Google Play console: does deactivation of production code version in alpha or beta tracks also deactivate the production apk?

Question

I have a weird bug in Google Play console that makes impossible to roll-out my apk from internal test track to closed track (beta). I have got the error message 'Fully Shadowed APK' that makes the roll-out impossible.

This Google Play console bug is mentioned in many threads on Stack Overflow and it seems that one solution would be to deactivate the previous code version visible in the internal and closed tracks. But my problem is that this previous version visible in the internal and closed tracks is also my production version.

My question is: if I deactivate the production version code apk in the internal and/or closed tracks, will it also deactivate the production apk ? (and remove my app from the store ?)

Thanks a lot for your help !

Bloater

Coincidentally, I've had the same error message since yesterday. I also wonder if the production APK will still be delivered when I start the new staged rollout. – Semiweekly

Solved the problem. What I did is : 1) upload the apk directly in production version 2) bug 'apk shadowed' 3) come back to previous page and click 'deactivate' in order to change the current production apk from 'retained apk' section to 'apk to be deactivated' section (not the exact names but you will see) 4) the bug disappears and you can submit. I don't know if a 'deactivate' of the production version in a alpha or beta version would deactivate the production version on the store ; I did not test ! :) – Bloater

Answer 1

Solved the problem.

What I did is :

1) upload the apk directly in production version

2) bug 'apk shadowed'

3) come back to previous page and click 'deactivate' in order to change the current production apk from 'retained apk' section to 'apk to be deactivated' section (not the exact names but you will see)

4) the bug disappears and you can submit. I don't know if a 'deactivate' of the production version in a alpha or beta version would deactivate the production version on the store ; I did not test ! :)

At the moment, I don't know if this 'bug' is the new behaviour of the Google Play console (that requires to deactivate manually the previous apk when a new apk is submitted) or a bug.

Bloater