InstallOnAir link expired: what testers see and how to keep test links working
· 8 min read
A tester opens an InstallOnAir link and, instead of an Install button, sees that the build has expired. Free links on InstallOnAir run on a short timer, so this is normal, and the fix is quick once you know which side you are on. This guide explains how long InstallOnAir links last, what a tester can do, what the person who uploaded the build can do, and how to stop testers from running into dead links every week.
InstallOnAir details below are as read on their site in November 2026, from the pricing page and its FAQ, and the general FAQ. Their free tier changed more than once in 2026, so check the pricing page for the current numbers. AppForShare is the tool we make; its rules come from our own published plans.
How long an InstallOnAir link lasts
| Guest (no account) | Free account | |
|---|---|---|
| Link life | 3 days | 7 days |
| Counted from | The upload | The upload |
| Extend the link | Only right after upload | Any time from the App List, before it expires |
| Largest file | 200 MB | 200 MB, or 1 GB with a $2 upload credit |
As read on their site in November 2026. The clock starts at the upload, not at the first install. A build uploaded on Monday by a guest is gone on Thursday whether or not anyone installed it.
If you read an older answer that quotes a different number, that is why. Earlier in 2026 free account links lasted longer: a third party listing recorded a change from 60 days to 8 days in August 2026, and it is 7 days now. Old forum posts and blog articles may still quote the older figures.
What the tester sees
According to InstallOnAir's pricing FAQ, as read in November 2026, testers who open an expired link see that the build has expired. There is no install button, and nothing a tester can do on that page brings it back. Only the person who uploaded the build can help.
One thing does not change: apps already installed from the link keep working. The link only controls new installs. An iOS test build keeps opening until its provisioning profile or certificate ends. An Android APK does not expire.
If you are the tester
Ask the developer for a new link, and include two details so they can answer in one reply:
- Which build you were sent. The app version or the date of the message. The developer may have a newer build you should test instead.
- For iPhone, whether you have a new phone. If you do, the new build must include its UDID, or the install will fail with a grey icon. You can find the UDID in about a minute at appforshare.io/udid, without an account.
A message that works: "The InstallOnAir link for version 2.3 has expired. Could you send a new one? Same iPhone as before." If the new link installs but the icon stays grey, see iPhone app icon stays grey after install.
If you uploaded the build
You have three options. Which one fits depends on how long testing will run and how many builds you share.
1. Extend the link on InstallOnAir
As read on their pricing page in November 2026, InstallOnAir sells one time extensions per build, with no subscription: +1 month for $1.89, +6 months for $4.99 and +1 year for $9.99, paid through Razorpay. Extensions stack on the current expiry date and can be repeated. The link and QR code stay the same, so testers do not need anything new. No limit on the number of builds you can extend is stated.
The catch is timing. Guests can only buy an extension right after the upload. With a free account you can extend any time from the App List, but their FAQ points to extending before the link runs out; once it has expired, the documented fix is a new upload. If you know a test round will run longer than a week, extend on the day you upload.
For a single link that has to stay up for months, this is good value, and cheaper than anything we offer for that one case.
2. Upload the build again
A new upload gives a new free link and a new QR code. It costs nothing and always works. The cost is on the tester side: everyone needs the new link, and old links in chat threads keep failing. If you upload every few days, testers end up with a list of links and install whichever one they find first.
3. Use a link that does not run on a timer
If the same people test the same app for weeks, a link that expires every 3 or 7 days is the wrong tool, however cheap the extension. You want one of two things: links that stay live as long as you need them, or one address that always opens the newest build. AppForShare offers both on its paid plans, and a narrower option on Free.
How AppForShare handles link expiry
The free tiers have the same link life as InstallOnAir: 3 days without an account and 7 days on a Free account, counted from the upload. What differs is what happens around the end date.
- A warning before it happens. On Free, the owner gets an email when a link has under 2 days left.
- A notice when a tester hits it. The owner gets one email when a tester opens an expired Free link while its file is still kept, which is 7 days after expiry.
- The same link back. Upgrading in those 7 days brings back the same link and QR code, so testers do not need a new one.
- Keep one link for $2. A Free owner can pay $2 once, from the build page, to keep that one link live for 60 days from the payment. Paying again adds 60 days after the current paid end, up to 120 days ahead. It works on a link that already expired while its file is still kept. It is one link per account at a time, and the paid days stay with that build.
- Guest builds move with you. If you uploaded without an account and sign up on the same browser within the 3 days, the build moves into your account and follows Free rules from then on.
- No timer on paid plans. Pro and Team links stay live while the plan is active. If you cancel, links follow Free rules and stay live for 7 more days after the paid period.
To be fair about the comparison: InstallOnAir's extensions reach a year and can be applied to any number of builds, as read in November 2026. Our $2 option covers one Free link for up to 120 days ahead. If you need many builds to stay up, the AppForShare answer is Pro, not extensions. Plans are on the pricing page, and the full side by side is at AppForShare vs InstallOnAir.
Stop sending a new link for every build
Even with long link life, each upload makes a new link. The fix is a link that does not change. On AppForShare Pro and Team, a channel such as Beta has one address, /c/<address>, that always opens the newest build put into it. An iPhone gets the iOS build, an Android phone the Android build. You can pick the address yourself, for example /c/acme-beta, with a custom channel address. Testers bookmark it once.
From CI, appforshare upload --channel beta puts each new build into the channel and prints its link. If a build turns out to be bad, you can point the channel back at an older build. Installed apps are not changed by that; the link is.
Long life is not always what you want either. On Pro and Team you can pause a link, give it a stop date, or cap its installs with install link controls, so a client build does not stay open longer than you intended.
Choosing for your case
| Your case | A good fit |
|---|---|
| One build, one tester, this week | Any free tier, InstallOnAir or AppForShare |
| One important link for several months | An InstallOnAir extension, or the $2 keep link option on AppForShare Free for up to 120 days |
| A client who reviews whenever they have time | A link without a timer, such as AppForShare Pro |
| New builds every few days for the same testers | A channel link that does not change |
| Builds over 200 MB | InstallOnAir's $2 upload credit for one build up to 1 GB, or AppForShare Pro up to 2 GB |
For more on InstallOnAir's rules, see InstallOnAir limits in 2026. For how Diawi counts link life from the last install instead, see InstallOnAir vs Diawi vs AppForShare and Diawi link expired. If you decide to move, the move from InstallOnAir guide and moving off InstallOnAir cover links, UDIDs and testers.
Common questions
How long does an InstallOnAir link last?
As read on their site in November 2026: 3 days without an account and 7 days with a free account, counted from the upload. Paid extensions add a month, six months or a year.
Can I bring back an expired InstallOnAir link?
Their pricing FAQ, as read in November 2026, says to upload again for a new free link, or to extend before the link runs out. Plan the extension on upload day if testing will run long.
Does the app stop working on the phone when the link expires?
No. Installed apps keep running. An iOS build stops opening only when its provisioning profile or certificate ends.
Is AppForShare cheaper for keeping one link a long time?
No. For one link over many months, InstallOnAir's extensions cost less. AppForShare is the better fit when several builds need to stay up, when testers should keep one link across builds, or when you want a password on the link.
