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Publish a .NET MAUI iOS app for ad-hoc distribution
Learn how to provision and publish a .NET MAUI iOS app for ad-hoc distribution.
02/24/2023

Publish an iOS app for ad-hoc distribution

[!div class="op_single_selector"]

Ad-hoc distribution is primarily used for testing apps within a wide group of people, and is available for the Apple Developer Program and the Apple Developer Enterprise Program. Another use case for ad-hoc distribution is distribution within a company when App Store Connect isn't an option.

Ad-hoc distribution has the advantage of not requiring App Store approval, with apps being installed with Apple Configurator. However, it's limited to 100 devices per membership year, for both development and distribution, and the devices must be added to your Apple Developer Account.

Distributing an iOS app requires that the app is provisioned using a provisioning profile. Provisioning profiles are files that contain code signing information, as well as the identity of the app and its intended distribution mechanism.

To distribute a .NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI) iOS app, you'll need to build a distribution provisioning profile specific to it. This profile enables the app to be digitally signed for release so that it can be installed on an iOS device. An ad-hoc distribution provisioning profile contains an App ID, a distribution certificate, and a list of the devices that can install the app. You can use the same App ID that you used when deploying your app to a device for testing. However, you'll need to create a distribution certificate to identify yourself or your organization, if you don't already have one.

The process for creating an ad-hoc distribution provisioning profile is as follows:

  1. Create a distribution certificate. For more information, see Create a distribution certificate.
  2. Add devices to your Apple Developer Account. For more information, see Add a device.
  3. Create an App ID. For more information, see Create an App ID.
  4. Create a provisioning profile. For more information, see Create a provisioning profile.

[!INCLUDE Create a distribution certificate]

Create a distribution profile

An ad-hoc distribution provisioning profile enables your .NET MAUI iOS app to be digitally signed for release, so that it can be installed on specific iOS devices. An ad-hoc distribution provisioning profile contains an App ID, a distribution certificate, and a list of the devices that can install the app. The devices you wish to support must be running a version of iOS that's supported by Xcode.

[!INCLUDE Add a device]

[!INCLUDE Create an App ID]

Create a provisioning profile

Once the App ID has been created, you should create a distribution provisioning profile. This profile enables the app to be digitally signed for release so that it can be installed on an iOS device.

To create a provisioning profile for ad-hoc distribution:

  1. In the Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles page of your Apple Developer Account, select the Profiles tab.

  2. In the Profiles tab, click the + button to create a new profile.

  3. In the Register a New Provisioning Profile page, select the Ad Hoc radio button before clicking the Continue button:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/adhoc-register-provisioning-profile.png" alt-text="Register a provisioning profile for ad hoc distribution.":::

  4. In the Generate a Provisioning Profile page, in the App ID drop-down, select the App ID that you previously created, and choose whether to create an offline profile, before clicking the Continue button:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/select-app-id-ad-hoc.png" alt-text="Select your App ID.":::

  5. In the Generate a Provisioning Profile page, select the radio button that corresponds to your distribution certificate before clicking the Continue button:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/adhoc-select-certificate.png" alt-text="Select your distribution certificate.":::

  6. In the Generate a Provisioning Profile page, select the devices that the app will be installed on and then click the Continue button.

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/provisioning-profile-devices.png" alt-text="Screenshot of adding a device to a provisioning profile.":::

  7. In the Generate a Provisioning Profile page, enter a name for the provisioning profile before clicking the Generate button:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/adhoc-generate-profile.png" alt-text="Generate the provisioning profile.":::

    [!NOTE] Make a note of the provisioning profile name, as it will be required when signing your app.

  8. In the Generate a Provisioning Profile page, optionally click the Download button to download your provisioning profile.

    [!NOTE] It's not necessary to download your provisioning profile now. Instead, you will do this in Visual Studio.

[!INCLUDE Download provisioning profiles in Visual Studio]

Publish the app

Visual Studio can publish a .NET MAUI iOS app for ad-hoc distribution. For information about publishing an iOS app using the Command Line Interface (CLI), see Publish an iOS app using the command line.

Visual Studio

[!INCLUDE Publish]

  1. In the Distribute - Select Channel dialog, select the Ad Hoc button:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/vs/distribution-select-channel-ad-hoc.png" alt-text="Screenshot of selecting a distribution channel in the distribution dialog.":::

  2. In the Distribute - Signing Identity dialog, select your signing identity and provisioning profile:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/vs/distribution-signing-identity-ad-hoc.png" alt-text="Screenshot of selecting a signing identity in the distribution dialog.":::

    [!NOTE] You should use the signing identity and provisioning profile that were created for your app and the selected distribution channel.

  3. In the Distribute - Signing Identity dialog, select the Save As button and enter a filename. Your app will then be re-signed and published to an .ipa file on your file system.

Visual Studio for Mac

[!INCLUDE Visual Studio for Mac end of life]

[!INCLUDE Publish]

  1. In the Archives tab, ensure your archive is selected and then select the Sign and Distribute... button to begin the process of packaging your app for distribution:

    :::image type="content" source="../deployment/media/publish/vsmac/archive-tab-individual.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the archive tab in Visual Studio for Mac once archiving is complete.":::

    The Sign and Distribute window will appear.

  2. In the Sign and Distribute window, select the Ad Hoc distribution channel, and then select the Next button:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/vsMAC/distribution-select-channel-ad-hoc.png" alt-text="Screenshot of selecting a distribution channel in the distribution dialog.":::

  3. In the Sign and Distribute window, ensure that the Use Existing Identity and Provisioning Profile radio button is selected and then select the Next button:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/vsmac/distribution-signing-identity-ad-hoc.png" alt-text="Screenshot of selecting a signing identity in the distribution dialog.":::

    [!NOTE] You should use the signing identity and provisioning profile that were created for your app and the selected distribution channel.

    Alternatively, select the Re-sign With Another Identity and Provisioning Profile radio button and choose your signing identity and provisioning profile.

  4. In the Sign and Distribute window, select the Publish button:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/vsmac/distribution-publish-ad-hoc.png" alt-text="Screenshot of publishing an iOS app using ad hoc distribution.":::

  5. In the Output IPA file dialog, choose a location and filename for your IPA file, and select the Save button:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/vsmac/distribution-save-ipa-ad-hoc.png" alt-text="Screenshot of saving an IPA file using ad hoc distribution.":::

    Your app will then be published to an .ipa file on your file system:

    :::image type="content" source="media/publish/vsmac/distribution-publish-complete.png" alt-text="Screenshot of publishing being complete.":::

  6. In the Sign and Distribute window, select the Close button.

The app can then be distributed using Apple Configurator. For more information, see Apple Configurator user guide on support.apple.com.