standalone watchOs app need to distribute it?

Question

I have a standalone watchOS app for apple watch, I made an export IPA for this app and I need to distribute it to the test team on a platform like app center or use another app to install this IPA on apple watch?

Answer 1

If you're exporting the IPA file as enterprise build then you don't need any external app, everybody can install the app, just by downloading the IPA file.

What you need is to place the .ipa and appropriate .plist file somewhere on the https server, and create a URL that points to the .plist file. The users then just open the URL on their devices, and they'll be able to install the app. They will need to accept the developer as a trusted one, before the app can be run (Settings > General > Profiles and Device Management).

The list file needs to look something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd ">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
   <key>items</key>
   <array>
       <dict>
           <key>assets</key>
           <array>
               <dict>
                   <key>kind</key>
                   <string>software-package</string>
                   <key>url</key>
                   <string>[https link to the IPA file]</string>
               </dict>
           </array>
           <key>metadata</key>
           <dict>
               <key>bundle-identifier</key>
               <string>[Bundle ID]</string>
               <key>bundle-version</key>
               <string>1.0</string>
               <key>kind</key>
               <string>software</string>
               <key>title</key>
               <string>[App Name]</string>
           </dict>
       </dict>
   </array>
</dict>
</plist>

Just change the [https link to the IPA file],[Bundle ID],[App Name] values in the XML above, with the values of your own.

The URL that the users will use to download the app should look like this:

<a href="itms-services://?action=download-manifest&url=URL_OF_THE_PLIST_FILE" id="text"> Install the app </a>

Explained in more detail here.