Type Description of iOS App Signature Certificate

iOS app certificate selection

For an application that is not on the App Store, generally speaking, if the developer needs to install the application on some users' devices, it is necessary to export the application as an installation package (.ipa file) that can be directly installed on these devices. Whether the installation package can be correctly exported is a key factor that determines whether the application can be correctly installed on the device. One of the most critical factors is the certificate used by the application when the installation package is exported (that is, the signature method).

Developers can export application installation packages by signing certificates in either of the following modes:

1. Ad-hoc mode
2. In-house mode

Which method to use depends on the type of Apple developer account the developer has. For example, if you have a personal Apple developer account, you can use Ad-hoc. If you have an Apple Enterprise developer account, you can use the In-house method. For the types of certificates supported by Apple Developer accounts, please see the following table:

For the specific operation mode when exporting, please see: Package iOS IPA file

The difference between the three certificate signatures

So far, Apple offers three types of certificate signing for iOS apps, each with its own unique purpose. The three are:

1. Ad-hoc
2. In-house
3. App-Store

PGYER will according to different packaging certificate, respectively is shown as closed beta version, enterprise edition, App - Store version.

The differences between these three types of certificates are shown in the following table:

When an iOS app is uploaded to PGYER, PGYER will show which type of certificate the app is signed and packaged with. In addition, you can view the packaging mode of an application on the application download page and application management page.

Note: This article is only applicable to iOS apps.