At a Glance

This guide explains how to develop, test, submit, and release your iOS and Mac apps. By understanding your tools and the distribution process, you’ll be able to get your new app and updates to your customers faster.

Enroll in an Apple Developer Program to Distribute Your App

Joining an Apple Developer Program is the first step to submit your apps on the App Store and Mac App Store, to distribute iOS in-house apps, or to sign apps that you distribute outside the Mac App Store with a Developer ID. As a member, you have access to the resources you need to configure app services and to submit new apps and updates.

Related Chapter: Managing Accounts (page 18)

Add Services to Your App

Apple provides advanced, integrated services for certain types of apps, such as games and Newsstand apps, and for additional sources of revenue, such as In-App Purchase and iAd Network. These app services require additional configuration—both during development and later, when you submit your app to the App Store or Mac App Store. Good examples are Game Center and iCloud. In this guide, you’ll learn how to add these capabilities to your app.

RelatedChapter: AddingCapabilities(page48),ConfiguringPushNotifications(page76)

Prepare Your App for Distribution

Before you distribute your app for testing or submit it to the store for approval, complete the configuration of your Xcode project. Your final Xcode project should contain required app icons and launch images, contain additional entitlements for app services you enable, and specify which devices and operating systems your app supports.

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About App Distribution

At a Glance

RelatedChapter: ConfiguringYourXcodeProjectforDistribution(page23)

Test iOS Apps Across Numerous Devices

If you have an iOS app, make sure you test it not only in iOS Simulator but on all the devices and releases that your app supports. Testing on more than one kind of device ensures that your app operates exactly as you thought it would, no matter which device it’s running on. You can register up to 100 devices per membership year for development and testing. After testing an app yourself, distribute a beta release of your app to testers. You can distribute a beta app yourself or use iTunes Connect to manage beta testing.

RelatedChapters: BetaTestingYouriOSApp(page97),AnalyzingCrashReports(page115)

Submit and Release Your App on the Store

Submitting your app to the App Store or Mac App Store is a multistep process. First, you sign in to iTunes Connect to create an app record and enter necessary information. If you’re selling your app on the store, you also enter the information for your reimbursement in iTunes Connect. In Xcode, you create an archive and sign it with your distribution certificate. Then you upload your app using Xcode or Application Loader. Use iTunes Connect to submit your app to the store. When your app is approved, use iTunes Connect to release it by setting the date when the app will be available to customers.

Related Chapters: Submitting Your App (page 117), Releasing and Updating Your App (page 127), Managing Your App in iTunes Connect (page 128), Distributing Enterprise Program Apps (page 214), Distributing Applications Outside the Mac App Store (page 221)

Distribute Your App Outside the Store

Alternatively, join the iOS Developer Enterprise Program and distribute your in-house applications directly to employees. To distribute a Mac app outside of the Mac App Store, request and sign your application with a Developer ID certificate. If you’re distributing your application outside the store, you follow a slightly different process. You don’t have access to iTunes Connect and some app services so can skip those steps.

加入ios developer enterprise program并且发布你的in－house应用程序直接给employees。为了在mac app store之外发布一个mac app，需要请求并且使用developer id certificate来sign你的应用程序。你不需要访问itunes connect以及其他一些个操作步骤。

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About App Distribution

How to Use This Document

RelatedChapters: DistributingiOSDeveloperEnterpriseProgramApplications(page214),Distributing Applications Outside the Mac App Store (page 221)

Maintain Your Certificates, Identifiers, and Profiles

Apple implements an underlying security model to protect both user data and your app from being modified and distributed without your knowledge. Throughout the development process, you create assets and enter information that Apple uses to identify you, your devices, and your apps. Xcode automatically creates many certificates, identifiers, and profiles for you as you need them. Xcode maintains the App IDs and provisioning profiles it creates for you, but not the other assets. During your Developer Program membership, you may maintain various other certificates, identifiers, and profiles yourself.

RelatedChapters: MaintainingYourSigningIdentitiesandCertificates(page145),Maintaining Identifiers, Devices, and Profiles (page 176)

How to Use This Document

How you use this document depends on the type of developer program you join (iOS Developer Program, Mac Developer Program, or iOS Developer Enterprise Program) and your role (team agent, admin, or member). For Mac apps, how you use this document also depends on whether you choose to submit your app to the Mac App Store or distribute it outside of the Mac App Store.

First choose a type of account (individual or company) and a developer program. If needed, create an Apple ID and join a developer program, as described in Managing Accounts (page 18). If you enroll in a developer program as an individual, you’re the team agent for a one-person team. If you enroll in a developer program as a company, you’re the team agent and can invite other people to join your team, as described in Inviting Team Members (page 138). You specify whether a person is a team admin, who can perform most of the same tasks as a team agent, or a team member who can’t create assets in Member Center. To learn more about team roles, read About Apple Developer Program Team Roles and Privileges (page 135).

Then refer to the tables in this section for the tasks you perform depending on your role and developer program membership. (Refer to the glossary for the definitions of terms used in this guide.)

If you’re a team agent or admin and want to submit your app to the App Store or Mac App Store:

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About App Distribution

How to Use This Document

If you’re a team agent or admin for a company:

If you’re a team member for a company who is developing an app for the App Store or Mac App Store:

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About App Distribution

How to Use This Document

If you’re a team agent or admin in the iOS Developer Enterprise Program:

If you’re a team agent and want to distribute your Mac application outside of the Mac App Store:

For Mac apps, if you select None as the distribution method, as described in Choosing a Signing Identity for Mac Apps (page 29), you don’t need to read this guide.

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About App Distribution

See Also

See Also

This guide assumes you are already familiar with the software and tools you use to write code. If not, start by reading a number of platform-specific tutorials. Next, read the technology overview documents followed by the appropriate human interface guidelines for your platform, and most important, the guidelines for submitting your app to the store.

For more information on the app review process, go to App Review. 

Managing Accounts