In this guide
No. Google's help page on testing is clear on two points:
- "Testers cannot leave public reviews on Google Play for test versions."
- "Feedback from your test users won't affect your app's public rating."
Source: Play Console Help, retrieved 2026-10-17.
What that means in practice
- A closed test will not give you stars. Your listing starts with its public rating built only from real users after release.
- A tester's opinion is private. On open and closed tests, the same page says testers can send private feedback through Google Play. You see it in Play Console; the public doesn't.
- Nobody should ask testers for a public review. There is no place to post one for the test version, and trying to turn a test into a rating campaign is the wrong goal.
Common mix-ups
"My 12 testers will give me a head start on ratings." They won't, for the reasons above. The test exists to find bugs and to meet Google's requirement before production access.
"I can ask testers to leave a review once the app is live." Be careful. Asking for a review in exchange for anything (money, credits, gifts) is manipulation. Paying for or rewarding reviews is not allowed; check Google's current policy on user ratings and reviews. If someone chooses on their own to rate you after release, that's their decision.
"Private feedback is a worse version of a review." It's better for you. It can be detailed, tied to a device and a situation, and it does not drag your rating down while you're still fixing things.
How to use private feedback well
- Tell testers where to send feedback (the feedback URL or email you set in Play Console).
- Ask for specifics: what they did, what they expected, what happened, which device.
- Answer in a friendly way. A tester who sees a fix is more likely to keep going.
See private tester feedback for a form template.
How AppReviewX handles it
AppReviewX is built around private, structured feedback. 1 feedback = 1 credit; new accounts start with 0 credits. Nothing is traded for store ratings or installs, and any store review a person writes later is voluntary and unpaid. Test groups for Google Play cover the requirement of 12 testers for 14 days in a row, for Android apps.
Related: Google Play closed testing hub, private tester feedback, what to do during the 14 days
Policies change. Check the linked page before you rely on this.