martinpuli/createanapp/ios-release-tester

iOS Release Tester

Test the commercial and operational lifecycle of the exact release candidate. A clean compile is only the first row of evidence.

Identify the candidate

Record commit, marketing version, build number, scheme/configuration, bundle ID, archive path, Xcode/SDK, supported devices, minimum OS, StoreKit product IDs, and metadata revision. Confirm Xcode/SDK eligibility against ../../docs/current-apple-requirements.md. Run scripts/inspect_xcode_project.sh <project-root> for a sanitized first pass.

Build the matrix

Cover:

• clean build and complete automated suite;
• smallest/largest supported devices and every declared family;
• orientations and iPad multitasking/window widths if supported;
• current release OS plus minimum supported OS where feasible;
• clean install, upgrade/migration, termination/relaunch, offline, storage/error recovery;
• core journeys, destructive actions, imports/exports, sharing, permissions, support/legal links;
• VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, contrast, focus, keyboard/pointer/Pencil where promised;
• privacy manifest, entitlements, SDK/network inventory, and permission strings;
• release archive, signing, export validation, upload processing, TestFlight installation.
• account creation/deletion, third-party login, UGC moderation, and regulated workflows when present.

Test StoreKit as a state machine

Layer evidence:

1. Local StoreKit configuration: deterministic product/purchase/refund/expiration tests.
2. Sandbox or TestFlight: real configured products and Apple account flow.
3. App relaunch/offline: entitlement reconstruction and cache limits.
4. Transaction change: renewal, cancellation at period end, billing retry/grace if used, refund/revocation, upgrade/downgrade.
5. Restore: fresh install/device where feasible and clear no-purchase behavior.

Verify product identifiers, localized price/period, entitlement mapping, legal copy, close path, and access to paid value. Do not call local StoreKit proof “TestFlight tested.”

Test persistence and exports

Confirm exact save/load round trip, atomicity/transaction behavior, migration, corruption handling, deletion semantics, backup/export, and the documented container location. For PDF/SVG/media exports, parse or reopen outputs and verify format, dimensions, page count, scale, content, and error handling; tapping Share is not proof.

Run visual review

Invoke $apple-app-designer. Capture screenshots of every primary task on each supported width class. Specifically reject layouts with vertical-letter wrapping, hidden/truncated meaning, overlapping controls, unreachable actions, or inspectors that crush primary content.

Preserve evidence

Save command/tool version, result bundle, logs, screenshots, output artifacts, archive validation, TestFlight build, and defects. Redact credentials and personal/tester data.

Classify failures as product, test, environment, account, or external service. Never dismiss a failure as flaky without repeated evidence and a root-cause record.

Release verdict

Return PASS, CONDITIONAL, or STOP-SHIP. Use PASS only when every requirement in the release matrix is proven for the same candidate and no severe defect remains. List residual risks, invalidation triggers, and human TestFlight checks.

Read references/release-matrix.md for the required evidence table.