Why TestFlight Testers Don't Send Feedback (and How to Fix It)

Quick answer: TestFlight testers don't send feedback when they do not know what you want or how to send it. They also stay silent when they have no reason to do it this week. To fix this:

• Write a short What to Test note with three tasks.
• Set a deadline.
• Tell testers how screenshot feedback works. They take a screenshot in your app, tap the thumbnail, then tap Share Beta Feedback.
• Send a personal message to each tester. Thank them.

You read all feedback in App Store Connect, on the TestFlight tab of your app, under Feedback.

You sent the invitation. Twenty people installed the build. Two people replied, and one of them wrote "looks good".

This is common. You can fix most of it without new testers. If you still need testers, start with our guide on where to find beta testers.

Why testers stay silent

No clear ask

"Install my beta and tell me what you think" is not a task. Testers do not know what "what you think" means. So they open the app, tap a few screens and close it.

If you ask no question, testers have nothing to answer.

They don't know about screenshot feedback

In TestFlight, testers can send a screenshot with comments from inside your app. After a crash, they can share a crash report with comments (TestFlight for testers).

Many testers have never used this feature. If testers must write an email, find your address and attach a screenshot, most of them do not do it.

The build is not where they expect

The beta is in the TestFlight app, not in the App Store. There are other problems too:

• Each build is available for 90 days from upload. So an old invitation can lead to an expired build.
• A public link can filter by device and OS version. So some people cannot join at all.
• When you add a build to an external group, "Automatically notify testers" is optional. If you do not select it, the build does not go to testers until you distribute it by hand.

No deadline

If a beta has no end date, testers put it at the end of their to-do list. Then it stays there.

No thanks

Testers give you their time for free. If nobody replies to their first report, they do not send a second one.

How to fix it

Write a What to Test note people can act on

You write the What to Test note when you add a build for testing. In its TestFlight tech talk, Apple says that testers see this note first when they open TestFlight.

Apple recommends short sentences or bullet points that name the features to test and the known issues.

A weak note:

Bug fixes and improvements. Let us know what you think!

A strong note:

Build 14. Please spend 10 minutes on this before Friday:

1. Create an account and finish onboarding.
2. Add your first expense and set a weekly budget.
3. Open the Insights tab and tell us if the chart makes sense.

Known issue: the Settings screen shows wrong colors in dark mode. To send feedback, take a screenshot in the app. Then tap the thumbnail and tap Share Beta Feedback.

Give a short task list

Give three tasks, and give each task a clear end. "Add an expense" has an end. "Explore the app" does not.

With tasks, you can also compare the reports. If three of five testers cannot complete task two, you know where to work.

Set a deadline

One week is enough for most rounds. Send one reminder two days before the end.

When the round ends, tell the testers. Also tell them what happens next.

Tell testers how to send screenshot feedback

Put the steps in What to Test and in your invitation. These are the steps on iPhone, from Apple's TestFlight page for testers:

1. Take a screenshot in the beta app.
2. Tap the thumbnail in the lower-left corner.
3. Mark up the screenshot if necessary. Then tap Done.
4. Tap Share Beta Feedback. Add your comments, then tap Submit.

Testers can also send feedback from the TestFlight app. They open TestFlight, choose your app and tap Send Beta Feedback.

In both cases, comments can have up to 4,000 characters, so a full paragraph fits.

After a crash, TestFlight shows an alert. The alert offers to send the crash details to you, unless you turned off this type of feedback. Ask testers to tap Share and to add one sentence about what they were doing.

Add a short survey for what screenshots can't show

Screenshots are good for "this broke here". They are bad for "would you pay for this?" or "what did you expect the app to do?".

Put a link to a three-question form in What to Test or in a later message. Make at least one question open-ended, with no answer options.

Follow up personally

A personal message gets answers that a group invitation never gets.

If you invite testers by email, App Store Connect shows their email addresses. Testers who join through a public link are anonymous, unless they add an email address to their feedback. You still see their install date, sessions and crashes (Invite external testers).

So invite your most important testers by email. Then you can write to each one.

Run small groups in rounds

With groups, you can send a build to a few people and fix the problems that they find. Then you send the next build to a new group. Apple's tech talk describes groups as a way to create "repeatable testing processes".

Research from Nielsen Norman Group shows that about five users per round find most usability problems. A second round shows if your fixes worked.

Our guide on how many testers you need gives more detail.

Say thank you

Reply to every report, even with one line. Tell testers what you changed because of their reports. If they agree, name them in the release notes.

When testers see that their report became a fix, they send the next report.

Where to read feedback and crash reports in App Store Connect

1. In App Store Connect, open Apps and choose your app.
2. Click the TestFlight tab.
3. In the sidebar, under Feedback, click Screenshots or Crashes.

Each item shows the tester, the device, the OS version and the app version. It also shows the comments and the screenshot or crash report.

To filter the list, click Add Filter. You can filter by platform, app version, build group, build, OS version or device.

You can download an item as a .zip file. You can open screenshot feedback in Xcode. Crash feedback is available for download for 120 days.

To get new feedback automatically, use webhooks or the App Store Connect API. Apple's View tester feedback help page describes all of this.

Also check the tester metrics. If a tester has no sessions, they did not use the build. If a tester has sessions but no feedback, send that tester a personal message.

A tester message template

When a build is ready, send this message by email or direct message. Replace the parts in square brackets.

Hi [name], thanks for joining the [app name] beta.

Build [number] is ready in TestFlight. It takes about 10 minutes. Please try these three things by [day]:

1. [Task one, with a clear end]
2. [Task two]
3. [Task three]

The easiest way to send feedback: take a screenshot in the app and tap the thumbnail in the corner. Then tap Share Beta Feedback and write what you expected to happen.

If the app crashes, tap Share on the alert. Add one line about what you were doing.

I also have three quick questions here: [form link].

I read every report, and I'll tell you what changed because of yours. Thank you!

[Your name]

After launch

TestFlight is for builds before release. But you still need feedback after a version is live.

Raizy is a free feedback exchange for indie iOS developers. It works for apps that are already on the App Store.

Each feedback session must have a screen recording or a screenshot, and written notes. A moderator checks each session before any credit moves. The moderator rejects low-effort feedback.

You earn credits by testing other developers' apps. Raizy does not take TestFlight builds. Read how feedback on a live iOS app works.