Initially the plan was for me to publish the IOS app on app store. However, as apple need 1 to 2 week time to approve by app, it would be impossible for the app to be available for my company event on Monday. So my boss suggested me to put the IPA file on company website for customer to download the app.
Question 1 : Is it possible to distribute IOS app through a download link in a website to download the IPA file so that any customer will be able to install it on their device?
I have tested and tried installing the IPA file using itune, diawi,ifunbox but it did not install successfully.However it works when i use xcode to install the IPA file on the apple device
Question 2:
From what i read from https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3927786, does it mean that my code has to include some form of device id to allow certain device to be able to install?
Question 3:
Is there any way for me to allow customer to download my company IOS app without app store. This is because my apple developer account is still pending creation and the company event is on monday?
If what you are trying is possible then it would be a lot of competitors to Apple's AppStore , the only possible way is to collect the UUIDs for any device that can download the app , add them in the development provision profile and upload the build to say diawi , so it can be download but for devices included only which it should be up to 100 devices
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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.
I have designed the ios app and now I want my app to be tested by some other member of team. I generated .ipa as well as .app files of the app. I have install Apple Configurator 2 in my mac os. But when I use that apple configurator to install my app then the app is shown installed in the configurator but in the iPhone the icon shown is dark in color and when I click that nothing happens. But when I deploy app using xcode everything is working good for same configuration.
I don't know what all data is needed to post here for this issue,so if anything is required more than this pls ask.
I think there are four things you should confirm.
Certificate(Production) is not Expired?
Provisioning File(Distribution) is not Expired?.
Provisioning File(Distribution) is for AdHoc build (not for App Store)?
Provisioning File(Distribution) does contain your device UDID(Paulw11's answer)?
Maybe you need to go developer.apple.com and check your Certificates & Profiles.
[Other possibilities]
If you set date & time of your iOS device manually like 2020/1/29 for testing or something I think app won't run too.
Apple provies "TestFlight" https://developer.apple.com/testflight/
The way how to use it is almost same with submitting an app for review in App Store.
Create an App ID
Create a provisioning profile with the App ID you created.(Type is "Distribution - App Store")
Build an app with the provisioning profile you created.
Go App Store Connect and Open "My Apps" and create your app.
Upload an app (*.ipa file) to App Store Connect(*1)
Go App Store Connect and Open "My Apps" and select an app you uploaded.
Select "TestFlight" Tab.
Open "Export Compliance" dialog.
Answer the question about your app and click next(maybe this step repeats two or three times).
Click "Start Internal Testing." (Now you can deliver your beta app in your group.)
If you want deliver your app to external tester, add external tester(this needs Apple's app review)
(*1)
Last time I used TestFlight was several years ago, and at that time, I uploaded my app with "Application Loader" but I found this tool is not available now."Transporter" seems like be the alternative.
(*2)
This steps were memo I wrote about two years ago, so some steps may be wrong like Application Loader disappeared in 2019 and need to use Transporter for uploading an app.
I am android developer but I have just started the iOS development it was quite a fun until and unless i faced the distribution time.
My app is completed. now I have to give/send demo of the app to my client, I did R&D and found that to install app on device I need a UDID. I have one device also with me I have already added its UDID in my profile, so I can test on it.
Now tell me if I ask my client for UDID and if he supply me UDID, then after it how can I run app on his device. I can not access the client device physically.
I know this has been asked so many times and I have read those question. but most of them are outdated as I can not find those options in xcode
I am using xcode 9.2 and swft 4.2 . Please suggest me a batter way of doing that......
There are many options:-
Create adhoc profile then add UDID of client, then create IPA.Now create diawi link and share to client
Create enterprise profile, Create diawi and then create diawi and share it.
Go with testflight.
Useful Links:-
How create diawi
Create adhox
Use of test
Thanks
If you have client's device UDID then you can send build using Diawi link, Simply follow this steps.
First of all add client's UDID in developer.apple account.
