2

Yesterday I saw a Website of a Company which has a test version of their iPhone App downloadable for everybody from their website.

Since I am an Apple Developer, I know that you need the UDID of the target device to declare it as a test device, because you have to code sign it to the device.

When I have downloaded the file, it was a normal App file from Xcode. I dragged it to iTunes and from there to my Device, and what do you suppose happened?

Yes; it worked on my Device!! ;-)

I have not jail-broken my device and the app Works on any device I have tried it on without add the devices to any Developer Account...

Does anybody know how to do this???

How can I distribute an app to any device by email or web download without adding test device UDIDs to my account to work on any phone???

Thanks.

Peter DeWeese
  • 18,141
  • 8
  • 79
  • 101
Dennis Weidmann
  • 31
  • 6

2 Answers2

2

The company could either have distributed it as a source code (which can be run by anyone with a developer's account) or by a link to the app store

You can either do one of two things to distribute an app Adhoc:

1 . As a normal App developer you add devices UDIDs separately to the developer portal.

or

2 . Create a company Adhoc developer's account (which costs extra money and DOESN'T allow you to post to the app store (but that also requires UDIDs))

Alternatively you can post it on the app store and distribute it via that method.

Due to code signing only jailbroken devices may run unsigned apps (or apps not signed for them)

Nightfa11
  • 121
  • 9
  • hi, thank you for your information... i thought so too... but they realy had posted an app on their site, which i could drag and drop to my itunes and then put it to my iphone... and i have no jailbreak on my device... i know the distribution by adding advices to my developer portal... but they never had my information... it seems i am not the only one fascinated by this trick ;-) – Dennis Weidmann Jan 02 '12 at 17:49
  • 1
    This is no trick, they are using the enterprise profiles. Even though Apple does not allow companies to use this mechanism to distribute apps outside of the companies and only use it for internal apps and employees devices. But it seems this particular company doesn't care about this restriction. – Kerni Jan 02 '12 at 20:46
  • Yes Kerni, I think that this will be their "magic" Trick... Too bad that there is no allowed way... Anyway, thank you guys!!! – Dennis Weidmann Jan 02 '12 at 21:38
0

I'd love to know how they do that. I do the next best thing: I use testflightapp.com to distribute my apps. It does require UDIDs but easily collects them, and deployment to those users is one touch after building/uploading. There is also a feedback API that I find quite handy.

Peter DeWeese
  • 18,141
  • 8
  • 79
  • 101