How to install iOS app to any device without App Store? - ios

It's mid 2015 and I've found a lot of old links regarding this problem so I wanted to post a new question. I was wondering how to install generated app to any iPhone/iPad device without publishing it in the App Store?
So, I would like to do the same as I can do with the Android apps. I would like to give my app to close to 1000 selected users so they can use it. For Android I can just take debug apk file and send them to their email and they would be able to install it.
I've found this but it's not for free: http://hockeyapp.net/features
Thank you for your help.

TestFlight Testing makes it easy to invite users to test your iOS 8 apps before you release them on the App Store. You can invite up to 1,000 external testers using just their email address.
https://developer.apple.com/testflight/
Update
Now you can test your iOS, watchOS, and tvOS and you can invite up to 2,000 testers using email address.

As far as I know it is not possible yet, At least in a pretty way, I mean, if the device in which you will install your app is not jail-broken you will need to sign your app, and if you sign your app it makes no sense not publish it on the App Store.

Yes. The number is unlimited if your iOS device owners all enroll themselves in Apple's $99 Developer program, have recent Macs, and you are willing to distribute a build-able Xcode project to them. The limit seems to be up to 100 devices if you alone are the only one to enroll, and don't use TestFlight.
Just enroll in Apple's $99 Developer program, add the devices (up to 100) to your provisioning profile in Apple's Developer portal, download the profile to Xcode, then build the app, connect the device to the Mac (or use Ad Hoc provisioning), and install the app. Or get Apple to approve your app for TestFlight distribution.
If you are doing this for a corporation with a D&B number, then another alternative is to enroll in Apple's more expensive Enterprise program, which allows you to install your app on any employee iOS device, even if this number is well over 100.

Related

How to generate IPA file without apple developer program and without a connected device in Xcode 7.2?

My employer doesn't have an iPhone for testing, they are also not enrolled into Apple's developer program, but they recruited me as an iOS developer.
I was told to create an app and I did it with the help of simulator.
Now, they want me to generate an IPA file of that application for their client who is in another country to test, in his iPhone. Is that even possible?
You will certainly need a developer account if you want to run your app on a physical device (unless that device is jailbroken, which I wouldn't recommend). If your employer hired you as an iOS developer, you need to inform them that a requirement to doing iOS development is a developer account.
If you are going to be writing iOS apps to deploy on client device (which you won't have physical access to), you have a couple of options.
You could have your employer pay for the enterprise developer account ($299/year). This allows you to have an In House Distribution profile, which lets you build an IPA that can run on any iOS device without the need to register the UDID for each device in the provisioning profile.
You could use Apple's TestFlight to deploy the app to your clients' devices. This still requires a paid developer account as you are basically creating an app store build and distributing to others as "beta testers". The app goes through a more lax review process, but it still must have been signed with a distribution certificate, which you only can get with a paid account.
Bottom line, if your company is asking you to develop apps professionally, you need to get them to understand that the $99/year fee is part of the process. IF they can't justify that, they shouldn't be hiring out iOS development jobs.
Without Apple developer's account it is not possible. You would not be able to archive your code either. Have a look at these documents :
Apple's documentation : Exporting Your App for Testing (iOS, tvOS, watchOS)
Stackoverflow : How to export an ipa in Xcode 7
you have to enrolled into Apple's developer program, and add all UDID into you app device ID than generate a provisional profile. install it in xcode than create an archive, zip it and upload to diawi.com. Diawi( https://www.diawi.com/ ) is best solution, It will generate a link which you can give to client and they can install it on their device directly.
I have faced same problem at start of my job :)
- but it is not possible to generate ipa without apple developer account.
- and even if you connect device to deploy then device iOS version and XCode iOS version must be same.
you have to enrolled into Apple's developer program and this is not enough. For over-the-air installation you have to use apple's testflight or hockeyapp like third party apps.

How to distribute my finished app without app store?

