This morning I opened The App Store Connect (formerly iTunes Connect) and received a notification from Apple, which is the above paragraph. A brief translation:
“Invite TestFlight testers via a public link!
Now you can invite anyone to beta test your app by simply sharing a link. You can share the link anywhere, and apple users who open the link will be invited to test the TestFlight app. (If you don’t have The TestFlight app installed, Apple will automatically direct you to install it and test it.)
In a nutshell, the point of this is that we can share links to install the latest version of our app to our target audience without having to put it on the shelf. (The beta version, unlike the shelf version, is currently limited to 10,000 users.) This is a very flexible, low-cost, efficient and controllable method for grayscale testing or small-scale applications. If we think a little bit about our previous application release process, we will find that public Link will become an important part of the new feature testing/release process, so there is a lot of room for imagination. The popularity of cross-platform technologies (Cordova, RN, Weex, etc.) is largely due to the dynamic and flexible nature of updates. The Public Link technology is a big improvement over this weak link.
Now let’s talk about the specific details, the improvement points of this technology, the specific use of what need to pay attention to.
First of all, we need to know, what is TestFlight?
TestFlight is a beta service that Apple offered us. Developers can release beta versions of TestFlight after submitting test packages on App Store Connect and approving them. The developer needs to create a group of testers on the page, register the testers’ email, and send an invitation code. After receiving the invitation code, testers opened the testFlight app on their phones and entered the invitation code before installing the beta version on their devices.
Improvement link:
1. There is no need to input the information of the tester. It can be completely anonymous, and once he gets the link, he can install it and use it.
2. Developers don’t need to send invitations, just share the generated links with those who need them.
3. You don’t need to install the TestFlight app on your phone. Users who receive the link will be prompted to install the app if they don’t have it installed.
4. Testing is still highly controlled. You can set the maximum number of people installed and disable the link or remove the build at any time.
Limitations:
1. The maximum number of people tested is 10,000.
2. The TestFlight version still needs to be approved by Apple.
Actual procedure and example:
1. Upload a new package to App Store Connect and submit it for beta test approval. (The following schematic diagram is approved, the state has changed to Testing, the submission should be waiting for XXX…)
2. After approval (about half a day to one day), we will receive an email notification from Apple.
3. If testers and groups are not invited, you can follow the instructions in the email. When your beta is ready, just click the Enable Public Link button on the page to get a link to share. The page can also set the number of people limit, disable links and so on.
4. Share this link with iPhone users in any form. The recipient will open the link in Safari and follow the instructions. If you don’t have TestFlight installed, you’ll need to install the Beta version first. It’s worth noting that if you already have an official version of the app installed on your phone, you’ll be prompted to override it by simply clicking Install. After the app is successfully installed, there will be a yellow dot in the lower left corner of the icon on the mobile phone, indicating that the app is a beta version to distinguish it from the official app.
In general, Apple just added an operation of Enable Public Link to the original process, so it can obtain great convenience by using this technology. I have to commend it. Finally, attached is the newly released test public Link for you to experience the installation process.
PS: If you are good at English, you can check the WWDC video. In fact, the whole process is similar to the one in apple’s previous video, but Apple has just opened this function to the public.
I have a strong prediction that Public Link will soon be widely used by iOS developers, especially in China, which in turn will increase the use of TestFlight. The technology is so easy to use and so efficient at linking that it should appeal to developers and bosses who need to release features as soon as possible. So open up App Store Connect and go for it!
If you have any problems during the practice, please contact me at [email protected]
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