How long will an app continue to run on my iOS device if installed via Xcode?

Question

Just started to play around with iOS and built a very simple app which I use and test on my iPad. If I click "stop" in Xcode the app can still be launched and used on my iPad without Xcode debugging.

Considering I don't have an Apple Developer Account and probably won't buy one until I get up and running, how long will the app I "run" on my phone continue to function without having to connect it to Xcode and re-"run" the compilation process again?

Answer 1

IIRC the app will not survive backup restores and iOS major version upgrades (not 100% sure about that one).

Apart from that the app will continue running. That is really nice if you want to make just a simple app for your own, you can just put it on your phone and use it, no need for a paid dev account or anything.

Answer 2

There is no dev-related provisioning scheme that is permanent. Apps via the store are re-signed by Apple and never expire.

Free provisioning (no paid developer account) is good for 7 days.

TestFlight distribution (via Xcode and a purchased developer account) is good for 28 days.

Local/ad-hoc installs (via Xcode and a purchased developer account), to a device registered in the Member Center, are good for max one year, but no longer than the time left on the dev's annual paid account.

https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/91519

Answer 3

您的应用程序可以永远运行，无需重新编译并通过 Xcode 重新安装，就像从商店下载的应用程序一样。