如何将iOS应用程序分发给特定用户？

Question

As i know we can distribute iOS app in 3 ways

1. Via Appstore
2. Via testflight Builds
3. By creating ipa files and install them on device.

Is there any other way to distribute the app to specific users?

Answer 1

5 Options for Distributing Your iOS App to a Limited Audience

1) The Public App Store

Distribute the app on the public App Store. Only people authorized to use the app can authenticate and use its features. Requiring a small price (such as 99 cents) will discourage casual installations. Submitting to the public App Store requires an iOS Developer license for $99 per year.

2) iOS Developer Enterprise Program

The iOS Enterprise Distribution program allows a company to distribute their own “in-house” apps directly. It is intended for employees of the licensee company only and that licensee must be a company or organization with a DUNS number. The cost is $299 per year for this license compared to $99 per year for the iOS Developer License. A given device can have apps installed from only one iOS Enterprise License at a time.

3) Custom B2B Apps Program

Apple has programs for volume purchasing and custom B2B apps. These programs operate from the online Business Store. The Volume Purchasing Program allows businesses to buy apps from the public App Store in bulk. Custom B2B Apps extend the Volume Purchase Program for custom B2B apps built by third-party developers. The third-party developer determines which Volume Purchase customer(s) can purchase a given app. Such apps are not available on the public App Store but only through the Business Store.

4) Ad Hoc Distribution (intended for Testing)

Ad Hoc Distribution allows you to distribute apps to up to 100 iOS devices for testing. You must register these devices manually by their ID. Devices can be removed/replaced once each membership year). Ad Hoc Distribution is a feature of both the iOS Developer Program and the iOS Developer Enterprise Program. This may be all that is needed for a prototype or trade show.

5) i OS Beta Testing Service: TestFlight

TestFlight is a free over-the-air platform used to distribute beta and internal iOS applications to team members. Developers can manage testing and receive feedback from their team with TestFlight's Dashboard. TestFlight makes use of your iOS Enterprise License or Developer License to create Enterprise and Ad Hoc provisioned apps.

Answer 2

Any standard file transfer mechanism would work; email (ugh), FTP, host the .ipa on your website?

These mechanisms would allow the user to download the IPA but would have to use iTunes on their computer to install it onto their device.

See this guide for a description of how to do over-the-air installation direct to device: http://shinydevelopment.com/blog/over-the-air-ios-provisioning-and-distribution/

Answer 3

There are a couple of beta distribution platforms out there:
- Fabric aka Crashlytics
- HockeyApp
- ...