Gacha Eats · Closed test
Test it before it ships.
Gacha Eats is in a closed test on Google Play. Before it can go public, at least twelve people need to use it for two weeks. If you have an Android phone, you can be one of them. Joining takes a few minutes.
Join the testers group
Google Play lets testers in through a Google Group. Join it with the Google account your phone uses for the Play Store. Any nickname works, and if you are happy to hear from me now and then, set Subscription to Each email.
Join the group ↗Opt in on Google Play
Open the testing page, signed in with that same account, and tap Become a tester.
Open the testing page ↗Install the app
Install it from the Play Store like any other app. Updates arrive the same way.
Open in Google Play ↗
Use the same Google account for all three steps. A different account is the usual reason step 2 or 3 does not work.
What I’m asking
Two weeks, and what you notice.
Keep the app installed and stay in the test for at least 14 days in a row. Google counts testers who stay the full two weeks, so staying in helps even on days you barely open it.
The trade-off: this is the build before release, so you may meet a rough edge before anyone else does. Once your log holds places you care about, export a backup now and then from Settings › Data › Export backup. Your log stays through every update, including the move to the public version.
What to try
Use it for real meals.
The app has no internet permission, so it cannot tell me how it’s going. I only know what you tell me.
- Day one: add three or more places you actually eat at. A name is enough; dishes and details can come later.
- When you can’t decide: open a banner and pull. Eat what it picks, or reroll.
- Most days: log what you ate, with Ate on a dish or Ate here on a place.
- At some point: make a banner of your own, like “Near Home” or “Budget Lunch”, and export a backup once.
- Anything that does not fit how you would decide is worth telling me, not only bugs.
New to it? The how-to guide walks through the basics.
FAQ
Before you join
What do I need?
An Android phone running Android 7 or newer, and a Google account. Nothing else: the app has no account of its own.
Is there an iPhone version?
No. It is Android only for now.
What do I choose on the group’s join form?
Display name: any nickname works. Leave Link to my Google account profile unticked to keep your Google name and photo private.
Subscription: choose Each email if you are happy to hear from me now and then, or No email if you would rather not. Leave the box below it unticked: it is for people who post, and only I can post.
I only write when there is something worth knowing: a new feature to try, a request during testing, or when testing wraps up. Expect a handful of emails in total. App updates arrive through the Play Store either way.
Who can see that I joined?
Only me. The member list is hidden from other testers, and nobody else can post. As the group owner, I can see the email address you joined with, because Google Groups always shows it to the owner. I do not use it for anything else.
Step 2 says I can’t join.
Check that you are signed in with the Google account you joined the group with. If you are, wait a little and try again: Google Play can take a while to notice a new group member.
I installed an earlier test version from a link.
Export a backup from it first (Settings › Data › Export backup), then uninstall it and install from Google Play. Android will not install the Play version over it, because the two are signed differently. Then import the backup from Settings › Data › Import backup.
Does the test build send anything anywhere?
No. It is the same as the public app: it has no internet permission, so nothing can leave your phone. Feedback only reaches me when you send it yourself.
Can I leave early?
Yes, at any time, from the same page you opted in on. The app stays on your phone. It only counts toward the twelve if you stay the full 14 days, though.
What happens when it goes public?
Nothing you need to do. Google Play updates it like any other app, and your log stays.
To send feedback, use Settings › Send feedback in the app, or email me at studioinadot+gachaeats@gmail.com. For a bug, tell me what you did, what you expected and what happened, plus your phone model. A screenshot helps a lot. I read every message.