App Store Connect Help

Support / App Store Connect / Test a beta version / Invite external testers

Test a beta version

Invite external testers

External testers are people you invite to test your app who aren’t App Store Connect users. Once you’ve uploaded your build, you can invite up to 10,000 external testers per app. In order to make your build available for external testing, you'll need to create an external group, add builds, and invite testers using their email address or by sharing a public invitation link.

Keep in mind that:

  • In order to create an external group for external testing, you'll first need to create an internal group for internal testing.

  • Builds uploaded as TestFlight Internal Only from Xcode or Xcode Cloud are indicated as internal under the build number. Builds with this indicator can only be added to internal tester groups.

  • A Managed Apple Account can’t be used to test builds.

Learn how to manage tester invitations with the App Store Connect API.

Required role: Account Holder, Admin, or App Manager. View role permissions.

Create a group

  1. From Apps, select your app.

  2. Click the TestFlight tab.

  3. In the sidebar, click the add button (+) next to External Testing to add a new group.

  4. In the dialog that appears, enter a group name, then click Create.

    Later, you can change the name of the group if needed.

Add builds to a group

  1. From Apps, select your app.

  2. Click the TestFlight tab.

  3. In the sidebar, under External Testing, select the group you want to add builds to.

  4. On the right, click the add button (+) next to Builds.

  5. In the build dialog, select the platform and version from the pop-up menus.

  6. From the table, select a build, then click Next.

    Although you can add only one build at a time, you can add additional builds later.

    Note: Enter test information such as Feedback Email and Contact Information if these details have not yet been provided in the Test information dialog.

  7. In the What to Test dialog, enter what you want testers to focus on.

  8. Optionally, enter localized versions of testing information in the text fields under each language-specific section.

  9. Optionally, select “Automatically notify testers.”

    If you leave this checkbox deselected, you will have to manually distribute the build to testers after it's approved by TestFlight App Review later.

  10. Depending on the status of the build, click either Submit Review or Start Testing.

    You can only have one build of each version in review at a time. Once that build is approved, you can submit additional builds.

After you submit your build to TestFlight App Review, Apple reviews the build and the accompanying metadata. The first build you submit requires a full review, but later builds for the same version may not.

If Apple approves your build for TestFlight beta testing, users on the App Store Connect account with the Admin role will receive an email notifying them of the approval.

If Apple rejects your build or metadata, the status of the build will be Rejected. You can click App Review from the sidebar under General to visit rejection details for your beta build.

Note: Submitting a build to TestFlight App Review doesn’t submit it to App Review for further distribution.

Invite external testers

Once you have builds available to test, and you've added them to a group, you can invite testers.

  1. From Apps, select your app.

  2. Click the TestFlight tab.

  3. In the sidebar, under External Testing, select a group.

    You can Invite testers using a public link, email, or both.

To invite testers using a public link:

  1. Click Enable Public Link, and confirm in the dialog that appears by clicking Enable.

  2. Under Tester Count, click Set Limit to limit the number of testers that can join this testing group using the public link. Enter a number between 1 and 10,000, then click Set Limit.

  3. Copy the link, and share it using social media, messages, email, or other channels.

    Keep in mind that anyone can share this link, so testers may be able to join your testing group even if you don't invite them directly. If a tester joins your group using a public link, their name and email won’t be displayed in the Testers section in App Store Connect (it will display as anonymous), but their installation date, sessions, and crashes will be displayed. You can disable the public link at any time.

    To update your tester limit, click Set Limit and enter a new limit. To stop tester enrollment via the public link, click Disable Link in the Public Link section.

To invite testers using their email address:

  1. Click the add button (+) next to Testers.

  2. In the pop-up menu that appears, choose an option. You can add new testers using their email address, existing testers you've previously added, or import testers from a CSV file.

  3. Testers you invite will get an invitation email to start testing. If a tester accepts an email invitation, their name, email address, installation date, sessions, and crashes, will display in the Testers section in App Store Connect.

Tip: To add users with a specific device type to a group, click Add Filter and select devices to filter by. Select all testers using the checkbox at the top of the table or select testers individually, then click Add to Group. In the dialog that appears, select the eligible groups you want to add these testers to and click Add.

Notify external testers after your build is approved

If you didn’t select “Automatically notify testers” when you added your build to your group, you must manually notify testers when your build is approved.

  1. From Apps, select your app.

  2. Click the TestFlight tab.

  3. In the sidebar, under Builds, click the platform for your app.

  4. Choose a version, then under Status, click Notify Testers for the build row.

The build status changes to Testing. The external testers will receive a notification directing them to accept the invitation using the TestFlight app on their device.

Remove a build from a group

  1. From Apps, select your app.

  2. Click the TestFlight tab.

  3. In the sidebar, under External Testing, select a group.

  4. On the right, under Builds, hold the pointer over the build you want to remove.

  5. Click the delete button.

  6. In the dialog that appears, confirm you want to remove the build from the group and click Remove.

If you want to remove a build from testing for all your testers, go to Stop testing a build.

How do I appeal if my beta build was rejected?

To appeal your beta build being rejected, contact TestFlight App Review.