TestFlight finally lands on macOS Monterey for all users

Apple announced few months ago that its beta testing tool — TestFlight — is coming to macOS. It first released the app in beta for developers to test back in August, but the public can finally start using it now, too. Just like other Apple software, TestFlight is available to download from the Mac App Store, if you’re running macOS 12 Monterey.

According to MacRumors, TestFlight has finally made it to the Mac. Previously, the app was available to beta test software across iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. For some reason, macOS had been excluded, but that’s no longer the case. While Mac users can still download beta builds from developers’ websites, TestFlight provides a simpler, safer, and more effective process.

TestFlight allows developers to invite up to 10,000 people — publicly or via email — to participate in their beta program. Apple collects crash logs and relevant information and sends them to developers. That’s along with any other comments a user might want to add to the report. This helps pinpoint what triggers a certain bug and makes patching it easier.

The first build of an app submitted to TestFlight has to be reviewed and approved by Apple. So it’s a safer source to test apps in beta, when compared to downloading apps directly from the web. This tool also enables developers to create several internal groups for a certain beta app. So they can upload tweaked builds to different users at any time. It’s particularly useful when a developer is testing a few new features separately.

It’s unclear why Apple has waited this long to bring this app to the Mac. Their Universal App support makes it relatively easy to port iOS/iPadOS apps to macOS. It’s also worth mentioning that according to the Mac App Store, TestFlight is only supported on macOS 12 Monterey. So if you’re running an older version, you’re out of luck.

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The post TestFlight finally lands on macOS Monterey for all users appeared first on xda-developers.

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