Upload iOS builds to TestFlight with Devin

Set up App Store Connect, an API key, and Devin secrets so Devin can archive an iOS app on a macOS VM and upload the build to TestFlight.

Time: 2–10 minutes. Requires: a paid Apple Developer Program membership.

Devin can archive an iOS app, sign it, upload it to TestFlight, and add the build to a beta group. It runs xcodebuild on a macOS VM and authenticates with an App Store Connect API key that you store as Devin secrets.

Before Devin can upload a build, you need to:

1. Set up your app in App Store Connect.
2. Create an App Store Connect API key.
3. Add the key and your Team ID to Devin as secrets.
4. Make sure Devin can reach Apple’s servers.

Uploading to TestFlight requires macOS sessions. If you’re on a Dedicated SaaS deployment, contact your account team to enable macOS VMs.

Requirements

Requirement	Detail
Apple Developer Program membership	A paid membership for the team that owns the app.
App record in App Store Connect	An app with the same bundle ID as the Xcode project.
App Store Connect API key	A team key with the App Manager role.
Devin secrets	ASC_KEY_ID, ASC_ISSUER_ID, ASC_PRIVATE_KEY, and APPLE_TEAM_ID.
Network access	Devin’s macOS VM can reach Apple’s servers.

Set up App Store Connect

Do these steps in the Apple Developer portal and App Store Connect. Devin can’t do them for you: most require an Account Holder or Admin, and some need two-factor authentication on a person’s Apple Account.

1. Accept the latest agreements

   The Account Holder signs in to App Store Connect and accepts any pending agreements in Business. Uploads fail while a required agreement is pending.

2. Register the bundle ID

   In the Apple Developer portal, go to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Identifiers and register an App ID that matches the bundle ID of your app target. Skip this step if the identifier already exists.

3. Create the app record

   In App Store Connect, go to Apps, click +, and select New App. Choose the platform, name, primary language, the bundle ID from the previous step, and a SKU. TestFlight uploads fail if no app record exists for the bundle ID.

4. Create a beta group

   Open the app, go to TestFlight, and create a group:

   • Internal testing: testers must be users on your App Store Connect team. Builds are available as soon as processing finishes.
   • External testing: testers can be anyone with an email address or a public link. Fill in Test Information (beta app description, feedback email, and review contact details) first. The first build for each version goes through Beta App Review.
5. Answer export compliance

   Every build must answer the export compliance question before testers can install it. To skip the question for each build, set ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption in your app’s Info.plist. Set it to NO if the app uses only exempt encryption, such as HTTPS.

Create an App Store Connect API key

Devin authenticates with an App Store Connect API key, not an Apple Account. The key doesn’t need two-factor authentication.

1. Enable API access

   In App Store Connect, go to Users and Access → Integrations → App Store Connect API. If API access isn’t enabled yet, the Account Holder clicks Request Access and accepts the terms.

2. Generate a team key

   Under Team Keys, click +. Enter a name, such as Devin TestFlight, and select the App Manager role. You need the Admin role to generate a key. If Xcode can’t create a distribution certificate with an App Manager key, generate a key with the Admin role instead.

3. Download the private key

   Click Download next to the new key to save AuthKey_<KEY_ID>.p8. Apple lets you download the file only once. If you lose it, revoke the key and generate a new one.

4. Copy the Issuer ID and Key ID

   The Issuer ID is shown above the keys table. The Key ID is in the key’s row.

5. Find your Team ID

   In the Apple Developer portal, go to Membership details and copy the Team ID. It’s a 10-character string, such as A1B2C3D4E5.

Anyone who has the .p8 file can upload builds and manage TestFlight for every app on your team. Store it only in Devin secrets, and don’t commit it to a repository.

Add secrets to Devin

Add the following values as raw secrets on the Secrets page:

Secret name	Value	Where to find it
ASC_KEY_ID	Key ID, such as 2X9R4HXF34	App Store Connect → Users and Access → Integrations → App Store Connect API
ASC_ISSUER_ID	Issuer ID, a UUID	Same page, above the keys table
ASC_PRIVATE_KEY	Full contents of AuthKey_<KEY_ID>.p8, including the -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- and -----END PRIVATE KEY----- lines	The file you downloaded when you created the key
APPLE_TEAM_ID	Team ID, such as A1B2C3D4E5	Apple Developer portal → Membership details

To copy the private key on a Mac, run:

pbcopy < AuthKey_<KEY_ID>.p8

Choose a scope for the secrets:

• Organization: every session in your organization can use the key. Use this scope when the team ships builds with Devin.
• Personal: only sessions you start can use the key.

