How can a Beta-tester of android applications to have installed both production and beta app in the same device?

Question

I need that my beta testers have the beta app to let them test it but at the same time they must to have the production app to work in production. The problem is that seems if t

Answer 1

After some developments after releasing the app to production a bug was reported that I couldn't replicate in the latest version. So I needed to check the production version. As they both have the same name I knew I couldn't have both, so I tried to replace the beta version by the production one.

This is what I found out about how to do it.

Step 1. In my phone I went to the app page but the store insisted to install the beta version.

Step 2. In my phone change the account to one whithout beta test access. The play store detected the other account and installed the beta version.

Step 3. Finnaly I went to the store in my desktop and logged in whith the normal account I have on my device! This worked! The production version was in my phone and I could test it!

So my solution to you is this:

You can't have the two versions simultaneously in the same phone except if they have different names. But you can replace the beta by the production one if you have two accounts on the phone and

A) Loggout from the account with access to the beta version and then install the production one,

or

B) Install from a desktop.