guide if you don’t mind running potentially unstable software on your phone.
How to enroll in an app beta
If you’re ready to live on the edge, here’s how to enroll in an app beta.
After you’ve signed up, enrolling in the app’s beta begins. Within the next few minutes, you’ll get an update for that app. That’s your beta version. Not every app has a beta program available. If you don’t see this section on the Play Store page, the developer might not support it.
It says the program is full. What do I do?
Some apps, like WhatsApp, might tell you that their beta is full and won’t allow you to enroll through Google Play. At this point, you still have a few options.
How to leave an app beta
If you decide the beta life isn’t for you, here’s how you’re able to switch back to the stable version.
In some apps, you’ll see a warning alerting you that the beta has limited capacity and that you might not be able to rejoin if you leave. If you want to rejoin, follow the steps above to avoid dealing with a full beta program. You’ll have to uninstall and reinstall the app to revert to the stable version, as it won’t arrive as an app update.
Beta testers are a valuable asset
Any beta you enroll in is not representative of the finished product. Or it shouldn’t be, at least. You’ll have to prepare yourself for experiences that aren’t as polished as you might expect, especially if it’s from a big publisher. But that is what beta testers are for. They show the developers what players will see before the official release. So don’t be shy, get involved!
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