I hit Google Play closed testing the hard way: I thought “twelve friends with the APK” was enough. Play Console disagreed. If your personal developer account was created after November 13, 2023, the gate to production is not a soft beta vibe. It is a continuity check — at least 12 testers for 14 days , opted in the whole time. This is what that rule actually asks for, what counts as a tester, what resets the streak, and how finishing the window relates to Google Play production access . ...