upload app to app store without developer program

Update note: This tutorial has been updated by Rony Rozen. The original post was written past Gustavo Ambrozio and updated by Tony Dahbura.

Learn how to submit an app to Apple in this 2-role series. This tutorial documents every step of becoming an Apple iOS developer – from literally no account, to published on the App Shop!

Yous'll learn how to sign upward for Apple'southward iOS Developer Program, how to generate the various certificates needed, how to configure your app, and how to submit an app to the App Store for approval.

To create this tutorial, I created a completely new App Store account and submitted a new app to the App Store, keeping careful note of each step along the way.

This tutorial will walk through the procedure to submit an app called Drop Charge, which comes from 2nd iOS & tvOS Games past Tutorials. The app has already been approved and can exist downloaded for free from the App Shop here. Y'all should apply your own app as yous follow along.

For this tutorial, you volition need Usa$99 (or the equivalent fee applicable in your land), a valid credit menu, and a browser. This may go without saying, but to develop apps, y'all'll need a Mac computer, with macOS installed. Lastly, you'll desire to have at least ane real iDevice to test your app before submitting it to the App Shop.

Finally, you will need Xcode, Apple tree's evolution software. You can download Xcode from the Mac App store now or wait until information technology's covered subsequently in the tutorial.

Information technology will help to approach this tutorial with some patience and perspective. Condign a registered developer is a lengthy procedure and is sometimes repetitive. Merely think: in the stop you will exist able to submit an app (or multiple apps) to the App Store for potential fortune and glory!

Getting Started

The start step on the path to the App Store is to register as an Apple developer. Becoming an Apple developer is costless, merely this won't enable you to submit an app to the App Shop — to do that you must pay the same US$99 fee.

Yous may already take a developer account with Apple. If so, feel gratuitous to skip this section.

If yous don't however have an Apple tree developer business relationship, go to the Apple Developer Site and in the upper right click the Account link:

On the following page, y'all can choose to create a new Apple tree ID or use an existing one. If you desire, you tin salvage time and employ the Apple tree ID you already use for your iTunes purchases. Keep in mind that it may be ameliorate to have two different IDs to keep your personal and professional lives split up.

So, click Create Apple tree ID:

Fill in your email, password and security data. Apply an electronic mail address that yous cheque ofttimes because Apple tree sends frequent updates on the program and on the status of apps you lot've submitted for approval.

Scroll downwardly and complete the remaining security questions and the captcha prompt, then click Continue:

Check the email account you specified when registering. Yous should receive an email just like this:

The side by side page will prompt you to enter the code emailed to you. Enter the code and click Continue:

You lot now have a developer account Apple tree ID. Great piece of work! :] Log in to the developer site using your new ID:

The next page is the mandatory legal agreement. As always, information technology's a skilful idea to consult with your lawyer before signing this and future agreements mentioned in this tutorial. When you're ready, click the checkbox. Then click Submit:

Absurd, you're at present an Apple programmer! Yous have access to the libraries and tools, but you demand to bring together the paid programme to submit apps to the app store.

Joining the Programmer Programme

Being a registered Apple developer gives you lot access to a lot of data, just to be able to send apps to the App Store (and to have access to certain associated portals) you need to enroll in Apple's Developer Plan. In the by, there were three programs: iOS, OS X, and Safari. Now in that location is one program and the aforementioned fee (US$99 per year) covers all platforms.

If y'all followed along with the previous section, y'all should be in the right place. If yous skipped the previous section because yous already take an Apple programmer account, go to the Developer Member Center, and log in.

Once logged in, click the Join the Apple Developer Program link on the lower center of the page. Then, click Enroll:

The post-obit page describes enrollment equally an Individual or every bit a Company. For this tutorial, you lot'll see how to enroll as an private. If you choose to enroll as a visitor, the process volition be slightly more complicated (yous will need to submit documents to bear witness your involvement with the company).

There are two main benefits to enrolling as a company:

• You lot'll be able to invite other people to bring together your developer account (great for groups of developers working together on the aforementioned app).
• The Seller field on the App Store will display your company proper name (and not your first and last proper name).

So, if y'all recall one of these may exist relevant to you now or in the futurity, perchance it'southward worth dealing with the extra paperwork of signing up as a company, instead of as an individual.

Once you've made your decision, click Start Your Enrolment:

The sebsequent folio asks if yous want to enroll as an individual, as a visitor, or as a government organization. For the purposes of this tutorial, select Individual / Sole Proprietor / Single Person Business, and click Continue:

Enter your billing/business information to verify your identity. Apple will try to confirm this information with your credit bill of fare company, then make sure you lot enter it correctly. Fill in the remaining fields and at the bottom you'll run across another license understanding. When yous're set up, check the box and click Go along:

Review your information and when you're ready to submit, click Continue:

At present you volition exist prompted with the toll and summary for the buy. You have the option for automatic renewal every year, which saves having to remember to renew and prevents any chance that your apps get unavailable (apps volition be removed from the store once the business relationship is no longer agile).

