How to build an iOS AdHoc app with flutter

Question

I have an flutter app for ios and can build it for the app store using:

flutter build ios --release

But how can I build an Ad-Hoc app for ios?

Answer 1

Pre-requisite

• Apple Developer Program membership ($99/year)
• Distribution certificate added to your machine
• In the Xcode project (Signing & Capabilities tab), select your team/ developer account which has the Apple Developer program membership.

1. Create an Archive (.xcarchive)

Technically you do not build an Ad Hoc app, you build a debug/release/profile app, which you then distribute via a distribution method, one option is Ad Hoc.

• Using command line: You can run flutter build ipa to build the xcarchive. Then it should show a URL for your Runner.xcarchive at the output (double click that link), or
• Using Xcode: Open the Xcode project, and in the menu bar, click Product > Archive. The organizer window will open once the archive is complete.

2. Create an .ipa

Now the Organizer window should be open. Press the Distribute App button: you should see multiple options. You can share the .ipa file with users, and they can install it onto their iPhone:

It's worth noting you can also create an .ipa using xcodebuild, but when you're first learning, it's nicer to use Xcode.

3. Install the .ipa on a device.

I wrote an answer about that: https://stackoverflow.com/a/68968301/7365866

Reminder

Just remember to do this:

Action Required: You must set a build name and number in the pubspec.yaml file version field before submitting to the App Store.