Is retiring the same as deleting?

No. The build, its history and its link stay. The link stops taking installs and points to a newer build, and you can bring the build back at any time.

What if there is no newer build yet?

Testers still see that the developer retired the build and your note. Once you upload a newer build of the same app and platform, the page offers it.

How is it different from pausing the link?

Pausing only stops installs. Retiring also sends testers to the newest build, makes channels skip the build and lets your test build know through the update check.

Which plan do I need?

Pro or Team to retire a build. Bringing one back works on every plan.

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Move testers off a broken build

Pro and Team (bringing a build back works on every plan)

A build crashes on login. You upload the fix, but the old link is still in a chat, a tester opens it next week, installs the broken build and reports the same crash again.

Retire the broken build. Its link stops taking installs, its page says the developer retired it, shows your note and has a button to the newest build of the same app and platform. Channels skip it, and the in-app update check tells your test build that its build number is retired.

Start free See plans

Example

Shop app 2.5 (121)

StateRetired
Note for testersCrashes on login
Testers are sent to2.5 (122)
Beta channelOpens 2.5 (122)

Apps already installed keep working.

Made for

Teams that ship a test build every day and sometimes ship a bad one
Agencies whose clients reopen old links from email
Apps that use the in-app update check in their beta builds

What it ends

Bug reports against a build you already replaced
Deleting a build just so nobody installs it, and losing its history
A channel still opening the build you wanted to pull

How it works

Step 1
Open the build
In the dashboard, open the broken build and find Retire this build under Settings.
Step 2
Add a note
Optional, up to 200 characters, for example "Crashes on login, use the newest build". Testers see it on the install page.
Step 3
Retire it
The link takes no installs from now on and points testers to the newest build that is not retired. Bring it back at any time.

What testers see

The install page says "The developer retired this build", shows your note, and has a button to the newest build of the same app and platform that is not retired. The build's extra share links stop too.

Channels skip it

If the retired build is the newest one in a channel, the channel link opens the build before it. Upload the fix into the channel and that one takes over as usual.

The update check knows

Your test build can send its own build number with ?build= to the channel's update check. The answer says retired: true for a retired build number, with your note, and minBuild, one above the highest retired build number of the app and platform. The app can then ask the tester to update before going on.

From CI and AI tools

appforshare retire <build> --reason "Crashes on login", and --undo to bring it back. The CI API has POST and DELETE /api/ci/builds/:ref/retire, and the MCP server has retire_build, which needs your confirmation.

Good to know

Apps already installed keep working. AppForShare cannot remove an app from a phone; the update check is how your own test build reacts.
Keep the update check out of App Store and Google Play builds; it is for test builds only.
Retiring needs Pro or Team. Bringing a build back works on every plan.

Questions

Is retiring the same as deleting?: No. The build, its history and its link stay. The link stops taking installs and points to a newer build, and you can bring the build back at any time.
What if there is no newer build yet?: Testers still see that the developer retired the build and your note. Once you upload a newer build of the same app and platform, the page offers it.
How is it different from pausing the link?: Pausing only stops installs. Retiring also sends testers to the newest build, makes channels skip the build and lets your test build know through the update check.
Which plan do I need?: Pro or Team to retire a build. Bringing one back works on every plan.