How do I upload an application on App Store privately? - ios

I want to upload an iOS app on the App Store. But I want to be privately. So the public can't see the app if they search for it. But everyone with an link for the app, to see it, and download it. Is it possible on the App Store to do this? If not, are other ways to do this?
I understand that on TestFlight I have to add every tester, and the build expires after 90 days. And I don't want that.

No App Store not allow this but you can distribute your app privately using Apple's Developer enterprise program for private distribution. these type of apps hosted on your server.
Read more about the enterprise account : https://developer.apple.com/programs/enterprise/
you can find a article to using the enterprise account : https://medium.com/apps-studio/distributing-enterprise-ios-app-in-house-without-mdm-3ed015009893

You can use this website to upload an IPA file and all the devices added to your account and provision profile would be able to download the app using a url Diawi.
If not then you will have to purchase and enterprise development account from Apple where you can privately host your applications.

Related

How to distribute my IOS app without app store 2022?

i would like to use my app from my server. I tried to use In-House Distribution but Apple didn't approved it for few employees. I have been using TestFlight but and my app also approved on app store review our last version. but i would like to use it from Server or using any third party. so that i can lock my app and special people can use it by getting code from me.
Any suggestion plz ?
I tried Test Flight and Want to use Server to download it.
I use:
In-House alternative link with just uploading the .ipa file (pros: distribution with just 2 clicks)
App Center (pros: can create different groups of testers)

Is it possible to install an app permanently via the IPA file?

my doubt is this: I developed and published an app on the AppStore (with auto-renwable in-app purchase).
A company would like to sell my app to its customers and they ask me if it is possible to have it without going through the store.
I thought about the IPA file, downloadable and installable directly from an external site.
is there any way to do it? Preventing expiration messages .. In short, install it completely.
Without jailbreak possibly
You can distribute your app without Apple Store. You will need to enroll for Enterprise Account for this. But you can not use in-app purchase which Apple provides. You will need to use other payment gateways.
Also, the enterprise account certificates have 3 years of validity.
More info: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enterprise/

What are the distribution options for inhouse app with less employees?

We have developed an app that works fine in Android and iOS and we tried to distribute in App store for one our customer. Since it is an in house usage app, Apple rejected it.
Our customer has less than 80 employees. So they are NOT eligible to purchase enterprise license for in house distribution either (so we purchased developer license).
Currently we deployed the app for users (only 20 users) using Adhoc method (connected the device in mac to deploy).
But they want to put the app in a centralized place where new users can download it and install it in their phone without connecting the device to mac (they need us on site to do it).
What are our options?
What is the apple business manager? will that help us?
Appreciate your help.
thanks,
Sri
If you want to distribute application for inhouse for some time then please find below link where it will be work for android and iOS both platform and you can provide app version app update with same link.
https://appho.st/
You need to upload latest apk and ipa file and generate link with those file and share it with inhouse tester and client.
For new app version update just upload new apk/ipa file with same account and provide same link to inhouse tester and client.
Apart from it if you have apple developer account then i suggest please use tesflight public tester link.
For android google play account please use open beta testing feature and generate link with it.

How was it possible to install iOS app directly from a browser?

I was wondering how was this website able to offer an iOS app for download directly from the browser bypassing the App Store?
(Please be advised that this is an adult-oriented app.)
http://app.941hd.com/ios_download.html
It seems they're using an enterprise certificate, which is intended for in-house corporate developers.
iOS Apps signed with those certificates can be downloaded and installed through a link by anyone, regardless of whether or not the developer has your UDID.
They would be violating their developer agreement with Apple and can expect to have their account suspended when Apple finds out.
I can't comment on exactly this implementation but a similar thing could be done using B2B distribution method. More info here.
You can distribute your app from a web page simply by creating a download link for the .ipa.
When opened in iOS, the application will be downloaded and installed on the device, if the device is registered on the provisioning profile used to sign the .ipa or if the provisioning profile is inHouse.
They have enrolled a Enterprise Account of Apple and they have made Enterprise App , which can be distributed via website and can be directly downloaded from browser .
There are online tools that simplify this process of sharing, for example https://abbashare.com or https://diawi.com
Create an ipa file from xcode with adhoc or inhouse profile, and upload this file on these site.
I prefer abbashare because save file on your dropbox and you can delete it whenever you want

Deploying an iOS Application Using Apple Enterprise Developer Program

I have created an application for a company that I need to deploy. The application is for internal use only so it will not be available on the App Store. Do I need a UDID for each individual on whose device the app will be installed? That would be impossible since there are 500 employees. Does anyone have a good documentation or experience on deploying the iOS iPhone application using the Enterprise Developer Program only.
With the Apple ENTERPRISE Developer Program you can NOT distribute an App in the Apple AppStore.
Its purpose is to collaborate an In-House App in your own company.
The Enterprise account does not necessarily need the UDID of your target devices. You can for instance also use a link which remotely installs the app directly on the device.
You can find more details here: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enterprise/
If you are trying to deploy applications to customers/users on a production/long term basis, you can deploy an applications outside the apple store in three ways:
manually via iTunes
directly via iTunes Configuration utility
via weblink (sent via mms, email, webbrowser etc.)
In order to distribute an application this way, the application must have a special corporate signature, and each device must have a matching corporate signature installed manually.
The best overall explanation for the process is available at this link.
If you're just testing on a handful of test devices, then you I would suggest two approaches:
a dev release to a test device follow step by step instructions here.
Or you can use a helper application to deploy a beta release: testflightapp.
You can do distribute your iOS app to only a particular set of people (in your case, your company employee), by following these procedure
Get a apple enterprise developer account
Create a distribution certificate and provisioning profile
(In-House) using your enterprise developer account
Archive the ipa file using the created certificate and
provisioning profile
While saving the ipa, click on the check mark. So, the plist file
is also created.
Host the plist and ipa file in your server
Include a download html file with a href tag with src
"itms-services://?action=download-manifest&url=https://mydomain.com/apps/MyInHouseApp.plist"
Now when you click on the link from your device the app will get downloaded.
I don't agree with the previous answer. Check this document page 26.
MDM servers can deploy both App Store apps and in-house enterprise
apps to devices over the air. Both paid and free App Store apps can
be managed by an MDM server using Volume Purchase Program (VPP)
managed distribution.
Once you have VPP and Enterprise Developer account you could be able to install apps in the app store or company owned apps into the managed devices.
Further for just deploying the in-house app you could follow this 9 step process.
If you need to deploy to many devices i suggest AirWatch. I've used it many times, it can be a bit frustrating to set up but once you have it working its very nice to have.
Testflight still requires udid and the limit is 100 for 1 year before you can reset. Enterprise deployment is best method for in house apps.

Resources