Test Firebase Dynamic Links for Unpublished App

Question

I have a dev version of my app that is not published in the Play Store. I would like to test dynamic links with it, but whenever I click a dynamic link, it opens the play st

Answer 1

I was able to test it like this:

• I published a closed alpha version of an app - open only to my email (beta should work just the same)
• Opted in via the opt-in link in the developer console (it's on the APK section)

After that, clicking the dynamic link I created on the Firebase console worked as expected, without having my app out in the open.

Caveats:

• Connected Google users - might cause a problem if only one is on the alpha group list
• It takes a bit of time to get started. Make sure you can see the app in Google Play before trying to click the link
• Updates, fixes and changes take time until they actually appear on Google Play. Google Play now offers internal testing, a level below alpha that propagates updates quicker.