How to add TestFlight internal testers

Internal testers versus external testers

TestFlight has two tester types, and internal is the quicker one:

• Internal testers are members of your App Store Connect team. Up to 100 per app, each must hold a qualifying role, and each can test on up to 30 devices. Builds reach them right after processing with no review.
• External testers are anyone else you invite by email or public link, up to 10,000 per app. The first build of a version that goes to external testers must pass Beta App Review first.

Internal testing is meant for your own team and trusted collaborators who already have App Store Connect access. For a wider beta, see the TestFlight beta testing guide.

How to add an internal tester

The people have to exist on your team before they can test. The flow is:

1. In App Store Connect, open Users and Access and add the person by email. They accept the invitation and create or sign in with their Apple Account.
2. Give them one of the roles that can test: Account Holder, Admin, App Manager, Developer, or Marketing. A role that does not qualify cannot be added as an internal tester.
3. Open your app, go to TestFlight, and select the Internal Testing group, or create one.
4. Add the team members to that group. Each tester installs the TestFlight app on their device and accepts the invitation.

Once someone is in the internal group, they do not have to be re-added for future builds. They keep getting new builds automatically.

What internal testers can and cannot do

Internal testing is built for speed, not scale, so a few limits are worth knowing:

• Builds are available to internal testers for 90 days from upload, then they expire.
• Internal testers see builds with no Beta App Review wait, which makes this the fastest way to get a fresh build in front of your team.
• The 100 person cap is per app and counts people, not devices. Each person can still run the build on up to 30 devices.
• Testing through TestFlight is not the same as App Store approval. A build that works in TestFlight still has to be submitted and reviewed before public release.

Where AppFlight fits

AppFlight signs your build for distribution and uploads it to TestFlight from inside the app, so a fresh build is ready for your internal group without opening Xcode. Adding the people and assigning their roles happens once in App Store Connect under Users and Access, since that team membership is yours to control. After that one time setup, every build AppFlight uploads flows to your internal testers automatically.