Installing Field Service Companion on Android (Beta)

Field Service Companion is not yet available on the public Google Play Store. While we are in pre-release, you can install the app on your Android phone or tablet by joining our internal testing program on Play Store.

This article walks you through joining the program, installing the app, and choosing which version is on your device.

What You Need

• An Android phone or tablet on Android 8 or later. (Most devices from the last six years qualify. To check: Settings → About phone → Android version.)
• Your Google account email — the same one signed into Play Store on the device.
• An invitation from the Field Service Companion team. If you have not received one, email support@returnvisits.org and we will add you.

Step 1: Open the Opt-In Link

Once the team adds you as a tester, you receive a link by email. The link looks something like:

``` https://play.google.com/apps/internaltest?id=org.returnvisits.fsc ```

1. Open the link on the Android device you intend to use.
2. Confirm Play Store is signed into the same Google account you signed up with. The active account is shown in Play Store → top-right profile icon.
3. The link opens a Google Play page titled "Become a tester for Field Service Companion."
4. Tap Become a tester.

The page confirms enrollment, usually within seconds. Sometimes Google takes a few minutes to propagate — that's normal.

Step 2: Install from Play Store

1. Open Play Store.
2. Search for Field Service Companion (or tap Download it on Google Play from the enrollment confirmation page).
3. The listing shows a small "(Beta)" or "Unreleased — Internal testing" badge under the app name. This is how you know you're on the right build.
4. Tap Install.
5. Open Field Service Companion and sign in with Apple or Google. See Getting Started for what happens after sign-in.

If the listing doesn't show the Beta badge after a few minutes: close Play Store completely, wait 10 minutes, then reopen and search again. Google's enrollment system sometimes needs that time to propagate.

Managing Your Version

Automatic Updates (Recommended)

Play Store updates Field Service Companion automatically when a new version is released, the same way it updates any other app. We recommend leaving this on so you always have the latest fixes.

Turning Off Automatic Updates

If you want to choose when to update:

1. Open Play Store → top-right profile icon → Manage apps & device → Manage.
2. Tap Field Service Companion.
3. Tap the three-dot menu in the top right.
4. Turn off Enable auto-update.

Play Store will now wait for you to tap Update before installing a new version.

Installing an Earlier Version

Unlike Apple's TestFlight, Google Play does not let you install earlier versions of a testing app yourself. If you need to roll back because a new version is causing a problem:

1. Email support@returnvisits.org and let us know which version is working for you and which is not.
2. We will send you the previous version as a file you can install directly.

Please create a backup before rolling back if you can (Backup and Restore). Local data is preserved across version installs, but going back several versions at once can leave the app in a state where the data file is newer than the app expects.

Leaving the Beta

If you want to stop testing:

1. Open the original opt-in link again.
2. Scroll down and tap Leave the program.

This removes Field Service Companion from your device and erases your local data. If you want to keep your contacts and visits, create a backup first (Backup and Restore) and save the file somewhere safe.

To return to the app later, you can install from the public Play Store once we launch publicly, or accept a fresh invitation from the team.

Privacy While Beta Testing

The internal testing version is the same code as the public Play Store version. The privacy and encryption explained in Privacy and Your Data apply identically.

The Field Service Companion team sees only your Google account email (because we add you as a tester) and the version numbers you have installed. We do not see your contacts, visits, addresses, or any other personal content.

Need More Help?

If something does not work as expected during installation, please email support@returnvisits.org with a brief description of what you are seeing. A friend who is familiar with Field Service Companion may also be able to help.