Early Access and Beta apps on Google Play

Martin Brinkmann
Dec 9, 2016
Google Android
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Early access and access to beta apps are two options that users have when they use the Google Play store to discover, download and manage Android apps and games.

The main difference between early access and beta apps is the following: beta apps always require a release version of an application or game on Google Play. Early access however that the app or game in question has not been released yet to the public.

Both provide Google Play users with options to use preview versions of applications or games. These may be less stable than release versions, and they may have bugs that release versions don't have.

Early Access releases

early access android google play

Early Access releases are listed on a special category listing on Google Play. You need to open the official Google Play application to get started.

Locate the category listings on the main page that opens. It begins with "top charts", "games", "categories" and can be scrolled horizontally. Early Access is the fourth option right now, but that may change at any point in time

This opens the main Early Access hub on Google Play. You find two listings there, one for games, the other for applications. You may scroll them horizontally right there, or tap on more to open the selected type on a separate page.

You may notice that there are not that many early access games or apps available on Google Play. When I looked at the listings today, there were less than 20 apps and less than 20 games listed as early access releases.

You install early access releases just like any other release on Google Play: tap on the install button, accept the permissions dialog, and wait for the app or game to install.

Google highlights the state of the application in several ways. This includes a warning on the apps' page that it may be unstable, and an (unreleased) addition to the title.

Beta apps on Google Play

android beta apps

It can be difficult to find beta apps on Google Play. There is no beta category available that lists them all. Basically, you end up with two options:

  1. You know already what you are looking for, search for the name of the app or game, and install the beta version.
  2. You use the search and add "beta" to your query.

Some apps display information about beta programs on the stable version's page on Google Play. You need to scroll down quite a bit before you reach the section.

Please note that it is only available if a beta version is available, and it is not always the case on top of that.

If you open the Google Chrome listing on Google Play for instance, you don't get any information about the beta version that is also available.

Manage Early Access and Beta releases

early access beta manage android

While it is rather difficult to find beta applications in particular, it is easier to manage early access releases and beta apps that you have installed already.

All you need to do is tap on the menu icon while on Google Play, and select the "My apps & games" option when the menu opens.

There you find  a beta tab which you may tap on to display all installed beta and early access apps.

While you cannot remove the apps right there, a single tap opens the store page with options to do so.

Summary
Early Access and Beta apps on Google Play
Article Name
Early Access and Beta apps on Google Play
Description
The guide provides you with information on how to find, install and manage early access and beta apps for Android on Google Play.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Jennifer rogers said on December 3, 2017 at 6:16 am
    Reply

    ***HELP*** please can anyone give me answers. In 29 days marks a year I have not been able to keep a cell phone for more than 2 days. Somehow as soon as I get a new phone my whole google play platform turns into beta version all my apps steal my passwords to every account I make. It ends up locking me out of my phone. Rooting my device and all. Itsca bad virus that fallows me. I even moved to another state it followed me. Its like in being monitored during phone calls texts and all. It seems like it really gets bad when I bring phone in home. I don’t sign into WiFi but somehow it still attacks me. It actually installs new software on my phone. I’ve been everywhere begging for help even to police. No one believes me. I cannot go on like this. I cannot own a phone without it getting hacked. Not to mention my identity was stolen from this software. I’ve atleast had 50 email accounts and is say about 40 cell phones laptops. Can anyone help me? Ill do anything pay you or whatever you want I want my life back before I can’t return.

  2. Steve said on December 12, 2016 at 9:15 am
    Reply

    There’s a new app on the playstore titled Beta Apps, and it gives you the invites to all the beta apps, and you can search for whatever app you want as well. Its pretty handy! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elpsycongroo.abhishek.betaapps_upload&hl=en

  3. Andrew said on December 9, 2016 at 6:21 pm
    Reply

    I love checking out the early access stuff to see whats out there. It’s much easier to go through as well since the list is much smaller than the whole library. A few things i’m a part of is Cortana and Robinhood, and recently downloaded postknight which is a fun/cute game though far from complete.

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