'TestFlight' beta testing platform belongs to Apple after Burstly purchase

TechCrunch reported that Apple has acquired Burstly, the developer of the popular iOS beta testing platform TestFlight. At first it was believed to be only a rumor, but Apple has recently confirmed the purchase.

TestFlight made an announcement on Wednesday saying that it will stop working on its Android product as well as no new customers will be able to use it beta testing SDK. However, the existing users can still enjoy the app.

Odder still is how these product announcements – which greatly impact the company’s mobile developer user base – have been handled so far. There’s been no mention of them on the TestFlight changelog, for example, no company blog post, no emails, and no mention of them on social media channels – that is, unless you count the replies to confused developers from @testflightapp, the company’s main Twitter account. Developers are being asked to reach out directly to the company via an email form instead of being given a more useful public reply.

TestFlight and HockeyApp are one of the most popular iOS beta testing platforms. However, some larger developers have created their own testing platforms using Apple's Enterprise distribution program.