What is Ad Hoc Distribution?

Ad Hoc Distribution allows you to try an application before it’s
available in the iTunes App Store. This is how we distribute iPhone
applications to beta customers.

These instructions assume you have a .zip file.

Developers, if you have any customers running Windows Vista, you’re
better off distributing with an .ipa file, so that iTunes
handles the unzipping. To create a .ipa, move
your AppName.app directory into a new directory
called Payload, then zip the Payload folder and
change the file extension to .ipa.

What You’ll Need

Before beginning the installation process you’ll need:

• The .zip file for the application
  (usually AppName.app.AdHoc.zip)
• The .mobileprovision file for the application
  (usually Ad_Hoc_Distribution_Profile.mobileprovision)
• Your Device: the iPhone or iPod Touch whose UDID you emailed us
  previously
• The computer you normally sync with your Device

We usually send the .zip and .mobileprovision files to you via email.

Installing the Application – Windows XP

1. If you have the .zip and .mobileprovision files
   in an email, save them to a convenient location, such as your
   Desktop.
2. Drag-and-drop the .mobileprovision file
   onto Library → Applications in iTunes. On the Mac,
   you can just drag it to the iTunes icon in your dock.
   
3. Extract the .zip file. To do this, right-click
   the .zip file and select Extract All… . Step
   through the wizard and accept the defaults by
   clicking Next.

   WINDOWS VISTA USERS: The built-in “Extract All…” command
   corrupts the application so that it cannot be installed. You should
   try using a different zip program like WinZip or WinRar to extract the
   Zip file. Better yet, ask the application developer to send you the
   application as a .ipa file instead of a .zip file,
   then you don’t have to unzip it.
   

4. Find the .app folder (usually AppName.app).
   
5. Drag-and-drop the whole .app folder onto Library
   → Applications in iTunes. On the Mac, you can just drag it
   onto the iTunes icon in the dock.
   
6. Verify that the application shows up in Library
   → Applications. Note that it will not have its normal
   icon.
   
7. In iTunes, select your Device under Devices, choose
   the Application tab, and make sure that the new application is
   checked.
   
8. Sync your Device and try out the new app!