I recently created 3 watch faces that I would like to publish on the Google Play Store. Google now requires all new individual developer accounts to run a closed test for every watch face (20 testers x 14 days). I would really appreciate if anyone is willing to install my watch faces on their watches. Of course, I would love genuine feedback, but all that is required is you keep the watch face installed for 14 consecutive days. It doesn’t even have to be your active watch face. The closed testing is hosted by Google and I don’t collect any information whatsoever.
If you are willing/interested, please email me your preferred email address at wooden.nickel.development@gmail.com. I need your email address because Google only allows app access during the test to accounts that are specified. Once I get your email address, I will add it to the test and send you a promotional code that will give you the app for free.
There are a variety of YouTube videos and Google Support forum messages that include “helpful” advice, such as recruit family and friends or coworkers to be your testers, or create social media interest to help recruit testers.
Yeah, it’s been extremely frustrating. One element that makes it really hard is you have to convince people to give you their Gmail address before they can test. Since it’s almost a given that us individual developers will have to recruit strangers to test (I certainly don’t know 20 people with Wear OS devices), many people are reluctant to give their email address, especially online. It would probably be easier if we could just share a link publicly for interested people to join the test, but that’s not how Google’s closed tests work. The developer has to add the tester’s email address in Developer Console before the tester can access the app. I don’t know if Google understands the hurdle they have placed in front of new individual developers. I think it would have been much better for Google to apply this policy to known accounts with bad performance, rather than singling out new individual accounts with no track record. But, that’s out of my hands. As it stands, this policy has basically made me dead in the water, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Hello, I’m also facing the same issue. I’ve created a community on reddit for those of us who are on the same boat, we can test each others watchfaces because with every new watchface we’ll need the testers.
Hi, I find myself in the exact same position. I am a first time watchface developer. I have designed 8 watchfaces, but I am only trying to publish one at the moment (to learn the process). I find the whole process of setting up one watchface app on google play very frustrating and totally unintuitive. To crown it all I have just read that I need 20 testers. For an individual personal account developer I haven’t a clue how I would find will testers. To save my sanity I am seriously thinking of giving up now and just keeping my designs just for myself. But before I do that I would like to hear how you got on with your endeavours. Did you manage to get your testing done OK, and how. If you would rather answer privately I will send you my email address.
To be honest, I don’t think the current situation with Google is sustainable for new individual developers. I’m in this process several weeks now and I think I’ve been able to get 3 testers. Now imagine doing this for every watch face, every time. There was a reddit group started a few links above, perhaps that will streamline things. I have not heard a single success story yet, only people complaining about the hurdles (like me). If my watch faces currently in testing ever make it out of testing, those are likely to be the only ones I publish, unless something changes to make this testing process more attainable.
You said you have 8 watch faces. I recommend you get all 8 in testing together because you can rely on the same testers to help you out, at the same time. The testers don’t actually have to be using the watch faces, they just have to opt-in to testing. So find your 20 people and give them all 8 of your faces at once. Otherwise you are doing a lot of work and will then have to repeat it for the other faces.
Reading between the lines, I think you feel much the same as I do - deflated. I joined the Reddit group a couple of days ago but I have yet to hear back as to what I need to do. It will need to get to a reasonable size for it to be self-sustaining, and that may be a big ask, but I am ever hopeful and optimistic. But I agree with you, the situation with Google is not good, but I don’t see it changing. Didn’t Samsung once have theit own platform for downloading?
I agree, I don’t know that Google will ever reverse course. But I also think something has to give to make this more reasonable for new developers. I’m not sure about Samsung’s market place, I have a Pixel Watch. This does make 3rd party options, like Facer, a lot more attractive as a developer, but if I understand correctly it is extremely difficult to monetize in Facer.
To help further with this, I’ve created a Discord server to try and help bring us all together and speed up the process of testing WearOS watch faces/apps.
You can find the Discord server with this link: https://discord.gg/f3cqsAn6
You can use a web browser or download the Discord client as you wish.
Well at last . Well done @cambob . I know you can not post Email addresses here and ther is no DM . So you have solved the Puzzel . The Network should Build Quickly . Is there FB Page for Aspiring Publishers ?
I think Google is doing everything to prevent individual developers from publishing their watch faces - I just don’t understand why. Samsung accepted all watch faces (Tizen) for publication, checking them independently, and then the user decided to buy or not. Today’s AI capabilities allow checking such class of applications quickly and efficiently, but something needs to be done for this. Although I started publishing watch faces in March 2023 on Google - I raised my hands. I will wait for Google to cancel these spokes in the wheels.
