Enterprise App Update Distribution on iOS 8

Question

I have an enterprise app that I'm distributing via an itms URL:

itms-services://?action=download-manifest&url=itms-services://?action=download-manifest&url=https://$MY_PLIST_URL.plist

On iOS 7, both downloads and updates work fine. On iOS 8, however, I get the error:

LoadExternalDownloadManifestOperation: Ignore manifest download, already have bundleID: com.mycom.MyApp

In my plist, I have

<key>bundle-identifier</key>
<string>com.mycom.MyApp</string>
<key>bundle-version</key>
<string>0.2.2</string>

and on my app on iOS 8, I'm running version 0.2.1

Which version of iOS8 are you running. I've heard of people having issues like this with Beta 5. — Anil, Sep 10 '14 at 18:43
Exact same problem. iOS 8 GM. These apps just refuse to download now. — Carl Sjogreen, Sep 11 '14 at 19:02
I'm running the now official released ios8.0 and the installation won't start. I took a look at the consule and there's a message sayin: ": LoadExternalDownloadManifestOperation: Ignore manifest download, already have bundleID: MYBUNDLENAME" ... restoring the device or changing the bundle id will do the trick — user2387149, Sep 23 '14 at 17:56
possible duplicate of [iOS 8 - Can't Install Enterprise App](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/25733299/ios-8-cant-install-enterprise-app) — Kristopher Johnson, Nov 04 '14 at 21:37
@KristopherJohnson My post was 9 days earlier, has more views, and more votes. Genuinely curious: is there a meta reason the other post isn't the duplicate? — Patrick Perini, Nov 05 '14 at 01:00
@pcperini I think the answers in the other post have more information. No offense intended. — Kristopher Johnson, Nov 05 '14 at 19:37
@KristopherJohnson None taken! I hadn't even considered the subjective quality of answer, haha. — Patrick Perini, Nov 05 '14 at 20:09
I faced same issue. wrote the solution in here : http://www.teratotech.com/blog/hhb-ios-tips-send-enterprise-app-distribution/ — HelmiB, Jan 20 '15 at 02:58

score 92 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 20 '14 at 12:37

92

I've also encountered this problem with our app distribution. We were able to fix this issue by 'faking' the bundle identifier inside the .plist using for download distribution, keeping our ipa bundle identifier the same.

For example, in your plist:

<key>bundle-identifier</key>
<string>com.mycom.MyApp</string>
<key>bundle-version</key>
<string>0.2.2</string>

change com.mycom.MyApp to com.mycom.MyApp.ios8fix

The app will be installed using a new app icon, which will disappear after install.

If you already have an install of the app, you will even see a new app icon during install. After the installation this icon disappears, but your already existing version of the app will be updated. With a clean install the installation icon will disappear and the installed application icon will appear in place.

It looks like iOS 8 is caching the bundle identifiers and compares the requested installs with these cached ones. Most of the times you'll only see an popup asking for install, but nothing happens.

As Sean already noticed, this appears with xCode 6 GM and the official iOS 8 version. Devices which never installed your application before will have no problems to install the app.

answered Sep 20 '14 at 12:37

Antoine

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It works on some devices, but some other deveice the syslog still showing the previous bundle id, even I changed the plist file. – temple Oct 10 '14 at 16:27
Actually providing images is the correct solution - check this answer http://stackoverflow.com/a/26283611/276656 – mspasov Oct 21 '14 at 09:55
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In my case changing the bundle-identifier worked on some devices - not all. After changing the path to the plist itself solved it for me. – pawi Jan 05 '15 at 12:35
Same problem a while ago. I provided solution in here : http://www.teratotech.com/blog/hhb-ios-tips-send-enterprise-app-distribution/ – HelmiB Jan 20 '15 at 02:58
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Where is the .plist to edit if you are downloading the app from Xcode Server? – Collin Feb 19 '15 at 19:01
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This answer http://stackoverflow.com/a/28727958/108040 worked better for us since you don't have to change the .plist – Robin Apr 23 '15 at 16:04
This seems to be no longer working on iOS9 and apparently for good reason. See https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/06/three_new_masqueatt.html. – Frans Sep 13 '15 at 22:00
@Frans @ SOreadytohelp This is not working in iOS 9 any updates ? – PJR Sep 22 '15 at 07:28

jlpiedrahita · Answer 2 · 2015-02-25T19:38:45.743

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This worked better for me, no need to touch your manifest or other trickery (perfect for Xcode Server where the plist is auto-generated):

Download iExplorer (http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/)
Plug your device
Delete all the files in "Media > Downloads"
Restart device

This resets the device caches, now you can install your app as usual.

