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The original was posted on /r/androiddev by /u/Visible_Candy1467 on 2025-06-17 23:56:41+00:00.
Hey devs,
I’m a solo developer working on Android app, and honestly, Google is making it increasingly difficult for small developers to publish apps.
To even get on the Production track now, Google requires 12 testers opted-in for 14 continuous days in a closed test — just to apply for production release. For indie devs or early-stage startups without a user base yet, this is an unfair barrier.
Meanwhile, Apple lets you submit your app for review and go live with TestFlight in a much more straightforward process. No arbitrary 14-day wait period, no crowdsourcing a group of 12 just to unlock your release.
It’s getting to the point where Apple — which has historically been stricter — is actually doing a better job supporting small, serious developers.
On top of that:
- The Play Console gives vague reasons for rejection.
- If you're using React Native or Expo, you end up jumping through extra hoops for things like obfuscation/deobfuscation (ProGuard, R8, etc.).
- Communication is minimal, and there’s no clear appeal path.
📢 If you’ve hit these roadblocks too, I encourage you to submit feedback to Google and speak up. Let’s make some noise so they realize how these policies are affecting indie devs.
Anyone else feel like Android dev used to be the easy route, but now it's flipped?