Installing Ad Hoc iPhone Applications
Apple allow an iPhone developer to distribute a limited amount of copies of their applications using a mechanism called Ad Hoc Distribution. This is intended for testing purposes, but it can also be useful to send out a fix quickly.
Installing with Ad Hoc Distribution is more difficult than buying through the App Store. Also updates are not automatic. You can install alongside an App Store purchased version of the application and both applications will remain installed, but it can be difficult to tell them apart.
When you are sent an iPhone App for Ad Hoc installation you need to complete the following steps:
- Unzip the zip file that was sent to you. You should have two files now. One ending in .mobileprovision is the provisioning file, this allows the app to run on your iPhone and only your iPhone. The other file is the actual application. On a Mac this looks like an application, on Windows this looks like a directory (with a .app extension).
- Open iTunes and connect your iPhone with the sync cable
- On a Mac drag the mobileprovision file over the iTunes Dock icon. On windows drag the file over the iTunes window and release.
- Drag the app file on to iTunes in the same way
- Click on the name of your iPhone/iPod on the left in iTunes. Now press the Sync button. This will install the application
If you get an installation error it may be because your device is not listed in the provisioning profile. Check with me if this is the case.
Some users have reported that exiting and restarting iTunes has helped make things work too.
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