Osx Ios

iOS/iPad Distribution Preparation

Overview

This skill prepares Apple mobile app distribution for iPhone and iPad, from preflight checks through App Store Connect submission.

Important artifact difference:

• macOS distribution commonly uses .dmg
• iOS/iPadOS distribution uses .ipa uploaded to App Store Connect (TestFlight/App Store)

Fast Preflight (Run First)

Use the bundled checker before any release action:

bash ./skills/osx-ios/scripts/check_ios_dist.sh --app-root 

If checker output includes FAIL, stop and fix blockers first.

When to Use

• Before any TestFlight build upload
• Before App Store submission/review
• When user asks for iOS/iPad release readiness
• When converting a macOS-only release workflow to mobile distribution

Required Inputs

Collect these first. If missing, report the gap and stop before release actions.

• App source path and iOS target/scheme
• Xcode version + SDK baseline used for archive
• Apple Developer Team ID
• Bundle identifier (explicit App ID)
• Distribution method: testflight or app-store
• Version and build number strategy
• App Store Connect app record status (existing/new)
• Privacy policy URL + support URL

Distribution Workflow

Run each phase in order. Do not skip.

digraph ios_distribution {
    rankdir=TB;
    node [shape=box];

    "Start" -> "1. Project Discovery";
    "1. Project Discovery" -> "2. Version & Build";
    "2. Version & Build" -> "3. Signing Setup";
    "3. Signing Setup" -> "4. Compliance & Privacy";
    "4. Compliance & Privacy" -> "5. Validation & Tests";
    "5. Validation & Tests" -> "6. Archive + IPA Export";
    "6. Archive + IPA Export" -> "7. Upload to ASC";
    "7. Upload to ASC" -> "8. TestFlight/App Store Checklist";
}

1. Project Discovery

Confirm the app has a valid iOS target and release configuration.

• [ ] ios/ project exists (or native iOS project root)
• [ ] Shared scheme available for CI/reproducible builds
• [ ] Release configuration builds on real device target
• [ ] Bundle ID stable and unique
• [ ] MinimumOSVersion is intentional
• [ ] iPad support decision is explicit (UIDeviceFamily)
• [ ] Xcode/SDK baseline meets current App Store Connect upload requirements

2. Version and Build Number

• [ ] Marketing version (CFBundleShortVersionString) set
• [ ] Build number (CFBundleVersion) incremented
• [ ] Version/build match App Store Connect expectations
• [ ] Changelog/release notes prepared for TestFlight reviewers

Common commands:

# Inspect current values
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :CFBundleShortVersionString" ios/Runner/Info.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :CFBundleVersion" ios/Runner/Info.plist

3. Signing Setup (Critical)

App distribution fails without correct signing. Validate all of:

• [ ] Apple Developer Program membership active
• [ ] Distribution certificate available (Apple Distribution)
• [ ] App ID exists and matches bundle identifier
• [ ] Provisioning profile maps to certificate + App ID + Team ID
• [ ] Entitlements match enabled capabilities
• [ ] Automatic or manual signing is consistent across local + CI

If manual signing:

• [ ] PROVISIONING_PROFILE_SPECIFIER configured for Release
• [ ] CODE_SIGN_STYLE=Manual intentional

If automatic signing:

• [ ] -allowProvisioningUpdates usage approved for CI

4. Compliance and Privacy

Permissions and Usage Strings

Each sensitive API must have a clear purpose string.

• [ ] Camera (NSCameraUsageDescription)
• [ ] Microphone (NSMicrophoneUsageDescription)
• [ ] Photos (NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription, add/read variants if needed)
• [ ] Location (NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription / always keys if used)
• [ ] Contacts, Calendars, Bluetooth, Motion, etc. when applicable

Privacy Manifest and SDK Compliance

• [ ] PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy valid where required
• [ ] Third-party SDK privacy manifests verified
• [ ] Required-reason APIs have valid reasons
• [ ] Data collection declarations match actual runtime behavior
• [ ] App Tracking Transparency prompt only if tracking is used

Export Compliance and Legal

• [ ] Encryption declaration ready (App Store Connect export compliance)
• [ ] Privacy policy URL is live
• [ ] Support URL is live
• [ ] Terms/EULA references are valid

5. Validation and Tests

Minimum release gates:

• [ ] Clean Release build succeeds
• [ ] Smoke test on physical iPhone
• [ ] Smoke test on physical iPad (or simulator + QA device if limited)
• [ ] Critical flows verified: login, purchase/subscription, sync, offline behavior
• [ ] Crash reporting initialized for Release build
• [ ] No debug menus/log overlays in Release

6. Archive and IPA Export

Use archive/export, not DMG packaging.

