Review and Deploy

Deploying an iOS app is fundamentally different from pushing to Vercel. Apple reviews every submission — plan for 1-3 business days. This doc walks you through the full process from Archive to App Store.

What you need before starting

• Apple Developer Program membership ($149/year) — required for App Store + TestFlight
• App icon at 1024×1024px (PNG, no transparency, no rounded corners — Apple applies those)
• App Store screenshots for required device sizes
• Privacy policy URL (required for any app)
• Age rating completed

Step 1: Configure signing

Automatic signing handles most of this for you:

1. In Xcode, select your project in the navigator
2. Select the target (your app name)
3. Go to Signing & Capabilities
4. Check Automatically manage signing
5. Select your Team (your Apple Developer account)
6. Xcode will create provisioning profiles automatically

Step 2: Set the build version

Every submission needs a unique build number. Version is what users see (1.0, 1.1, 2.0). Build is internal and must increment with every upload.

# In your project Info.plist or Xcode build settings:
# CFBundleShortVersionString = 1.0.0  (user-visible version)
# CFBundleVersion = 1               (build number, increment each upload)

Step 3: Archive the build

1. In Xcode, select Any iOS Device (arm64) as the destination — not a Simulator
2. Choose Product → Archive
3. Xcode builds and archives the app — this takes 2-5 minutes
4. The Organizer window opens automatically when complete

Step 4: Upload to TestFlight

1. In Organizer, select your archive and click Distribute App
2. Choose App Store Connect
3. Choose Upload (not Export)
4. Click through the distribution options (defaults are fine)
5. Click Upload

Processing takes 15-30 minutes. You'll get an email from Apple when the build is ready.

Step 5: TestFlight internal testing

Test with internal testers (up to 100 team members — no review required) before going public:

1. Go to App Store Connect → Your App → TestFlight
2. Under Internal Testing, create a group
3. Add testers by Apple ID email
4. They'll get an email to install via the TestFlight app

Step 6: App Store Connect metadata

While testers are testing, prepare your App Store page:

• App name (30 characters max)
• Subtitle (30 characters) — appears under the name
• Description (4000 characters) — first few lines are most important
• Keywords (100 characters) — comma-separated, no spaces around commas
• Screenshots — required: 6.9" iPhone (iPhone 16 Pro Max), optional but recommended: 5.5" iPhone
• App preview video — optional but increases conversion
• Category — choose carefully, affects discoverability
• Privacy policy URL — required, no exceptions

Step 7: Submit for review

1. In App Store Connect, go to your app's App Store tab
2. Select the build you want to submit
3. Complete the App Review Information (demo account if needed, notes for reviewer)
4. Answer the Advertising Identifier and Export Compliance questions
5. Click Submit for Review

Apple's review team will check your app against the App Store Review Guidelines. Common reasons for rejection are in the Troubleshooting doc. First-time review typically takes 1-2 business days.

When it's approved

You'll get an email. Your app will either go live automatically or wait for you to release it manually — configure this in App Store Connect under App Store → Version Release.