A lot of application and software developers like to make the beta versions (pre-release test versions of the software) of apps available to the public, before the final version is released. The idea is to get user feedback on what features to keep, what to add and what to discard. To sign up for beta testing of apps, you need to keep tabs on what your favourite app developers are doing, or get notifications from them.
At the IO developer conference in May 2016, Google had announced that it will make finding these apps easier for users, by adding a new feature called Early Access to the Play Store. This allows developers to post their apps and games which are still under development for users to download and give feedback.
How can you access it?
Early Access is basically a curated list of apps classified as apps and games, which are in the test phase. One can see Early Access as a separate option just like Top Charts, Games, Editors’ Choice on the home page of the Google Play Store. What distinguishes these apps further from other apps is the green sticker note on the app page, which says the app is under development, and confirms that the app is in beta stage. This is to avoid confusion, wherein a user may download an app without noticing that it is in the testing phase, and perhaps end up with a hampered user experience.
Users can’t rate or comment on these apps as yet. Instead they will have access to features like ‘wish list’, ‘send email’ and ‘I like this’. The ‘wish list’ allows users to share with the developer what more they would like to see in the app, while with ‘I like this’, users can mention the feature they liked most. With the ‘send email’ feature, users can write directly to the developer.
These apps can be a bit erratic, might crash frequently, apart from having other glitches. We saw a glimpse of the instability when we downloaded a game called Drone 2 Air Assault, which incidentally after installation on the OnePlus One phone, went by a different name Shadow Strike 2.
If you are willing to try out some unfinished pieces of software for your smartphone, here are some apps that you can download from the Google Play Store’s Early Access section.
Voice Access
Price: Free
Voice Access is Google’s own app, which allows users to control the smartphone through voice. Users can use voice commands to open any app, select an option on screen and even type on the screen without actually touching the phone’s screen. To access it, one needs to enable the voice access option in Settings->Accessibility->Voice Access. This is a cool app for opening apps through voice but the typing part is terribly slow as it types by assigning a number to each key instead of letting the user dictate while it types.
ReadFeed
Price: Free
Read Feed is a social networking app for book readers, similar to the Good Reads app. You can follow people and see what they are reading and what books they recommend. You can also see the most popular book among Read Feed users and see how many are actually reading it. By adding it to your list you can start building your own profile. Read Feed doesn’t allow users to read books, but allows users to discuss books with others, ask questions related to books and writers and see what others think about a book. Since the app is new, the number of users in the book club is pretty limited.
TyrAnt
Price: Rs151
This is a fun take on strategy games where instead of kings and kingdoms, you have to take charge of an ant colony. You have to develop resources for them, gather food, and build an army to defend the ant colony from attacks by other ant colonies. Like upgrades in strategy games, this one has mutations which improve the strength and ability of ants. They are available once a mission is clear and you progress from one stage to another.
Drone to Air Assault
Price: Free
Published by Reliance Big entertainment UK, the game is a aerial combat-based first-person shooter game. What makes it unique from the usual infantry-based shooting games is that here you take command of a fighter plane and strike at enemy troops, tanks, anti aircraft guns and ships on the ground. The game is divided into small missions and uses simple tap and touch controls to aim at the target and shoot at it before they take you down.
Any beta version apps that you download on your phone will be updated to the final version as and when that is released by the developer. In case you have paid for a beta app (such as the TyrAnt app), you do not have to pay again for the final version. These apps will receive all future updates from the Google Play Store, just like all the other apps on your phone.
