TestFlight in iOS App: Beta testing

A beta test is a step in the cycle of a software product release. We all have tested your app using the built-in simulator and on our own device. Interestingly, you may not be able to uncover some of the bugs, even though you’re the app creator. By going through beta test, you would be amazed at the number of flaws discovered at this stage.

TestFlight makes it easy to invite users to test your apps and collect valuable feedback before you release them on the App Store. You can invite up to 10,000 testers using just their email address. To take advantage of TestFlight, simply upload a beta build of your app, and use iTunes Connect to add the names and email addresses of people you’d like to test your app. Testers will install the TestFlight app for iOS, watchOS, and tvOS so they can use your beta apps and quickly provide feedback.

Beta testing is generally opened to a select number of users. They may be your potential app users, your blog followers, your colleagues, friends or even family members. The whole point of beta testing is to let a small group of real people get their hands on your app, test it and provide feedback. You want your beta tester to discover as many bugs as possible in this stage so that you can fix them before rolling out your app to the public.

Internal Tester: Each app can be tested by up to 25 members of your team who have been assigned the Admin, App Manager, Developer, or Marketer role in iTunes Connect. Each member can test on up to 30 devices. Internal testers can access all of your beta builds available for testing.

External Testers and Groups: Once you’re ready, you can invite up to 10,000 external testers who do not need to be part of your team to beta test an app that you intend for public release on the App Store. You can organize external testers into custom groups and share different builds with each group, depending on which features you want them to test.

“Up to 100 apps can be tested at a time, internally or externally, and builds remain active for 90 days after they are uploaded. TestFlight supports multiple builds of iOS apps, watchOS apps, tvOS apps, and iMessage apps at the same time.”

Upload your app to iTunes connect

Step 1: Firstly goto the Code Signing Identity section of the Build Settings. In the release section change the identity values to iOS Distribution.

Step 2: Goto the Product menu and Archive your project.

Step 3: After the project is successfully archived, click on the shiny blue button(Upload to App Store..).

Step 4: For the App Store distribution options please check on Strip Swift symbol and Upload your app’s symbol options.

Step 5: Select your iOS Distribution certificate and App Store profiles.

Step 6: Lastly, review the .ipa content(library/summary/identifier) and final touch for uploading .ipa file to iTunes connect.

Step 7: Finally, the .ipa file is successfully uploaded to iTunes connect. Sometime, It may take several hours to display in iTunes account.

Note : We can create the beta users in two ways in the iTunes Connect. Firstly, by creating beta user by clicking Users and Roles menu and assigning user roles to them. Secondly, by clicking My Apps and create new release to the existing app and create the beta users by going to TestFlight menu.

Manage Tester to beta test app

In this article we will be using second option to create beta release.

Step 1: Goto your iTunes connect account and click on My Apps option.

Step 2: Here, I have already create new beta release v2.6.0 in my iTunes connect so, please do not get confuse. In my case, I have already created the new version v2.6.0 so the yellow color status with 2.6.0 Prepare for submission view appears. Now, In your iTunes account create and new version by clicking iOS of VERSION OR PLATFORM option. This yellow color status will appear after creating new version of your app.

Step 2: After the successful creation of new version the app seems like this with yellow status button which stated that the app is ready to prepare for submission.

Step 3: In the step 3, goto the TestFlight menu option and click on Beta Testers to create the new beta testers.

Step 4: After clicking to the Add New testers option this view will appears where we can add new users using their email, first name and last name.

Step 5: In this step we will add new builds by going to Builds option.

Step 6: Now, we will tap on shiny blue plus button to add newly created version. After selection new version of the app the build status changes to Ready to Submit with yellow pointer. And after the successful submission the beta test version will be live after some hours.

Note: All the beta user which we had added earlier will be notified as soon as the app become live. The user need to check out their inbox to accept the invitation to the beta program.

Installing an app using TestFlight

Step 1: Checkout the mail inbox to accept the invitation.

Step 2: Install the TestFlight App from the app store.

Step 3: So finally, open the TestFlight app and install the beta app. The user will always be notified as the developer push the new beta version.

Finally

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