How to Build and Test iOS Apps on a Physical Phone: Adding External Testers (Part 4/5)

Source: Dev.to

Inviting External Testers

In Part 3 we invited internal testers (close friends and colleagues). Now we can invite external testers such as clients, investors, and a wider audience.

1. Open the TestFlight section in App Store Connect.
2. Click Add Group and create a new group for external testers.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page, locate the list of Builds, and add the newly created group to a build.
4. The group’s status will change to “Waiting for Review.”

Beta App Review

• For each new version of the app, Apple requires a Beta App Review, which typically takes 1–2 days.
• Builds under the same version do not need a new review, provided there are no significant changes to the app’s metadata or permissions.
• When you create a new build, you can enable automatic distribution so emails are sent automatically. Otherwise, you’ll need to manually invite the External Testers group each time. This can be configured when you add a build to the group. See the App Store Connect – Invite External Testers documentation for details.

Process Flow

flowchart TD
    A[1. EAS SUBMIT
(Run 'eas submit -p ios')\n(Sends build to App Store Connect)] --> B[2. APPLE PROCESSING\n(Wait 5‑20 min for Apple to "process")]
    B --> C[3. TESTFLIGHT TAB\n(Create "External Group")]
    C --> D[4. ADD TEST GROUP\n(External Testers to EAS build)]
    D --> E[5. (EACH VER) BETA REVIEW\n(Apple takes 24‑48 h to approve each version)]
    E --> F[6. TESTFLIGHT APP\n(Testers get notified via Email)]

What Testers See

When a tester receives the invitation email:

1. They open the email and tap the “Start Testing” button.
2. The TestFlight app opens (or prompts them to install it from the App Store).
3. After installing TestFlight, they can download the beta build, install it, and begin testing.

Follow the steps above to configure external testing and ensure a smooth experience for your testers.