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Ok I have a question for the mobile developers out there.
Is there any other way to distribute and have people download your apps with out going through the manufacturers website store ( iPhone , windows 7 phone store , android store etc ) .
I don't feel like paying Microsoft $100 a year to distribute apps I plan on giving out for free
Most android phones (with the exception of some current AT&T models) can have an option enabled in their settings menu to permit installation of applications from 3rd party websites, email attachments, etc. As far as I have heard, all current android phones (included the restricted AT&T models) can have USB debugging enabled which will permit applications to be installed by means of the software development kit (free). There's also a 3rd-party tool called the "sideload wonder machine" that permits windows PC's to leverage this installation mechanism without needing to install the actual SDK on the PC.
You can't do this for iPhone, as apps have to have a certificate and provisioning profile if you like to not install it through the app store.
In android (as previous posts have said) it's easier possible.
I like to raise the question and concern why you actually would want to do this.
If your app is soo inconvenient to install, most users will simply not do it. My parents don't even know what a apk is, so don't expect them to have set all these params.
If you don't like to pay the minimal fee (125usd for both android and apple), you really might want to consider the purpose of your app.
Consider a ad supported version to cover the costs
Yesterday I read that per day (!) around 300000 new android phones getting activated. I simply don't see the reason why anyone (except big companies with lots of infrastructure) should host anything related to app distribution, as it easily becomes heavy load on your server).
BlackBerry applications can be distributed online without going through RIM. Note however, that some OS API calls require code to be 'signed' with BlackBerry signing keys. These cost $20, and have practically unlimited use.
Android allows you to distribute apps without a marketplace I believe. Android marketplace is 25$ lifetime.
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I want to create an iPhone/iPad application for a restaurant menu. The application works only for this restaurant. I want to install the application without uploading it in the app store.
I don't want to install the application into the devices as developer device.
What options do I have for this kind of distribution scenario?
Look at docu for Enterprise Apps. But then the restaurant needs an Apple Enterprise license, and everybody installing the app must be an employee of the restaurant.
Developper and ad-hoc apps work only for a limited time (3 months if i remember correctly).
Apple offers two ways you can do this. (The third is jailbreaking.)
The older way, an Enterprise membership. This is more designed for large organizations with an IT department:
$300 annually
you deploy directly to the device
terms of the contract say: may only deploy onto devices owned by the business (and yes, they can tell if you abuse this)
apps last 1 year, must be re-signed and re-deployed
kinda labor-intensive and fiddly, especially if the developer and device manager are different people, or use different signing keys; really needs an MDM system to work well
since Apple doesn't review your code, you can use private API if you want. woo hoo.
There's a newer way, which I highly recommend: the B2B App Store.
works with your $100 developer membership
deployment uses Apple for hosting, doesn't expire
needs no special software; works well with Apple Configurator
app is private to whoever you specify
the business gets access by signing up for the free "volume purchase program".
In fact, the whole process is almost exactly like a normal app store app, except that the app is not public. Apple reviews it, puts it in the "secret" store. Developer specifies some Apple IDs; only those Apple IDs can see the app in the store (through the volume purchase interface.) They can install it, AND/OR generate redemption codes for it (which work for anyone.) It's very slick. There's a good 2012 WWDC video about it for dev program members.
https://developer.apple.com/programs/volume/b2b/
Both programs require the business to have a DUNS number. This is generally not a problem.
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I have submitted three in-house apps to app store with the username and password requirement to access the app. But it was rejected the second time. I followed the solutions offered here in the following posts,
Alternative solutions for in-house iPhone enterprise app distribution
iPad in-house App distribution through App Store
I used an alertview to ask for username and password. Username and password are saved in keychain. My applications are single window applications that doesn't require internet connection. How can I submit my app to the app store? Some suggest implementing php username and login for the app. How can I accomplish that? Can anyone give an explanation ?
Reason I have got from Apple:
We found that your app is an in-house application, intended for
employees or members of your organization. As such, it is not
appropriate for the App Store.
For information on distributing proprietary, in-house applications,
please refer to the iOS Developer Enterprise Program.
If you cannot - or choose not to - revise your app to be in compliance
with the App Store Review Guidelines, you may wish to build an HTML5
web app instead. You can distribute web apps directly on your web
site; the App Store does not accept or distribute web apps.
HTML5 is the major new version of HTML and enables audio and video to
play natively in the browser without requiring proprietary plug-ins.
