- Release: a version made available to users.
- Release candidate (RC): a build believed ready to ship, kept only if final tests find no blocker.
- Beta: a pre-release version given to a limited group.
- Staged rollout: releasing to a growing share of users instead of all at once, so problems show up small. Google Play calls it staged rollout and lets you halt it; Apple calls it phased release and spreads an update over 7 days.
- Hotfix: a fast, narrow fix for a serious problem in a live version.
- Rollback: returning to an earlier version. Google's staged-rollout help suggests a corrected new release as the fix for a problem; check each store for what it supports.
- Feature flag: a switch that turns a feature on or off without a new release.
- Release notes: the "what's new" text for a version.
- Version vs build number: the name users see vs the internal counter that must increase.
- Code freeze: a period when only release-critical changes are allowed.
- Smoke test: a quick check of core flows after a build.
- Soft launch: launching in a limited market first.
Example: you ship 2.3 to a small share of users, see a crash report, switch the new feature off with its flag, and release 2.3.1 as a hotfix.
Related
- Promoting a closed test to production
- Pre-launch app checklist
- Back to the app testing glossary; see also accessibility terms and store and policy terms.
Test your release candidate with others: See how AppReviewX works.