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    • Distributing your app

    iOS: get your app on an iPhone

    A plain-language guide to turning a MeDo mobile app into a real iPhone app: what you need, what it costs, the three ways to install it, and which one to pick.

    Updated 2026-09-14

    A Mobile app you build in MeDo already works in any phone browser at its published address. Packaging goes one step further: it turns the app into a real iPhone app — an icon on the home screen, installed from TestFlight or the App Store. This section walks you through it without assuming you have done it before.

    What you need

    • A Mobile app in MeDo. Packaging is available for projects created with the Mobile task type. In those projects an Export installation package button appears at the top of the editor, next to your credit balance.
    • Credits. Each iOS packaging run costs 500 credits. If a run fails or you cancel it, the credits come back automatically.
    • An Apple account — which kind depends on the route you pick (next section). You do not need a Mac or any developer software; MeDo builds the app for you in the cloud.

    The editor header of a Mobile project, with the Export installation package button next to the credit balance

    Pick a route

    Apple only lets apps onto an iPhone through a few doors. MeDo supports three, and the choice comes down to one question: who needs to install it?

    Who installs itRouteApple account neededWhat it costs youBest for
    Just you, on your own iPhoneLocal debuggingA free Apple ID500 credits per run, no Apple feeTrying the app on a real phone. Expires after 7 days; re-sign to keep it.
    A known group — a client, your team, a few friendsAd HocApple Developer Program (US$99/year)500 credits per runUp to 100 named devices, installed from a link or QR code. No Apple review.
    Testers you invite, then everyoneTestFlight → App StoreApple Developer Program (US$99/year)500 credits per runUp to 10,000 testers via TestFlight, then a public App Store release after Apple's review.

    Rule of thumb: start with Local debugging to see the app on your phone. When you are happy, join the Apple Developer Program and go straight to TestFlight → App Store — that is the only door that leads to the public App Store. Use Ad Hoc only when you specifically need a small, fixed group of devices without going through Apple.

    The steps, at a glance

    Every route starts the same way:

    1. Open your Mobile project and click Export installation package at the top of the editor.
    2. Switch to the iOS App tab.

    The Export installation package dialog with Android app and iOS App tabs, the per-run credit cost, and the Packaging V… version button (the number is your app's current version)

    1. Click Packaging V… version (it shows your app's current version — for example "Packaging V2 version") and choose your route.

    Choose the packaging route: Public Release / Invite Testing (recommended) or Local debugging

    • Public Release / Invite Testing covers both TestFlight → App Store and Ad Hoc; you pick between them on the next screen.
    • Local debugging builds an unsigned app for your own phone.
    1. Follow the wizard for your route. Packaging usually takes 3–8 minutes; you can leave the page and come back — finished builds stay listed in the same dialog.

    From here, follow the detailed guide for your route:

    Words you will meet along the way

    You do not need to understand these deeply, but you will see them in the wizard and on Apple's site.

    TermWhat it means in plain words
    Bundle IDYour app's unique ID, written like a reversed web address (com.yourbakery.app). MeDo sets it; it must stay the same across every build of the same app.
    IPAThe iPhone app file MeDo produces — the equivalent of an installer.
    SigningApple's stamp that says who made the app and which phones may run it. Paid routes are signed automatically by MeDo; Local debugging gives you an unsigned file you stamp yourself with a free tool.
    App Store ConnectApple's website where you manage your apps, testers, and store listing.
    API key (.p8 file)A small key file you create once in App Store Connect and upload to MeDo so it can upload builds on your behalf.
    TestFlightApple's free app for installing test versions before they reach the App Store.
    Provisioning profile / UDIDOnly for Ad Hoc: the list of phones allowed to install the app, identified by each phone's serial-like UDID.

    Good to know

    • Apple changes its rules regularly. Before a real App Store submission, glance at Apple's upcoming requirements and the App Review Guidelines.
    • Some iPhone features — push notifications, Apple Pay, Sign in with Apple, in-app purchases — only work on the paid routes, and some need extra setup in your Apple account.
    • Keep your .p8 key file private. It can be downloaded from Apple only once; if it leaks, revoke it in App Store Connect and create a new one.
    • Packaging is per version. After you change the app in MeDo, package again to get the new version onto phones.