Apple Inc. (AAPL) To Close Original TestFlight Beta Testing Service In February

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) released the TestFlight app officially in 2014 soon after it acquired TestFlight developer Burstly. Now, after almost a year, the company is closing the original web-based testing platform of TestFlight in February.

Developers already notified

To prepare for the switch, the developers will be allowed a time frame of few weeks by the company. For being able to continue testing the apps the testers will be required to download the TestFlight app. The upcoming change was announced by the TestFlight team on Monday through an article. Also, the users registered with the legacy site were sent an email by the TestFlight team. The date for shutting down of TestFlight.com is mentioned as February 26.

“The services offered at TestFlightApp.com will no longer be available after February 26, 2015. To prepare for the TestFlightapp.com closure, developers and team leaders are recommended to transfer their testers to the all-new TestFlight Beta Testing in iTunes Connect,” said the article from TestFlight team.

Compatible with Apple iOS 8

Developers will be required to transfer the apps, as well as, beta versions over the new system in the iTunes Connect before it is scrapped as the apps on the original version won’t get ported automatically. For making the switch smoother and hassle free, several steps, that need to be followed, have been outlined in an article by the TestFlight. Also, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s TestFlight is compatible with iOS 8 devices, so best testing will be limited to the iOS 8 devices.

TestFlight is an app-testing platform used by developers to share the builds with the testers before the app is made available in the App Store. Previously, TestFlightApp.com and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s TestFlight operated as separate services. The new version of the platform from Apple is different from the original platform as the former requires a thorough review of the apps before the initial submission.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) acquired Burstly in February of last year. Financial terms of the deal were not made public, however at that time it was speculated that the iPhone maker has gone for a so-called “acqui-hire,” but speculations proved wrong later when the TestFlight was spotted in iOS 8 betas.