Beta App Distribution
for iOS & Android

Beta app distribution is the process of sharing pre-release iOS or Android apps with testers using secure installation links without publishing them to app stores. It allows developers to gather feedback before public release.

With BetaDrop, drag and drop your .ipa file onto the upload area. You'll receive a shareable OTA install link in seconds. Testers tap the link to install directly on their iOS device — no TestFlight required.

BetaDrop uses Over-The-Air (OTA) distribution to install IPA files directly on iOS devices. When you upload an IPA, we generate a manifest.plist and install link that uses Apple's itms-services protocol. Testers simply tap the link to install.

Yes. Upload your APK file to BetaDrop and share the download link with testers. They install the APK directly on their Android device — no Play Store, no Google account needed.

Yes — the free tier is genuinely free, with no card and no trial clock. You can upload an .ipa or .apk and share an OTA install link with testers at no cost. Paid plans exist mainly to extend how long a build link stays alive: free links last up to 7 days, while Pro and Studio can keep a link live for as long as you stay subscribed, with dated expiries up to a year and 10 years.

Build links default to 3 days and can be extended to 7 days per build on the free plan, while anonymous guest links expire after 24 hours. Pro and Studio raise the ceiling to a year and 10 years — or keep a link live for as long as you're subscribed.

No, testers don't need accounts. They simply open the install link you share with them and tap to install. For ad hoc-signed iOS builds, each tester's device UDID must be in the provisioning profile; enterprise-signed builds install without any device registration.

BetaDrop supports iOS IPA files (up to 500 MB) and Android APK files (up to 500 MB).

Your IPA must be signed with an Ad Hoc or Enterprise provisioning profile before you upload it — BetaDrop distributes builds, it never re-signs them. Ad hoc profiles list specific tester devices by UDID (Apple caps this at 100 devices per type per year); enterprise certificates install on any device in your organization. In Xcode 15 and later, the export option for ad hoc is labeled Release Testing.

Uploads travel over TLS and install links use long random ids that can't be guessed or enumerated — only people you give the link to can reach the build. Links expire on the schedule you set, you can delete a build at any time, and your binary is never modified or re-signed on the way through.