diff --git a/firebase-appdistribution/src/main/java/com/google/firebase/appdistribution/FirebaseAppDistribution.java b/firebase-appdistribution/src/main/java/com/google/firebase/appdistribution/FirebaseAppDistribution.java
index 17110e54351..1e813db421a 100644
--- a/firebase-appdistribution/src/main/java/com/google/firebase/appdistribution/FirebaseAppDistribution.java
+++ b/firebase-appdistribution/src/main/java/com/google/firebase/appdistribution/FirebaseAppDistribution.java
@@ -152,10 +152,6 @@ public UpdateTask updateIfNewReleaseAvailable() {
 
     lifecycleNotifier
         .applyToForegroundActivityTask(this::showSignInConfirmationDialog)
-        // TODO(rachelprince): Revisit this comment once changes to checkForNewRelease are reviewed
-        // Even though checkForNewRelease() calls signInTester(), we explicitly call signInTester
-        // here for code clarity, and because we plan to remove the signInTester() call
-        // from checkForNewRelease() in the near future
         .onSuccessTask(unused -> signInTester())
         .onSuccessTask(unused -> checkForNewRelease())
         .continueWithTask(
@@ -252,9 +248,14 @@ public synchronized Task<AppDistributionRelease> checkForNewRelease() {
       LogWrapper.getInstance().v("Response in progress");
       return cachedCheckForNewReleaseTask;
     }
+    if (!isTesterSignedIn()) {
+      return Tasks.forException(
+          new FirebaseAppDistributionException("Tester is not signed in", AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE));
+    }
+
     cachedCheckForNewReleaseTask =
-        signInTester()
-            .onSuccessTask(unused -> this.newReleaseFetcher.checkForNewRelease())
+        this.newReleaseFetcher
+            .checkForNewRelease()
             .onSuccessTask(
                 appDistributionReleaseInternal -> {
                   setCachedNewRelease(appDistributionReleaseInternal);
@@ -299,7 +300,7 @@ private UpdateTask updateApp(boolean showDownloadInNotificationManager) {
         UpdateTaskImpl updateTask = new UpdateTaskImpl();
         updateTask.setException(
             new FirebaseAppDistributionException(
-                Constants.ErrorMessages.AUTHENTICATION_ERROR, AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE));
+                "Tester is not signed in", AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE));
         return updateTask;
       }
       if (cachedNewRelease == null) {
diff --git a/firebase-appdistribution/src/test/java/com/google/firebase/appdistribution/FirebaseAppDistributionTest.java b/firebase-appdistribution/src/test/java/com/google/firebase/appdistribution/FirebaseAppDistributionTest.java
index d703c6b781d..3ea134a4a85 100644
--- a/firebase-appdistribution/src/test/java/com/google/firebase/appdistribution/FirebaseAppDistributionTest.java
+++ b/firebase-appdistribution/src/test/java/com/google/firebase/appdistribution/FirebaseAppDistributionTest.java
@@ -188,13 +188,12 @@ public void checkForNewRelease_whenCheckForNewReleaseFails_throwsError() {
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void checkForNewRelease_callsSignInTester() {
-    when(mockNewReleaseFetcher.checkForNewRelease())
-        .thenReturn(Tasks.forResult(TEST_RELEASE_NEWER_AAB_INTERNAL.build()));
+  public void checkForNewRelease_testerIsNotSignedIn_taskFails() {
+    when(firebaseAppDistribution.isTesterSignedIn()).thenReturn(false);
 
-    firebaseAppDistribution.checkForNewRelease();
+    Task<AppDistributionRelease> task = firebaseAppDistribution.checkForNewRelease();
 
-    verify(mockTesterSignInManager, times(1)).signInTester();
+    assertTaskFailure(task, AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE, "Tester is not signed in");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -228,7 +227,7 @@ public void updateApp_whenNotSignedIn_throwsError() {
 
     UpdateTask updateTask = firebaseAppDistribution.updateApp();
 
-    assertTaskFailure(updateTask, AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE, AUTHENTICATION_ERROR);
+    assertTaskFailure(updateTask, AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE, "Tester is not signed in");
   }
 
   @Test