edited Feb 25 '15 at 19:38

answered Feb 25 '15 at 19:31

jlpiedrahita

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Thanks, you are a life saver. I use iBrowse(http://www.ibrowseapp.com) which is free from Macroplant – Min Soe Feb 27 '15 at 11:37
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This worked great for us... don't forget to restart the device after deleting the contents of Media -> Downloads – Robin Apr 23 '15 at 16:02
thanks did the Job! But still thinking that does it need to be done on each user's phone ! – Ammar Mujeeb May 28 '15 at 07:03
Does "Erase All Content and Settings" (under Settings app) work ? – onmyway133 Jun 11 '15 at 09:32
What is the content of the Downloads folder ? – HamzaGhazouani Sep 01 '15 at 08:39

score 16 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 11 '14 at 11:53

16

I am having the same problem. I reproduced it by:

1) Having my application installed while upgrading from iOS 7 to iOS 8 GM

2) Removing it in iOS 8

3) Trying to install it via itms-services: with the same bundle name

When I tried to change the bundle-identifier in the server plist (not in the applications Info.plist), it worked (application was downloaded an no "shadow" icon remained). But it looks like an apple bug.

answered Sep 11 '14 at 11:53

Gil Hartman

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But you have to also change the bundle name in app, isn't it? I have tried only changing the server plist and result is: Sep 18 09:59:20 XXX-iPhone filecoordinationd[123] : sandboxing denied subscription to progress on category com.mo2o.XXX (bundle id com.apple.iaptransportd, 037BE63A-8737-4A4B-9C9D-B8FAF8DC0D40) Sep 18 09:59:20 XXX-iPhone filecoordinationd[123] : sandboxing denied subscription to progress on category com.mo2o.XXX (bundle id (null), 0B9D3B2A-2B5D-4882-8771-61784326E507) and app does not install – Eva Madrazo Sep 18 '14 at 08:01
mmm I am not right, it does log the warning but also it installs the app. – Eva Madrazo Sep 18 '14 at 09:07
This works fine, there is however a minor drawback. During installation the device doesn't know which app you are updating, so you'll see a second app icon during installation. After install this is automatically corrected though. – Ivo Jansch Sep 19 '14 at 07:29
4

Worth noting that in that bulldozer.io article it says "it seems that devices that have a developer certificate installed are not affected". Not clear what is meant by 'developer certificate' (I guess a development provisioning profile that 'covers' the app in question), but this could explain problems reproducing the issue on different devices. – astletron Oct 02 '14 at 10:35

score 11 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 22 '15 at 12:01

11

The accepted solution no longer works on iOS9.

My understanding is that Apple has closed a serious iOS security hole by preventing adhoc binaries from replacing stock apps or apps downloaded from the App Store. See this article for background (CVE-2015-3722/3725 and CVE-2015-3725):

https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/06/three_new_masqueatt.html

Taken the security implications, I wouldn't expect this behaviour to change in future IOS versions. Alternative options seem to be:

delete the App Store version before installing the adhoc
distribute the adhoc as 'new' app by changing the bundle id in both the app and the distribution plist
use TestFlight

answered Sep 22 '15 at 12:01

Frans

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Looks like you're right. It works fine on fresh installs or updating a previous adhoc version of the app, but it does not work when the installed version was installed from the App Store. – charles Oct 03 '15 at 19:38
Here's another hint why Apple made the change: http://www.loopinsight.com/2015/10/05/apples-official-statement-on-the-yispecter-ios-malware/ – Frans Oct 05 '15 at 23:15
While I understand the need to close the security, this puts us in an interesting scenario where we can't test upgrades from one version to another on the deployed version without going to TestFlight. It seems that an app signed by an ad-hoc profile and certificate for the same developer should be able to be upgraded. – lidsinker Oct 13 '15 at 15:34
@charles，"It works fine on fresh installs or updating a previous adhoc version of the app", have you test it? because we encounter this adhock update adhoc issue in IOS9..... – flypig Jan 16 '16 at 09:21
@flypig I had tried it on iOS 9 at the time, and it did work. I have not tried since, sorry. – charles Jan 17 '16 at 13:49

score 9 · Answer 5 · answered Sep 25 '14 at 20:10

What Gil said seems to be correct, but more specifically, I found that I also needed to increment the bundle-version string in the server.plist:

    <key>bundle-version</key>
    <string>3.2.2</string>

This at least allows you to accomplish an OTA install.

(Sorry... Would've added to comments, but I'm too much a n00b.)

score 9 · Answer 6 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:53

9

Take a look over this answer and this answer.

You can fix this issue without any hacks, for iOS8 you have to include in the assets key of the manifest .plist file the display-image and full-size-image keys. They were available in Xcode 5 when saving an archive for enterprise and add-hoc deployment, but were not required.

