Share builds with testers through Oore

Testers sign in to Oore on their phone, see the latest build of each app they can access, install it, and send feedback that lands on the build. Nothing goes through a store, so a build reaches testers as soon as it succeeds.

Choose how testers get builds

Use the stores when testers are outside your company or you want store review early. Use Oore when testers are your own team and should get every build within minutes, including Android debug builds and iOS ad hoc builds.

What you need

• External Access with OIDC or Trusted Proxy, so testers can sign in from their phones. For iOS installs, the address must use HTTPS. How External Access works explains the change from Local Only.
• Instance owner or admin access, to invite testers, and project maintainer access to add them to the project.
• A pipeline that produces an installable file:
  • Android: any .apk. The Debug APK pipeline from Build your first Android app works. A .aab cannot be installed from Oore.
  • iOS: an .ipa signed for Ad hoc distribution. An App Store IPA from the TestFlight path cannot be installed from Oore. Step 3 sets this up.

1. Invite each tester as a QA Viewer

1. Open Settings > Users and select Invite user.
2. Enter the tester’s Email, exactly as your identity provider sends it.
3. For Instance role, choose QA Viewer.
4. Select Send invite, then send the tester the External Access address of Oore.

A QA Viewer can see builds, install artifacts, and send feedback in the projects you add them to, and nothing else. See Invite a team member for details.

2. Add testers to the project

1. Open the project and its Settings tab.
2. In the Access section, select Add members.
3. Pick the testers, or paste their emails.
4. Keep Project role at Viewer. A QA Viewer is always limited to Viewer.
5. Select Add N people.

To add testers to several projects at once, see Manage roles and project access.

3. Build an installable iOS version

Skip this step for Android.

An iOS build installs only on iPhones whose UDID is in its provisioning profile. Keep the TestFlight pipeline as it is and add a second pipeline for testers:

1. On the project’s Pipelines tab, select Add pipeline, then Custom. Name it iOS ad hoc, and under Platforms select only iOS.
2. Under Signing > iOS, turn on Enable iOS signing. Choose Ad hoc for Distribution and API (App Store Connect automation) for Signing mode. Enter the same Apple Team ID, Bundle identifiers and App Store Connect API key as your TestFlight pipeline.
3. Under Build > Artifacts, set the pattern to build/ios/ipa/*.ipa.
4. Select Create pipeline.
5. Open the pipeline’s Edit page. Under Registered iOS devices, enter each tester’s Device name and UDID, and select Register device. Oore registers the device with Apple and syncs the profiles.
6. Run a build of the iOS ad hoc pipeline.

Register a device before the build that should install on it. A device registered later needs a new build. Finding a UDID and fixing sync problems are covered in Register an iOS test device.

4. Testers install the latest build

The tester opens the Oore address on their phone and signs in. Instead of the operator dashboard, a QA Viewer sees Your apps:

1. If they can access more than one project, they pick the app at the top.
2. Latest release shows the newest successful build with an installable file, what changed, and an Android or iOS button.
3. The button opens the install page. On Android, the tester selects Install, allows the browser to install unknown apps if asked, and opens the APK. On an iPhone, the tester selects Install and confirms the iOS prompt.

The install page works in Safari, Chrome and other full browsers. Browsers inside other apps, such as Gmail, can drop the iOS install link. The page then shows a hint and a Copy link button to open it in a full browser.

You can also send a tester to one build directly. On the build page, open an artifact’s Install page and select Copy link. The tester still signs in, and sees the build only if they can access the project.

Each install starts a delivery session that lasts up to one hour. How artifact delivery works explains the limits.

5. Testers send feedback

On Your apps, the tester selects Feedback on the latest release. They describe What happened?, check the Device, OS version and App version that Oore filled in, add a screenshot if it helps, and select Send feedback.

The note appears on the build’s timeline, with its screenshot. To get notes in Slack, Mattermost or email as they arrive, add the Tester feedback event to a channel in Set up notifications.

Screenshots can be PNG, JPEG or WebP, up to 5 MiB. Each person can send up to 10 notes in 10 minutes.

Send one file without an account

For someone who has no Oore account, such as a client checking an Android build, a developer can create a link that works without sign-in:

1. On the build page, find the artifact and select Share.
2. Select Create share link….
3. Choose how long it lasts under Expires after, from 1 hour to 7 days. Select Limit to one download if the link should work once.
4. Select Create link, then Copy link. Oore shows the link only once.

Anyone who has the link can download the file until it expires, so send it only to the intended person. The link downloads the file. It does not install an iOS build, so use it for APKs and other files. It uses the External Access address, so it does not work from another device in Local Only.

Share > Copy download link gives a link that lasts only 15 minutes, for quick handovers.

Verify the result

• The tester signs in on their phone and sees Your apps with the project and its latest release.
• The app installs from the Android or iOS button and opens.
• A test note sent with Feedback appears on the build’s timeline.

Troubleshooting

The tester sees “No apps shared with you yet”

Their account is not a member of any project. Add them in the project’s Access section. Check that the email they sign in with matches the invitation.

The tester sees “No release is ready to test”

The project has no successful build with an APK or an install-ready IPA. A .aab or an App Store IPA does not count. Run a build of a pipeline that produces one.

iOS says the app cannot be installed

The iPhone’s UDID is not in the build’s provisioning profile. Register the device, then run a new build.

The install page cannot be opened on the phone

The phone cannot reach the Oore address, or it uses HTTP for an iOS install. Check the External Access address from the phone’s browser.

The share link does not open on another device

Oore is in Local Only, so the link points to 127.0.0.1. Set up External Access, then create a new link.

Next step

Set up notifications so tester feedback and failed builds reach your team where it already talks.