How to submit an application to iTunes App Store

Submitting an app to the iTunes App Store is, to put it mildly, not as simple as one might think.

After struggling with it a few times, we thought it might be useful to create a step-by-step guide - hopefully you might find it useful too.

Requirements

• An account in a iOS Developer.
• An XCode project an test the application.
• An app configured for distribution. Apple additional info
• The tools: Provisioning Portal, XCode, Keychain Access utility and iTunes Connect.

Create unique App ID

• Open the Provisioning Portal.
• Select Identifier

• Press [+] “Add” button to create a new App ID. [add image]
• Fill the registration form:

• Open the XCode project and select Target.
• Enter the Bundle Identifier.

Note: Bundle Identifier = App ID + App ID suffix.

example: com.gizra.publiceducation.newAppIdSuffix.

Create a Secure Distribution Certificate

• Open Keychain Access in your mac.
• Open preferences.
• Turn off OCSP and CRL options.

• Keychain Access -> Certificate Assistant -> Request a Certificate From a Certificate Authority…

• Fill User Email Address with the same email information of account iOS Developer.
• Leave CA Email Address field blank.
• Select “Save to disk” and “Let me specify key pair information”.

This saves a request certificate file in your computer, with the extension .certSigningRequest.

Add certificate to Provisioning Portal

• Open the Provisioning Portal.
• Select “Certificates”.
• Press “Add” button to create a new iOS Certificate.
• Select “App Store” and “Ad Hoc” in the section Production.

• Press “Continue” to skip the rest of the fields, since you’ve already request the certificate.
• Select the request certificate file saved in your computer, e.g. CertificateSigningRequest.certSigningRequest

• Select “Continue” to generate the certificate and download it.
• Double click the certificate file (*.cer) and this installs the certificate.

(Optional) Backup Certificate

You can backup the work so far so that you won’t have to repeat the process with the following steps:

• Open Keychain Access.
• File -> Export Items

• Save the file (*.p12) on the disk.

Create a Distribution Provisioning Profile

• Open the Provisioning Portal.
• Select Provision Profiles.
• Press “Add” button to create a new Provisioning Profile.
• Select “App Store” in the section Production.

• Select App ID.

• Select Certificate (iOS Distribution).

• Enter a name for your profile and generate.
• Download and double click to install the Provisioning Profile.

Check Code Signing & Build Settings

Configuration Project:

• Open XCode and select project and select tab “Build Settings”.
• Select in the search filter “All” and “Combined”.
• Look for “Deployment” -> “Skip install” and select “Yes”.

Configuration Target - General:

• Select the target and tab “General”.
• Verify you have defined a valid “Bundle Identifier”: this have to be the App ID defined in the “Create unique App ID” step. (must include the App ID Suffix) example: com.gizra.publiceducation.1
• Select Team.

Note: Select the account used to create the certificate.

Configuration Target - General - App Icons:

• In Source select “Don’t use asset catalogs”.

• Create a new assets catalog.

• Press the arrow and Drag and Drop the icons of your application.
• Select the new catalog in source.

Configuration Target - Build Settings:

• Select target and tab “Build Settings”.
• Look for “Code Signing” -> “Code Signing Identify” -> “Release” -> “Any iOS SDK” and select the Certificate you generated (which must be associated to the Provisioning Profile)

• Look for “Code Signing” -> “Provisioning Profile” and select the Provisioning Profile you’ve generated.

• Look for “Deployment” -> “Skip install” and select “No”.

Create an App in iTunes Connect

• Open the iTunes Connect site.
• Select “Manage Your Application”

• Select “Add new App”
• Complete the information of the application.

Note You must select the Bundle ID with the App ID Suffix created in “Create unique App ID” step.

Build and Archive the Application

• Select in the menu “Product” -> “Scheme” -> “Edit Scheme”.

• Select “Archive”.
• Select “Build Configuration” to “Release” and press OK button.

• Build the application selecting in the menu “Product” -> “Archive”.

Note This step archives the application and opens the “Organizer” tool of XCode.

Validate and Submit the application

• Select the application archive in the “Organizer” of XCode.
• Press “Validate…”.
• Select the credentials generated for the application.
• Once validation is complete, the application can be submitted - press the “Distribute…” button..
• You can now check the submission status iTunes Connect.

Woohoo!!

You should be good to go now. Wasn’t that fun?

If you’re still having issues, unfortunately you’ll have to turn to Apple’s own documentation. Enjoy :)