Hello, I am an iOS and Android mobile application developer. However, I have a major issue on the iOS side, and Apple has not resolved this problem for years.
My app is an internal company application, so I cannot publish it publicly. This is where the real issue begins. When I distribute the app to my users via an invitation code, any updates I release take a week or even months to appear on their devices. Users have to uninstall the app, go back to the "Purchased Apps" section in the App Store, and reinstall it. Since the app is private, it doesn’t appear in the regular App Store listings.
How can I explain this complicated process to my staff, some of whom have limited technical knowledge? Why doesn’t the update button appear, forcing users to navigate to the "Purchased Apps" section for updates? The app doesn’t need to be visible to the general public, but at least let the update button appear when users find the app in the "Purchased Apps" section.
I am currently forced to use TestFlight. However, there is another issue: the approval process for TestFlight takes about four days, which is three times longer than the publishing approval process. I am seriously frustrated by this poor user experience. I’ve become disillusioned with Mac and iPhone because of these problems.