Share iOS App without App Store for Testing

The process of sharing iOS App to friends for testing is done using AdHoc build, which your friends can install on their iOS device.

The Process is little complicated, which is as follows.

Step 1: Go to Provisioning portal of Apple Developer Center (ADC) and register the device IDs of your friends. The Device ID can get from iTunes after connecting the device and by clicking on the "Serial Number" field.

Step 2: Generate a distribution certificate for ad hoc distribution in the Provisioning Portal under Provisioning -> Distribution

Step 3: Download that certificate yourself (the .mobileprovision file) and install it into Xcode by dragging it on the Xcode icon.

Step 4: Duplicate your "Release" build setting in Xcode for an Ad Hoc build. Everything should be the same as Release, except in the "Code Signing" section you will want to select the new Ad Hoc profile generated in step 3.

Step 5: Make an Ad Hoc build by going to Build -> Build and Archive

Step 6: When Xcode brings up the organizer window, right click on the archived build and make a .ipa file by saving it to disk

Step 7: Tell your friends to drag the mobile provisioning profile to the iTunes icon (or with File -> Open for windows users) to install it on their phone.

Step 8: Tell your friends to drag the .ipa file you made into iTunes, and sync their phones


At this point, the app should be installed on their phone, but lots of things can go wrong, so you should definitely read Apple's documentation on the subject as well.

Note that this procedure won't work unless your friends are using iTunes to sync applications with their phones. Also, as noted, you will need to be a paying developer in ADC to even access any of the Provisioning Portal stuff.