Update TestFlight with minor updates

Beta Testing
1

It would be nice to have the TestFlight updated with all versions, even if they don’t need testing, so the TestFlight always has the latest version, if it’s not a lot of extra work.

As there aren’t App Store update notifications, it can be hard to always stay on the latest version of the iOS app. A beta may be released on TestFlight but then future minor updates might only be published on the App Store, which means you have to check the App Store page to see when it has a more recent update and then switch to it. Even with notifications, it would require switching between the App Store and TestFlight versions over time as new versions are released, as opposed to being able to have it auto-update to the latest version always.

Publishing all updates on TestFlight would help make it easier to always be on the latest version, reduce expired builds (which you might notice while offline) and allow you to install any specific version you need, in case a hotfix introduces a bug that is particularly disruptive for you.

2

That all makes sense, and ideally they would always release together. Unfortunately a review by Apple is required to add a new version to TestFlight, and when pushing out a release quickly to fix regressions, I don’t want to have to wait for the beta to be approved before submitting it again for stable release, and don’t want to submit both at once, as Apple might not like that. There will likely be a new TestFlight update for the next release in any case.

3

Ah, I had a feeling it was related to Apple reviews, but hoped there was some way to “promote” an already reviewed release. Thanks for the explanation.

Not wanting to block an App Store update makes sense, but what about the other way around, so releasing the App Store update first, and then when it’s approved, release it on TestFlight? Would this work as a middle-ground?

4

I don’t even know if that’s possible, and I’m reluctant to do anything to annoy the review team, in case it holds up future updates.