ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Install IPA on iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch

Updated on September 19, 2012
Max Dalton profile image

Max holds a B.S. in mass communications from SIU, an M.A. in communications from U of I, and is pursuing an MBA from Webster University.

Introduction

IPA files are a necessary beast if you want to test a native app you're having a developer build on your own iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Loading an IPA file to your Apple device lets you test the app as it would actually run on a device. You can load the IPA file you receive from the developer who's building the app to your device through iTunes.

Before You Request An IPA File

Before you request an IPA file from a developer so that you can review the progress of the development of an app, you need to supply the developer with your UDID number. The following article outlines how to find your UDID number: How to Find your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch UDID Number. Only devices associated with UDID numbers that are wrapped up with the IPA file will be able to load the app associated with the IPA file to their device.

Process for Installing an IPA File on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch

  1. Download the IPA file on your computer.
  2. Connect the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch that's associated with one of the UDID numbers you turned over to the developer who gave you the IPA file.
  3. Double-click the IPA file to open iTunes.
  4. Click the name of your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch beneath Devices on the left side of the iTunes program window. The Summary screen associated with your device appears on the right side of the program window.
  5. Click the "Apps" tab on the right side of the program window.
  6. Click to check the "Sync Apps" box if it's not checked to sync the apps on your device with your computer.
  7. Scroll through the list of apps on the sync apps screen and then click to place a check mark to the left of the app that's associated with the IPA file. The name of the app that's associated may not be obviously named, and if you can't find it, contact the developer of the IPA file and ask them what the name of the app will appear as in this list.
  8. Click "Apply" in the lower right corner of the program window to sync the app with your device. You can follow the progress of the sync in the yellow box at the top of the iTunes program window. After a message appears that says Sync Complete, the app associated with the IPA file will be loaded to your device.
  9. Click the "Eject" icon to the right of the name of your Apple device beneath Devices. Your device will be successfully ejected after the name of your device disappears.
  10. Tap the name of the app on your Apple device that's associated with the IPA to open the app. If the developer didn't wrap up an icon image with the IPA, the icon image will look like a grayscale version of the App Store icon.

Note About IPA Files

Because IPA files are often unpolished and meant to be used as review tools, some functionality may not work at all or as you expect. As a result, you may go through multiple IPA files while testing or reviewing app, with each IPA file representing a different version of the app. Before loading a new IPA to your Apple device, always delete any versions of the app associated with that IPA from both your Apple device and from your Apps library in iTunes.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)