Then Create "Provisioning profile -> AdHoc" profile. when you create AdHoc profile at that time select Client's UDID. (See more details https://support.magplus.com/hc/en-us/articles/204270188-iOS-Creating-an-Ad-Hoc-Distribution-Provisioning-Profile)
Using AdHoc profile archive project in xcode and export .ipa of application.
Upload exported .ipa file in https://www.diawi.com/
After finishing upload you can share build link with client.
Open this build link in safari browser(in device) to install application.
I suggest you use TestFlight.
You can create App on Appstore Connect and then upload one build to the Appstore using Xcode. After that you can simply use TestFlight to allow Internal or External Testers to download the app using TestFlight.
Advantages of TestFlight is that you don't need to have UDIDs of users, you can invite them using their email addresses. Also, you can invite external testers by using the Public Link now. You don't need email addresses of users if you create a Public Link and share the links with the users.
Apple beta distribution options are following,
You must have apple developer account enrolled to give away beta app.
1) TestFlight internal testers:- We can direct distribute by adding testers apple email to TestFlight section in AppStoreConnect.
2) TestFlight External Testers:-
We need to add any email ids of testers, they will get invitation with a redeem code, testers will have to redeem it using TestFlight app. User will notify for every build through TestFlight app. For External we have to submit for review for the first time only for every app version. Recently apple released feature to create a Public Link to invite testers, which you can share to any tester and tester can insert details directly from a web page.
3) Diawi Link:- You can upload build directly to Diawi, and distribute to testers whose UDIDS are attached with provisioning profile. There are some limitations to upload to Diawi like max ipa size is 100mb, expiration time 1day,....
4) AppBox:- To get rid if Diawi limitations, Some one introduce AppBox. AppBox is an open source GitHub repo, I found it some time ago, not using it regularly so I don't have deeper idea. AppBox is using dropbox to upload and using link to share with testers, we can directly upload to AppStore as-well.
Hope it covers all options of beta distribution for iOS, will update answer for AppBox as I will use more.
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 am working on my iphone app and now I want to send my app to my testers. But how should I send it to them ? Plus, they don't have an Xcode. Is it necessary?
Take a look at Test Flight. We are currently using it and it offers a lot of great tools and is very easy to set up.
testflightapp.com
It distributes it adhoc and then you can push it directly to the testers and allows you to see install statuses. Time spent and other analytic tools.
To answer your other questions. The don't need Xcode. They just need to have their UDID registered on your apple account. They will get sent an email that will ask to download the latest release. The app then installs over the air.
Since iOS 4.0, users have been able to install Ad-Hoc apps over the air. Please note you're required to get the testers' device UDIDs and add them to your device list on developer.apple.com and to the app's the provisioning profile.
You can host the IPA yourself, but I would recommend using TestFlightApp.com.
Macworld wrote a decent article about the gist of it, and TestFlight is fairly straightforward to use, especially since it allows you to send an email or link to your testers and collect the needed UDID from them.
Try diawi.
I find it very simple and very friendly to use. Also there is no wait in the queue type registration stuff. When you open it just drag and drop the .ipa file and the provisioning profile. To verify whether or not your app has been installed, just add your email id in the field mentioned and you will get a confirmatory email about your app installation. For installation at the tester's end they simply need Safari to install the app and the profile.
Below are the steps to create .ipa file (xcode 4.2)
Select iOS Device>Go to Product>Archive>Share>Choose iOS App Store Package (.ipa)>Provide a path to save.
Easily done!!!
From 26 feb 15 Testflight is closed their service...
I have used new link for creating installation link of ipa and distribute link to your client, tester etc.
open this link
http://www.diawi.com/index.php
upload provisioning profile(drag and drop) to their dashboard.
upload ipa(drag and drop) to their dashboard.
click on send button.
after that copy generated link and share to your client and tester.
With iOS 8, Xcode 6, iTunes Connect and TestFlight you don't need UDIDs and Ad Hocs anymore. You will just need an Apple ID from your beta tester. Right now you can only beta test your app with 25 internal testers, but soon 1000 external testers will be available too. This blog post show you how to set up a beta test with internal testers,
http://blog.thebetafamily.com/2014/09/10/testflight-beta-testing-ios-8/