I have been coding for 2-3 years and decided to make my first mobile app, just something small and simple to get a feel for it.

I wanted to publish it to the play store, get exposure and share what I have made. I paid the $25 fee, submitted my passport and bank statements for ID verification, and started the process to get my app published.

Well, what a terrible experience. It is not user friendly at all, and the requirement of 20 testers opting in to your closed testing for 14 days makes very little sense. I have spent the last few days messaging people, doing the test swaps, and generally wasting my time.

I have seen, from searching to find places that I can recruit testers, a number of 'services' where you can simply pay to have your app 'tested'. The whole thing has been really off-putting, what is the point..?

I wanted to make a flutter app next, something more detailed and complex.. but I am dreading having to go through this process of 'closed testing', after spending months making a project, essentially spamming forums and chat groups for testers. I paid for access to the store, I submitted my ID documents, this arbitrary barrier is so frustrating and again, really puts me off making a mobile app..

I know I am shouting into the void here, I suppose I just wanted to vent.