Publish to TestFlight and the App Store
From an Xcode project to a build in TestFlight and a submission to App Review.
Before you start
- Apple Developer Program membership (US$99 a year): TestFlight and the App Store need it.
- An app record in App Store Connect: Apps → + → New App, then platform, name, primary language, bundle ID and SKU. Xcode offers to create it on your first upload if you haven’t.
- Your project on the Mac and Xcode installed, with your Apple Account added in Xcode → Settings → Accounts.
Archive and upload with Xcode
- Open the project on the desktop with Screen Sharing. Choose your scheme and a run destination in the toolbar.
- Choose Product → Archive. When it finishes, the Archives organizer opens (or Window → Organizer).
- Optional: Validate App to catch problems before uploading.
- Click Distribute App, choose TestFlight & App Store, then Distribute. Xcode signs the app with Apple’s cloud-managed certificates and uploads it.
Then, in App Store Connect
The build appears under your app once Apple has processed it. Test it with TestFlight, fill in the required app information, and choose Submit for Review.
Other ways to upload
- Transporter, Apple’s upload app from the Mac App Store, uploads a build file you exported.
- fastlane archives and uploads from the command line, which suits CI.
Only renting for a day? Push your code back to your repository before the lease ends: everything on the Mac is erased afterwards.