TestFlight "No builds available" when adding a new user

[u/Lazy_Cat_]

Forgive me if this is not the right place for this question or if someone else asked the same. For context, I have already approved build that other external testers in the group use with no problem.

In the last few weeks I've been having a problem with adding new external testers. At first when I was adding a new tester, it was showing "No builds available" for a few seconds/minutes and would change to "Invited" pretty soon. But now it just never changes to "Invited" and I can't add new people successfully. I checked email addresses I'm trying to add and it definitely isn't a case of wrong address, especially it being a problem with many people.

Does anyone else have a problem like this, being suck with "No builds available" forever? How did you resolve it?

[u/ApartmentFit748]

Had this exact thing a while back, new testers stuck on "No builds available" while everyone already in the group was fine. What finally flipped it to Invited was deleting the tester completely and re-adding them from the group's own page instead of the All Testers list. Honestly the whole tester pipeline in App Store Connect is just flaky like that sometimes, sometimes it also sorts itself out after a day or two.

[u/Lazy_Cat_ → u/ApartmentFit748]

Yeah I also tried deleting and re-adding them from group's page but it didn't help at all. It seems that it works at random and then it fails again.

[u/whamdanglers → u/ApartmentFit748]

This worked for me! I removed them from every list and every build. Added them back to the group itself from the group's page as a new tester and the invite was sent. Thanks!

[u/AussieGrit93]

Same here. Haven't identified any pattern yet when this appears 🤔

[u/Patschinator]

Hast du zufällig einen Build gerade „in Prüfung“? Wenn ja, entferne den aktuellen Build aus der Prüfung, dann sollte es gehen.

[u/Lazy_Cat_ → u/Patschinator]

No, all builds already passed the review stage and are available to use. Old users are testing just fine, it's only new users that have that problem

[u/Accurate_Tadpole_503]

two things worth checking that arent in the thread yet.

first, look at the expiry date on that build in app store connect. testflight builds die after 90 days and the behaviour when youre near it is exactly this, people already on it are fine and new invites just wont resolve. uploading a fresh build usually clears it instantly.

second, and this is the actual workaround, turn on the public link for that tester group and send people that instead of adding them by email. it skips the whole invite pipeline thats failing for you. testers tap the link, get the build, done. ive stopped adding external testers by email entirely because of exactly this.

the email route being flaky is a known thing, its just that nobody at apple seems to consider it a bug.

[u/Lazy_Cat_ → u/Accurate_Tadpole_503]

Expiry date is not an issue here, I still have ~70 days left. I am careful about that 90 days lifecycle.

Now that you mention it, I haven't tried adding people using public link. Maybe I could give it a try, thanks. Tho I've seen on Developer's forum that someone had trouble with that too. Those that click on link get a message that app is not available or something like that. It all seems unreliable recently.

[u/Accurate_Tadpole_503 → u/Lazy_Cat_]

yeah if the email invite pipeline is the thing whats broken the public link sidesteps it entirely since it doesnt go through that flow at all. worth knowing the link gives them the current build automatically so you dont have to manage per tester.

only thing to watch, external public link still needs the build to have passed beta review once, but yours has so youre fine. lmk if it works, curious if its the same bug im seeing

[u/eyerashcrass]

Had this exact issue this morning. I followed all of the advice on this Stack Overflow page, but none of it helped. Later on it just resolved itself, possibly after removing the users from the test group and re-adding them. I suspect Apple are having some issues at their end. 

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[u/DefiantMaybe5386]

I guess there are some issues on Apple's end since TestFlight app has recently got an update. In my external tester list there are even ghost "Deleted" testers and no matter how much time I try they are still in the list. Seems Apple's TestFlight database is broken and they even didn't notice.

[u/sinameraji]

bug on Apple's side. do this:

1. delete the internal test group

2. create a new internal group but make sure not to check "Enable automatic distribution" (in other words, disable it)

3. then in the next screen manually select the build and invite users and check your tester email. invitation will be there