The 12-testers-for-14-days closed test applies to the app you upload — not just to a brand-new developer account. We used our existing Play account and still had to clear it before we could apply for production access.

Our main testers were our own team and developers — real people using the build every day. To keep the required 12 testers in place for the full window, we also used tester services:
• Closed Test Pro — https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.closedtest.pro.closedtest_pro&pcampaignid=web_share
• Testers Community — https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.testerscommunity&pcampaignid=web_share
• Another service gave us zero testers in three days, so we stopped using it.

The trick that helped: don’t start them all on the same day. A Closed Test Pro’s 14-day clock only starts once it has 12 testers, so we started one, then added Closed Test Pro two later. It is a easy way to get 12 testers stable for all period.

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