First App.
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EXTRA LESSONAfter Apple enrolment

Test syncing and prepare it for release

Syncing is not always instant. Test normal use, interruptions and the live iCloud setup before sending a TestFlight build.

On your iPhone8 min read & do
By the end of this lesson

Prove that private syncing works and prepare the production container.

Allow time for changes to arrive on both devices. Do not label an untested sync path as ready.

Let’s do this

  1. 1
    On your iPhone

    Try two devices with the same account

    Install the development app on two supported Apple devices signed into the same Apple Account. Add, edit and delete sample records on each. Wait for changes to arrive. If you do not have a second device, keep this test unfinished until you can use one.

  2. 2
    On your iPhone

    Test interruptions and privacy

    Turn on Airplane Mode on one device, make a change, reconnect and check it arrives once. Try conflicting edits and ask Codex how they are resolved. Check no-account and full-storage messages. On a device using a different Apple Account, confirm the first person’s private records are absent.

  3. 3
    On your Mac

    Prepare the live container

    Open CloudKit Console, select this app’s container and its Development environment. Check that the tested record types and fields exist. Use Deploy Schema Changes to deploy the schema to Production. The schema is the shape of the records; this does not copy your test records. Production changes have restrictions, so review them first.

    Open CloudKit Console (opens a new tab)
  4. 4
    On your iPhone

    Repeat with TestFlight

    After the family-testing upload lesson, install the TestFlight build and repeat the two-device checks. TestFlight and App Store builds use production iCloud. Check updates preserve existing information. Record which build passed before releasing.

Xcode capabilities library with iCloud selected.View larger
Apple’s example: optional: add iCloud to the app. Use your own project’s details.Screenshot source (opens a new tab)

A message for Codex

Review my first iPhone app for iCloud release readiness. Explain development versus production containers, then guide me through reviewing and deploying the CloudKit schema. Make a checklist for two devices, offline edits, conflicts, no iCloud account, full storage and different Apple Accounts. Confirm that the TestFlight build uses production and test migration from the previous saved-data version.

Make this message fit your idea.

What you should see

Development sync passes, the schema is in Production, and your checklist includes repeating the checks with the TestFlight build.

If you get stuck

Go at your own pace. There is no test to pass.

Checked 7 September 2026. Screens can change; the official guides below have the latest steps.

Prepare CloudKit for productionSync using SwiftData and iCloudUpload a beta app