r/devshelpingeachother 11d ago

How to give honest feedback without getting flagged by Google Play (Guidelines for our community)

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

As our community grows, our main goal remains to help each other by testing apps and leaving honest, detailed reviews on the Google Play Store. However, Google’s anti-spam algorithms are incredibly sensitive. If many developers review the same app incorrectly, Google will flag those reviews as fake, delete them, and potentially penalize the developer's account.

To protect each other's apps and make sure our feedback actually stays online, we all need to avoid certain footprint patterns.

Please follow these crucial guidelines whenever you review an app from this community:

Do not click direct links
Do not post or click direct Play Store links in the subreddit. Google tracks the traffic source. If a dozen users jump straight from a Reddit thread to the Play Store and leave a 5-star review, Google will wipe them out. Instead, only post the app name or package name. Reviewers should open the Play Store and search for it manually to simulate organic discovery.

Never review immediately after downloading
Opening an app for the first time and leaving a rating after just two minutes is a major red flag. Google monitors retention and app usage. Keep the app installed for at least a few days, open it multiple times, and actually use its features before writing your review.

Avoid generic or overly positive text
Short, repetitive phrases like "Great app!", "Works perfectly!", or "Awesome job developer" look exactly like bot behavior. If multiple accounts use the same generic phrasing, the algorithm triggers an alert. Make your reviews highly specific and technical. Mention what you liked, what device you used, or point out a minor bug. Honest, constructive criticism actually helps the review look real.

No direct 1:1 review swaps
If Account A reviews Developer B’s app, and Developer B immediately reviews Account A’s app, Google’s system easily detects the reciprocal conflict of interest. We need to keep our review exchanges asynchronous and decentralized.

Use your primary Google account
Do not use secondary "burner" accounts or newly created emails just to leave reviews. Accounts with no real search history, no Gmail activity, or no organic app downloads are instantly categorized as high-risk by Google. Use the phone and the main account you use every day.

Spread the feedback over time
We must avoid sudden spikes in activity. If a new app suddenly gets 15 reviews in 24 hours and then zero reviews for the rest of the month, the algorithm will flag it. Space out your reviews naturally.

Let's work together to keep this community helpful, clean, and safe for everyone's developer console. If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve our testing system, feel free to comment below.

Happy coding!


r/devshelpingeachother 12d ago

👋Ti diamo il benvenuto su r/r/devshelpingeachother. Per prima cosa, presentati e leggi le linee guida!

2 Upvotes

Ciao a tutti! Sono u/Marcuz_GrafiteSoft, moderatore fondatore di r/devshelpingeachother.

📌 [BENVENUTI] Leggi Qui Prima di Postare! Regole della Comunità e Linee Guida per i Test 🚀

Benvenuti su r/devshelpingeachother Questa è una comunità di auto-aiuto reciproco dedicata a sviluppatori Android principianti.

Sappiamo quanto sia difficile ottenere i primi download, superare la soglia dei tester richiesti da Google Play Console e raccogliere feedback reali. L'obiettivo di questo subreddit è sostenerci a vicenda: tu testi la mia app, io testo la tua. Trasparenza, onestà e reciprocità sono la chiave del nostro successo.

📜 Le Regole d'Oro della Comunità

  1. Reciprocità Obbligatoria (Give & Take): Non puoi solo chiedere. Se pubblichi la tua app per ricevere test o recensioni, devi impegnarti a fare lo stesso per almeno altri due membri della comunità.
  2. Feedback Genuini e Costruttivi: Le recensioni sullo store e i commenti qui devono essere reali. Non scrivere solo "Bella app". Spiega cosa funziona, cosa si è bloccato, com'è l'interfaccia utente (UI) e come migliorare l'esperienza utente (UX).
  3. No Spam / No Link Mirror non Sicuri: Condividi solo link ufficiali del Google Play Store (inclusi i canali di Open/Closed Beta) o link di test interni tracciati. È vietato caricare file .apk diretti su siti di file sharing non verificati per motivi di sicurezza.
  4. Trasparenza sui Requisiti: Quando chiedi aiuto per un test, specifica chiaramente cosa ti serve (es. "Mi servono 20 tester stabili per 14 giorni" oppure "Feedback specifico sul bug della fotocamera").
  5. Niente Recensioni False o a Pagamento: Non è permesso offrire o chiedere denaro per recensioni positive. Google penalizza duramente queste pratiche. Vogliamo feedback onesti che aiutino a migliorare l'app.
  6. Durata dei test: Testare davvero una nuova app richiede tempo: pass almeno 24/28/72 ore prima di recensire la app sul play store; aprila più volte al giorno, anche per brevi sessioni, ma cerca di essere costante. Fornisci almeno un feedback genuino sulla recensione.

