A TestFlight public link is a unique URL for your app that lets anyone who taps it install your beta version — no email invitation, no adding testers one by one in App Store Connect, and room for up to 10,000 external testers per app. It effectively turns your closed beta into an Open Beta.
Before public links, beta testing on iOS meant collecting email addresses, entering them in App Store Connect, and waiting for each tester to accept an invitation. In practice, it was slow. The public link removes that whole loop.
How to Create a Public Link
- Log in to App Store Connect.
- Go to Apps and select your app.
- Click on the TestFlight tab.
- In the left sidebar, click the (+) icon next to "External Testing" to create a new group (e.g., "Public Beta"). An internal testing group has to exist first.
- Add a build to this group. Note: This typically triggers a Beta App Review.
- Open the group's Testers tab and click Create Public Link.
- Choose Open to Anyone and click Confirm. (Filter by Criteria instead limits who can join by device and OS version.)
You will now see a URL like https://testflight.apple.com/join/xxxxxx. Copy this and share it anywhere!
What a tester actually does
The link only works if the tester has Apple's TestFlight app. The full path on their iPhone is:
- Tap your public link. If TestFlight is not installed, iOS opens the App Store to TestFlight → install it.
- Reopen the link (or open TestFlight and it appears). Tap Accept, then Install.
- Launch the build from the Home Screen or from inside TestFlight.
Every external build carries a 90-day expiry, after which TestFlight shows "This beta has expired" until you ship a new build. If you want testers to skip the TestFlight app entirely, an over-the-air (OTA) install link loads straight from Safari with no extra app.
Fix “Testers cannot join public link until this group has an approved build”
App Store Connect shows this message on an external group whose public link exists but which has no build that has passed Beta App Review yet. The link and the review are separate: the link can exist while the group's build is still waiting for review, but nobody can join through it until a build in that group is approved. (Apple's help now calls the review TestFlight App Review; it is the same gate.) To clear the message:
- In App Store Connect, open your app, click the TestFlight tab and select the group under External Testing.
- Click Add Builds (or the + next to Builds), choose the platform and version, select the build and click Add.
- Enter What to Test. If you have not yet given test information such as a feedback email and contact information, enter that too.
- Depending on the build's status, the button reads Submit Review or Start Testing; click whichever appears.
- Wait for Apple's decision. Users with the Admin role get an email when the build is approved. A rejected build shows the status Rejected, and App Review under General in the sidebar explains why.
- If you left Automatically notify testers unticked, Apple requires you to distribute the approved build yourself: in the sidebar under Builds, click your app's platform, choose the version and click Notify Testers on the build's row.
Once the group holds an approved build, the link you already shared starts accepting testers, so there is no need to make a new one. Only one build of each version can be in review at a time; the first build needs a full review, and later builds of the same version may not. If you set tester criteria on the link, also check the insight cards at the top of the group page, which flag when none of the group's builds is compatible with those criteria.
If you need testers on a build before Apple has looked at it, an over-the-air install link skips Beta App Review entirely, as long as the build is signed for your testers' devices: see BetaDrop's TestFlight alternative.
Best Practices for Public Links
1. Set a Tester Limit
You can cap the number of testers who can join via the link (for example, the first 1,000 users). This is great for creating exclusivity or managing server load. The overall ceiling is still 10,000 external testers per app.
2. Provide Clear Instructions
Don't just paste the link. Tell users:
"Step 1: Install the TestFlight app from the App Store."
"Step 2: Tap this link to join our beta."
3. Monitor Feedback
Since you don't collect emails upfront, you don't know who your testers are. Encourage them to send feedback through the TestFlight app (by taking a screenshot) or include a feedback form inside your app.
Limitations
- Anonymity: You won't see the email addresses of users who join via public link. They appear as "Anonymous" in your tester list.
- Review time: Every new version requires Beta App Review before the public link works for that version, so a same-day fix can still be gated behind the review queue.
- TestFlight required: Testers must install Apple's TestFlight app first; you cannot hand them a plain install button.
- Hard cap: The 10,000-tester limit is fixed. If you outgrow it, you need a different distribution path — see distributing iOS apps without TestFlight.
Skip the review queue with an OTA link
If waiting on Beta App Review slows your release cadence, an over-the-air link is the faster path. BetaDrop is a free TestFlight alternative: upload an .ipa and get an instant OTA install link plus a QR code, with no Apple review and no TestFlight app for your testers to install. BetaDrop does have its own per-app device cap: 10 on the free plan, 50 on Pro and unlimited on Studio. Drop a build on the upload IPA page and share the link in seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many testers can I invite via a TestFlight public link?
TestFlight public links let you invite up to 10,000 external testers per app. That is a hard ceiling set by Apple, so the link stops accepting new testers once you hit it.
Do public link builds require Apple review?
Yes. Before a public link goes live, that build (or an earlier build of the same version) must pass Apple Beta App Review. Internal testers on your team can install without this review, but external public link testers cannot.
Why does App Store Connect say “Testers cannot join public link until this group has an approved build”?
Because no build in that external group has passed Beta App Review yet. You can create a public link before any build is approved, but nobody can join through it until one is. Add a build to the group, enter What to Test and click Submit Review; once Apple approves the build, the same link starts accepting testers. To get testers onto a build without Beta App Review, use an over-the-air install link instead.
Do my testers need the TestFlight app to use a public link?
Yes. Anyone who taps a TestFlight public link must first install the free TestFlight app from the App Store, then reopen the link to download and run your beta build.
Does every new version need Beta App Review before the public link works?
The first build of each new version must pass Beta App Review before its public link accepts installs. Later builds uploaded under the same version number usually go live without waiting for another full review, unless they add features that require one.
Can I disable the public link later?
Yes, you can disable the public link at any time in App Store Connect. Anyone who already installed the build can keep using it until that build expires, which is 90 days after upload.
What is the difference between a TestFlight public link and a BetaDrop OTA link?
A TestFlight public link routes testers through the TestFlight app and requires Beta App Review, with a 10,000-tester cap. A BetaDrop link is an instant over-the-air install link plus QR code: testers install straight from their phone browser, with no Apple review, no Apple tester slots to manage, and no TestFlight account. BetaDrop applies its own per-app device cap instead — 10 on the free plan, 50 on Pro, unlimited on Studio.
The trade-offs
TestFlight Public Links remove a lot of friction from iOS beta testing: you can share your beta on Twitter, Reddit, or your newsletter and let testers self-serve. Just remember the trade-offs — Beta App Review on every version, the 10,000-tester cap, and a required TestFlight install. When those get in the way, an OTA link is the faster route.