I have created a gist on github with the template for the install-manifet.plist file.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:53

Community

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answered Oct 09 '14 at 16:36

alexcristea

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I was actually experiencing this problem with both of those keys included. – Sean Danzeiser Oct 29 '14 at 00:51
ya i changed the bundle identifier and it worked. Not thrilled about it. – Sean Danzeiser Oct 29 '14 at 16:43
Great! I'm also moved everything to a subfolder and adjust only the MD5 of ipa file. – Felipe FMMobile Jun 02 '17 at 18:21

Xiao · Answer 7 · 2014-09-18T13:05:19.597

3

This a bug first found in iOS8 Beta5. And it was still not fixed by Apple in GM seed and official iOS8.0 version. More discussons could be found here

The current workaround being tested by myself:

If you don't care the contents in your device: do a clean restore in DFU mode of the device
If you want your things back
1. Backup your iOS Device in iTunes before restore (without Ad-Hoc/enterprise app)
2. After restored your device cleanly, install your Ad-Hoc/enterprise app
3. Restore your backup from iTunes
4. Now you are free to delete those Ad-Hoc/enterprise apps and reinstall them.

edited Sep 18 '14 at 13:05

answered Sep 18 '14 at 12:59

Xiao

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Still not fixed in 8.1 either – Kevin Nov 03 '14 at 23:45
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Still not fixed in 8.2....... Maybe just we 15 persons in the world make enterprise apps. – Karl Heinz Brehme Arredondo Mar 31 '15 at 15:31

Tallent Siu · Answer 8 · 2014-11-04T03:36:55.990

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Problem solved by changing the bundle identifier in plist.

Normally, after tapping the itms link, it will shows the desktop which shows the icon installation. However, for my iOS 8.0 device, after tapping the itms link, it will not change to the installation page but installation is already working behind.

edited Nov 04 '14 at 03:36

answered Nov 04 '14 at 03:25

Tallent Siu

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score 2 · Answer 9 · answered Oct 11 '14 at 23:04

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This is extreme but if you can't change your bundle identifier, which I couldn't, restoring your iPhone through iTunes to the latest iOS 8 and restoring from a backup fixes the problem.

answered Oct 11 '14 at 23:04

pho0

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You shouldnt restore iPhone — just few steps https://updraft.beekeeper.io/post/2046721 – Sergey Kopanev Mar 23 '15 at 15:02

Alex Sorokoletov · Answer 10 · 2016-07-06T15:20:28.290

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Same problem exists on iOS 10 beta 1.

Dec 31 19:01:32 iphone-6s itunesstored[98] : LoadExternalDownloadManifestOperation: Ignore manifest download, already have bundleID: com.***************.ios with phase: SSDownloadPhaseWaiting

One thing that I do not understand here is that the date is December 31st in the XCode device log, however, device has correct date and time configured.

Update: Guys from HockeyApp notified Apple about this problem during WWDC and fix should come in the next seed.

edited Jul 06 '16 at 15:20

answered Jun 15 '16 at 17:16

Alex Sorokoletov

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same problem on iOS 10 – Crossle Song Jul 05 '16 at 06:26

score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Oct 22 '14 at 22:09

0

If you build your iOS apps with a build script and you were previously using PackageApplication with the --sign flag then that may be causing problems. The --sign flag doesn't work any longer when building on 10.10 and removing it got all of our iOS apps installing again.

see: https://devforums.apple.com/thread/251624?tstart=0

answered Oct 22 '14 at 22:09

James Moore

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That is addressing a different issue and is related to building, and not installing, as the OP is asking. – wottle Oct 31 '14 at 14:18
I disagree. There was a behavior change introduced in b5 that causes signed IPAs to fail to load. Assuming the OP has no errors in their manifest file then a signed IPA is virtually guaranteed to fail to install with exactly the error they provided. Since they don't mention how they built their IPA I can't say for sure why it's failing. On the other hand removing sigs from our IPAs got them all installing again. – James Moore Oct 31 '14 at 18:21
That may be true, but if you looke at the error specified in the original question: "Ignore manifest download, already have bundleID:", it is obviously related to the now widely discussed iOS8 bug on enterprise apps and the inability to install an app that was installed prior to upgrading to iOS8, then uninstalling after upgrading to iOS8. You may be addressing a problem, but it is not the problem the OP is having. – wottle Dec 10 '14 at 15:34

score 0 · Answer 12 · answered Nov 25 '14 at 15:52

Make sure you have a full internet access.

I was facing the same problem with OTA installation and IOS8. Because i'm behind a corporate proxy, the solutions above didn't work until I set manual proxy settings (not needed in IOS7) to solve that problem.

score 0 · Answer 13 · answered Jun 09 '15 at 13:28

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I have just encountered this issue on a device running 8.1, upgrading the device to 8.3 has resolved the issue. So either the bug is no longer present in 8.3.... or the act of upgrading cleared the cached data anyway.

answered Jun 09 '15 at 13:28

tom01

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Enterprise App Update Distribution on iOS 8

13 Answers13

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