IPA - Revision history

Thorsted at 19:24, 23 April 2024

2024-04-23T19:24:10Z

Thorsted at 03:25, 11 March 2021

2021-03-11T03:25:30Z

Thorsted: Wikidata & links

2021-02-24T19:46:40Z

Wikidata & links

Dan Tobias at 23:54, 23 July 2013

2013-07-23T23:54:15Z

Dan Tobias: /* Links */

2013-02-04T23:16:14Z

‎Links

Dan Tobias at 03:41, 3 February 2013

2013-02-03T03:41:38Z

Dan Tobias at 03:40, 3 February 2013

2013-02-03T03:40:36Z

Dan Tobias at 03:40, 3 February 2013

2013-02-03T03:40:23Z

Dan Tobias: Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Archiving |extensions={{ext|ipa}} }} An '''IPA''' file is an "archived" iOS app, a format used to distribute and install such ..."

2013-02-03T02:29:57Z

Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Archiving |extensions={{ext|ipa}} }} An '''IPA''' file is an "archived" iOS app, a format used to distribute and install such ..."

New page

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Archiving
|extensions={{ext|ipa}}
}}

An '''IPA''' file is an "archived" [[iOS app]], a format used to distribute and install such apps for devices such as the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. In contrast to the .app files which are actually subdirectories (folders) containing the files comprising the app, an IPA file (.ipa) is a compressed archive of the app files, in [[ZIP]] format.

In the Xcode development environment, a developer has the option to compile the app into a .app file (which includes an Intel-chip executable so the app can be run on the iOS simulator on the Mac) or an .ipa file (which doesn't include that version of the executable, so it is only runnable on real iOS devices).

In order to install an app from an IPA file, the user also needs a [[Mobile Provision file]], set up through the Apple developer website and cryptographically keyed to grant ability to install the app to specified users. In this manner, an app can be distributed by the developer to beta testers, friends, or internal users at a company, but wider public release can only be done through Apple's App Store (except to users of jailbroken devices, which get around such restrictions).

Renaming an IPA file from .ipa to .zip allows any ZIP utility to look inside it. Its structure includes a directory named ''Payload'' which contains the app itself (there's a '''.app''' file/directory beneath this), and a few more files in the root directory: ''iTunesArtwork'' (a 512 x 512 icon in [[PNG]] format), and ''iTunesMetadata.plist'' (a [[Property List]] with various information about the app).

== Links ==
* [[Wikipedia:.ipa (file extension)|Wikipedia article]]
* Stack Overflow discussions on creating .ipa files: [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10695731/how-to-create-ipa-file-for-iphone-app here] and [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12969917/how-to-make-ipa-file-in-xcode-4-5 here]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_rqr4LRAu0 Video: Installing IPA files without iTunes]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |extensions={{ext|ipa}}
 |wikidata={{wikidata|Q2461500}}
 }}

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:25, 11 March 2021
Line 14:		Line 14:

	Renaming an IPA file from .ipa to .zip allows any ZIP utility to look inside it. Its structure includes a directory named ''Payload'' which contains the app itself in the [[Bundle_file_(OS_X)\|Apple Bundle/Package format]] (there's a '''.app''' file/directory beneath this), and a few more files in the root directory: ''iTunesArtwork'' (a 512 x 512 icon in [[PNG]] format), and ''iTunesMetadata.plist'' (a [[Property List]] with various information about the app).		Renaming an IPA file from .ipa to .zip allows any ZIP utility to look inside it. Its structure includes a directory named ''Payload'' which contains the app itself in the [[Bundle_file_(OS_X)\|Apple Bundle/Package format]] (there's a '''.app''' file/directory beneath this), and a few more files in the root directory: ''iTunesArtwork'' (a 512 x 512 icon in [[PNG]] format), and ''iTunesMetadata.plist'' (a [[Property List]] with various information about the app).
		+
		+	== Sample Files ==
		+	* [https://archive.org/details/ipaarchive Archive.org IPA Archives]

	== Links ==		== Links ==

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |subcat=Archiving
 |extensions={{ext|ipa}}
 }}
@@ Line 12: / Line 13: @@
 In order to install an app from an IPA file, the user also needs a [[Mobile Provision file]], set up through the Apple developer website and cryptographically keyed to grant ability to install the app to specified users. In this manner, an app can be distributed by the developer to beta testers, friends, or internal users at a company, but wider public release can only be done through Apple's App Store (except to users of jailbroken devices, which get around such restrictions).
-Renaming an IPA file from .ipa to .zip allows any ZIP utility to look inside it. Its structure includes a directory named ''Payload'' which contains the app itself (there's a '''.app''' file/directory beneath this), and a few more files in the root directory: ''iTunesArtwork'' (a 512 x 512 icon in [[PNG]] format), and ''iTunesMetadata.plist'' (a [[Property List]] with various information about the app).
+Renaming an IPA file from .ipa to .zip allows any ZIP utility to look inside it. Its structure includes a directory named ''Payload'' which contains the app itself in the [[Bundle_file_(OS_X)|Apple Bundle/Package format]] (there's a '''.app''' file/directory beneath this), and a few more files in the root directory: ''iTunesArtwork'' (a 512 x 512 icon in [[PNG]] format), and ''iTunesMetadata.plist'' (a [[Property List]] with various information about the app).
 == Links ==
@@ Line 19: / Line 20: @@
 * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_rqr4LRAu0 Video: Installing IPA files without iTunes]
 * [http://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/video-shows-you-how-to-jailbre.html Video: How to jailbreak an iPhone]
 [[Category:iOS]]
 [[Category:ZIP based file formats]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:54, 23 July 2013
Line 21:		Line 21:

	[[Category:iOS]]		[[Category:iOS]]
		+	[[Category:ZIP based file formats]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:41, 3 February 2013
Line 18:		Line 18:
	* Stack Overflow discussions on creating .ipa files: [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10695731/how-to-create-ipa-file-for-iphone-app here] and [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12969917/how-to-make-ipa-file-in-xcode-4-5 here]		* Stack Overflow discussions on creating .ipa files: [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10695731/how-to-create-ipa-file-for-iphone-app here] and [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12969917/how-to-make-ipa-file-in-xcode-4-5 here]
	* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_rqr4LRAu0 Video: Installing IPA files without iTunes]		* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_rqr4LRAu0 Video: Installing IPA files without iTunes]
		+
		+	[[Category:iOS]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-:''This page is about an iOS archived app format, with no connection to [[International Phonetic Alphabet]]
+:''This page is about an iOS archived app format, with no connection to [[International Phonetic Alphabet]].
 {{FormatInfo
 |formattype=electronic

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:40, 3 February 2013
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	:''This page is about an iOS archived app format, with no connection to [[International Phonetic Alphabet]]
	{{FormatInfo		{{FormatInfo
	\|formattype=electronic		\|formattype=electronic