14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has issued a notice to developers informing them that TestFlight now supports groups, offering the ability to organize testers in bulks and rapidly hand them out copies of an app.
Emerged from its purchase of Burstly in early 2014, TestFlight is a handy utility that Apple offers to developers who wish to have their software beta tested by regular users before publishing that app to the iTunes Store.
Apply actions to several testers at once
Apple’s memo to registered developers states, “Now it’s easier than ever to manage external testers in TestFlight. Organize your testers into groups to quickly send builds, provide separate instructions on where to focus, and apply an action to several testers at once in TestFlight.”
The Mac maker links to the TestFlight promo page as well as to the iTunes Connect portal for those looking to get started using the utility right away.
How to use TestFlight
In order to get apps ready for testers, developers must first upload a beta of the software from Xcode and add the names and email addresses of all the testers via iTunes Connect, the portal for managing all things related to publishing and monetizing apps.
Apple offers clear instructions on how to prepare a beta app and set up a list of testers in the iTunes Connect Developer Guide. A TestFlight video tutorial is also available for watching.
Developers can invite up to 1,000 users who are not part of their organization to beta test an app. Up to 25 individuals can be invited in Technical and Admin roles, and each member can use up to 10 devices to test software on.
External testers will be handed an app that complies with the full App Store Review Guidelines, and a review is also required for updates with significant modifications to the binary. Both internally and externally, up to 10 apps can be tested at once.
Invitees will be asked to download the free TestFlight app from the iOS App Store before testing can begin.