Using HTML5, web apps can look and behave like native iPhone and iPad
apps, and using HTML5's Offline Application Cache, a web app can work
even when the device is offline. With web apps, you have flexibility
to deliver as much or as little functionality as you desire.
To get started with iPhone or iPad web apps, please review Getting
Started with iPhone Web Apps.
For a description of the HTML elements and attributes you can use in
Safari on iPhone, check out Safari HTML Reference: Introduction.
Just as Apple suggested, you should look into the iOS Developer Enterprise Program. It is created specifically to work for in-house app development.
With an enterprise distribution profile and certificate, you can create .ipa files that can be installed on any device, with no need to get the device IDs of all devices you plan to install it on beforehand.
This line says it all,
We found that your app is an in-house application, intended for employees or members of your organization. As such, it is not appropriate for the App Store.
For information on distributing proprietary, in-house applications, please refer to the iOS Developer Enterprise Program.
They don't want in-house apps on the store, they want you to use their enterprise program.
Apple as a company wants to make the most money and for them they limit this method to make more money. However it is only $300.
University (i think it's similar to Enterprise but for academic institution) will not work since it requires the device id's like ad-hoc.
For iOS 3 programs are available:
Developer, to submit to App Store only
Enterprise only for in-house distribution, ie in your company limited to your employees and not for App Store
University (i think it's similar to Enterprise but for academic institution)
To confirm you strongly that you cannot use Enterprise as you wish, i can tell you that when my company subscribed Enterprise Program, someone from Apple phone me asking if I understood that Enterprise license does not allowed to submit on the App Store.
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I work for a company that would like to create an app that we can distribute to our customers. We manufacture industrial equipment and we would like to provide an iPhone/iPad app to our customers that can interact with their equipment.
The problem is that we would prefer that the app not be downloaded from the App Store. We would like for this application to be available for our customers free-of-charge and would also like for them to have the ability to download and install the application on as many devices as they desire. However, we do not want non-customers (ahem, competitors) to be able to download and use our application.
What options are available? We have considered allowing the app to be available through the app store but in that case the app would be locked until the user entered an application key. This would keep the app free to download and it would give us the ability to control who could use our software. I'm not sure, however, if that is allowable by the Apple TOS.
The Enterprise license sounds like a potential option. If it is, what are the specific steps necessary for installing an iOS app on an Apple device if not through the App Store? I'm also not sure if it would break the TOS to distribute our app for this purpose under the Enterprise license. Is that the case?
What options do I have? Please realize, I don't own a Mac and I've never even attempted to write or distribute an iOS application-- I'm 100% new to all of this. Thanks for you help.
EDIT
Thank you all for the wonderful responses that I have so far received. Half of the questions that I have stem from the fact that I can't find the actual TOS agreement that I would have to sign if I became a standard or enterprise developer. (Yes, I've googled it.) Does anyone have a link to such documents?
If you want to distribute your app outside the App Store, you need to get an iOS Developer Entreprise license ($299/year). You're going to need a Dun & Bradstreet (D-U-N-S) number to enroll and can only deploy to 500 (registered) devices.
Edit: Another option would be to demand the user some authentication (such as user/pass) to use the app (think Facebook or Twitter). You could provide your clients with the credentials to ensure only a certain users have access to the app.
I think #ibeitia's answer is the best one, but here's an additional option: put the app on the app store, but make it all-but-useless without a login to your server.
For example, the Google+ app is useless unless you have a Google account.
You'd have to give a login to Apple so they can vet it, and of course I can't guarantee they'll allow it, but it's an option I'd consider.
(If you do go down that route, send an email to Apple's approval team asking for clarification before you start development!)
I work for a company that would like to create an app that we can
distribute to our customers.
From http://developer.apple.com/support/ios/enterprise.html (bold is mine)
I am a developer who wants to create an in house app for my client.
Can I join the iOS Developer Enterprise Program to do that?
The iOS Developer Enterprise Program should be used to develop and
distribute proprietary in-house applications to your own employees
within your own company. As such, your company would not qualify for
direct Program enrollment in this situation. We would suggest that
your client apply for enrollment in the Program, and, once enrolled in
the Program, your client may add the appropriate developers from your
company to their iOS Development Team.
The Enterprise Developer program doesn't allow you to sell your app to your customers. It's the customer, not you, who should enroll in the program.
I think your best bet will be to use Apple's B 2 B program:
http://www.apple.com/business/vpp/
This will allow you to have apps in Apple's business app store (not the ordinary app store), and control who gets the apps. You'd provide the redemption codes to your customers.
btw, I can confirm that providing an app with a login to make it useful would be okay with Apple - I've done it before.
