iOS Enterprise Distribution Everything You Need to Know about Signing Your App

iOS enterprise distribution allows companies to distribute their proprietary apps to their employees or partners. However, to distribute an app, it needs to be signed with a provisioning profile. In this article, we will guide you through everything you need to know about signing your app for iOS enterprise distribution.

What is iOS Signing?

iOS signing is the process of adding a digital signature to an app’s binary code. This signature ensures that the app comes from a trusted source and has not been modified illegally.

When you sign an app, you create a digital certificate that is unique to your organization and use it to sign the app. This digital certificate is then added to the app’s binary code to create a cryptographically signed app.

iOS Signing Tools

There are two main tools used for iOS signing: Xcode and the Apple Developer Portal.

Xcode is Apple’s integrated development environment (IDE) used to develop iOS apps. It includes tools for creating and managing certificates and profiles, testing and debugging apps, and more.

The Apple Developer Portal is a website that provides access to all the tools and resources you need to develop and distribute your iOS apps. Here you can create and manage certificates, provisioning profiles, and more.

Creating an iOS Signing Certificate

The first step in signing your app for iOS enterprise distribution is to create a signing certificate.

To create a signing certificate, follow these steps:

Click on the + button to create a new certificate.

Select the type of certificate you want to create (in this case, a signing certificate).

Follow the instructions to create your certificate.

Creating an iOS Provisioning Profile

Once you have created your signing certificate, the next step is to create a provisioning profile.

A provisioning profile is a file that includes information about the app and the devices it can be installed on. It also includes the signing certificate used to sign the app.

To create a provisioning profile, follow these steps:

Click on the + button to create a new provisioning profile.

Select the type of profile you want to create (in this case, an enterprise distribution profile).

iOS Enterprise Distribution Everything You Need to Know about Signing Your App

Select the app ID for your app.

Select the signing certificate you created earlier.

Select the devices that the app can be installed on.

Follow the instructions to create your provisioning profile.

Building and Signing Your App

Once you have created your signing certificate and provisioning profile, you can build and sign your app using Xcode.

To build and sign your app, follow these steps:

Open your app’s Xcode project.

Select your app’s target in the left sidebar.

Go to the General tab and select your team under Signing.

Select the provisioning profile you created earlier under Signing.

Build and archive your app.

Distributing Your App

Once you have built and signed your app, you can distribute it to your employees or partners.

To distribute your app, follow these steps:

Upload your app’s package to your website or a file-sharing service.

Provide the app’s installation link to your employees or partners.

On their iOS device, they need to click on the installation link to download and install the app.

Conclusion

In conclusion, signing your app for iOS enterprise distribution is crucial to ensure that your app comes from a trusted source and has not been modified illegally. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a signing certificate and provisioning profile, build and sign your app, and distribute it to your employees or partners with ease. Remember to use the tools provided by Xcode and the Apple Developer Portal to make the signing process smoother.

iOS Enterprise Distribution Everything You Need to Know about Signing Your App