Migrate from Codemagic publishing to VibeView

VibeView builds iOS, Apple TV, Android and Android TV apps in the cloud, with no Mac. It sends them to TestFlight, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore, and opens the simulator builds of the same project on live cloud devices.

This page is for teams whose codemagic.yaml ends in a publishing section with app_store_connect or google_play, and who want to move that step. For the platform-level comparison, see Codemagic alternative.

Who this is for

• Your workflow publishes to App Store Connect with beta_groups and submit_to_testflight^[1], or to Google Play with track and rollout_fraction^[4].
• You want to see where a TestFlight build is after the workflow ends. Codemagic adds groups and submits for review in a post-processing step after the main workflow. Its docs say it sends no status updates on that step: you check the build log or your email^[2]. VibeView sends you a notification when the build is with your testers, and an email when it fails or Apple needs something from you, with matching Slack and webhook events. vibeview submit --wait-distribution also keeps the command running until the build is with your testers, in Beta App Review, or needs you, with an exit code for each.
• You also ship to the Amazon Appstore, or a Fire TV or Android TV build of the same app.

Option mapping

vibeview.json below means the submit block of a platform in vibeview.json (platforms.ios.submit, platforms.android.submit). Flags are vibeview submit flags and win over vibeview.json.

App Store Connect

Codemagic names are from its App Store Connect publishing docs^[1][2] and its release notes docs^[6].

Apple’s export compliance question is answered once per app in VibeView. --no-uses-encryption or --uses-encryption saves the answer for later builds, and ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption in your Info.plist wins over it.

Google Play

Codemagic names are from its Google Play publishing docs^[4] and its release notes docs^[6].

See Google Play tracks, staged rollout and changes not sent for review for the Play terms.

What has no equivalent

• Expiring a build in Beta App Review (expire_build_submitted_for_review)^[1]. VibeView never takes a build out of review. Apple reviews one build of a version at a time, so a new build waits for the earlier verdict. The submission’s card says so and checks again on its own.
• App Store review and release. submit_to_app_store, release_type, earliest_release_date and phased_release^[1] have no counterpart. Neither do the App Store fields in release_notes.json (description, keywords, promotional text)^[6]. Phased release stays in App Store Connect.
• More Google Play tracks and promotion. Custom tracks, internal app sharing, release_promotion and in_app_update_priority^[4] aren’t in VibeView. Promote and set update priority in Play Console.
• Publishing a binary built elsewhere. vibeview submit sends VibeView cloud builds only.

Before and after

A codemagic.yaml publishing section with keys from Codemagic’s docs^[1][4], plus release_notes_en-US.txt and release_notes_de-DE.txt in the repository root^[6]:

workflows:
  release:
    integrations:
      app_store_connect: team
    publishing:
      app_store_connect:
        auth: integration
        submit_to_testflight: true
        expire_build_submitted_for_review: true
        beta_groups:
          - QA team
          - Public beta
      google_play:
        credentials: $GOOGLE_PLAY_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_CREDENTIALS
        track: beta
        rollout_fraction: 0.25

On VibeView, the groups, track and rollout go in vibeview.json, and the notes are flags:

{
  "platforms": {
    "ios": {
      "appId": "app_ios123",
      "build": { "...": "..." },
      "submit": { "ascKey": "team", "groups": ["QA team", "Public beta"] }
    },
    "android": {
      "appId": "app_android456",
      "build": { "...": "..." },
      "submit": { "track": "beta", "releaseStatus": "inProgress", "rollout": 0.25 }
    }
  }
}

vibeview build --cloud --production --platform all
vibeview submit --platform ios --latest \
  --what-to-test-file release_notes_en-US.txt --notes-dir notes/ --wait-distribution
vibeview submit --platform android --latest \
  --release-notes-file release_notes_en-US.txt --notes-dir notes/

Here notes/ holds de-DE.txt. expire_build_submitted_for_review has no line: see above.

Switch step by step

One trap first. Apple and Google refuse a build number they have already seen. While Codemagic and VibeView both upload the same app, check VibeView’s counter with vibeview versions list before each VibeView build, and raise it with vibeview versions set if Codemagic uploaded a higher number since (step 4).

A new Android app can start on VibeView without a manual first upload. Codemagic’s docs ask for one^[5]; with VibeView, create the app in Play Console and the very first build can go up through vibeview submit. On iOS both need the App Store Connect app record first. Codemagic also recommends uploading the first iOS version by hand^[3]; VibeView doesn’t need that.

Where Codemagic is the better fit

• App Store review and release timing. Codemagic can submit to App Store review, schedule the release and turn on phased release^[1]; VibeView stops at TestFlight.
• More Google Play controls. Custom tracks, internal app sharing, release promotion and in-app update priority^[4].
• Clearing the review queue for you. expire_build_submitted_for_review lets a new build replace one waiting in Beta App Review without a manual step^[1].
• Post-processing without build minutes. Codemagic’s TestFlight post-processing doesn’t use build minutes^[2]. VibeView follows the build after upload without using your CI minutes, unless you pass --wait-distribution.

What VibeView adds:

• A submission state that names what is missing and where to fix it, with Check again.
• A notification when testers have the build, and an email when it fails or needs you, where Codemagic sends no status updates on post-processing^[2].
• The export compliance answer saved once per app.
• TestFlight details, the Beta App Review contact and external testers, set from the CLI or the dashboard.
• Amazon Appstore submission for Android and Android TV.
• The same project on cloud iOS, Android, Apple TV and Android TV devices for testing.

Next: set up the build with Upload to TestFlight without a Mac, then move CI with GitHub Actions to TestFlight. Compare the platforms in Codemagic alternative, or see Migrate from EAS Submit.