Is there any way to build an iPhone app without uploading to the App store. Say I want to build it and then download from my dev server to my iPhone.
Do you mean just to test or are you talking about building a personal app?
For testing use the Ionic View app.
If you want a personal app just build a Development version and not a Distribution version in iTunes connect. Then you can install and use on your phone, which will be the only phone in the world with install permissions if you want it that way!
Kindly share a link or two about how I can do it with iTunes connect. I need to test an app on different devices but as I know Ionic View has still a limited plugin support.
You can also use something like Ubertesters to upload ad-hoc apk or ipa and distribute from there
In your iTunes dev account you just set it up for Development. That mean you have a Development cert and provision and you choose what UDIDs to authorise. I don’t have links - it’s all in your Apple developer console.
Apple has introduced Test Flight (acquired rather) and when you upload a test build from Xcode to iTunes Connect you can have up to 1000 external testers and then you’re team connected to the dev account can access the app via apples new Test Flight app. You can then distribute testing builds and it’s all done OTA so you don’t have to have a cable. Apple also handles the signing for you when you upload it through Xcode so it’s extremely easy.
1 Like
It would be easy but none of plugins want to play nice with Xcodes Archiving 
What do you mean?
I literally distribute my app to 500 people for testing. It’s the actual IPA that they distribute, you don’t lose plugins or functionality. Unless you’re doing something against apples basic rules you’re fine.
Yeah, I’ve just got a problem with all my cordova plugins on iOS is all.
You should probably fix that then if you ever expect to deploy lol!
Yeah I know.
App is ready to deploy apart from this. Android beta version working and deployed to beta. iOS…