As the title states, I have been developing and testing an app for Iphone. I have got it to install to an iphone via it being plugged into the Mac. But, I would like to get the app place it on my webserver then via a website allow someone to download and install the app. I tried following various tutorials, but as shown below after archiving the app, the export and other buttons are greyed out. Have also made sure 'Generic iOS devices' selected. What could be causing this ?
You have to use Apple TestFlight or use a third party service to allow your beta to be distributed for testing. One good service is HockeyApp, which I am using currently and it is very cheap $10/month.
Without having the UDID of your client, you simply can't!
What is causing this may be that you are not enrolled in the correct Apple developer program.
A stock iOS device will only install an app from a link on a website if the app is signed by certificate from an Enterprise Developer program enrollment (or Ad Hoc provisioned). The Enterprise distribution method is only allowed to employees of the enrolled corporation.
Ad Hoc deployment to devices registered to your enrolled Developer account is also supported by stock iOS devices.
One other possibility is to put a link to your entire Xcode project on your website, with instructions on how anyone with a Mac and Xcode can build your app and then run it on on their device.

distribute xamarin ios app

I'm new to xamarin and I have made my first app but currently I don't want to connect to AppStore for distributing.What should I do to be able to distribute my app without using AppStore?
By the way, I'm using visual studio 2013.
Thanks.
The distribute your app for iOS device you will need to submit it to Apple for review so it can be placed in the AppStore.
For this you will need an paid Apple Developer account.
With paid developers account you can also create a AdHoc version of you app which can be install on registered device, you can only register a 100 device per year. Also the profile will expire after max one year so you will need to register the device.
There is the option for the Enterprise distribution account, this means that you will need to DUNS number and a secure site to host the app yourself. But there big draw back for this type of account is that official you can only have employees of the company owning the account install the app.
tl;dr: Appstore or none.

How to distribute an iPhone app for testing without getting UDIDs or jailbreaking?

I have a normal Apple Developer Program (not the Enterprise one)
and I need to distribute an iOS application without adding each UDID to the provisioning profile. I do not want to jailbreak iphones.
It is possible to make an Enterprise provisioning profile where the signed applications can be installed on any device without adding it to the provisioning profile. (Correct?)
And it is possible only with Enterprise program. (Correct?)
Are there any other ways to get rid of this dummy need of adding the betatester's UDIDs and recompiling the app whenever new testers come, with Apple Developer Program only?
Providing you're already registered with the Apple Developer Programme, you can upload your build and from within iTunesConnect use the TestFlight options to make your app available for download.
There are two options, 'Internal Testing' and 'External Testing'.
(In answer to question about the profiles, you don't need to have an Enterprise Provisioning Profile.)
As you wish to make the app available for unknown devices, you will need to use external testing. Here is a link to Apple's info on it https://developer.apple.com/testflight/
You will need the email addresses of the beta users (up to 1000 users) as those will be used to send an invitation to download via TestFlight from the device they wish to download to.
For external testing, your app will need to be submitted to Apple for Beta Review, which normally only takes a day or so for them to approve. Once approved this build is available to invite the beta testers to download
I hope this helps

iOS App distribuition for thirdies out of Apple Store

I'm developing an app that is supposed to be distributed outside Apple Store. I've read the documentation about app distribution and don't got so clear to me how can I distribute to my specific client... I know I can generate the IPA file, but it is just for testing, right?
What I really need is: get the devices from my client, install the app on those devices for him...
I don't think I need the Enterprise Developer Program, right?
Thanks!
If you are planning to distribute huge amount of users you need an enterprise account. Regular developer account has an option to add device for testing and development up to 100 device.
If you want your app to be tested on clients device first you need to add device UDID onto your developer portal and generate provisioning profile for Ad-Hoc distribution and sign your app with this profile then you can upload it to diawi and send diawi link to your client.
you may watch following tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVO0tIHmQTg
You can use TestFlight for this. Its easy to use , optional and easy to integrate its SDK and is free for your mentioned usage.
You have to add the UDID of the iPad devices in the dev certificate and upload the app to testflight.
By integrating the SDK you can use multiple other functionalities support as well, like:
Sessions
Symbolicated Crash Reports
Production Crashes
Checkpoints
Remote Logging
In-App Updates
In-App Feedback
EDIT: you will be in need of UDIDs of the iPad devices only if you are not using Enterprise developer program.

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