0

Intro
My company has built an application and we are ready to move it into production. The application built must be private and should be available to staff only. So this rules out iTunes and leaves us with Apple Enterprise Developer Program and Apple B2B. Now when we export the application out using the Enterprise option in Xcode, after installation we get a pop up saying Untrusted Enterprise Developer. We can't distribute this application and have all of our users go through settings to trust this app, that is too much to ask.

With the B2B, we would have to collect UDIDS of every iOS user and add them to a list of approved users. Dealing with over 200 users, this could become frustrating.

Question
So what I would like to know is, is there a way for a company to distribute iOS applications via a private link that once shared with employees all they would have to do is download the app, install and enjoy it without being asked to Trust the app or without collecting their UDID.

Thanks in advance!

Romario Renée
  • 36
  • 5
  • The Enterprise way is the best to choose from all the options you have. Of course the users should *Trust* the developer manually. I guess there is no other option. – badhanganesh Nov 13 '17 at 06:26
  • Is there some code I can use to send users directly to their settings after installing the app? – Romario Renée Dec 05 '17 at 16:12

2 Answers2

1

If you send the iOS App File to a user and they manually install it on their device, then they must also manually trust your organization before launching the app. Instruct the user to follow these steps to trust your organization.

  1. Tap Settings > General > Device Management.
  2. Under Enterprise App, tap the organization name.
  3. Tap Trust “[Organization Name]”.
  4. In the dialog that appears, tap Trust.

SOURCE

Lal Krishna
  • 15,485
  • 6
  • 64
  • 84
  • Ok, if that is the case when the user goes to a custom download page, is it possible to have them trust the app before the install. I want to make it easy for the user. Having them go to settings is too much of a stressful process. – Romario Renée Nov 13 '17 at 19:27
  • The system doesn't list the Organization Name until user installed the app. So they can't. – Lal Krishna Nov 14 '17 at 04:36
0

An alternate approach you might consider would be to use the B2B store (to keep your app hidden from general visibility), join the Business Volume Purchase Plan / VPP and then "purchase" your 200 licenses there (at zero cost) which would generate a spreadsheet of redemption codes that you can send to individual users to redeem in the Store app on their devices.

From a user perspective, that may be a much better experience as you don't have to explain what trust is and why it's required; especially if you include the redemption code in a link in an email.

Yes, you have to go through Store submission/approval rounds and lose some of the flexibility of enterprise deployment but you gain automatic updates and sidestep the problems associated with trust during installation and the periodic re-validation of credentials.

If you want further control you could add a prohibitive cost per install at the B2B Store which none of your users will ever pay because you issue them free codes (as you control the sale price) and even withdraw your app from sale other than when you are using redemption codes for installation.

TendrilSix
  • 136
  • 3
  • This was music to my ears, however, it does not seem like it is available in my country - Barbados, I can try to reach out to apple and see if it can be made available, besides that, I feel like this is what I need. – Romario Renée Nov 14 '17 at 08:21