TestFlight Beta Release

TestFlight Beta Release

Build and upload the iOS app to TestFlight for beta testing.

Pre-flight Checks

• Fastlane installed: !fastlane --version 2>/dev/null | grep "fastlane " | head -1 || echo "✗ Not installed - run: brew install fastlane"
• Fastfile exists: !ls fastlane/Fastfile 2>/dev/null && echo "✓ Found" || echo "✗ Not found - run /setup-fastlane first"
• App-specific password: ![ -n "$FASTLANE_APPLE_APPLICATION_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD" ] && echo "✓ Set" || echo "⚠️ Not set - export FASTLANE_APPLE_APPLICATION_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD='xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx'"

Arguments: ${ARGUMENTS:-none}

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What This Does

1. Syncs certificates via Match (appstore type) — only once you've run the match skill; the base setup-fastlane lane skips this
2. Increments build number (unless --skip-build-increment)
3. Builds release archive with gym
4. Uploads to TestFlight via pilot
5. Optionally distributes to external testers (via the separate beta_external lane)

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Commands

Standard Beta (Internal Testers)

Run from your project directory (where fastlane/ lives):

fastlane beta

Skip Build Number Increment

fastlane beta skip_build_increment:true

External Testers (with changelog)

fastlane beta_external changelog:"Bug fixes and performance improvements"

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Troubleshooting

"No value found for 'username'"

Set your Apple ID in fastlane/Appfile:

apple_id("[email protected]")

"Please sign in with an app-specific password"

1. Go to https://account.apple.com → Sign-In & Security → App-Specific Passwords
2. Generate a password named "Fastlane"
3. Export it:

export FASTLANE_APPLE_APPLICATION_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD='xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx'

rsync error during export

If you see --extended-attributes: unknown option, Homebrew rsync conflicts with Xcode:

brew uninstall rsync  # Use system rsync

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After Upload

• Build will appear in TestFlight within 1-5 minutes
• Internal testers are notified automatically
• External testers require beta_external lane or manual distribution in App Store Connect