Apple closing independent TestFlight service at the end of February

By AppleInsider Staff

Developers still using the old, independent TestFlight service for beta testing iOS apps now have one month to migrate to the new iTunes Connect-based offering, as the company announced on Monday that it would shutter TestFlightApp.com on Feb. 26.

The change comes almost exactly one year after Apple acquired TestFlight's parent company Burstly, and just over three months after the launch of an all-new TestFlight service integrated into iTunes Connect. The change was announced in a Monday email to TestFlight customers which was first noted by TheNextWeb.

According to the official migration FAQ, developers will not be able to directly transfer apps or beta testers from TestFlightApp.com to the new version. They will first need to configure the apps in iTunes Connect, then export testers' contact information from TestFlightApp.com before importing it to iTunes Connect.

Apple purchased Burstly in February of last year, with financial terms still unknown. At the time, some speculated that it may simply be a so-called "acqui-hire," but that was quickly quashed when TestFlight was spotted in iOS 8 betas.

Burstly's other offering, ad monetization service SkyRocket, was shuttered last summer.