Publishing app concurrently to production and open testing in one step on Google Play console

Question

After making a small change to my Android app (creating version 114), I wish to make this new version available to both "Production" and "Open testing". I realize that typically one publishes to Open testing then promotes the release to Production. But I would like to make the new version available to both tracks at the same time.

When I created a release on September 6th, I put it in the Production track. Now it shows that the Open testing track is a previous version. In other words, pushing to Production does not affect the Open testing track.

I thought that before pressing Send changes for review on the Publishing Overview page, I would try to upload APK version 114 again (the one I just uploaded for production), but it will not allow it:

Obviously, I could create another version that's identical except for the version number and use that for Open testing, but that adds to the workload and adds unnecessary complications.

I'm trying to get version 114 to testers and regular users in one step, without having to go through the promotion step. Is this possible? How?

Answer 1

It was once possible to release one build to two tracks at the same time, but that no longer works.

If you try to upload an apk a second time, you get the message

Version code (xxx) has already been used.  Try another version code.

The best you can do is just change build.gradle(:app) versionCode, leaving everything else the same, and build another (almost) identical apk file. You can leave versionName the same.

PRIOR TO MAY 2024

What is written below was from before Google changed the way this worked; it no longer works.

Create a new release, as usual, for Open testing, for instance. As that process finishes, you will be asked if you want to go to the Publishing overview, and you will see the one release, ready to be reviewed. Instead og submitting that, enter into the release and request to Promote release.

After you have taken the above steps, you will have two items in Publishing overview.