Steps to walk a new internal tester through setting up TestFlight for beta app distribution.
In order to be added as a Tester, please send your Apple ID to [email protected] asking to be added to iTunes Connect team. If you do not know your Apple ID you can find it from Settings > iTunes & App Store. If you're not signed in, or are signed in to a different account, please make sure that you are, and to the same account that you've mentioned in the email.
Please ensure that the email is a primary email for the Apple ID, with associated birthdate and the recovery emails. If this is not the case the folowing message is displayed when I attempt to add a new user:
This email address is not available for use as an Apple ID. You may already have an Apple ID associated with this address. Please try again or sign in using your existing Apple ID.
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You will recieve an invite from iTunes Connect with the subject
Welcome new iTunes Connect User. Please tapActivate your account. -
That'll launch Safari and display the iTunes Connect
Terms of Service. -
On tapping
Accept. You'll be taken to Sign In Screen. Please verify that you can successfully Sign In.
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Install the
TestFlightApp from the App Store. You can find it by following [this link] (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/testflight/id899247664?mt=8) or by searching for ‘testflight’ in the App Store. -
Lauch TestFlight and accept the
Terms & Conditions. -
Select
Allow Push Notifications. Doing this will ensure that you’ll receive notifications every time a new version on the app is pushed.
- Once you've completed all the steps above you're all set to recieve builds whenever a new one is posted.
- When a new build is posted, you’ll receive an email notifying you of the new version of the app being available. You must open the email on your device.
From this point on, whenever a new build is pushed to TestFlight you'll recieve an email (in addition to the push notification if you’ve chosen to receive them) like before. All you need to do now is Update your app and you'll have the latest version up and running.
Apple specifies the following rules for valid version and build numbers in Technical Note TN2420:
- The value for a version number or build number must consist only of '.'s and numbers and must begin and end with a number.
- Each integer value separated by a period is a component of the version. Version numbers and build numbers may have up to three components separated by periods.
- The total number of characters in your version number or in your build number cannot exceed eighteen characters.`
Apple doesn't define or require a specific convention for what eacr of the components in the version/build numbers are supposed to signify. In keeping with semantic versioning, here's what we do:
- Every new release will have a unique version number
- Versions numbers will be of the form
MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH - Significant and major releases will increment
MAJOR - Smaller releases introducing new features and UI changes will increment
MINOR - Bug Fixes and non-visual changes will increment
PATCH
- Complete all feature development assigned to the version to be deployed in the dev environment.
- Post a release candidate (RC) build that points to the prod environment.
- Carry out thorough regression testing to ensire all features perform as expected. If bugs discovered, log them to the bug bucket.
- Determine if non-fatal bugs need to be addressed in the current release. If yes, address them and start over from Step 2. Otherwise, assign them to the next minor version and add to backlog.
- Obtain What's New Text
- Obtain App Screenshots
- Create a new version in App Store Connect. Enter app metadata.
- Choose the build to submit. Review pricing and availability. Submit your app for review.
- Track app status and resolve review issues if any.