TestFlight & phased release

TestFlight: internal vs. external

Once a build finishes processing in App Store Connect, TestFlight is how it reaches real devices before the public App Store does. Internal testing is your own team (up to 100 people with a role on your App Store Connect record) — a build appears for them within minutes, no review needed. External testing is up to 10,000 testers outside your team, invited by email or a public link — the first build you send externally goes through a light Beta App Review (usually faster than a full App Store review), and most builds after that don't need re-review.

PawWalk's own flow: engineers get builds via internal testing constantly; a small group of real dog walkers and owners test via an external group before anything reaches the store.