Deploying Applications on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

If you want to install iPhone OS applications that you’ve developed, you distribute the application to your users, who install the applications using iTunes.
Applications from the online App Store work on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad without any additional steps. If you develop an application that you want to distribute yourself, it must be digitally signed with a certificate issued by Apple. You must also provide your users with a distribution provisioning profile that allows their device to use the application.

The process for deploying your own applications is:

Registering for Application Development
To develop and deploy custom applications for iPhone OS, first register for the iPhone Enterprise Developer Program at http://developer.apple.com/. Once you complete the registration process, you’ll receive instructions for enabling your applications to work on devices.

Signing Applications
Applications you distribute to users must be signed with your distribution certificate. For instructions about obtaining and using a certificate, see the iPhone Developer Center at http://developer.apple.com/iphone.

Creating the Distribution Provisioning Profile
Distribution provisioning profiles let you create applications that your users can use on their device. You create an enterprise distribution provisioning profile for a specific application, or multiple applications, by specifying the AppID that is authorized by the profile. If a user has an application, but doesn’t have a profile that authorizes its use, the user isn’t able to use the application. The designated Team Agent for your enterprise can create distribution provisioning profiles at the Enterprise Program Portal at http://developer.apple.com/iphone. See the website for instructions. Once you create the enterprise distribution provisioning profile, download the .mobileprovision file, and then securely distribute it and your application.

Installing Provisioning Profiles Using iTunes
The user’s installed copy of iTunes automatically installs provisioning profiles that are located in the following folders defined in this section. If the folders don’t exist, create them using the names shown.

Mac OS X

• ~/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning Profiles/
• /Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning Profiles/
• the path specified by the ProvisioningProfilesPath key in ~/Library/Preferences/
• com.apple.itunes

Windows XP

• bootdrive:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileDevice\Provisioning Profiles
• bootdrive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileDevice\Provisioning Profiles
• the path specified in the HKCU or HKLM by the ProvisioningProfilesPath registry key SOFTWARE\Apple Computer, Inc\iTunes

Windows Vista

• bootdrive:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileDevice\Provisioning Profiles
• bootdrive:\ProgramData\Apple Computer\MobileDevice\Provisioning Profiles
• the path specified in the HKCU or HKLM by the ProvisioningProfilesPath registry key SOFTWARE\Apple Computer, Inc\iTunes

iTunes automatically installs provisioning profiles found in the locations above onto devices it syncs with. Once installed, the provisioning profiles can be viewed on the device in Settings > General > Profiles. You can also distribute the .mobileprovision file to your users and have them drag it to the iTunes application icon. iTunes will copy the file to the correct location as defined above.

Installing Provisioning Profiles Using iPhone Configuration Utility
You can use iPhone Configuration Utility to install provisioning profiles on connected
devices. Follow these steps:
1 In iPhone Configuration Utility, choose File > Add to Library, and then select the
provisioning profile that you want to install.
The profile is added to iPhone Configuration Utility and can be viewed by selecting the
Provisioning Profiles category in the Library.
2 Select a device in the Connected Devices list.
3 Click the Provisioning Profiles tab.
4 Select the provisioning profile in the list, and then click its Install button.

Installing Applications Using iTunes
Your users use iTunes to install applications on their devices. Securely distribute the
application to your users and then have them follow these steps:
1 In iTunes, choose File > Add to Library and select the application (.app) you provided.
You can also drag the .app file to the iTunes application icon.
2 Connect a device to the computer, and then select it in the Devices list in iTunes.
3 Click the Applications tab, and then select the application in the list.
4 Click Apply to install the application and all distribution provisioning profiles that are located in the designated folders.

Installing Applications Using iPhone Configuration Utility
You can use iPhone Configuration Utility to install applications on connected devices.
Follow these steps:
1 In iPhone Configuration Utility, choose File > Add to Library, and then select the application that you want to install.
The application is added to iPhone Configuration Utility and can be viewed by selecting the Applications category in the Library.
2 Select a device in the Connected Devices list.
3 Click the Applications tab.
4 Select the application in the list, and then click its Install button.

Using Enterprise Applications
When a user runs an application that isn’t signed by Apple, the device looks for a distribution provisioning profile that authorizes its use. If a profile isn’t found, the application won’t open.

Disabling an Enterprise Application
If you need to disable an in-house application, you can do so by revoking the identity used to sign the distribution provisioning profile. The application will no longer be able to be installed, and if it’s already installed, it will no longer open.

Other Resources
For more information about creating applications and provisioning profiles, see:
iPhone Developer Center at http://developer.apple.com/iphone/