Check Automatic Renewal if yous want this option, then click Buy:

You'll now take to log in again using your newly created Apple ID.

Note: The following steps only use to countries with online Apple Stores. For countries without online Apple Stores, the process volition be slightly different, requiring yous to fax your credit card data to Apple. If you're in one of those countries, follow Apple's instructions and skip to the next section.

All the same here? Bully. Fill out the payment screen. Verify your billing data for the purchase. You will exist asked to agree to the Terms & Conditions. Once you're gear up, bank check the box and click Continue. Finally, confirm your intent to purchase the membership:

You volition so be greeted by a thank you screen. Congrats!

First Steps On Your New Account

After submitting and paying for your iOS Programmer registration, y'all'll demand to await for Apple to procedure your order. If you had to fax your information to Apple tree because you're in a country without an online Apple tree Store, you'll demand a picayune more patience. In either instance, somewhen you'll get an email from Apple like this one:

At the same time, you lot should receive an email from iTunes Connect.

At this point you lot should download Xcode by proceeding to the Apple App Store using the App Store icon on your application dock. Apple places the latest non-beta release in the App Store. Search for Xcode or click hither. While y'all will just be using Xcode very briefly in this tutorial, in that location are many other excellent tutorials on RayWenderlich.com to teach y'all how to use it!

Now go to the Programmer Center and sign in. After providing your credentials, you'll finally be in!

The Developer Center has a LOT of information. In that location are programming guides, downloadable code, documentation, videos, the very helpful programmer forum and a support center.

Spend some fourth dimension exploring to familiarize yourself with what's available. Be aware that some of this information may be confidential, peculiarly if it involves beta versions of whatever SDKs or Tools.

In this tutorial, yous're going to focus on two areas that you'll use a lot when developing your apps: the Certificates, IDs & Profiles area and iTunes Connect.

Here's a brief introduction to each of them.

Certificates, IDs & Profiles

As you may already know, a non-jailbroken iOS device is only able to run apps approved past Apple tree and installed through the App Store.

Apple achieves this past requiring that every app run by iOS has a signed Apple Certificate. Apps installed from the App Store come up arranged with a document, which the system verifies earlier information technology allows the app to run. If there's no signature or if the signature is invalid, the app won't run.

Equally a developer, you demand to be able to run your apps on your own devices on a regular footing every bit you're developing them. In order to do this, you need a mode to create and sign your own certificates.

That'due south where the Certificates, IDs & Profiles area comes in. This section allows you lot to generate what Apple tree calls "profiles". Profiles, sometimes called "code signing identities," are files generated past the Developer Center that permit Xcode to sign your apps in a manner that allows iOS on your devices to identify them equally valid.

In that location are two types of profiles:

• Evolution profiles. These are tied to specific devices, and so the app can only run on those.
• Distribution profiles. These are used to sign your app before y'all submit it to Apple for approving. Although they contain no device-specific data, you lot can't use them to install apps on any device yourself considering Apple however has to sign the app after the blessing process.

The Certificates, IDs & Profiles surface area can also generate button certificates in case your app wants to send push notifications.

iTunes Connect

iTunes Connect is the portal you'll employ to submit an app. This is where you'll register a new app, enter the app'due south description and screenshots, choose the price, and configure game center and in-app purchases.

This is also the portal you'll employ to hold to new contracts, prepare your financial data (and so you tin can bank that profit) and cheque your sales.

You'll spend the rest of role one working in the Certificates, IDs & Profiles area. In Part Two of this tutorial, you'll look at iTunes Connect.

Certificates, IDs and Profiles

Now, yous're going to utilize the Certificates, IDs and Profiles area to set up the information you need in order to deploy your app to your device (and later, the App Store).

Notation that there is a simpler manner to do this in Xcode called Automatic Device Provisioning, which you will cover in Function Two. Merely for at present, you're going to get through the process stride-by-step. You'll understand how things work amend this way, and information technology's very useful to know when submitting to the App Shop.

If yous still have your Developer Center page in front of you (if non, log in again), just click the Certificates, IDs & Profiles link on the left side or click on the gear icon in the middle of the page:

There are many things you lot'll need to do from this area. Some of them yous'll only take to exercise once, such as generating your certificates and registering your devices. Others you'll take to repeat for every app you lot make, such as generating development and distribution profiles.

