Creating an IPA file of my Xamarin application without an iOS device

Question

I created the Xamarin Forms app for Android and iOS devices from Visual Studio 2017 and Windows. To test and build an iOS application, I used a Mac with the Xamarin Mac Agent.

Now I need to create an IPA file for internal testing, but I can’t do this because when I create a project for the iOS simulator, it does not generate an IPA file. I also tried using the Ad-hoc and AppStore build options.

I know that with Xcode 7+ you can create an IPA file for internal testing without an Apple Developer account, but do I need to have a physical iOS device to receive the IPA file?

I hope you help me.

Answer 1

I know that with Xcode 7+ you can create an IPA file for internal testing without an Apple Developer account, but do I need to have a physical iOS device to receive the IPA file?

According to your description, you want to create an IPA for the device without registering with the Apple Developer Program .

Unfortunately, you need to have a physical iOS device to achieve this if you want to create an IPA without an Apple Developer account. And the generated IPA can only be installed on iOS devices connected to Xcode.

You can follow these steps to create an IPA without an Apple Developer account using Xcode and Visual Studio:

• Create an Apple ID that is free. Or use an existing one.
• Add the Apple ID to your Xcode accounts, it appears as a personalized team for a free account. (Xcode-> Settings-> Accounts)

3. Go to Xcode-> Target-> General. Install the Bundle Identifier so that it is the same as the one you installed in your Visual Studio Xamarin project. This is very important because Xcode will generate a provisioning profile according to the Bundle ID and your iOS device UDID.

4. Go to the Signature section. Check the box next to "Automatically manage my signature." Select your personal team from the Team drop-down list. Xcode will now automatically create a provisioning profile.

5. Now go to Visual Studio, select one configuration to set the parameters, here I use Ad-Hoc and iPhone . Go to the iOS Bingle Signing tab, select the Signature ID containing your Apple ID. And select the Provisioning Profile that contains the Bundle ID that you defined earlier.

6. Check the Create iTunes Archive (IPA) checkbox in IOS IPA Options , for Ad-Hoc and iPhone.

7. Make sure the package ID matches the one used in Xcode.

8. Create your own project. Then right-click your project, click "Open Folder in Explorer." Locate the IPA in the bin \ iPhone \ Ad-Hoc folder.

9. This IPA is generated with free provisioning. Therefore, it cannot be installed via iTunes. But it can be installed via Xcode-> Window-> Device. Click "+" and select your IPA to install it.

10. When the IPA is installed, you cannot use it immediately. You need to trust first. Go to Settings-> General → Profiles and Manage devices on your iPhone. Find the profile that is listed in the email address of your Apple ID. Click and trust him.

11. Now you can run your application.

BTW, the best solution is to register with the Apple Developer Program , then you can deploy up to 100 devices for testing and can deploy through OTA or other tools without Xcode.

Answer 2

No, you do not need to connect a physical device to create an IPA.

I usually install Ad-Hoc solution configurations and solution platforms on any processor.

I also guarantee that I have the provisioning profile configured correctly that contains the UDID of the device on which I want to test, and usually use the lookup project identifier. Make sure this is selected in the project options.

Here is a good article on how to set up your device, sign a certificate and provisioning profile

Answer 3

To output the ipa file and distribute it for testing:

• Configure as Ad-Hoc
• Make sure that you have the correct profile settings in the iOS Bundle Signing section in the project properties.
• Make sure you check the Build Itunes Package Archive in iOS IPA Options

Answer 4

Answer

Yes, you do not need to connect any physical device to create an IPA.

Actions

• Select Relaese Mode
• Select Generic device from build only device
  
  
  
  For more configuration information, please see the image below.