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Use the information in this article to help you add an iOS line-of-business (LOB) app to Microsoft Intune. A line-of-business (LOB) app is an app that you add to Intune from an IPA app installation file. This kind of app is typically written in-house. You will first need to join the iOS Developer Enterprise Program.

This document gives a brief overview of distribution of applications In-House, as a member of the Apple Enterprise Developer Program.

Mac Apps Download

Once your Xamarin.iOS app has been developed, the next step in the software development lifecycle is to distribute your app to users. Proprietary apps can be distributed In-House (previously called Enterprise) through the Apple Developer Enterprise Program, which offers the following benefits:

• Your application does not need to be submitted for review by Apple.
• There are no limits to the amount of devices onto which you can deploy an application
  • It is important to note that Apple makes it very clear that In-House applications are for internal use only.

It is also important to note that the Enterprise Program:

• Does not provide access to iTunes Connect for distribution or testing (including TestFlight).
• The cost of membership is $299 per year.

All apps still need to be signed by Apple.

Testing your Application

Testing your application is carried out by using Ad Hoc distribution. For more information about testing, follow the steps in the Ad-Hoc Distribution guide. Be aware that you can only test on up to a maximum of 100 devices.

Getting Set Up for Distribution

As with other Apple Developer Programs, under the Apple Developer Enterprise Program, only Team Admins and Agents can create Distribution Certificates and Provisioning Profiles.

Apple Developer Enterprise Program certificates will last for three years, and provisioning profiles will expire after one year.

It is important to note that expired certificates cannot be renewed, and instead, you will have to replace the expired certificate with a new one, as detailed below.

Creating a Distribution Certificate

1. Browse to the Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles section of the Apple Developer Member Center.

2. Under Certificates, select Production.

3. Click the + button to create a new Certificate.

4. Under the Production heading, select In-House and Ad Hoc:

5. Click Continue, and follow the instructions to create a Certificate Signing Request via Keychain Access:

6. Once you have created your CSR as instructed, click Continue, and upload your CSR to the Member Center:

7. Click Generate to create your certificate.

8. Download the completed certificate and double-click on the file to install it.

9. At this point, your certificate should be installed on the machine, but you may need to refresh your profiles, to ensure that they are visible in Xcode.

Alternatively, it is possible to request a Certificate via the Preferences dialog in Xcode. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Select your team, and click View Details:

2. Next, click the Create button next to iOS Distribution Certificate:

3. Next, click the plus (+) button and select iOS App Store:

Creating a Distribution Provisioning Profile

Creating an App ID

As with any other Provisioning Profile you create, an App ID will be required to identify the App that you will be distributing to the user's device. If you haven't already created this, follow the steps below to create one:

1. In the Apple Developer Center browse to the Certificate, Identifiers and Profiles section. Select App IDs under Identifiers.
2. Click the + button and provide a Name which will identify it in the Portal.
3. The App prefix should be already set as your Team ID, and cannot be changed. Select either an Explicit or Wildcard App ID, and enter a Bundle ID in a reverse DNS format like: Explicit: com.[DomainName].[AppName] Wildcard:com.[DomainName].*
4. Select any App Services that your app requires.
5. Click the Continue button and following the on screen instructions to create the new App ID.

Once you have the required components needed for creating a Distribution Profile, follow the steps below to create it:

1. Return to the Apple Provisioning Portal and select Provisioning > Distribution:

2. Click the + button and select the type of Distribution Profile that you want to create as In-House:

3. Click the Continue button and select App ID from the dropdown list that you want to create a Distribution Profile for:

4. Click the Continue button and select distribution certificate required to sign the application:

5. Click the Continue button and enter a Name for the new Distribution Profile:

6. Click the Generate button to create the new profile and finalize the process.

You may have to quit Visual Studio for Mac and have Xcode refresh it's list of available Signing Identities and Provisioning Profiles (by following the instructions in Requesting Signing Identities section) before a new Distribution Profile is available in Visual Studio for Mac.

You may have to quit Visual Studio and have Xcode (on the Build Host's Mac) refresh its list of available Signing Identities and Provisioning Profiles (by following the instructions in the Requesting Signing Identities section) before a new Distribution Profile is available in Visual Studio.

Mac Os Enterprise Management

Distributing your App In-House

With the Apple Developer Enterprise Program, the licensee is the person responsible for distributing the application, and for adhering to the guidelines set by Apple.

Your app can be distributed securely using a variety of different means, such as:

• Locally through iTunes
• MDM server
• An internal, secure web server
• Email

To distribute your app in any of these ways you must first create an IPA file, as explained in the next section.

Creating an IPA for In-House Deployment

Once provisioned, applications can be packaged into a file known as an IPA. This is a zip file that contains the application, along with additional metadata and icons. The IPA is used to add an application locally into iTunes so that it can be synced directly to a device that is included in the provisioning profile.

For more information on creating an IPA see IPA Support guide.

Summary

This article gave a brief overview of distributing Xamarin.iOS applications In-House.

Related Links

Apple Configurator 2 User Guide

You can add apps on devices and Blueprints. If you add them on a Blueprint, when that Blueprint is applied, the apps are added.

In-house Enterprise Apps Mac Store

Add apps from Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager

1. In Apple Configurator 2 on your Mac, choose Store > Sign In and sign in with your Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager account that has permissions to buy apps and books. This is generally an account that has the role of Content Manager.

   WARNING: If you’re using an older VPP account that’s already associated with an instance of Profile Manager, all app assignments from that association will be revoked. If your older VPP account is already associated with a third-party MDM solution, consult the MDM vendor before you sign in with the Apple ID associated with your VPP account or the Apple ID associated with a purchaser you specify.

2. Enter your six-digit verification code.

3. After you’ve signed in, do one of the following:

   • Click the Add button in the toolbar, select Apps, then select the apps in the window.

   • Choose Actions > Add > Apps.

   • Control-click a Blueprint or device, then select Add > Apps.

     The number beneath each app indicates the number of licenses the app has available for assignment.

4. Click Add Apps, and the apps are immediately added to the device or stored as an action on the Blueprint.

Add apps using your personal Apple ID

1. In Apple Configurator 2 on your Mac, choose Account > Sign In, then sign in to the App Store with your personal Apple ID.

   The same Apple ID used to purchase the apps must be used on the device.

2. After you’ve signed in, do one of the following:

   • Click the Add button in the toolbar, select Apps, then select the apps in the window.

   • Choose Actions > Add > Apps.

   • Control-click a Blueprint or device, then select Add > Apps.

3. Click Add Apps, and the apps are immediately added to the device or stored as an action on the Blueprint.

Add in-house enterprise apps

1. In Apple Configurator 2 on your Mac, drag and drop an app on a Blueprint or device, or do one of the following:

   • Click the Add button in the toolbar, then select Apps.

   • Choose Actions > Add > Apps.

   • Control-click a Blueprint or device, then select Add > Apps.

2. Click “Choose from my Mac.”

3. Navigate to the folder containing your iOS and iPadOS apps, search for files ending in .ipa, then select the ones you want to add.

4. Click Add Apps, and the apps are immediately added to the device or stored as an action in the Blueprint.

Mac Enterprises Michigan