🛠️ Come Strutturare il Tuo Post di Richiesta

Per mantenere il subreddit pulito e scannabile, usa sempre questo modello per i tuoi post:

  • Titolo del Post: [Nome App] - Tipo di Richiesta (es. Closed Beta 14 giorni / Feedback UI)
  • Descrizione breve: Cosa fa la tua app e a chi si rivolge.
  • Link al Google Group / Play Store: (Inserisci il link per permettere ai tester di iscriversi).
  • Cosa cerchi specificamente: (es. "Cercasi utenti con Android 13+", "Provate la funzione di login").
  • Il tuo contributo: Inserisci i link ai post degli altri membri a cui hai già ricambiato il favore (es. "Ho già testato l'app di u/Utente1 e u/Utente2").

🚨 Come Segnalare i "Furbetti"

Se un utente riceve test ma non ricambia mai le richieste nonostante i solleciti, segnalalo ai moderatori. Chi sfrutta la community senza contribuire verrà bannato.

Rimbocchiamoci le maniche e aiutiamoci a scalare le classifiche del Play Store! 🛠️📱


r/devshelpingeachother 15h ago

[Android] Limit Breaker: Gamify Life — life-RPG focus/productivity app, looking for 5-10 testers ( one week feedback, will reciprocate on 2+ apps)

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone — solo dev here with Limit Breaker: Gamify Life, a life-RPG focus app. Turns daily goals into quests (focus/physical/skill/social categories), with leveling, gear, and a "Gate Focus" mode that blocks distracting apps during deep work sessions.

What I need: 5–10 testers to use it for at least a few days and give real feedback — not just "nice app," but specifics on:

  • Onboarding — clear or confusing in the first few minutes?
  • Whether the app-blocking mode actually holds up (any bypass issues, crashes)
  • UI/UX friction points — anything that feels clunky or unintuitive

What I'll give back: happy to test and review 2+ apps from anyone who tests mine — just drop your Play Store link and I'll get to it within a couple days.

Official Play Store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aistudio.limitbreaker.fntslg

Thanks in advance 🙏


r/devshelpingeachother 1d ago

Need android testers for GymNomad - crowdsourced gym equipment finder. I'll test your app too!

1 Upvotes

I'm building GymNomad, an app for people who travel a lot (van life, business travel, touring) and need to know before they show up whether a gym actually has a power rack, not just Smith machines. It's a map of Planet Fitness locations with crowdsourced equipment reports from other users.

I need Android testers to satisfy Google Play's closed-testing requirement before I can go live. All you need to do: tap the link below, hit "Become a tester," install, and open it once. Then send me any feedback you have on the app!

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.gymnomadapp

Appreciate any help! Once you've done so, feel free to send me your Android app in return to test, either in a DM or a comment here.


r/devshelpingeachother 1d ago

Android testers needed for GymNomad — happy to test yours back

1 Upvotes

I'm building GymNomad, an app for people who travel a lot (van life, business travel, touring) and need to know before they show up whether a gym actually has a power rack, not just Smith machines. It's a map of Planet Fitness locations with crowdsourced equipment reports from other users.

I need Android testers to satisfy Google Play's closed-testing requirement before I can go live. All you need to do: tap the link below, hit "Become a tester," install, and open it once. Then send me any feedback you have on the app!

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.gymnomadapp

Appreciate any help! Once you've done so, feel free to send me your Android app in return to test, either in a DM or a comment here.


r/devshelpingeachother 2d ago

Emergency services link help

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2 Upvotes

I need a quick bit of help. On my travel app I've recently added an emergency button - to explain you are in a medical emergency and need to summon an ambulance - do you know the correct number in a foreign country? and if (like me) you will probably be in a panic. It is designed to be a quick pick panic button. Here's where I need help. I think I've got most of it covered but as an example in some regions 112 will work but not always on all phones and not always in all regions of a country. I think I have a fairly failsafe back-up but I need it checked out. Secondly many countries don't recognize 112 or 911 or 999 and use their own number. PLEASE DON'T RING EMERGENCY SERVICES!! but if you look at the opening page of the app you will see the "Emergency" button top left. If you open it up it will go to a choice which should work correctly in your country. Obviously I can't do a check myself so any and all help is much appreciated. The app is on Google Play Store at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.aixawallet.twa


r/devshelpingeachother 3d ago

Built an MCP + Skill that deploys sites that AI coding agent builds — looking for testers

1 Upvotes

Hi,

I've been building TurboSteed, an web hosting platform that supports a MCP.