Generating Certificates

First you'll need to generate 2 certificates: 1 for your development profiles, and another for your distribution profiles. As the text on the page explains, yous can asking a certificate either via Xcode or manually. Since it'south actually useful for you to understand the manual procedure, in this tutorial you'll be uploading a Certificate Signing Request (or CSR) from your Mac.

Brand sure the drop down in the upper left says iOS, tvOS, watchOS, then click on the + in the upper right:

On the next page, select iOS App Development as the certificate type and click Continue at the bottom:

The portal then shows an explanation of how to generate a CSR using Keychain Access. To follow the instructions, you lot need to open the Keychain Access app on your Mac. If you don't know where it is, search for it using Spotlight.

In one case the program is open, choose Keychain Admission\Certificate Banana\Asking a Certificate From a Certificate Say-so…:

In the Document Assistant window, fill in your electronic mail accost and name, cull Saved to disk and click Continue:

Save the file somewhere on your Mac. That's your CSR created, at present to generate that certificate.

Go dorsum to the Developer Center in your browser; yous should now click Continue.

Click Cull File…, locate the CSR file you just created and select it, and then click Continue.

You lot will at present run across a screen that says your document is ready. Click Download, and double-click the development document file to install it in the keychain:

Click Add in the Keychain Access dialog to complete the installation:

Now that you take your certificate for your evolution profiles, yous need to create a certificate for your production or distribution profiles. In your browser, click Add together Some other. Under Production select App Store and Advertising Hoc, and click Continue at the bottom as before:

Become through the aforementioned procedure equally earlier to submit the same certificate signing request you lot used for your development document.

When it's set up, click Download, and double-click the distribution document file to install it in the keychain.

Note: The distribution certificate is called ios_distribution.cer, whereas the development certificate you downloaded earlier is called ios_development.cer.

Note: You may have noticed some text at the bottom of the screens talking virtually Intermediate Certificates. When you launch Xcode, or if you have already launched Xcode, it will install these automatically for you. Should you e'er demand to install them for some reason in the future just click the + as if creating a new document and scroll down to the link to download the file:

This will download a file called AppleWWDRCA.cer. Double-click this file to install it. It volition open Keychain Access again in case yous closed information technology.

Now wait in Keychain Access and you lot will see your two installed certificates as follows:

Notation: If y'all do non see the message This certificate is valid with a greenish cheque-marker, then y'all have either non launched Xcode yet, or yous need to install the Intermediate Certificates, as described to a higher place. The easiest fix is to launch Xcode and let it update the intermediate certificate for you.

You can now close Keychain Access.

Registering Devices

The next step is to register your devices. In your browser on the left-side menu, click Devices\All and then, on the right, +:

Y'all need to get the UDID of the device(southward) you desire to use to run your apps. There are many ways to become a device'due south UDID: in that location are free apps available that will do it for you, or you can use Xcode's organizer. Here, you lot'll get the UDID using iTunes.

Open iTunes and plug the device into your computer. Select the device from the menu bar under the thespian controls. iTunes will display your device proper noun, chapters, version and serial number. Click on the serial number and information technology will change to your device's UDID:

Now simply correct-click on the number and select Copy to copy the UDID to your clipboard.

Go back to your browser, enter a device name (which tin can be anything you want) and paste the UDID into the advisable field. When y'all're done, click Go along

You will now exist prompted to confirm the registration. Click Register.

Your device is now registered, and will announced in your listing of devices:

You can come back later to annals additional devices, belonging to friends and beta testers.

Note: Apple allows yous to annals up to 100 devices of each type (iPhones, iPads, AppleTVs, etc.) per year to your account. If you register a device and subsequently remove it, it still counts towards your total for the twelvemonth. At the stop of the twelvemonth, when you renew your membership, you'll go the take a chance to decide which registered devices to carry over to the next membership year and which to remove (making room for new devices). At any given moment, you can't have more than than 100 devices of each type.

Creating App IDs

Now that your device is registered, you lot need to create an App ID. Every app yous build volition need its own App ID. On the side menu, click Identifiers\App IDs:

You'll see a cursory explanation of the App ID concept. In a nutshell, an App ID is a combination of a 10-grapheme "seed" prefix generated past Apple, and a suffix created past you, defined as a Bundle ID search string. Together they create a unique identifier for your app.

