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I know that Android apps are packaged as *.apk files, but I have no idea in which way an iOS/iPhone app is stored?

Assuming that iOS apps need to be developed and up- and downloaded to the apple App store I assume that the app is stored as a file. Which format does this file have?

mokagio
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humanityANDpeace
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  • sort of, I searched via startpage.com (that takes google results) and "file format ios app" did not yield that much, sorry. – humanityANDpeace Mar 09 '16 at 17:43
  • all my bad, sorry, went also on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ios where no info was found, before asking the question. I am so sorry the question was concrete answerable and not hard enough to merit. please downvote – humanityANDpeace Mar 09 '16 at 18:12

4 Answers4

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An .ipa file is an iOS application archive file which stores an iOS app. Each .ipa file includes a binary for the ARM architecture and can only be installed on an iOS-device.

.ipa (file extension)

Milap Kundalia
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.ipa file extension is used for Apple iOS application file and .ipsw file extension is used for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch iOS software firmware update file.

Other file extensions or file formats developed for use with Apple iOS .aee , .applesyncinfocpbitmap , .cpbitmapdfu , .dfuimg3 , .img3ios , .iosipb , .ipbipcc , .ipccithmb , .ithmbk48 , .k48m4r , .m4rmapsdata , .mapsdatambdb , .mbdbmbdx , .mbdxmdinfo , .mdinfometriclog , .metriclogmobileconfig , .mobileconfign81 , .n81n88 , .n88n90 , .n90n90ap , .n90apn92 , .n92provisionprofile , .provisionprofilesinf , .sinfsmil , .smilsupp , .supp_ipod_control , ._ipod_control

Abdul Haleem
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Actually, an ".ipa" is a zip file. If you rename the suffix you can easily unzip it and go into the "Payload" folder and look at the app... which is just a package.

cbiggin
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ipa file witch is actually a normal zip file

omar moharam
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