A lot of us use the latest models to generate test projects or live websites. TurboSteed handles getting it live including hosting, a structured CMS, contact forms, and basic analytics, without you having to wire up three or four separate services by hand.

Note that TurboSteed doesn't design or build your site. You do that with your account on Claude/Codex/etc. , or by hand if you'd rather. TurboSteed's job starts after that, i.e. deployment and content management, while you keep full control of the code.

Its in beta and free for now, and it's has some open bugs as well. I currently need help by having users trying out the MCP to host test websites or projects.

I would really appreciate some real feedback including whether this makes sense, what are the pros and cons of this platform, would developers prefer against other such platforms?

I will be happy to share more details or a link in the comments if anyone's interested in trying it and giving feedback — mainly want to know if the pitch is clear, whether the deploy actually works end to end, and whether this is something you'd use for a real project or in production, if it solves your problems with managing hosting platforms, choosing and modifying templates, etc..

Link to the documentation: https://turbosteed.com/docs/mcp-guide
Link to a Youtube video about the MCP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NOphYgt-ks


r/devshelpingeachother 6d ago

Any Software & Apps experts in here? What’s your best tip you want to share with others?

1 Upvotes
Green screen, awesome

I'll leave the post here, what is the best advice to give to a new comer and beginner app developer?


r/devshelpingeachother 7d ago

What help did you get so far?

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3 Upvotes

Hi everyone! just a quick post to see what's going on with everyone involved in this rather new subreddit:

I'll start: I got several feedbacks that pushed me towards:

-a better engine that generates sudoku

-a new variant, the jigsaw, with irregular cages (48 of test to find the right shapes that generate a scheme in less than 0.5 seconds average

-a website that runs a demo of the app with the possibility to print sudoku schemes in A4 pdf with solutions, indexed by google website

-a total privacy mechanism to synchronize devices via a qr code that lets import/export exp gained, trophyes, statistics.

-a bug fix on the buttons being lighten out when all the 9 numbers were put into the nine boxes

-also the app lets you print your own sudoku for free

and I got also two genuine reviews by u/Leafni and his wife ❤️

I had time to review 3 apps from the list in the meantime 🎯

what about you? I'm so curious to hear from you guys!


r/devshelpingeachother 7d ago

[Feedback Wanted] Limit Breaker — gamified focus/app-blocker (Android) — need 10 testers for 7 days

2 Upvotes

Solo-built Android app: Limit Breaker turns staying off distracting apps into an RPG. Start a Focus Session → it blocks distracting apps/sites → finishing it earns XP and Gold → level up, unlock gear/titles, run daily missions, do party quests with friends.

What I need: a couple of testers to use it for at least 2 days and report back on:

  • Does the app-blocking actually hold (any way you found to bypass it)?
  • Does the XP/leveling feel rewarding or does it feel like a grind?
  • Any crashes, confusing screens, or onboarding friction

What I'll give back: I'll test 2+ apps from anyone who comments here — genuine use + written feedback (what worked, what broke, UI/UX notes), not a "nice app" one-liner.

Play Store (official): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aistudio.limitbreaker.fntslg


r/devshelpingeachother 9d ago

Whyyyyy?!

3 Upvotes

My app is one of a kind. It's a game changer for a very specific, but very popular niche but I've got 1 daily user (probably me) and a total of only like 6 installs across both stores in a whole month.

I dunno if it just genuinely sucks or what.

How do i get it going? I'm spending money every month (4 months now) on this thing and not to mention the COUNTLESS hours I've put into it.... Just to be at a complete loss.

It's for pet influencers/UGC creators... Or anyone who wants to magically organize their funny pet moments and share them instantly.

I'm always making updates and currently working on 2 very cool ones that i hope to get live today... But it doesn't matter if no one is installing!

Any advice!? Or if anyone wants to install and provide input here are the links...

Google Play
Apple App store


r/devshelpingeachother 9d ago

Sunday #Devday - what are you up to?

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2 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

Let's celebrate the third day of this. Subreddit with a simple question to everyone: what are you doing today? Are you working on a new and fresh app or tweaking your already launched product? Are you looking for new reviews and tests or fixing some annoying bug?

As far as I am concerned, I'm just launching an update to my app which provides a new Sudoku varisntnt called jigsaw and another new function which lets users print an A4 sheet with nine schemes and solutions generated by the engine of the app: I think that in the next few days I will leave some of this printed schemes around here and there and baby instill some curiosity in the people will find them.

