iOS App Guide

What TesterBuddy does #

TesterBuddy is an iOS app for developers who run beta tests. You manage everything in one place — your apps, your testers, their feedback, and the data you need to make decisions.

Creating an App #

Tap the + button on the home screen. Fill in a name, choose your platform (iOS or Web), and add a short description so your testers know what they're testing.

1. 1
   Tap + → Choose platform

   Select iOS App (if you have a TestFlight build) or Web (for website testing). You can't change the platform after creation.
2. 2
   Enter app details

   Name (required), description, and either your TestFlight URL (iOS) or your website URL (Web).
3. 3
   Icon is fetched automatically

   For iOS apps, the icon is pulled from the TestFlight page. For web apps, TesterBuddy scrapes the site's favicon. You can also paste a custom icon URL in Edit App.
4. 4
   Configure audience & rewards

   Set the target OS version, device type, max testers, and optionally a reward code. Testers matching your criteria will see the app in the discover feed.

TestFlight Integration #

TesterBuddy uses your TestFlight public link to let testers join your beta without you needing to manually add their Apple IDs. You stay in control — manage everything from the TesterBuddy app.

• Open App Store Connect → TestFlight → your app → Public Link
• Copy the URL (format: https://testflight.apple.com/join/XXXXXXXX)
• Paste it in TesterBuddy when creating or editing your app

Testers browse the TesterBuddy app, find your beta listing, and tap Join Beta. TesterBuddy opens your TestFlight link — they install the TestFlight beta in one tap. Their status updates to Active in your tester list.

When you save a TestFlight URL, TesterBuddy fetches the app icon from the TestFlight page automatically. If the icon doesn't load, go to Edit App → Custom Icon URL and paste a direct link to your app icon image.

When you upload a new TestFlight build in App Store Connect, existing testers receive an update notification via TestFlight — nothing changes in TesterBuddy. If your TestFlight link changes, update it via Edit App.

Feedback & Chat #

Every tester gets a private message thread with you. They can send written feedback, report bugs, or ask questions directly from TesterBuddy. You reply from your developer view.

• Open an app → tap the Chat tab (speech bubble icon)
• You'll see all testers who have sent messages, sorted by most recent
• Tap a tester to open their thread and reply

TesterBuddy sends you a push notification when a tester sends a new message. Make sure notifications are enabled in Settings → Notifications on your iPhone.

All chat messages from testers are used as input for the AI Summary feature. The AI reads every message and synthesises them into a report — you don't need to manually read through each thread to get a high-level view.

Communication in TesterBuddy is more than just text. Use these interactive features to respond faster:

• Double-tap to Heart – Quickly like a message by double-tapping the bubble. Double-tap again to remove it.
• Multi-Emoji Reactions – Long-press any message to open the reaction picker. Choose from several emojis to express more specific feedback.
• Interactive Chips – See something you agree with? Tap on an existing reaction chip under a message to add your vote or remove your own reaction.

Surveys & Polls #

Surveys let you ask testers specific questions and collect structured answers. Unlike free-form chat, survey responses are easy to compare and quantify — and they're included in the AI Summary.

1. 1
   Open your app → tap Surveys

   Tap the + button to create a new survey.
2. 2
   Add a title and questions

   Give the survey a clear name (e.g. "v2.1 Beta Feedback"). Add questions one by one — you can choose text, rating (1–5 stars), or multiple choice.
3. 3
   Publish

   Tap Publish. The survey appears in the TesterBuddy app for all testers enrolled in your beta. They'll see a notification.
4. 4
   View responses

   As testers respond, their answers appear in real time. Tap any survey to see a breakdown per question and per tester.

Rewards System #

Add a reward code to your app and TesterBuddy automatically delivers it to every tester who joins your beta. It's the simplest way to incentivise testing — no manual DMs required.

1. 1
   Go to Edit App → Reward Code

   Enter any promo code, gift card code, or coupon. It's stored as a plain string — TesterBuddy doesn't validate the format.
2. 2
   Testers receive it on join

   As soon as a tester taps Join Beta, TesterBuddy shows them the reward code on screen and sends it in a push notification.
3. 3
   Update or remove at any time

   You can change the reward code in Edit App at any time. Existing testers who already joined keep their original code — new joiners receive the updated one.

• App Store promo codes (single-use codes from App Store Connect)
• Coupon codes for your service (e.g. BETA20 for 20% off)
• Gift card codes
• Any plain text — even a special "thank you" message

AI Summary #

Tap AI Summary on any app's detail screen. TesterBuddy reads all available signal and produces a structured summary in seconds — no copy-pasting feedback into ChatGPT required.

• All chat messages from testers (last 90 days)
• All survey responses (all published surveys)
• For web apps: top SDK events — JS errors, network failures, performance data (last 30 days)

• Sentiment overview — positive / neutral / negative tone from tester messages
• Key themes — recurring topics or complaints, extracted automatically
• Technical incidents (web apps) — top errors from the SDK, with frequency
• Suggested next steps — specific, actionable recommendations

Release Notes #

Send a release notes message to all your testers at once. It appears as a special pinned message in the group chat, so everyone sees what changed in the latest build.

1. 1
   Open your app → tap the Chat tab

   Go to the group chat where all enrolled testers see messages.
2. 2
   Tap the + icon → Release Notes

   A composer opens. Write a summary of what changed — new features, bug fixes, things you want testers to focus on.
3. 3
   Send

   All enrolled testers receive a push notification and see the release notes in the group chat. The message is visually distinct so it stands out from regular chat.

