https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/09/google-play-tightens-up-rules-for-android-app-developers-to-require-testing-increased-app-review/

Google today is announcing strengthened protections for Android developers publishing apps to its Google Play store. The changes are a part of Google’s broader efforts at keeping low-quality and unsafe apps out of its app store and off consumers’ devices, which also recently included the launch of a new real-time app scanning feature to combat malicious apps. Today, the company says it will now require new Android developers to test their app with a minimum of 20 people for at least 2 weeks prior to publication. It additionally plans to increase its investment in the app review processes, warning of potential slowdowns in approvals for a small number of apps as these changes roll out.

According to Google, developers that use its testing tools have, on average, 3 times the amount of app installs and user engagement. That, of course, may not be a factor fully attributable to Google’s tools, but to the developers who would utilize such app testing tools before hitting publish. That is, they’re likely developing higher-quality applications. But now, app testing will no longer be optional for developers with newly created Play Console accounts, says Google.