Testing In-App Purchases Ruins Your Phone

Developers face a challenging experience when testing in-app purchases for iOS apps due to a range of issues associated with Apple's sandbox environment. The process requires creating sandbox accounts through iTunes Connect, which is cumbersome and prone to errors that can render accounts unusable. Logging in and out of sandbox accounts can disrupt devices, and testing recurring subscriptions may lead to persistent login prompts that affect personal devices. Developers encounter difficulties due to non-specific error messages, often stemming from environmental mismatches or unaccepted contracts, and the purchasing UI differs between sandbox and production, leading to misleading tests. Moreover, managing separate backend configurations for sandbox and production environments adds complexity and risk of app rejections. The article suggests that eliminating the sandbox environment in favor of whitelisting regular App Store accounts for testing could enhance the developer experience and improve the quality of in-app purchase implementation for end-users.