Email Reply-to-Chat #

Testers don't have to open the app to reply to your messages. If a push notification fails to deliver — for example, a tester deleted TesterBuddy but is still enrolled — they automatically receive the message as an email. They can reply to that email and their reply lands directly in the chat thread, as if they sent it from the app.

1. 1
   You send a message in the thread

   TesterBuddy first tries to deliver it as a push notification via the tester's device.
2. 2
   Push fails → email fallback kicks in

   If the push notification doesn't go through (no device token, app uninstalled), TesterBuddy automatically sends the tester an email with your message content.
3. 3
   Tester replies to the email

   The reply goes to a unique, secure address tied to the chat thread. TesterBuddy's inbound mail pipeline processes it and posts the reply as a message in the thread — you see it immediately.
4. 4
   You get notified

   You receive a push notification (or email, if needed) that the tester replied — same as any other message.

Join Link #

Every app in TesterBuddy has a unique join link you can share anywhere — a tweet, newsletter, Discord server, or a direct message. Anyone with the link can open TesterBuddy and join your beta with one tap.

• Open your app's detail screen
• Tap the Share icon in the top-right corner
• Copy the link or share it directly via the iOS share sheet

When someone taps the link on their iPhone, TesterBuddy opens directly to your app's detail page. If they don't have TesterBuddy installed yet, the link opens the App Store first. Once they're in the app, they can join your beta in one tap.

Nudge Testers #

Some testers go quiet after joining. Nudge lets you send them a friendly push notification reminder — without having to message each one individually.

1. 1
   Open your app → Testers tab

   You'll see a list of enrolled testers with their last activity date.
2. 2
   Tap a tester → Nudge

   Or use the bulk action button to nudge all inactive testers at once.
3. 3
   Tester receives a push notification

   The notification links directly to your app's chat thread, so they can reply right away.

Roadmap Board #

The Roadmap Board is a public feature backlog where testers vote on what they want next. It also doubles as a discovery surface — testers browsing TesterBuddy can see roadmap items from apps they haven't joined yet, which helps you attract engaged testers.

1. 1
   Open your app → Roadmap tab

   You'll see existing roadmap items grouped by status.
2. 2
   Tap + → Add Item

   Write a short title (e.g. "Dark mode support") and an optional description. Items are visible to all testers immediately.
3. 3
   Update status as you build

   Tap any item to change its status. Testers who voted get notified automatically when an item moves to In Progress or Done.

Direct Messages #

Beyond per-app feedback threads, TesterBuddy has a full DM system. Developers and testers can have private one-on-one conversations — useful for sensitive bug reports, following up with a specific tester, or recruiting someone you spotted on the leaderboard.

• Tap any user's avatar or name to open their profile
• Tap Message to start a DM thread
• The first message is a DM request — the recipient must accept it before the conversation opens
• Once accepted, both sides can reply freely with no further approval needed

You can DM any user you share a testing relationship with — meaning you're enrolled in at least one of the same apps, or you're the owner of an app they're testing (or vice versa). Cold messaging users you have no connection with is not possible.

Tap the Messages tab in the bottom navigation, then switch to the DMs tab at the top. Pending DM requests appear in a separate Requests section so your main inbox stays clean.

Karma & Badges #

TesterBuddy uses a karma system to recognise testers who provide genuine, useful feedback. Points accumulate over time and unlock badge levels that are visible on every tester's profile.

A streak tracks consecutive days of activity in TesterBuddy. Streaks are visible on your profile and show developers you're an engaged, reliable tester. Your streak resets if you go more than 24 hours without any activity — but you get 2 streak freezes that let you skip a day without breaking it.

Leaderboard #

The Leaderboard ranks the most active testers on TesterBuddy. Testers compete for recognition, and developers can use it to find and recruit experienced testers for their beta.

• All-time — total karma points ever earned. Reflects overall experience and longevity on the platform.
• Monthly — karma earned in the last 30 days. Resets naturally, so newer testers always have a fair shot at the top.

Tap the Leaderboard tab in the bottom navigation (trophy icon). Tap any tester's name to view their public profile, see which apps they test, and start a DM if you want to recruit them.

Tester Guide #

New to TesterBuddy as a tester? Here's how to find apps, join betas, give feedback developers actually use, and build your reputation on the platform.

1. 1
   Open the Apps tab

   Browse the discovery feed. You'll see iOS and web apps looking for testers. Use the platform filter at the top to show only iOS apps or only web apps.
2. 2
   Tap an app to see details

   Read the description, check the required device and OS version, and see how many testers are already enrolled.
3. 3
   Tap Join Beta

   For iOS apps, TesterBuddy opens the TestFlight link so you can install the beta in one tap. For web apps, you get the URL to start testing. You earn +5 karma for joining.

Developers value specific, reproducible reports over general impressions. Instead of "the app is slow", try "the home screen takes about 3 seconds to load on my iPhone 13 running iOS 17.4". When a developer marks your message as useful, you earn +20 karma.

• Describe what you did, what you expected, and what actually happened
• Include your device model and iOS version for bug reports
• Screenshots are welcome — attach them directly in the chat thread
• Fill in surveys when they appear — developers use them to make specific product decisions

Your karma points and badge level are visible to every developer on TesterBuddy. Testers with higher badges get noticed faster when developers are looking to fill beta slots. You can also vote on Roadmap items to signal which features matter most to you — and get notified when they ship.