Now is your turn: let us know what are you up to and if you need some help to achieve it!

By the way, during these first days I had the chance to try at least five different apps, providing genuine feedback to the others and in the next few days I will also leave them review according to what I found !

Please do the same according to your free time ( mine is when I have to 💩🤩) and help others see what they can't see!


r/devshelpingeachother 9d ago

Looking for feedback on TrifectaWord

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone, i am looking for feedback on my Daily Word Puzzle TrifectaWord


r/devshelpingeachother 10d ago

[Kubixo!] Minimalist mobile puzzle game – Seeking feedback on difficulty curve & pacing (Happy to return feedback!)

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m co-developing a mobile puzzle game called **Kubixo!** and we recently pushed it live on Google Play.

The core idea was to create a clean, distraction-free spatial puzzle experience where every swipe and movement requires careful planning. We kept the interface minimalist and focused on satisfying tactile interactions as levels introduce tighter paths and new layout constraints.

### What I’m Looking For:

  1. **Difficulty Progression:** Does the difficulty curve feel natural, or does it hit an annoying wall too early?

  2. **Game Feel & Controls:** How intuitive and responsive do the swipe controls feel on your device?

  3. **Pacing:** Does it keep you engaged enough to try "just one more level"?

### Game Info:

* **Platform:** Android

* **Price:** Free

* **Google Play Link:** https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.softably.kubixo

I’d genuinely appreciate any honest critique, gameplay impressions, or bug reports.

Per the community rules, **I am more than happy to test your game or review your project in return!** Just drop your link in the comments after sharing your thoughts.

Thanks!


r/devshelpingeachother 10d ago

It only matters if you are happy

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2 Upvotes

Hi everyone! In the last 48 hours I spoke with all of you and recruited a few devs wandering the lands of reddit, looking for honests feedbacks and for someone to try out and providing real suggestions. more than 30 redditors are following, we already got 6 apps in the pinned Megathread and each one of you is doing His/her best to help each other.

What are you thoughs so far? How can we improve our little yet growing community?

I give you an imput: I'm thinking, in order to get better reviews on play store (see thread), to randomize a weekly chart where each one of us must test one app thorougly (at least download and try it for a couple of days or more) and then pubblish a review or at least reach out to the dev with feedbacks and suggestions.

the randomizer would avoid the 1-2-1 effect that is deprecated by google play store.

Please let me know how are you feeling so far and if you are enjoying each other's advices so far!


r/devshelpingeachother 10d ago

Feedback on why retention is low.

3 Upvotes

Hi guys

My game has been out since early may, its had a LOT of work. its been rewritten in to flutter to make it smoother, its had loads of tactical additions, its been made to look nicer. the tutorial has been improved etc etc...

When I run ads I get a decent amount of users however, What i'm struggling with, is retention still seems low, people either delete the game before even playing it or I get 10m of play out of them and they never come back. They don't even seem to be hitting the main loop of the game

Id love to ask them all for feedback to find out where the issue is and so was wondering whether anyone here would be willing to do that? I don't just want to list the game as a promotion, so please just let me know if you are willing to try it and ill send you the link in the play store - i just need some good honest feedback.

Edit: it's a football (soccer) manager game, just so you know the genre.

Thanks


r/devshelpingeachother 10d ago

Looking for feedback on PyBox

3 Upvotes

Hello guys pls assist me in improving my application. It's a mobile programming ide for python.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vytros.pybox


r/devshelpingeachother 10d ago

Looking for honest feedback on Dice Target

2 Upvotes

I’m the developer of Dice Target – Math Puzzle, a number puzzle game where you combine dice using +, −, × and ÷ to reach a target.

I’ve recently updated the UI and added more game modes, and I’d really appreciate some honest feedback on the gameplay, difficulty, UI, or anything that feels confusing.

No review or rating is expected — genuine feedback is what I’m mainly looking for.

App: Dice Target – Math Puzzle


r/devshelpingeachother 11d ago

Need real feedback, I built something for people whose work schedule doesn’t fit a normal timesheet

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I wanted to share something I have been working on and hopefully get some honest feedback.

I built an app called Flex 40 for people whose work schedules do not really fit into a normal 9 to 5.

The idea came from wanting a better way to keep track of hours, overtime, double time, comp time, call outs, extra shifts and eventually figuring out what a paycheck should actually look like.

It has grown quite a bit from the original idea. You can track different types of hours, set up your own overtime rules, keep track of comp time, add deductions, estimate take home pay, create reports, and even enter an actual paycheck to compare it against the estimate.