Well your options are really limited.
You could go with the enterprise license but this is still limited to 500 device which still need to be register with the some how. (never had to work with the enterprise license).
But could you not make your app available in the appstore foor free but only make it work with you equipment. Thus make the app search for the equipment (via bonjour of wifi) and only work when it finds the device. This will make getting the accepted a bit harder but will work. There are some IP camera manager that work that way.
If your competitors really want your app they will get it one way or an other.
Just be sure you release an app before the competitors, do that way your company has the advantage.
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is there any LEGAL way (w/o jailbreak) to install iOS application to iOS device (ipad, iphone, ipod) without publishing to application store? For example - application for closed group of users (admins/moderators etc of some web application).
Apple supports "Ad-Hoc" application distribution for exactly this purpose, but it is limited to 100 devices. If you have an Enterprise developer account, you can do Ad-hoc distribution within your organization, as well.
iOS Developer Distribution Options
iOS Developer Enterprise Program
You need to apply for a Enterprise/Corporate development license with Apple. Then they provide the option to deploy without the app store.
The minimum amount of employees is high though (about 500 I think). EDIT: The employee restriction has been removed!
See this link for more info: http://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/enterprise/
Yes, ahdoc distribution allows you to installed on upto 100 devices (including the ones you use for development), all you have to do is have the paid for developer account (the standard $99 one).
Here's one explanation, but there are loads of articles around on the subject:
http://furbo.org/2008/08/06/beta-testing-on-iphone-20/
Update Summer 2013: The limit now seems to have been increased from 100 devices to 200 devices.
Without jailbreaking, there are solutions for private market places which bypass the app store.
Some of the names of these companies are:
Appaloosa
EnterpriseAppZone
apperian
mobileiron
appcentral
https://music-vk.com/ - These guys somehow make it possible to install their app directly via a Safari link. It requires no usernames, no passwords. Just click and it is installed right away. Haven't figured out how they do it though
Yes there is. Search 'hip store' on google and click on the first result. When you get there you type what app you want. Then when the app comes up click 'tai xoung' then a pop up comes up click 'tai xoung' again and then it will take you to another screen with a loading bar and it will count down. Then you will click install.
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I'm looking to create an iPhone application and will enroll in the iPhone Developer Program. However, it isn't clear to me how many developers I can have if I enroll in the Standard Program. It says the Enterprise Program is for companies with more than 500 developers, so if I work on a team with 2-3 other developers, will the Standard Program work? Does that just mean all of the applications we create to put into the app store will have the same company info? What does it take to get each developer enabled to test on their own iPhone? Is it just a license key that has to be entered?
Two or three developers can easily share a single Developer Certificate, it just needs to be copied to each development machine. The Standard Program should be fine for your purposes.
All of the apps you sell on iTunes will be listed under the one company or individual name. If you don't want that, you'll need to open multiple Program accounts.
To test on a piece of hardware the code must be signed using a Developer Certificate and a Provisioning Profile which ties the app to the device (by it's UDID number).
The point of code signing is that it identifies the source of the app, so you are free to let employees/partners share a certificate if you are willing to take responsibility for whatever they produce.
Also, Apple uses separate certificates for Development (test as you work) and Distribution (submitting to the store), so sharing the Development Certificate doesn't put your "storefront" at risk.
You can have multiple developers if you register as a company. You have three options:
Simply apply for a "Doing Business As" from your state clerk
Register your company as an LLC, process varies by state, contact your clerk
Incorporate your company, this is the most expensive option, and has tax implications
Next apply for the standard program under that company name. Remember that this is the name your apps will be released under.
You will be required to mail proof of your company to Apple. It will take some time for your company to be approved, Apple pays to have a background check done to ensure the company is in fact valid.
Once you are approved you need your other developers to request certificates, here is a link from apple with that process: (requires login)
https://developer.apple.com/ios/manage/certificates/team/howto.action
It's quite more complicated than that, you need to get a unique Certificate from Apple for each developer and device (which you can do once you purchase a License). Anyways the bottom line is 1 license = 1 developer + X devices.
So you can register more than one device, buy not more than one developer, so the Standard license will be an odd fit for your needs. So your options are to but a license per developer, or go Enterprise (likely cheaper than several single licenses), or you could have a complicated build setup where a single machine/account does all builds and updates binaries on the devices.