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Whenever I download any application from iTunes the file extension is .ipa.

I already know that this is a zip file which contains some plist info and it is meant for iPhone, iPod.

I am wondering what is the full name of this ipa?

Ahmed Ashour
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raaz
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    I *think* it's something like iPhone Application. I don't think it's really something that's commonly worried about :P I mean, I thought all those stupid certificates were enough... – Aurum Aquila Feb 10 '11 at 10:34
  • This is off topic. This belongs on Apple.SE or Superuser. This is not at all programming related. EDIT: [I've asked this question on Apple.SE](http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/26550/what-does-ipa-stand-for). – Moshe Oct 02 '11 at 19:41

2 Answers2

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.ipa - iOS App Store Package

An .ipa file is an iPhone application archive file which stores an iPhone app. It is usually encrypted with Apple's FairPlay DRM technology. Each .ipa file is compressed with a binary for the ARM architecture and can only be installed on an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. Files with the .ipa extension can be uncompressed by changing the extension to .zip and unzipping. .ipa files cannot be installed on the iPhone Simulator because they do not contain a binary for the x86 architecture.

Wikipedia

shah1988
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texmex5
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    It's not an iPhone Application Archive. IPA stands for "iOS App Store Package", according to Apple them self - read the iOS Developer Library - section "Tools Workflow Guide for iOS->Distributing Apps". It says - "To send your app to testers: If you don’t have access to the project that generates the app, obtain an iOS App Store Package (IPA) file for your app from the appropriate teammate. Otherwise, generate the IPA file yourself: a. Open the project in Xcode. b. Archive your app. c. Generate an IPA file for your app." – Nayan Nov 20 '13 at 06:19
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    @Nayan just saw that comment, you should definitely make it into a real answer! ;) – Almouro Jan 10 '17 at 13:41
  • @Almouro it's okay (: – Nayan Jan 10 '17 at 17:08
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    It's "iOS App Store Package" – Gajendra K Chauhan Sep 18 '18 at 09:16
  • This is so confusing, why choose IPA instead of IASP? :o – Zoette Nov 18 '20 at 22:41
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It is an Iphone/Ipod Application

Community
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Anh
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