Xcode allows you to distribute the app archive in the following methods:
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App Store distribution: submits the app for publication to the Apple App Store. Refer to the section called “Method 1: App Store distribution” for detailed instructions.
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In-House distribution: installs the app to an unlimited number of devices inside your company. Refer to the section called “Method 2: In-house or Ad-Hoc distribution” for detailed instructions.
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Ad Hoc distribution: installs the app on a limited number (up to 100) of registered devices. Refer to the section called “Method 2: In-house or Ad-Hoc distribution” for detailed instructions.
The detailed instructions for Ad Hoc distribution and In-House distribution are the same, though their provisioning profiles are different.
To submit the app archive to the iOS App Store:
Step 1: In the Archives organizer, select the application archive, and click Distribute App .
Step 2: Select iOS App Store and then follow the instructions on screen.
For more instructions, refer to Submitting Your App to the Store in the Apple document App Distribution Guide.
To export the app archive and distribute it outside the iOS App Store:
Step 1: In the Archives organizer, select the application archive, and click Distribute App .
Optionally, you can click Validate before clicking Distribute App, to validate the archive and fix any problems before exporting it.
Step 2: In the dialog that appears, select a distribution method and then following the on-screen instructions.
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To distribute the app archive using ad hoc provisioning (where the app runs on registered test devices only), select Ad Hoc.
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To distribute the iOS Developer Enterprise application, select Enterprise or Development.
To learn more about ad hoc deployment, refer to Distributing Your App Using Ad Hoc Provisioning in the Apple document App Distribution Guide.
To learn more about the iOS Enterprise application, refer to Distributing iOS Developer Enterprise Program Applications in the Apple document App Distribution Guide.
You can send the app to your users in the following four ways:
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Distribute the .ipa file and .plist file to your users, and users perform the installation using iTunes. See the section called “Install apps using iTunes” for detailed instructions.
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Distribute the .ipa file and .plist file to your users, and users perform the installation using iPhone Configuration Utility or Apple Configurator (Using Apple Configurator is left out in this tutorial). See the section called “Install apps using iPhone Configuration Utility” for detailed instructions.
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Post the .ipa file and .plist file on a secure Web server, and users perform the installation wirelessly. See the section called “Install apps wirelessly” for detailed instructions.
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Use your MDM server to instruct managed devices to install the app, if your MDM server supports it. This is left out in this tutorial.
Step 1: Copy the .ipa file for the app to a machine (either Windows or Mac) with iTunes already installed.
Step 2: In iTunes, choose File > Add to Library, and then select the .ipa file.
Step 3: Connect a device to the computer, and then select it in the Device list in iTunes.
Step 4: Click the Apps tab, and then select the Sync Apps checkbox and the app in the list.
Step 5: Click Apply (or Sync).
If your user's computers are managed, you can deploy the files to their computers and ask them to sync their device. iTunes automatically installs the files found in iTunes Mobile Application and Provisioning Profiles folders.
Step 1: Copy the .ipa file for the app to a machine (either Windows or Mac) with iPhone Configuration Utility already installed.
Step 2: In iPhone Configuration Utility, choose File > Add to Library, and then select the .ipa file.
Step 3: Connect a device to the computer, and then select it in the Device list.
Step 4: Click the Applications tab, and then select the .ipa file.
Step 5: Click Install.
Before installing the app, you will need to first post the app to a Web server.
Step 1: Construct and configure the server.
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Install IIS on the server.
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Copy the app (.ipa) file, the manifest (.plist) file, and the icons to a location on the IIS website that is accessible to the users.
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Create a page that links to the manifest file.
Here is a sample link:
<a href="itms-services://?action=download-manifest&url=http://example.com/?manifest.plist">Install App</a>
Step 2: Set the MIME type of the server, so the server can correctly transfer the manifest file and the application.
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For Mac OS X Server, use the Server Admin to add the following MIME types to the Web service's MIME Types settings:
application/octet-stream ipa
text/xml plist
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For IIS, use the IIS Manager to add the following MIME types on the server's Properties page:
.ipa application/octet-stream
.plist text/xml
Now your app is ready for installation.
Step 3: Distribute the URL for downloading the manifest file by SMS or email to the users.
Step 4: The user clicks the URL to download the manifest file from the website to the iOS device, and the manifest file instructs the device to download and install the apps referenced in the manifest file.
