Is there a way to decompile an iPhone binary file in order to extract it's resources like images and sound files?
4 Answers
If you have sync the app to you Mac, just open the following folder:
/Users/YOUR_USER_NAME/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Mobile Applications
Or open iTunes and go to Apps and right mouse button on the app and select "show in Finder"
- Copy the app you want to inspect, f.e. Demo.ipa
- Change the extension ipa to zip => Demo.zip
- Extract the zip
- Open the folder and then the folder "Payload"
- Right Mouse Click Demo.app and select "Show Package Content"

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Change your .app file extension to zip and then extract the files. You will be able to get all resource files.

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An iPhone .app file is simply a folder. If you're viewing it on a Mac (or even on the iPhone with iFile), just remove the .app extension and you should be able to view the resources. On Windows and Linux (tested with Ubuntu 14.04), it should "just work" and you'll be able to view the folder's contents without any renaming.

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Edit: Removed the assumption that images/sound would be used in another application.
First, off you shouldn't be reverse compiling code so that you can get images/sound files from an iPhone or any other application for that matter.
Second, reverse compiling does not always guarantee a successful file generation of whatever file you're looking for. Whether it's an audio or image file.
It would be a much better approach for you in the long run, and in the process of learning that you either contact the authors of the app and ask for permission to use the images/audio that you're seeking (since you think it's such an awesome sound/image that you can't live without). Or you can do an audio mixing or image generation yourself.
If your lacking the time, skills or applications that would get you the quality of work you're looking for. I would recommend bring in a graphic artist or sound engineer/mixer.
You'd be learning how to manage a group or individual, convey your ideas correctly and informative, and you're more likely to build a better application as a result. And that is something you can't get from reverse compiling an iPhone application :-)

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12You can't be sued for looking at content you've purchased. – Azeem.Butt Dec 29 '09 at 21:21
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4@ NSD - No you can't be sued for looking at content. But you shouldn't get into the habit of reverse compiling code in order to use an image/sound or other file. It leads to the dark side ;-) – Tammen Dec 29 '09 at 21:43
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8It's not so much looking at the images, sound, etc. that's the problem, it's the reuse of them without permission in your own application. There are many cases of copyright infringement like this in various knockoff iPhone applications, which is why people might be bristling at a question like this. – Brad Larson Dec 29 '09 at 21:56
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9He never said he planned on re-using or re-selling it, you just wanted to rant. What skills and applications were responsible for producing this, exactly? http://www.bonecoder.com/_Img/Hummingbird.jpg – Azeem.Butt Dec 29 '09 at 21:59
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@ NSD - While I'd admit it's no Mona Lisa :-) I created that image with GIMP. And have since started working with a graphic artist. I'm not here to rant but merely learn, and offer my suggestions from time to time. And in no way am I disagreeing with your answer. I just don't want developers to get into the habit of reverse compiling code as it's not the recommended way in learning how to develop applications. – Tammen Dec 29 '09 at 22:22
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5@Tammen thanks for the reply but the reason I asked it in the first place is because I have an application with a sensitive content that I don't want to be out there... @NSD's link showed that I cannot protect my content once it's in the application binary – lnetanel Dec 31 '09 at 11:59
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So did anyone answer this... cause i would like to know ): – A'sa Dickens May 27 '14 at 15:05