Part 12 Full guide
Developer accounts and testing
Join Apple's and Google's developer programs, put a real build of your app on your own phone and on your testers' phones, send small fixes as instant updates, and write a "What's new" note for every build.
Until now your app has lived on your own phone through Expo Go. This part makes it real: a copy with its own name and icon that installs by itself, first on your phone, then on your testers' phones through TestFlight and Google Play. To get there you join the stores' developer programs, make your app's record in each store, and pick up the two habits that save the most time later: instant updates for small fixes, and a "What's new" note written before every build.
Plan on about a day of work spread over a couple of weeks, because some of it is waiting: for Apple to confirm your membership, for Apple's beta review, and for Google's closed test to run its course. Each step says when to start a wait, so it overlaps with your building instead of adding to it. iPhone readers see the Apple steps, Android readers the Google steps, and everyone the last two.
Your first testers are close by: the people at your local game shop, your trading group, the sellers at the next table at a show. This part gets your app onto their phones, and their feedback back to you.
- 1Do you need to pay? Use your app free on your own phone Full guide, coming soon
- 2Join the Apple Developer Program iPhone only Full guide, coming soon
- 3Individual or company? iPhone only Full guide, coming soon
- 4Make your app in App Store Connect iPhone only Full guide, coming soon
- 5Pick the oldest iPhone you support iPhone only Full guide, coming soon
- 6Your first TestFlight build iPhone only Full guide, coming soon
- 7Invite testers on TestFlight iPhone only Full guide, coming soon
- 8Use a rented Mac for iPhone builds (Windows PC) iPhone onlyWindows onlyAdvanced Full guide, coming soon
- 9Apple's approvals and waiting lists iPhone only Full guide, coming soon
- 10Make a Google Play developer account Android only Full guide, coming soon
- 11Personal or organization account? Android only Full guide, coming soon
- 12Make your app in Play Console Android only Full guide, coming soon
- 13Your first Android build Android only Full guide, coming soon
- 14Internal testing on Google Play Android only Full guide, coming soon
- 15The closed test before launch Android only Full guide, coming soon
- 16Instant updates, and what forces a new build Full guide, coming soon
- 17A "What's new" note for every build Full guide, coming soon