What does the .ipa file extension (used for iOS app bundles) stand for? I'm guessing that it has something to do with iPhone app, but I'm not sure.
7 Answers
Your guess was correct.
.ipa
stands for iOS App Store Package
Each .ipa
file is compressed with a binary for the ARM architecture that can only be installed on iOS devices. If you change the extension to .zip
you will be able to unzip it and view the contents.
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Link doesn’t mention "ios app store package”. Also “stands for” usually means an acronym. So one would expect it to be “IASP”. Other answers clarify that so no worries. Apr 8, 2021 at 8:36
According to Apple, .ipa
stands for "iOS App Store Package". Wait a minute, that makes no sense at all. It originally stood for:
iPhone Archive
Then, when iPhone OS became iOS, they made up this new translation for it to make its purpose more clear.
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1don't know why the down votes; a bit of history that should not be ignored. May 24, 2016 at 20:49
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Maybe they tried to sound cooler by making it sound like an alcohol Oct 10, 2023 at 18:32
IPA stands for "iOS App Store Package", according to Apple - read the iOS Developer Library - section "Tools Workflow Guide for iOS->Distributing Apps".
To send your app to testers:
If you don’t have access to the project that generates the app, obtain an iOS App Store Package (IPA) file for your app from the appropriate teammate. Otherwise, generate the IPA file yourself:
a. Open the project in Xcode.
b. Archive your app.
c. Generate an IPA file for your app.
Download the user testing provisioning profile for your app from the iOS Provisioning Portal to your file system. (You don’t have to install this profile in Xcode.)
Email the user testing provisioning profile and the IPA file to your testers.
Its simple... IPA means IPhone Application...
As a rule, apps for the iPhone can only be obtained from the App Store as soon as they have been put up for sale there. The apps, so-called IPA files, can also be installed in a roundabout way.
There are various reasons why you might want to install an IPA file on your iPhone yourself. For example, to test a specially developed app or for other, less noble reasons. In this way, at least in theory, illegal copies of apps can be set up with the IPA files. However, you can also install IPA files in this way within narrow limits.
It means Internet Protocol Address
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