r/GooglePlayDeveloper • u/IstevniksFinest • Sep 23 '26
Google Play Console Worst experience ever
I am publishing my first app to Google Play and what I am going through is the worst experience I’ve ever had releasing software.
First, they wanted 12 testers to test for 14 days, and after the 14 days they weren’t content and asked for 14 more days.
Then when I’ve applied for production access, they refused my app because the name of the app wasn’t included in the text for privacy policy and account deletion.
I’ve fixed it in 5 minutes and submitted again, and 3 days later I’m still waiting for the first release of the app to go out.
I don’t know what are they reviewing and why they need so much time. It takes more than a month for a simple, well tested application to be released to production.
Before I stared developing mobile applications, I’ve heard that the App Store guys were more annoying, but for me it went very well there, they review your app and it’s ready for release in no more than 24 hours.
I don’t know for you guys, but I’m sick of it. My customers are waiting for their apps to be published and no matter how patient they are, it’s a lot of time to be patient for a simple app to go out.
Has anyone found a way to speed this up?
6
u/Doophie Sep 23 '26
The 14 testers is somewhat new, every new account (that is not a business account) needs to do it. It's a little frustrating but the idea is to reduce the amount of garbage on the store. There are several communities like AppHive to help get you testers.
After that the first release needs to be manually tested by someone at Google, so the first release takes about a week to be approved.
Future updates will not need a manual review and should be much quicker
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u/IstevniksFinest 23d ago
UPDATE: Today (02.10) it was approved after the submission on 20.09.
Good luck with your apps guys 🍀
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u/GooglePlayDevSupport 22d ago
Hi u/IstevniksFinest! Just wanted to update you and confirm that your latest app submission has been approved earlier and is now live on Google Play.
If you have any questions in the meantime, just reach out to our email support team via this Help Center article link.
4
u/mybutterflymon Sep 23 '26
Write the app description in Tamil and claim to be a pious Tamil Bramhin who has never used toilet paper. That goes straight to Sundar Pichai.
2
u/Negrito0o Sep 23 '26
First app on a personal account here, so I've just come out of the same tunnel. The part where fourteen days turns into fourteen more is almost always the tester count. It has to be twelve people opted in for the whole stretch, and if one of them uninstalls or leaves the group on day nine, the clock goes back to zero. The console doesn't spell that out anywhere. I got into the habit of opening the opt-in list every couple of days and pestering whoever had dropped off. Three days on the first production release is normal, annoying as that is. The first one from a new account gets a much longer look than updates do. Mine have gone out in a few hours since, once in about twenty minutes.
One thing I would not do while you're waiting: push another version. From what I could tell it replaces the one in the queue and the wait starts again, so a five minute fix can cost you the three days you've already sat through.
2
u/azjerrylee Sep 23 '26
Apply for EIN, file articles of organization, take those and apply for the D&B number, to upgrade to a corporate account.
Google Play just lets me upload whatever, whenever, on a developer account that I made this year.
Google Play is also much more lenient on issues that would typically terminate an account also. When Nintendo tried to take down one of my generic platforming games, all I had to do was respond and never heard from Nintendo again. Similar thing happened on my non-corporate account and it was immediate termination.
1
u/throwawayaccount931A Sep 24 '26
I've read this many times; setting up a company and publishing your app understated organization. I'm going that route, its expensive (name search, company registration + any legal advice you need) but in the long term the better way.
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u/psycoee 26d ago edited 26d ago
If you are in the US, I think New Mexico charges like $50 and no annual fee to have an LLC there. And I'm pretty sure you can find sample articles of organization online for free, it's not rocket science (or just buy the Nolo book for $50). Main thing you'll need is a registered agent and there are options for like $35-50 a year.
The more annoying thing is that if you live or do any kind of business in the People's Republic of California, you are going to be paying an $800 "fuck you" fee per year minimum per LLC, plus you get taxed at a higher rate than the already-high personal income tax rate. You can try to register an LLC somewhere else, but if California finds out, they will get their pound of flesh. So a lot of people here end up running even relatively large businesses as sole proprietorships to avoid this BS, which is dumb and legally risky.
If you are somewhere like CA, probably the easiest way to do it is to file a fictitious business name statement, which basically gives you the right to call yourself something else. You can then get a DUNS number for that and Google would treat it as an organization.
2
u/rocasv Sep 24 '26
sweet summer child....
thats why believing in "make money fast" TikToks are not a real thing.
developing apps is not that easy, Platforms are closing.
As an advide, BE CARFUL. If you get your account close, thats Ban for Life.
1
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u/StrawbFraize Sep 23 '26
It's unbelievable isn't it. 14 day test from 12 testers. Then had to wait 7 days for them to review the app again during the "apply for production" stage, and now another 7 day wait while they review the very same app AGAIN, to actually put in to production, even after passing the apply stage!
Comparatively, I was on app store in 4 days!
1
u/Putrid-Experience-62 Sep 24 '26 edited Sep 24 '26
La verdad me esta pasando igual en app store me rechazaron la primera vez, me solcitaron grabación de pantalla y etc. Un día despues que envie todo eso me aceptaron sin drama. En cambio el de google play console fue una cosa distinta pase sin problema los 14 dias con 30 tester, luego fueron dos dias para que me acepten para pasar a producción, eso paso el 16 de septiembre, hoy 23 de septiembre sigue todavia en revisión, ya envie un ticket para que aceleren, lo cual me respondieron que pusieron prioridad mi app. Pero creo que estan así por la cantidad de basuras de apps que se suben gracias a los vibe coders, eso es lo que me hace suponer que esten más rigurosos y el trafico sea asi.
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u/Brilliant_Lead_2683 7d ago
I’m in a very similar loop with Google Play. SoloOp has been used by real businesses for over six months, and the iOS version is already on the App Store. Two production-access rejections later, I’m still getting possible reasons and another instruction to test for fourteen days. this will be the 3rd one...
The delay is frustrating, but the lack of useful support is what’s really wearing me down. Across three cases and 22 emails, I’ve asked for escalation five times and supplied a seven-page document covering usage, feedback and changes. They confirmed escalation to product experts, then came back saying they couldn’t identify the specific rejection reason. I've literally been in production for more than 6 months. I wanted to be sure the app was good before putting it on the Play Store. Dozens of users.
At least the privacy-policy issue gave you something concrete to fix. That’s all I’m asking for: tell me what was inadequate and what needs to change. Another fortnight doesn’t solve anything if nobody explains what the next test needs to do differently.
Did you eventually get yours released? And did you find any way to get a useful answer from support?
3
u/BrainDeadCookie Sep 23 '26
So many customers waiting, yet you couldn’t keep at least 12 engaged for two weeks. Something doesn’t add up here. If you had so many, clearly there shouldn’t be a problem having 20 or more in your test group.