Test Flight App walkthrough for setting up Beta Users?

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1

Ok, I blame Peach for her outstanding, simple to use walkthroughs for my request…

I am trying to understand the “process” of using the Test Flight App website. This seems like a really awesome, and I can’t believe FREE service, but I am having trouble understanding how to get permissions granted to the Beta Testers.

Is this the process?

Step #1: Developer send an invite to Beta user to join their Beta team.

Step #2:
Beta user goes to www.testflightapp.com signs up a user name and password. On their DEVICE. Not a computer…

Step #3: They will be prompted to install a profile “Test Flight App”, which will generate a Keychain and install the Test Flight App icon on their device.

Step #4: Developer gets an email with device info and key address of device, that can be uploaded into Provisioning at Apple’s website.

So here is where I get lost…

I assume I have to upload all beta testers and register their devices in provision for AD HOC in my developer account.

Then I have to allow access, then rebuild my app?

Then after rebuilding my app, I assume I upload it, and it will have all the keychain access from my provision list?

Or is their simpler steps or did I over look something obvious?

Looking at Test Flight App’s website, doesn’t have anything that explains a walk-through how to get beta users registered to download developers apps.

[import]uid: 152474 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 331159[/import]

#2

I’ll happily take that blame - thank you :wink:

I’ve not played with testflight personally but it’s fairly popular amongst our developers so hopefully you should get a response from one of them. If you don’t in a day or so bump this and I’ll try to hunt down the info for you myself.

This would be a good walkthrough to have, will add to my list of things I’d like to do when I finally get a little slow time. (Things have been hectic lately!)

Peach :slight_smile: [import]uid: 52491 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 124663[/import]

#3

yes you are almost right.

when someone signed up as your beta tester you will receive an email with their device udid’s.
In the email there is an attachment you can upload in the iOS portal, so you don’t have to copy/paste all the udid’s when adding the devices.

But one of the nice features is that when you added new testers you don’t have to rebuild the app and upload it to test flight again.
Instead you have to update/download a new provisioning profile from the iOS portal and update it in testflights dashboard. In other words you only have to update the provisioning profile.

In the dashboard there is a “update profile” button in builds / settings / permissions
After that you can notify the testers with a group mail.
[import]uid: 13632 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 124667[/import]

#4

One thing I would add is that you cannot just upload the .app file that corona generates. Instead you need to put it inside a folder called “Payload” (must be an upper case P), zip this folder, and then rename the .zip extension to .ipa (you can also rename the “Payload” part once the folder is zipped). You can then upload this .ipa file.

Apologies if you already knew that, but I figured that someone else probably won’t :slight_smile: [import]uid: 84115 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 124671[/import]

#5

I’ll happily take that blame - thank you :wink:

I’ve not played with testflight personally but it’s fairly popular amongst our developers so hopefully you should get a response from one of them. If you don’t in a day or so bump this and I’ll try to hunt down the info for you myself.

This would be a good walkthrough to have, will add to my list of things I’d like to do when I finally get a little slow time. (Things have been hectic lately!)

Peach :slight_smile: [import]uid: 52491 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 124663[/import]

#6

yes you are almost right.

when someone signed up as your beta tester you will receive an email with their device udid’s.
In the email there is an attachment you can upload in the iOS portal, so you don’t have to copy/paste all the udid’s when adding the devices.

But one of the nice features is that when you added new testers you don’t have to rebuild the app and upload it to test flight again.
Instead you have to update/download a new provisioning profile from the iOS portal and update it in testflights dashboard. In other words you only have to update the provisioning profile.

In the dashboard there is a “update profile” button in builds / settings / permissions
After that you can notify the testers with a group mail.
[import]uid: 13632 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 124667[/import]

#7

One thing I would add is that you cannot just upload the .app file that corona generates. Instead you need to put it inside a folder called “Payload” (must be an upper case P), zip this folder, and then rename the .zip extension to .ipa (you can also rename the “Payload” part once the folder is zipped). You can then upload this .ipa file.

Apologies if you already knew that, but I figured that someone else probably won’t :slight_smile: [import]uid: 84115 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 124671[/import]

#8

Ok I got this thing figured out.

Step #5: Login to Apple and go to Devices. Then select Upload Devices. Upload the device-export.txt file. That was emailed to you from the beta tester. BTY…the beta tester should visit testflightapp.com from his device, what it will do is install the Test Flight App icon on there device.

Step #6: Once you upload the device, then click on Provision, then Distribution Tab. Find the App your are Beta testing. Then click on EDIT then Modify. You’ll see your devices that have access. You’ll see a new selection that is not selected. Select the dot. Click Submit. Wait a few second, navigate away from this page then come back.

