Build breakthrough apps for your employees.

Learn about in-house app development for iPhone and iPad.

Before you can distribute your app, you’ll need to certify and provision your application within the Enterprise Developer Program, and sign and build your project in Xcode. A simple three-step process will have you ready to distribute your app straight from Xcode.

1. Create a distribution certificate

In order to distribute your iOS application, the agent or administrator in your developer program membership will need to create a distribution certificate. This certificate is distinct from a development certificate and only this certificate will enable enterprise app distribution.

2. Create a provisioning profile

Distribution provisioning profiles are matched to your distribution certificate, and allow you to create applications your users can run on their devices. You create a provisioning profile for a specific application or multiple applications, by specifying the AppID that is authorised by the profile. If a user has an application but doesn’t have a profile that authorises its use, the user can’t use the application. Because these profiles are tied to your distribution certificate, when you revoke your certificate or it expires, the application will no longer run on the device.

3. Sign and build in Xcode

Once you’ve installed your distribution certificate and provisioning profile, you’ll need to sign your code in Xcode. For more details on the code-signing process, follow the step-by-step instructions provided in the Developer Provisioning Portal.
Learn more about provisioning

Deployment Checklist

By the end of the deployment phase you should have:

  • Completed performance testing and debugging your app

  • Completed user interface testing and final review

  • Completed a Beta trial period to capture user impact and discover any additional bugs

  • Created an enterprise certificate and provisioning profile

  • Established a distribution web server or solution for wireless app distribution

  • Announced your solution to your end users