Deploying an iOS app for external testing

Before deploying your app to the App Store, you might want to release it to external testers who can test it on their devices outside the development environment. If you do not want to use Testflight, then you can do this by exporting an .ipa file with the ad-hoc export method.

Using Testflight

If you wish to invite external testers using Testflight, you CANNOT use the ad-hoc export method. You need an .ipa with the app-store export method.

Before you start ⚓

Make sure that you have:

generated an .ipa file locally, on your own machine, at least once
uploaded all the Developer certificates that are included in the provisioning profile to Bitrise
uploaded the app’s Development Provisioning Profile if you want to use manual provisioning on Bitrise. If you use auto-provisioning, you don’t need to upload a profile.
uploaded a Distribution certificate for the app
uploaded an Ad-hoc Provisioning Profile (if you want to use manual provisioning)

Deploying the app ⚓

Make sure the Certificate and profile installer Step or the iOS Auto Provision Step is in your workflow.

Do NOT use both!
Make sure the Xcode Archive & Export for iOS Step is in your workflow.
Set the Select method for export input of the Step to ad-hoc.
Make sure you have the Deploy to Bitrise.io Step in your workflow.
Start a build.
When the build is finished, go to the app’s Builds page and click the latest build.
Click the APPS & ARTIFACTS tab to find your .ipa file that you can distribute.