Xcode · App Store Connect

Run TestFlight from Xcode

A build lands in App Store Connect. Ask Xcode to give it to your internal and beta groups, write What to Test from the commits, answer export compliance, and later pull the crash reports testers sent.

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Setup checked October 2026 against Apple: extending and customizing agents, giving external agents access to Xcode

01 · Uplink

Connect Xcode once

01 · Add the MetaRun plug-in

In Xcode 27, open Settings, Intelligence, Plug-ins. Choose Add Plug-in, then Add from URL, and paste:

https://github.com/metarun/metarun-skills

02 · Or with one click

Opens Xcode's plug-in sheet with the repository filled in.

xcode://agent-plugin-clone?repo=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fmetarun%2Fmetarun-skills

03 · Sign in

Install MetaRun from the list, then click Sign in next to it. MetaRun opens in your browser; pick read-only or read and change.

04 · Ask the coding assistant

Claude Agent, Codex and Gemini in Xcode all get MetaRun's tools and its six workflow skills.

Attach build 312 to version 2.4 and tell me what blocks submission.

02 · Briefing

What Xcode handles here

TestFlight work comes in small pieces at awkward times: a build finishes processing while you're in the middle of something, someone has to add it to the right groups, the What to Test field is empty again, and tester feedback sits in a separate tab.

Xcode can do each piece through MetaRun, in the same session where the build was made. Crash feedback and screenshots from testers come back as data the agent can match against your code.

03 · Preflight

Before you start

A build uploaded from Xcode, Xcode Cloud, fastlane or CI.
Tester groups set up in App Store Connect.
An answer for export compliance, or ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption in Info.plist.

04 · Execution

How it runs

01
Wait for processing
Xcode reads the build list and reports when the build is processed. A build still processing can't be assigned.
02
Clear export compliance
If the build has no encryption answer, the agent previews the declaration, or reuses an existing one.
03
Assign and describe
Each group assignment and the What to Test text is its own preview.
04
Read what testers found
Crash feedback, crash logs and screenshot feedback come back as structured data, ready to compare with the code.

05 · Session

An example session in Xcode

I just uploaded build 312 from Organizer. Assign it to the internal group once it's processed.

apple_list_buildsBuild 312 processed. No export compliance answer yet.
apple_preview_declare_build_encryptionPreview: exempt encryption, assigned to build 312. Not revertible.
Xcode asks before running apple_apply_declare_build_encryption. You read the preview above and approve.
apple_apply_declare_build_encryptionDeclared.
apple_preview_assign_build_to_groupPreview: build 312 to the Beta Club group.
Xcode asks before running apple_apply_assign_build_to_group. You read the preview above and approve.
apple_apply_assign_build_to_groupAssigned to Beta Club.
apple_preview_set_what_to_testPreview: What to Test in English, from the commits since build 309.

Illustrative: your apps, versions and numbers will differ. The tool names and their order are real.

06 · Tools

The MetaRun tools Xcode calls

Tool	What it does
apple_list_buildsread	Builds with version, build number, processing state and expiry.
apple_list_testflight_groupsread	Internal and external tester groups.
apple_preview_assign_build_to_grouppreview + apply	Give a build to a tester group.
apple_preview_set_what_to_testpreview + apply	What to Test notes for a build, per language.
apple_preview_declare_build_encryptionpreview + apply	Answer export compliance so the build can be tested.
apple_list_testflight_crash_feedbackread	Crash reports testers submitted, with their comments.
apple_get_crash_logread	The crash log behind a tester's report.
apple_list_testflight_screenshot_feedbackread	Screenshots and comments testers sent from the app.
apple_preview_expire_buildpreview + apply	Stop testing a build before its 90 days are up.

Each preview has an apply twin (the same name with apply instead of preview) that only runs with the confirm token from a fresh preview, and refuses if App Store Connect changed in between. MetaRun tools save to your MetaRun workspace only (studio projects, tracked keywords), never to Apple.

07 · Apple rules

What Apple enforces, and how MetaRun handles it

Builds expire after 90 days

A TestFlight build stops working 90 days after upload. Expiring one early is a preview and apply like any other change.

External testing needs Beta App Review

The first build of a version sent to external testers goes through Beta App Review. Internal testers get it as soon as it's processed.

Export compliance can't be undone

Declaring a build's encryption is permanent for that build, so the preview says it's not revertible. Setting ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption in Info.plist answers it at upload instead.

MetaRun doesn't upload builds

Xcode, Xcode Cloud, fastlane or your CI uploads the build. MetaRun takes over once it's in App Store Connect.

08 · Comms

What to ask Xcode

Ask Xcode: I just uploaded build 312 from Organizer. Assign it to the internal group once it's processed.
Ask Xcode: Get the crash log for the latest TestFlight crash report and find the line in this project.
Ask Xcode: Our Info.plist doesn't declare encryption. Answer export compliance for build 312 as exempt.

09 · Safety

How Xcode asks before a change

Xcode asks before an agent uses a tool it hasn't been allowed. Tools you've allowed are listed in Settings, Intelligence, under Permissions, where you can remove them. Leave MetaRun's apply tools off that list so every App Store change asks first; reads and previews are safe to allow.

Apple key stays on MetaRun, encryptedPreview before every writeRecorded, revertible from history

10 · FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can Xcode upload a build to TestFlight?

Not through MetaRun: build upload belongs to Xcode, Xcode Cloud, fastlane or your CI. Everything after the upload (compliance, groups, notes, feedback) works through MetaRun.

Can it read crash reports from testers?

Yes. apple_list_testflight_crash_feedback returns the reports with tester comments and apple_get_crash_log returns the log, which Xcode can match against your code.

Does it work with external tester groups?

Yes, internal and external groups both. The first build of a version to external testers still goes through Apple's Beta App Review.

What does export compliance mean here?

Apple's question about whether the build uses non-exempt encryption. The agent can answer it per build, or you can set ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption in Info.plist so Apple never asks.

How do I connect Xcode to App Store Connect?

In Xcode 27, add the plug-in from https://github.com/metarun/metarun-skills (Settings, Intelligence, Plug-ins, Add from URL) and click Sign in next to MetaRun. After that, ask for "testflight" in plain words and Xcode picks the MetaRun tools.

Does Xcode see my App Store Connect key?

No. Your App Store Connect API key stays envelope-encrypted on MetaRun's servers and is decrypted per request. Xcode holds a MetaRun token that you can revoke in Settings at any time.

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