How to download and install .ipa outside App Store with .plist

Question

Today I discovered an app.

This app is not available to the App Store, if I want to try this, I just have to click on the link since my iPhone :

itms-services://?action=download-manifest&url=http://*********.s3.amazonaws.com/********-ios.plist

And the application installs in my home page.

The link forced to download a .plist :

What it this way ?

What it's the deal with provisioning profile or the certificats ?

Answer 1

It's just a way of distributing an app for beta testing using your distribution profile, but without submitting it to Apple.

The .plist it's just a link to where the .ipa (the app) is stored.

You can find a tutorial here:

How to Distribute your iOS Apps Over the Air