How to configure a Xcode project for beta testing with TestFlightApp?

Question

I signed up for TestFlight.

Then I followed all steps in this tutorial:

But Xcode throws this warning:

Application failed codesign verification. The signature was invalid, contains disallowed entitlements, or it was not signed with an iPhone Distribution Certificate. (-19011)

It smells like there is a lot more work to do than what they wrote in the tutorial. Is there a complete tutorial which walks through every step without stepping over anything?

And do I need to add the SDK even for simple beta tests? (Edit: No, SDK is not needed!)

Answer 1

Start with logging into the Provisioning Portal, and adding a test device or two, under Devices. Then go to Provisioning and create a new one for the appID you are working on and add those devices.

Back to Xcode and use the Organizer:Devices:Provisioning Profiles to download (refresh) the Provisioning Profile. Set your project's Debug scheme's signing to use that developer profile. You should then be able to build and then archive. Once archived, do an ad hoc distribution and save off that file to the desktop.

Go to your account on TestFlightApp.com and press the Upload Build button. Drop the file you saved on your desktop, into the Build upload area. TestFlightApp will give you errors if the app wasn't bundled for adhoc or signed properly.

Now, here is where TestFlightApp.com will save you work. Send out invites to friends from within TestFlightApp.com. TestFlightApp.com will manage notifying them and as they create an account, it will also help them find their UDIDs. These UDID's can be batched up and later downloaded by you and re-uploaded to the Apple Provisioning Center, into your devices section.

You then use Xcode to refresh your profiles, and rebuild the app, archive, and upload to testflightapp. Then you can select which one of your testers will get to see this build and what message they should be sent. Your testers will not have to figure out how to download the files and install them using iTunes or other app, they merely press the install button.

Believe me, while it is still a bit of work, it is so much better than not using TestFlightApp.com, especially if your users are not very savvy about app installation. In the future, you can use the TestFLight SDK to gather crash reports and usage information for your debug builds.

See the following for some more info: TestFlight beta-testing iOS app