Distribute to registered devices (iOS, tvOS, watchOS)
Before uploading your app to App Store Connect, optionally distribute it for testing on registered devices using an ad hoc provisioning profile or development provisioning profile.
These export methods allow you to test variants of your app that are built locally by Xcode. Users don’t need to be on your team or App Store Connect users to run the app, but their devices need to be registered in your developer account. You can register a limited number of devices per product family per year that your team uses for development and testing. Choose one of these methods if you can allocate a portion of these devices for testing and can collect device IDs from your users.
Otherwise, members of the Apple Developer Program may distribute an app using TestFlight, which doesn’t impact the development device quota.
Step 1: Register all test devices
Register one or more test devices before creating an ad hoc or development provisioning profile. Collect device IDs from external users and then sign in to your developer account to register multiple devices.
Beta testers can locate a device ID using Finder (iOS, tvOS) if they don’t have Xcode installed.
Step 2: Archive your app
Prepare your app for distribution and then create an archive of your app.
Step 3: Export the app using an ad hoc or development provisioning profile
When you export the app, Xcode re-signs the app using signing assets that depend on the options you select. To use an ad hoc provisioning profile, select Ad Hoc and to use a development provisioning profile, select Development as the distribution method. If you select “Automatically manage signing”, Xcode creates and manages the signing certificates and provisioning profiles for you.
Step 4: Install the app on user devices
Give the exported iOS App (IPA) file to users along with instructions on how to install the app. They can install an app on a device using Xcode or install an app on a device using Apple Configurator 2. Otherwise, install an iOS or tvOS app using Apple Configurator 2.
Step 5: Solicit crash reports from users
Ask the users to send you the app’s crash logs from their devices. Then import and view the crash logs in the Devices and Simulators window.
Step 6: Use Xcode Server to distribute the app to testers
Optionally, use continuous integration with Xcode Server to build, analyze, test, and archive your app. Xcode Server hosts a website that facilitates the distribution of product builds and archives to testers and other team members.