Step #7: Go back to the Distribution Tab, find your App. Now click the Download button. You will get a new provisioning file. It will be a yourapp.mobileprovision file.

Step #8. Now go to TestFlightApp.com Login, go to Builds, then find your app in builds, click on it. Now go to permissions. Now at the top, click on the green Update Profile button. You’ll be taken to another page. Upload the .mobileprovision file from Apple.

Step #9. Go back to permission page. Select your new test in the list, now click Update and Notify. Your new tester will get an email with a link to install your beta app.

Step #10. Tell your tester than when they install, they will need to click the “Install Provisioning” button first on their device, then they install the app.

Done…I hope…I could provide screen shots, but I can’t add them easily here. So maybe Peach can help me someday. [import]uid: 152474 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 125073[/import]

#9

If you have screenshots I can explain how to show them. Either way I am going to sticky this thread - thanks so much for sharing that info, hugely helpful!

Peach :slight_smile: [import]uid: 52491 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 125205[/import]

#10

That is very strange - are you using any third party tools or project managers? [import]uid: 52491 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 125354[/import]

#11

Ok I got this thing figured out.

Step #5: Login to Apple and go to Devices. Then select Upload Devices. Upload the device-export.txt file. That was emailed to you from the beta tester. BTY…the beta tester should visit testflightapp.com from his device, what it will do is install the Test Flight App icon on there device.

Step #6: Once you upload the device, then click on Provision, then Distribution Tab. Find the App your are Beta testing. Then click on EDIT then Modify. You’ll see your devices that have access. You’ll see a new selection that is not selected. Select the dot. Click Submit. Wait a few second, navigate away from this page then come back.

Step #7: Go back to the Distribution Tab, find your App. Now click the Download button. You will get a new provisioning file. It will be a yourapp.mobileprovision file.

Step #8. Now go to TestFlightApp.com Login, go to Builds, then find your app in builds, click on it. Now go to permissions. Now at the top, click on the green Update Profile button. You’ll be taken to another page. Upload the .mobileprovision file from Apple.

Step #9. Go back to permission page. Select your new test in the list, now click Update and Notify. Your new tester will get an email with a link to install your beta app.

Step #10. Tell your tester than when they install, they will need to click the “Install Provisioning” button first on their device, then they install the app.

Done…I hope…I could provide screen shots, but I can’t add them easily here. So maybe Peach can help me someday. [import]uid: 152474 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 125073[/import]

#12

If you have screenshots I can explain how to show them. Either way I am going to sticky this thread - thanks so much for sharing that info, hugely helpful!

Peach :slight_smile: [import]uid: 52491 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 125205[/import]

#13

That is very strange - are you using any third party tools or project managers? [import]uid: 52491 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 125354[/import]

#14

For some reason when I create a build for the device, some of my images I have in my project do NOT get added to the .app file/folder .Lets get more knowledge about topup I verified it by looking in the contents and I do not see them. Again, I see others but not all. I tried to remove it from the project, readd it but no go. Any reason why images won’t be placed in the the device build? I tried debug and release. please clicl here to know aboutonline topup
[import]uid: 181169 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 125242[/import]

#15

For some reason when I create a build for the device, some of my images I have in my project do NOT get added to the .app file/folder .Lets get more knowledge about topup I verified it by looking in the contents and I do not see them. Again, I see others but not all. I tried to remove it from the project, readd it but no go. Any reason why images won’t be placed in the the device build? I tried debug and release. please clicl here to know aboutonline topup
[import]uid: 181169 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 125242[/import]

#16

@alan120184 Thanks! I was wondering how to get a .ipa file from corona [import]uid: 33154 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 127945[/import]

#17

I am not as comfortable on a Mac as some others, so moving files into folders and doing renames is pretty slow to me. At least to how zippy I can do it on Windows. The way I create the .ipa is pretty quick for me. I drag & drop the file that Corona outputs into iTunes. Then I drag & drop it from iTunes to the desktop. Then it’s an .ipa file. So that’s an alternative way. [import]uid: 56820 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 127973[/import]

#18

@alan120184 Thanks! I was wondering how to get a .ipa file from corona [import]uid: 33154 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 127945[/import]

#19

I am not as comfortable on a Mac as some others, so moving files into folders and doing renames is pretty slow to me. At least to how zippy I can do it on Windows. The way I create the .ipa is pretty quick for me. I drag & drop the file that Corona outputs into iTunes. Then I drag & drop it from iTunes to the desktop. Then it’s an .ipa file. So that’s an alternative way. [import]uid: 56820 topic_id: 31159 reply_id: 127973[/import]

#20

Thanks for this thread, very helpful since i was similarly looking to set this up but i couldn’t find anything on the testflightapp site.

Probably give this a try shortly!