Secrets are only available in sessions started after you add them. For more on scopes, see Secrets.

Allow network access

Devin’s macOS VM needs to reach Apple’s servers to sign and upload builds. If your organization uses a restricted network policy, add api.appstoreconnect.apple.com and the other Apple hosts that xcodebuild uses for signing and uploads. Allowing *.apple.com covers them.

A blocked host usually shows up as an authentication error, not a network error. See Troubleshooting.

Upload a build

Start a macOS session and ask Devin to upload a build:

Archive the MyApp scheme and upload it to TestFlight. Use a build number
higher than the latest build in App Store Connect, add the build to the
"QA" group, and send me the build number when it's done.

Devin uses the secrets to do the following:

1. Write ASC_PRIVATE_KEY to ~/.appstoreconnect/private_keys/AuthKey_$ASC_KEY_ID.p8 with 0600 permissions.
2. Check the latest build number with the App Store Connect API and pick a higher one.
3. Archive the app with xcodebuild archive.
4. Sign and upload the build with xcodebuild -exportArchive.
5. Wait for processing to finish, then add the build to the beta group with the App Store Connect API.

The export step uses an export options plist with destination set to upload:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
  <key>method</key><string>app-store-connect</string>
  <key>destination</key><string>upload</string>
  <key>teamID</key><string>A1B2C3D4E5</string>
  <key>signingStyle</key><string>automatic</string>
</dict>
</plist>

And these commands:

xcodebuild -project MyApp.xcodeproj -scheme MyApp \
  -configuration Release -destination 'generic/platform=iOS' \
  -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive \
  CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION=<build-number> archive

xcodebuild -exportArchive \
  -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive \
  -exportOptionsPlist ExportOptions.plist \
  -exportPath build/export \
  -allowProvisioningUpdates \
  -authenticationKeyID "$ASC_KEY_ID" \
  -authenticationKeyIssuerID "$ASC_ISSUER_ID" \
  -authenticationKeyPath ~/.appstoreconnect/private_keys/AuthKey_$ASC_KEY_ID.p8

-allowProvisioningUpdates lets Xcode create the distribution certificate and provisioning profile with the API key, so the VM doesn’t need signing assets installed.

If your repository already has a release script, such as a fastlane lane or a make target, tell Devin to use it. fastlane accepts the same key through app_store_connect_api_key.

Save the steps in your blueprint

To avoid repeating the instructions in every prompt, add them to the knowledge section of your repository’s blueprint:

runs-on: macos

knowledge:
  - name: testflight
    contents: |
      To upload a TestFlight build:
      1. Write $ASC_PRIVATE_KEY to ~/.appstoreconnect/private_keys/AuthKey_$ASC_KEY_ID.p8 (chmod 600).
      2. Use a build number higher than the latest build in App Store Connect.
      3. Archive the MyApp scheme, then run xcodebuild -exportArchive with
         ExportOptions.plist (destination: upload, teamID: $APPLE_TEAM_ID),
         -allowProvisioningUpdates, and the -authenticationKey* flags.
      4. Add the build to the "QA" beta group.

Troubleshooting

No Accounts with App Store Connect Access or Failed to Use Accounts during export. Check network access first. If the VM can’t reach Apple’s servers, xcodebuild reports this error even when the key is valid. Look for ITunesConnectFoundationErrorDomain Code=-1003 in the lines above it. If the network is fine, check that the key has the App Manager role.

No profiles for '<bundle ID>' were found. The bundle ID isn’t registered for the team in APPLE_TEAM_ID, or no app record exists for it in App Store Connect.

The provided entity includes an attribute with a value that has already been used. The build number was already used for this version. Upload again with a higher build number.

The build uploads but testers can’t install it. Check the build in App Store Connect → TestFlight. It may still be processing, be missing export compliance information, or be waiting for Beta App Review.

Xcode can’t create a distribution certificate. The key’s role doesn’t allow managing certificates. Generate a key with the Admin role, or have an Admin create the distribution certificate in the Apple Developer portal.

Environment variables are empty in the session. Secrets are only available in sessions started after you add them. Start a new session.