Can your 12 testers be in different countries?
Updated
Yes. Google does not care where your testers live, but your closed track does. Nothing in Google's testing requirement mentions countries. Your closed testing track, though, is only available in the countries and regions you selected, and a tester anywhere else cannot install the app.
Does Google require testers in particular countries?
No. The requirement for new personal accounts is about how many testers are opted in and for how long: at least twelve, for the preceding fourteen days. It says nothing about their location, their language or their device's region. A test with testers on five continents counts exactly like one with twelve people in your city. (The whole rule is in Google Play's 12 testers, 14 days requirement.)
Then why can't my tester abroad install the app?
Because closed tests follow your app's countries and regions. If a tester is in a country your track is not available in, the Play Store tells them the app is not available, even after they opted in successfully.
This is easy to miss because the two steps are separate. The opt-in page is about joining the test; the Play Store page is about installing. A tester can pass the first and be stopped at the second, and from your side it looks like someone who joined and then did nothing.
Why did it work on internal testing and not on closed testing?
Internal testing is the exception. Google says you "can add users from any location to your internal test", and that an internal tester in a country where your closed or open test is not available "still receives access to the internal test."
So a group of friends abroad who tested your internal build without trouble can all hit "not available" the day you move them to a closed track. Internal testing does not count toward the requirement anyway: closed testing vs internal testing.
How do I fix it?
Add the tester's country to your app's countries and regions, then ask them to open the Play Store page again. They do not need to opt in a second time.
Two things to know before you change it:
- Countries apply to every track. Google notes that "changes to distributed countries and regions apply across all tracks", so adding a country for a tester also adds it for your production release later. Decide which countries you will launch in, rather than adding them one tester at a time.
- Check it before the test starts. A tester who cannot install is a tester who is not testing. Every day they are stuck is a day your cohort is short.
Should I spread testers across countries on purpose?
There is no rule that says you must, and no published reason to think it helps the count. What testers in different places do give you is feedback that matches your real audience: different devices, languages, networks and expectations. If you plan to launch worldwide, testers from several countries are worth having for that alone, and they give you something concrete to describe when the production access application asks about your testing.
Just make sure every country they are in is on your list first.
How do I check which testers are affected?
If your opted-in count is lower than the number of people who say they joined, and the missing ones are all outside your own country, this is the likely cause. Testers opted in but your count is short walks through this and the other five common causes.