Does pausing delete anything?

No. The build, its link and its install history stay. Turn the link back on and it works as before.

What happens to a channel link if its build is paused?

The channel still opens that build, and testers see the paused message. Put another build into the channel to change that.

AppForShare Create a free account

Decide how long a link works and how many installs it gives

Pro and Team

An install link travels. A client forwards it to the whole office, a demo link from last month still gets opened, and a build with a crash keeps being installed while you fix it.

Link controls let you decide per build: pause the link now, let it run until a date, or stop it after a number of installs. Nothing changes on phones that already have the app.

Start free See plans

Example

Shop app 2.5 (121), link controls

LinkTaking installs
Stop afterDec 15, 2026 (UTC)
Install limit38 of 50

Pause at any time; turn it back on with one click.

Made for

Agencies that send a client a build for one review week
Teams that demo at events and want a fixed number of installs
Anyone who needs to pull a bad build without deleting it

What it ends

Deleting a build just to stop new installs, then uploading it again
Old links in client chats installing builds you no longer support
No way to say "50 installs for the event, then stop"

How it works

Step 1
Open the build
In the dashboard, open the build and find Link controls under Settings.
Step 2
Pick a control
Pause the link, set a stop date (it stops after the end of that day, UTC), or an install limit. Leave a field empty to remove it.
Step 3
Testers see why
Instead of the install button they see a short message: paused, no longer taking installs, or limit reached, and ask you for a new link.

How installs are counted

On iPhone an install is counted when the phone asks for the app after the tester taps Install. On Android it is counted at the start of a download; a download that resumes after a dropped connection is not counted again. When the limit is reached, an install that already started can still finish.

From CI and AI tools

The CLI sets the same controls: appforshare link <build> --pause, --resume, --stop 2026-12-31 or --max-installs 50, with off to remove a date or limit. AI assistants connected through the MCP server can do it too, after you confirm.

Good to know

Controls affect new installs only. An app already on a phone keeps working, and AppForShare cannot remove it.
Setting a control needs Pro or Team. After a downgrade, controls you set keep working and you can still remove them.
For who may open a build at all, use a password (Free and up) or a private project with invited testers (Team).

Questions

Does pausing delete anything?: No. The build, its link and its install history stay. Turn the link back on and it works as before.
What happens to a channel link if its build is paused?: The channel still opens that build, and testers see the paused message. Put another build into the channel to change that.
Which plan do I need?: Pro or Team.