any pointers on deploying app on ios devices for beta testing - ios

This is my first app and its ready to be deployed on devices. going through apple's 100 or 150 page "App Distribution Guide" is plain daunting. I'm using xcode 5 and iOS sdk 7.0 and I signed up for ios developer membership. is there any any web page giving a walk through of deploying it? how to create icons, how many and how to specify them in app etc. appreciate that.
I ran into testflight but they are no longer accepting new signups.

You can simply prepare AdHoc builds which your beta-testers can install on their devices via iTunes. Actually, UDIDs of their devices must be in corresponding provisioning profile which you use to create this builds.

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Can I submit IOS app created on non-IOS devices (like, using VMware or any other way) or without MacBook?

I need to know if I can submit IOS app which is not built within apple device.
I'm using IOS in VMware to create IOS app. But now I heard that, In IOS 14 they are not allowed those app which aren't built within apple device. They are not allowing apps which are built with VMware.
Anyone know about this? Please help me. I got stuck at this point.
Please make this clear for me and many more developers who got confusion.
Thank you in advanced.
VMware doesn't matter as long as you are distributing your app via Xcode. Keep in mind the only way to distribute iOS application is to sign your application with Apple developer certificates with xcode and upload it via application uploader also you must have Apple developer account to generate distribution certificates.
Yes, an iOS App submission can be done without owning a MacBook; it is possible to submit an iOS app using VMware to the App Store.
Your VM should run Mac OS, and an app should be done/built in Xcode.
What is important is that Xcode will be required in order to upload a build to App Store Connect. Then you may submit to the Apple Certification Team to review.
And ofc, To submit your app to the App Store, you need to enroll in Apple Developer Program ($99/year) that should be done prior to the steps described above.

How with delphi can I publish an iOS app to the account of someone else?

I build some iOS app for other people. With android it's quite simple, I gave the .aab to the guy and they add themself this .aab in the play store. However, I think, I can't do the same for iOS or I m mistaken?
Is there a way to compile the app on my computer and gave my client a binary so he can publish it under his account? I m under Delphi if it's matter.
What worry me a lot is that I need to compile a dozen of a white-labeled app every time I Update the main core app and I want to automatize the process. How can I do this ?
An iOS app is compiled to an .ipa file, which can be deployed to a device or uploaded to the App Store.
However, iOS apps have many requirements beyond just deploying the binary.
Each customer will have to obtain a Developer Certificate that identifies them with the app(s) you develop on their behalf. They will have to provide those certificates to you.
In order for each customer to then install/upload your app binary(s) on their own accord, they will have to register App IDs with Apple, and give you those IDs so you can configure it into your projects as needed.
Each customer will also have to provision those IDs according to how they will be installed (Ad-Hoc vs App Store), and give you the provisioning profiles so you can configure them into your projects as well.
This is all covered in Embarcadero's documentation:
iOS Mobile Application Development
Acquiring an iOS Developer Certificate
Provisioning an iOS Application
Creating an App ID for Your Application
Creating and Installing Your Provisioning Profiles
Configuring Your Provisioning Profiles on RAD Studio
Deploying Your Final iOS Application
Deploying Your iOS Application for Ad-hoc Distribution
Deploying Your iOS Application for Submission to the App Store

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.

AirWatch MDM with Xamarin ipa

We are currently adding some mobile applications built using Xamarin.iOS to our AirWatch MDM entreprise store. Unfortunately it doesn't behave as it should: we trigger the download on the device, it downloads the app but it doesn't install on the device. We checked the device logs and we seem to have an issue with profile or code signing.
Have other persons already used Xamarin.iOS with AirWatch MDM?
If yes, then how do you build your ipa file? Currently we build them for armv7+armv7s, with all assemblies linked, using LLVM and we build using AppStore mode.
When we build the app in AdHoc mode with UDIDs in the provisioning profile and add it through iTunes then it is installing and running fine.
Maybe it is necessary to go the AdHoc way, with this ipa file, with all UDIDs referenced, or, we should go the InHouse way? https://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/enterprise/
I haven't used AirWatch but I do currently use the Enterprise program (with ad-hoc builds) for internal company apps. I had the same issue when I tried using the wrong provisioning profile when signing the application.
Yes I have been using Xamarin with Airwatch for two years. I have no problem deploying applications to the field. I routinely provide updates for the programs and in most cases they are 100% deployed in a matter of a couple of days. The majority of the last forced deployment completed in less than 8 hours.
It sounds like it might be the way you are uploading the application into Airwatch. Are you requiring something that is not on the user's device such as a passcode?
I have about 240 IOS devices deployed with a mixture of OS (6.0 - 8). I do not build the apps for the AppStore. I can see where that could be an issue with the deployment methodology. When you deploy via IPA in Airwatch, it is assuming you are deploying enterprise applications. When I deploy an AppStore program I use the catalog and they install via the AppStore.
Our IPA's work either via iTunes or through Airwatch. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

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