Detect TestFlight vs App Store Builds in Swift

Why Detect Build Environment?

Knowing where your app is running helps you:

• Enable beta features only for TestFlight users
• Add debug logging in development builds
• Show different onboarding for beta testers
• Track analytics separately for each environment

The Solution: Runtime Detection

TestFlight builds have a sandbox receipt, while App Store releases have a production receipt. We can check this at runtime to determine the build environment.

Complete Implementation

import Foundation

enum AppEnvironment: String {
    case debug
    case simulator
    case testFlight
    case appStore
}

enum AppEnv {
    static var current: AppEnvironment {
        // Simulator first (useful even if Release simulator)
        #if targetEnvironment(simulator)
        return .simulator
        #endif

        // Debug builds from Xcode
        #if DEBUG
        return .debug
        #endif

        // Runtime check: TestFlight builds have a sandbox receipt
        if hasSandboxReceipt {
            return .testFlight
        }

        // Otherwise it's a production App Store install
        return .appStore
    }

    static var isTestFlight: Bool { current == .testFlight }
    static var isAppStore: Bool { current == .appStore }

    // MARK: - Helpers

    private static var hasSandboxReceipt: Bool {
        guard let url = Bundle.main.appStoreReceiptURL else { return false }
        // TestFlight and StoreKit sandbox receipts end with "sandboxReceipt"
        return url.lastPathComponent == "sandboxReceipt" ||
               url.path.contains("sandboxReceipt")
    }
}

Usage Examples

// Check current environment
switch AppEnv.current {
case .debug:
    print("Running Debug from Xcode")
    enableDebugMenu()

case .simulator:
    print("Running in Simulator")
    loadMockData()

case .testFlight:
    print("Running TestFlight Beta")
    showBetaFeatures()
    enableCrashReporting()

case .appStore:
    print("Running App Store Release")
    // Production behavior
}

// Quick checks for specific environments
if AppEnv.isTestFlight {
    // Show beta feedback button
    feedbackButton.isHidden = false
}

if AppEnv.isAppStore {
    // Disable all debug features
    debugMode = false
}

How It Works

1. Simulator Detection: Uses #if targetEnvironment(simulator) compiler directive
2. Debug Detection: Uses #if DEBUG compiler flag set by Xcode
3. TestFlight Detection: Checks if the app receipt URL contains “sandboxReceipt”
4. App Store: Default case when none of the above conditions are met

TestFlight builds are re-signed by Apple with a sandbox receipt, while App Store releases have a production receipt. This makes the detection reliable.

Alternative: Build-Time Configuration

If you prefer compile-time detection without runtime checks:

1. Create a “Beta” build configuration for TestFlight uploads
2. Add Swift Compiler Flag: -DTESTFLIGHT to that configuration
3. Use conditional compilation:

#if TESTFLIGHT
// TestFlight-only code
showBetaWelcomeScreen()
#endif

Important Notes

• Don’t use embedded.mobileprovision for detection—it’s unreliable
• The sandbox receipt check works for both TestFlight and StoreKit testing
• Cache the environment check result to avoid repeated file system access
• This detection works on iOS 8.0+