# 1) Archive
xcodebuild \
  -workspace ios/Runner.xcworkspace \
  -scheme Runner \
  -configuration Release \
  -destination "generic/platform=iOS" \
  -archivePath build/Runner.xcarchive \
  archive

# 2) Export IPA (app-store method for TestFlight/App Store)
xcodebuild -exportArchive \
  -archivePath build/Runner.xcarchive \
  -exportPath build/ios-dist \
  -exportOptionsPlist ios/ExportOptions.plist

ExportOptions.plist (minimum):

  method
  app-store
  signingStyle
  automatic
  teamID
  YOUR_TEAM_ID
  uploadBitcode
  
  uploadSymbols
  

7. Upload to App Store Connect

Preferred options:

• Xcode Organizer upload
• Transporter app upload
• CI upload using App Store Connect API key + transporter tooling

Optional (if asc CLI is installed):

# TestFlight publish
asc publish testflight --app  --ipa  --group 

# App Store publish
asc publish appstore --app  --ipa  --version 

Checklist:

• [ ] .ipa upload completes successfully
• [ ] Build appears in App Store Connect
• [ ] Processing status becomes available
• [ ] Build assigned to internal/external TestFlight group as needed

8. iPhone + iPad Submission Checklist

TestFlight Operational Rules

• [ ] Internal testers <= 100 users
• [ ] External testers <= 10,000 users
• [ ] Build age <= 90 days
• [ ] First external build (and one build per app version) passes Beta App Review
• [ ] Upload pacing respects build limits per 24 hours

Metadata

• [ ] App name, subtitle, keywords
• [ ] Description + What’s New
• [ ] Category, age rating, content rights
• [ ] Contact info for App Review

Screenshots and Media

• [ ] Required iPhone screenshots uploaded (current minimum baseline)
• [ ] Required iPad screenshots uploaded if iPad support is enabled
• [ ] Preview videos optional but validated if present

Device and UX Requirements

• [ ] Orientation support intentional for iPhone and iPad
• [ ] Safe area layouts verified on notched and non-notched devices
• [ ] iPad multitasking behavior validated (if supported)
• [ ] External keyboard/pointer interactions checked where applicable

Monetization and Account

• [ ] In-app purchases/subscriptions approved or linked
• [ ] Sign in with Apple requirement evaluated
• [ ] Demo/test account credentials provided to reviewer (if required)

App Review Guideline Alignment

• [ ] App completeness for review (no placeholders/broken flows)
• [ ] Privacy and data handling disclosures match behavior
• [ ] Sign in with Apple implemented when third-party sign-in triggers requirement

Failure Conditions (Block Release)

Treat these as release blockers:

• Missing/invalid signing profile or certificate
• Missing privacy usage strings for used APIs
• Missing or invalid privacy manifest / required-reason API declarations
• Export/upload failures for Release IPA
• Broken privacy policy/support links
• iPad required assets missing while iPad support is enabled
• Release build still using debug endpoints or test secrets

Output Format

When running this skill, produce:

1. Readiness Summary: ready / not ready
2. Blocking Issues: concrete file + fix
3. Non-Blocking Improvements: prioritized
4. Exact Next Commands: deterministic command list

Current External Baselines to Enforce

• As of April 2026, App Store Connect requires uploads built with Xcode 16 and the current platform SDK baselines (including iOS 18/iPadOS 18 class SDKs).
• TestFlight operational limits apply: internal testers up to 100, external testers up to 10,000, and builds expire after 90 days.
• TestFlight external distribution requires Beta App Review for the first build and one build per app version.
• App Store Connect screenshot minimums follow current policy (single required iPhone size set and single required iPad size set for iPad apps).
• Privacy manifests and required-reason API declarations must be valid, and common third-party SDK signatures/manifests are expected by current platform policy.

Related Skills

• osx-review: deep release-oriented code review
• osx-compliance: macOS DMG + desktop release infrastructure
• osx-models: native AI framework/model selection when AI features are included

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: BoltzmannEntropy
• Source: BoltzmannEntropy/OSXSkills
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://qneura.ai/apps.html

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.