User Tools

Site Tools


export_and_install_ipa_on_old_ios

**This is an old revision of the document!**

Q: How do I sign my app for Ad Hoc distribution and export it to ipa? And where do I include my iPHone's uDID in provisioning profile?

You register the UDID in your Apple Developer account, then select that device when creating the Ad Hoc provisioning profile. Xcode embeds the profile into the app when exporting the IPA.

For your iOS 11 device, use an archive built with an iOS 11-compatible toolchain, such as Xcode 13.2. Signing does not change OS compatibility.

1. Register your iPhone’s UDID

  • Connect the iPhone to your Mac and trust the computer.
  • In Apple Configurator, open the device’s information and copy its UDID.
  • Click +, choose the appropriate platform, enter a device name and its UDID, then register it.

This happens in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, not App Store Connect. Apple’s registration guide

2. Make sure you have a distribution certificate

In Xcode:

  • Open Xcode → Preferences → Accounts—called Settings in newer Xcode.
  • Select your Apple account and paid team.
  • Click Manage Certificates.
  • If you don’t already have a usable distribution certificate, click + → Apple Distribution.

Create it on the Mac you’ll use for exporting, so its private key is available there. An existing certificate also works if its private key is installed. Apple’s signing guidance

3. Create the Ad Hoc provisioning profile

Open Apple Developer → Profiles:

  1. Click +.
  2. Under Distribution, select Ad Hoc.
  3. Select the App ID matching your app’s bundle identifier.
  4. Select your distribution certificate.
  5. Check your iPhone in the devices list. This is where its UDID gets included in the profile.
  6. Name the profile, such as MyApp Ad Hoc, then click Generate → Download.

If your app includes extensions, each extension needs its own matching profile. Apple’s profile creation guide

4. Archive and export the IPA

In Xcode 13.2:

  1. Open your project and select the app’s scheme.
  2. Select Any iOS Device (arm64) as the destination. Your iPhone doesn’t need to be connected.
  3. Choose Product → Archive.
  4. In Organizer, select the archive and click Distribute App.
  5. Choose Ad Hoc.
  6. For a straightforward export, set app thinning to None, if offered.
  7. Choose Manually manage signing.
  8. Select your distribution certificate and the profile you created. Use Import Profile if it isn’t listed.
  9. Finish the wizard and click Export.

The exported folder contains your .ipa. Xcode signs it during this process; you don’t need a separate signing command. Apple’s distribution workflow

Then drag that IPA onto your iPhone in Apple Configurator.

If you register another device later, regenerate the profile and export the IPA again. Registering a UDID does not update profiles already embedded in exported apps.

export_and_install_ipa_on_old_ios.1789960091.txt.gz · Last modified: 2026/09/21 11:08 by admin