Here are some important things to know most App IDs:

• If you lot desire to share keychain data betwixt your apps, yous can elect to have all of your apps share the same seed prefix. For example, say you take a suite of apps that all make use of the same website via a login. If the apps share the same seed prefix, and one app saves the user's login data to the iOS keychain, any other app in the suite can get this login information from the keychain.
• Y'all can create two different types of App ID: an Explicit App ID, or a Wildcard App ID. Explicit App IDs must be used when you wish to incorporate services such equally in-app purchases or iCloud. Wildcard App IDs should exist used when y'all want to use the aforementioned App ID for multiple apps.
• In an Explicit App ID, the Package ID search cord has to be unique for each of your apps. It will be used by Apple'southward push notifications service, for in-app purchases and for other services such as iCloud storage.
• Apple recommends that you use "a reverse-domain proper name mode string" for the Bundle ID. For an Explicit App ID, the suggested format is "com.domainname.appname"; for a Wildcard App ID, the suggested format is "com.domainname.*".
• Remember, if yous use a Wildcard App ID, you won't be able to employ any of the slap-up services normally available, such every bit push button notifications or in-app purchases. You lot might not plan to use these services at present, but if you change your mind, you won't be able to modify your App ID without creating a new app.

Now that you lot know all near App IDs, it'due south time to create one. On the correct side of the screen click +.

Fill up out the description (commonly just your app's proper name). The seed ID volition usually be your Squad ID. At present, make certain Explicit App ID is selected, and enter the Bundle ID – recollect to use a reverse-domain proper noun style cord for this, including the name of the app at the terminate. Click Continue when done:

You volition be prompted to confirm your values, click Register at the lesser. Then you will see a Registration Complete message.

You are now set up to create the provisioning profiles.

Provisioning Profiles

On the side menu, click Provisioning Profiles\All:

You'll see a cursory explanation describing getting started with iOS provisioning profiles. A provisioning profile brings together a document, an App ID and device identifiers. When yous become back to Xcode (you're near at that place), yous'll use the provisioning profile you created to bring everything together.

You use Development provisioning profiles to build and install versions of your app during your development procedure. You use Distribution provisioning profiles when you lot submit your apps to the App Store.

On the right side of the screen click on the +.

Choose iOS App Development, so click Continue:

The next screen asks you to select an App ID for this new profile. Choose the one y'all just created and click Proceed:

The post-obit screen asks you to select the certificates for the profile. If you have multiple members on a squad, they can be selected here. Select your document and click Continue:

The next screen asks which registered devices this profile should include. Select the relevant device(south) and click Keep:

Finally, enter a name for this profile. You will use the name yous specify to identify the profile among other profiles, then make information technology equally descriptive every bit possible. Click Proceed:

The terminal page shows your generated profile and allows you to download it. Get alee and click Download.

Since you are already here, go ahead and generate the distribution profile. You won't really need this profile until you lot're set up to submit the app for approval, but since you're here, it'south worth doing now. Click Add Another at the bottom:

Under Distribution, select App Store and click Continue:

The next steps are the aforementioned every bit for the evolution profile. Follow the screens along, name the distribution profile something descriptive and unique, and download it as you did the development profile.

Now find the files you just downloaded on your computer, and double-click each of them in turn, causing Xcode to launch. Verify the profiles are at that place by opening a project or starting a new one for this test. Click on the Project in the left pane. Select General and make sure the Bundle Identifier is the same as the App ID you created earlier (otherwise, the provisioning contour won't match).

Select Build Settings, select All, search for "signing" and change the value for Lawmaking Signing Manner to Manual. And then, click the word None next to the entry Provisioning Profile. Your profiles will be listed:

Run the App on a Physical Device

Finish the first role of the tutorial by actually running your app on a physical device. Change the value of Code Signing Identity from "iOS Developer" to "iPhone Developer: XXX" every bit it appears in the drop-downwardly menu. So, get back to General and brand sure that the value of Deployment Target is lower than, or equal to, the iOS version currently installed on your examination device. Finally, connect your device to your reckoner and select information technology from the drib downwards bill of fare on the meridian left.

When you're ready, only click the Play button and wait. This may take a while on the offset run.

You have just run your app on a real device. Isn't that heady? Enjoy the moment, and when you're set up to learn more nearly what but happened and what the adjacent steps are, keep reading. I'll wait… :]

Where To Go From Here?

If y'all followed the whole process outlined above and completed each pace in the procedure, and so you've taken a huge footstep towards submitting your outset app to the App Store – congrats! Hopefully the process is a bit less intimidating at present.

In Part Two of this tutorial series showing how to submit an app, you'll learn everything you need to know nearly actually submitting your app to the App Store, while learning more than about Xcode'due south Automatic Device Provisioning along the way.

If you lot have any questions or comments about what you've done and then far, delight join in the forum discussion below!

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Source: https://www.raywenderlich.com/120-how-to-submit-an-app-to-apple-from-no-account-to-app-store-part-1

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