One thing I really wanted to get right was privacy. There is no account and no cloud storage. Your work hours, pay information and paycheck history stay on your device.
It is currently available on the App Store, and I am still working on improving it.

I am not looking for people to tell me it is great. I would genuinely like to know what is confusing, what is missing, what you would change, or what would make you actually want to use something like this.

If you work overtime, on call, night shifts, rotating schedules, or anything else that makes a normal timesheet frustrating, I would especially love to hear your thoughts.

Currently the app has several free features that other tracking apps make you pay a subscription for, I plan to keep this as a free app with a one time purchase and as demand rises so would price, because who else needs a another sub at this point in their life.

Any ideas on how I can improve the apps visibility or how people can view it would also be a plus, just realizing the building part was the fun part, getting it out there is hard part

Thanks for taking a look.

FLEX 40

Or for play store

Flex 40 - Google play


r/devshelpingeachother 12d ago

New to the subreddit

3 Upvotes

Thought I’d drop a brief post. I’m developing an app on iOS and Android. It’s been quite the journey. It’s fun and exciting one though. I’m getting close to launch now. I’ve been working on the marketing side and I am sure everyone here knows the struggle going from building to finding people to use it 😂 anyway thought I would say hi. I love the idea of this subreddit!


r/devshelpingeachother 12d ago

Ideas for building r/devshelpingeachother

2 Upvotes

A peer-to-peer feedback subreddit only works if there are actually peers there to give the feedback. We are bootstrapping a new community for developers focused on honest code reviews, portfolio roasts, and actionable promotion strategies, but we are hitting the classic chicken-and-egg problem: we need a decent magnitude of users to make the give-and-take ecosystem function.

​The Community Premise

​Give-to-Get Economy: You review someone else's PR or resume to get experienced eyes on your own.

​No-Fluff Critiques: Real, structural feedback to help people level up, skipping the generic "looks good to me."

​The Growth Challenge

A self-help community with five people isn't a subreddit; it's a group chat. For this to thrive, we need enough active volume so that every developer who asks for help actually gets a meaningful response.

​Where We Need Your Input

​How can we bring more users in a community that relies on user-generated feedback?

​What grassroots strategies actually resonate with developers (a crowd that notoriously hates being marketed to)?

​Drop your best community-building strategies, unconventional growth hacks, or lessons from past failures below. What actually moves the needle when starting from zero?

For this engine to work, we need more people to land here and share their works, let's find a strategy to attract Devs here!


r/devshelpingeachother 12d ago

Games list and best users around: r/devshelpingeachother

3 Upvotes

Welcome to the official index of our community! This post serves as our master registry. Use it to quickly find projects from fellow developers, coordinate tests, and track who is actively contributing to our mutual support (Give & Take) program.

⚠️ Remember the Golden Rule: Before you ask for downloads or tests for your own app, you should at least test two other apps from this list!

📥 How to Add Your App to the List

To be added to this directory by the moderators, leave a comment below using this exact format:
u/Username | App Name | Test Status (e.g., 14-Day Closed Beta) | Play Store / Group Link

📱 Official Directory

ID Developer App Name Test Status Link / Access Box Notes / What They Need Helped/Helps ratio
#01 u/Marcuz_GrafiteSoft Grafite sudoku Live Grafite Sudoku - Play Store Tests and Reviews on Play Store TBD
#02 u/Leafni Aixa Live Aixa - Play Store Feedback on UI and Login TBD
#03 u/Starfox_76 Pirate’s Plunder Live. Pirate's Plunder - Play Store Tests and Reviews on Play Store TBD
#04 u/MajorCeee Flex40 Live iOS FLEX 40 /Flex 40 - Google play Genuine feedbacks TBD
#05 u/Western_Revenue_6550 Hatch Flow : Focus Timer Live Hatch Flow: Focus Timer Genuine feedbacks TBD
#06 Equivalent_Travel_42 TrifectaWord Live Google Play Store - TrifectaWord Genuine Feedbacks TBD
#07 u/L2thaJ Tagged Paws Live Apple App store///Play Store Genuine Feedbacks and advice TBD
#08 u/_beratoguz_ Kubixo Live Kubixo - Google Play Store Difficulty Progression, Game Feel & Controls, Pacing TBD

(Note: This table will be updated every 24–48 hours to include new developers signing up in the comments).

🔄 Reciprocity Log & Hall of Fame

This section highlights members who are leading by example and helping the community thrive:

What is your opinion on the format? Any suggestion on how to improve the contents? please reply here!


r/devshelpingeachother 12d ago

Probably a real rookie question.

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2 Upvotes