Closed Test Board is now open

"Closed Test Board for Android" is now open!
It's a board where developers gather testers for each other's Google Play closed tests.

In this note, I'll share why I made it and what you can do on the board.

It started with "12 testers for 14 days?"

It all began when I decided, "Okay, let's make an app!" and started looking into how to publish one.

On Google Play, if you have a personal developer account, you need to run a closed test before you can publish your app.
And the rules are:

• At least 12 testers must be opted in
• They need to stay opted in for 14 days

I wondered: how am I supposed to find 12 people and keep them for 14 days?

Everyone was looking in different places

When I looked into what other developers were doing, I found people looking for testers on LINE, X, Discord, paid boards, and more.
It seemed like each country had its own communities.

But when everything is scattered, people recruiting have to post in lots of places, and people who want to help have a hard time finding posts.
On a fast-moving timeline, recruitment posts get buried quickly, too.

That seemed like a lot of work.

So, one place for everyone

So I thought: if everyone gathered in one place to post and join each other's tests, people could find testers much faster.

And unlike a regular social network, a board made just for closed tests can have features made for closed tests.

That's why I built "Closed Test Board for Android."

What you can do on the board

Post and join

Post your app's name, description, and opt-in links to start recruiting.
To help, just press "Join." A bar shows how many testers have joined, and once 12 are in, you'll see how many days are left in the test.

Easy to browse

Search by app name, or filter by apps or games, category, and language.
Sort by "Fewest testers needed" to help the posts that are almost full.

Test each other's apps

If someone joined your test, their posts get a "Your tester" badge.
It's easy to see who you can return the favor to.

Reminders to keep testing

If someone leaves during the 14 days, you may fall below 12 testers.
When you recruit, you can choose to send testers reminders to keep testing.

Send promo codes

For paid apps or apps with in-app purchases, you can send promo codes to the people who join.

The Lounge

Apart from recruiting, there's a "Lounge" where developers can chat freely.
Feel free to share tips about app review or ask about anything you're stuck on.

Japanese and English

The board works in both Japanese and English, so you can test apps with developers from other countries too.

We're just getting started

Since the board just opened, there won't be many people at first.
If you try it and like it, I'd be really happy if you'd tell other developers about it.

The more people join, the easier it gets for everyone to find testers.