I am looking for getting IPA file of an ios application for which I do not have either project code , nor development id or bundle Id.
The application is available in app store. I have installed it into iOS mobile ....but for automation I am looking for it's IPA file.
It's not clear whether you're trying to download the .ipa from the App Store, recover it from a device, or generate it somehow. These files are basically zipped archives — once the app is installed, the .ipa probably doesn't exist on the device. And it seems unlikely that Apple would make it easy to download it from the store yourself.
If your goal is to set up a large number of devices, you should take a look at Apple Configurator and the Managed Distribution capability that it provides. Together with the "volume purchase plan," you can assign apps to the devices you're managing.
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I am currently working on a private iOS app, and was asked to distribute it to only a handful of people without publishing to app store. I know about ad hoc and already created provisioning profile and all the requirement, archived and sent to the iOS device. My first try using ad hoc, sent to iPhone using airdrop, the app automatically installed on the device, all worked great, but all of that while plugging the iPhone in to mac computer that I used for developing the app.
My question is can we do that without plugging it in? I recreates the step with the same phone and on another phone without plugging it in and the apps can't be installed. Or is there difference in steps when plugged in or not.
In order to install an ad-hoc package to a remote device, you will need to put the IPA file on a web server and also upload the Manifest file.
However, If you don't have a handy server, there are many free services that you can use for that. To mention a few: TestFairy, Diawi.
I have an iOS app and need a way to determine programmatically if the app was installed from the App Store, from TestFlight, or from an IPA file from the internet.
I've tried checking the last part of the app store receipt url as some people have suggested regarding different types of app installs, but both IPA files and TestFlight installs have "sandboxReceipt" as the last path component of the receipt url.
Expected results are, of course, the ability to determine how my app was installed.
I've recently evidenced a set of third party illegal appstores that re-distibute iOS apps. These online stores are able to install free Appstore apps (i.e. Facebook, Google Map, etc.) or their own apps on non-jailbroken devices. Regarding the fact that Apple forbids third-party stores, I just want to know how these apps are signed to be installed on Apple devices? Does these Apps first jailbreak the device?
Does apple allow changing/updating the Signature of an app?
Update:
It seems that these Apps are installed on the device by a certificate generated by an enterprise developer license, so it can be installed on any device without any limitations. But I cannot understand how these AppStores install those Apps that are available on Apple AppStore, like Facebook !!!
Update 2:
Is it possible to get the .ipa file of an application hosted on AppStore? i.e. Facebook? If possible, can it be resigned?
Update 3:
These are the certificates installed. Obviously one of them is fake, unverified but at the same time can install apps without the need to jailbreak.
Update 4
I think the Q/A at this link on SO does not reply to my Q as well. If the tongbu signs the apps using an enterprise license, is it really possible to get an enterprise license for each app?
The apps are most likely re-signed with the developers (person creating these so called "cracked apps" own distribution certificate. They will purchase the real app, extract the IPA file, and then re-sign it. These legally signed apps are then uploaded to a website and then downloaded by the user or distributed by some other means. iOS treats these like regular signed apps and doesn't check with the App Store because they were never uploaded. This allows downloading of cracked apps on a non-jailbroken iDevice. Jailbreaking eliminates the need for code-signing. The distribution certificate is normally used for companies wanting to distribute an app designed specifically for their working environment with no need to upload to the App Store. Distributing and using a developer's certificate in this way of making cracked apps of course violates Apple's policies and those certificates will be voided as soon as Apple finds out but that can take a very long time.
EDIT: There seems to be some confusion as to how App Store apps are being installed for free on devices. This process requires jailbreaking but only to create the ipa, installing it is done automatically on the device by iOS. Whoever is uploading the apps goes through this process:
They first download the target app from the app store and install it on their device.
They then copy over the .app from their iDevice to their computer through various file explorers or other means.
They create a folder called Payload and put the .app inside.
They zip up the Payload folder
They rename the zipped file with a .ipa extension.
This .ipa file is then resigned with a distribution certificate through iResign or terminal and then uploaded to the internet.
When a user downloads a .ipa file, iOS automatically installs it if it was signed correctly.
I hope this clears up any confusion. Also, if they are uploading their own app they made in xcode, they can simply use xcode to do it by archiving it first (Product>Archive) with their distribution certificate and Ad-hoc provisioning profile selected to code-sign then opening organizer, going to archives and clicking distribute. Finally they choose Save for enterprise or Ad-Hoc Deployment which automatically makes an ipa ready for upload.
I have done my iOS app, but I don't want to submit to App Store.
Shall I pass it to my friend and run on his iPhone without jailbroken?
I heard it has some certain certificate allow other guys to run it.
I have developer account.
would you please provide some materials if have some ways to achieve it in legal.
Edit my question:
what is proper way to run the application on iPhone for testing with my remote designer? That is, he can transfer the application via itune, not xcode.
You have to register his UDID in apple developer portal. Then you can install your app on his phone from Xcode.
You can distribute your application using standard developer account certificate ($99), but it is limited to 100 devices.
Below is the documentation from Apple:
iOS developers enrolled in the Standard Program can also distribute an
app outside of the App Store on up to 100 different devices for
testing purposes only. To use ad hoc distribution, create an archive
of your app, or have a teammate send you an iOS App Store Package
(.ipa) of the archived app.
You distribute your app by providing the .ipa file for users to
install on their devices. Because you select a valid ad hoc
provisioning profile to archive the app, users don’t need to install
the profile on their device, only the .ipa file. Users can use iTunes
to install the app on their devices. If users want to use Xcode to
install the app on their device, share the archive as an .xcarchive
file package.
Detail documentation is found here
I developed an app and tested in iPhone and iPad simulators. In the project there's .app file in debug-iphonesimulator folder. Doesn't look like "release" file for me, because of the folder's name.
All I want to do now is create the app file which is going to be submitted later to the stores. I find information about a lot of things - test app on one device, create developer account, install add hoc distrubution and whatever. All I want to know is which is the file I have to submit to testers and store later and how I create it.
In Android you export app and have .apk at the end for all devices. But I don't understand how it is for IOS.
Edit: I'm particulary interested in the case where the developer is not the one owning developer account. What does have to send the developer to the person owning the account?
I'm using Xcode 3.2.6
If you are using the latest version of xCode, all you need to do is go to product->archive, and it will assemble the binary and package it for submission to the app store. There is a little bit more to preparing for distribution, such as creating a distribution profile, but you can find that information on the developer website for apple