App for limited or restricted audience

Question

I want to know that is is possible to keep an iphone application for the limited audience. The app should only be accessible to the members which are in diffferents places. I dont want Ad hoc distribution as it is limited for 100 devices but it should be unlimited users.

How can I achieve this in iphone?

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 20 '13 at 06:05

3

You can simply add authorization. And give logins/passwords to the club members. It will require an autherization server, of course, but it's the only idea that I have at the moment. And you'll have to provide a test account for the Apple review team when you will submit your app.

answered Nov 20 '13 at 06:05

FreeNickname

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So will it be for the limited users and do i need to submit app in app store – Purva Nov 20 '13 at 06:18
Yes, you should submit your app to the AppStore, and everyone will be able to see it, but if they launched it, all they saw would be a login screen, since they don't have a login/password to go any further. And clubmembers would be able to log in and use your app. – FreeNickname Nov 20 '13 at 07:11
Does Apple aprove this approach? – Cazuma Nii Cavalcanti Jul 27 '15 at 15:36
@CazumaNiiCavalcanti, well, why not? I don't see how it's different from various apps for social networks, which require login to work. – FreeNickname Jul 27 '15 at 17:50
@CazumaNiiCavalcanti, but, as I said, you'll have to provide a test account for the Apple Review Team, so they could test full functionality. – FreeNickname Jul 27 '15 at 17:52

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 20 '13 at 05:56

2

You can distribute the Add-hoc version of your app which will be installed only on the authorised devices

answered Nov 20 '13 at 05:56

iGagan Kumar

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I dont want ad hoc because i dont want to specify udid – Purva Nov 20 '13 at 05:59
I think there is no another way to do this you have to specify the UDID in the provisioning – iGagan Kumar Nov 20 '13 at 06:03

score 2 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:04

2

You can have an enterprise release of the app i.e add the udid of all the people's devices you want to give access through and distribute the app through private network. The number has a limit, 100. You might need more then one account if number is large.

EDIT

Enterprise Distribution (Enterprise Program, $299 / Must have D-U-N-S number)
The iOS Developer Enterprise Program is intended for companies who create proprietary, in-house iOS apps for internal deployment within the company only. A valid Dun & Bradstreet (D-U-N-S) number is required for program enrollment.

Ad Hoc Distribution (Available in Standard Program, $99)
The Standard and Enterprise Programs allow you to share your application with up to 100 other iPhone or iPod touch users with Ad Hoc distribution. Share your application through email or by posting it to a web site or server.

if you are registered with enterprise development program with apple you can do it link

edited May 23 '17 at 12:04

Community

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answered Nov 20 '13 at 05:56

amar

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will it work for an organization with different countries? – P – Purva Nov 20 '13 at 06:00
it will work with all devices whose UDID is added in the provisioning. – amar Nov 20 '13 at 06:02
i dont want it should be limited to 100 devices and every time i i need to add the udid of that device if i want to dd it is not a feasible solution i guess. – Purva Nov 20 '13 at 06:17
then will it be for limited audience which i want? – Purva Nov 20 '13 at 06:31
No you have to put some authentication in place in that case. – amar Nov 20 '13 at 06:34
waht kind of authentication do i need to put there ? – Purva Nov 20 '13 at 06:35
let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/41502/discussion-between-amar-and-purva) – amar Nov 20 '13 at 06:36

Rahul Patel · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-27T10:36:34.800

You can achieve this by simply following below steps. It may help you.

App store Provision Profile - You need to create provision profile for App store distribution and make build(.ipa) with this code signing identity.
When xcode ask you for distribution type select Ad-hoc distribution and save .ipa file in your computer system.
So now this .ipa is same as you download from app store And no limited to 100 device.
Please follow this steps to create .ipa file.
```
Launch Xcode 5 (Product -> Archive to build the archive)
Goto Window -> Organizer 
Select the latest archive and click the Distribute button
Select Save for enterprise or ad-hoc deployment
Select your App Store provisioning profile and then Export
Choose a location to save the .ipa file
```

Create Manifest file - it is an simple .plist file. I am also giving example below.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
   <key>items</key>
   <array>
     <dict>
         <key>assets</key>
         <array>
             <dict>
                 <key>kind</key>
                 <string>software-package</string>
                 <key>url</key>
                 <string>http://www.xyz.com/foldername/AdHocDemo.ipa</string>
             </dict>
         </array>
         <key>metadata</key>
         <dict>
             <key>bundle-identifier</key>
             <string>com.xyx.AdHocDemo</string>
             <key>bundle-version</key>
             <string>1.0</string>
             <key>kind</key>
             <string>software</string>
             <key>title</key>
             <string>AdHoc Demo</string>
         </dict>
      </dict>
     </array>
 </dict>
 </plist>

The keys in the above file that need to be modified for your app are:

items.assets.[1].url
items.assets.metadata.bundle-identifier
items.assets.metadata.bundle-version
items.assets.metadata.title.

Create HTML file - Create simple html file with below hyperlink. You need to provide URL of your menifest file in below url tag.

<a href="itms-services://?action=download-manifest& url=http://www.xyz.com/foldername/AdHocDemo.plist"> click this link to install </a>
Authantication -This steps are for your distribution of app but everyone can install build who has the link of HTML file. So you need to create authentication for access above HTML page so only authorize member can download application.
By doing this way you dont need to go with apple app store. People/Member can download app from your own website. It is calling Ad-hoc/Enterprise distribution.

have u tried this out ,will it work and i dont need to give udid for that? — Purva, Nov 20 '13 at 07:06
Yes - i have implemented it for 3 apps. By selecting app store provision profile, You dont need UDID for that. — Rahul Patel, Nov 20 '13 at 07:10
can i have chat related to this http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/41506/room-for-purva-and-rahul-patel — Purva, Nov 20 '13 at 07:12
This looks exactly like Ad Hoc distribution with its 100 device limit. — Rhythmic Fistman, Nov 21 '13 at 06:13
I clearly mentioned to select Appstore Distribution provision profile which will not restrict to 100 device — Rahul Patel, Nov 21 '13 at 06:45
Yes, but in the next step you replace the Appstore profile with an Ad Hoc one. Have you actually tested the resulting IPA on a device that isn't in your Ad Hoc profile? — Rhythmic Fistman, Nov 21 '13 at 23:04
I said to select Appstore profile for code signing identity and said select Ad-hoc distribution to save .ipa file instead of upload directly to appstore — Rahul Patel, Nov 22 '13 at 05:14
Is this still working with current updates of iOS etc. I've followed instructions but doesn't work unless UDID is included in profile — user3197788, Aug 10 '15 at 17:19

App for limited or restricted audience

4 Answers4