iOS apps - testing - without signing?

Is there a way to test apps on Iphone, free?

[explorador]

Hi there, been researching on cross platform development, tried several tools and frameworks, etc. For now I can try my apps on Android and Windows Phone (also on the emulators) no problem, but can't test my apps on the Iphone (yes I can test it on the Xcode Emulator by now).

I'm very interested on trying the APPS on the Iphone directly.It's the real deal and besides clients want to try them this way. The thing is the APP must be signed and have an Apple Developer ID, this is US$99 per year, this allows developers to upload the APP to the APP Store (well, to send it for review and then perhaps listed there). I would like to save me the US$99 for now because it's just beta testing. Is there a way? So far while I can test on EMULATOR can't build the app without signing it.

Microsoft allows ways to do this on Windows Phone prior becoming a registered developer (legal ways), but Apple? nope, or not that I know so far. Tried SmartFace AppStudio and like it a lot, it allows running your application on the Iphone using a downloadable tool-emulator from the AppStore, I like it and can test it on the real device. Problem is SmartFace AppStudio lacks the functions I need (sound recording among them). Any suggestions? I found some links about jailbraking but it's not the path I want to take. Is there something like Apple Beta ID for signing apps for beta testing? Any ideas will be appreciated.

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Been staying away from PhoneGap. Tried it, didn't like it. I know I could go on there but as for the sound recording I've found very confusing documentation and lots of "it works for me / didn't work for me", so there is no guarantee my time invested there would be worth spending. A friend skilled on Phonegap shared with me the challenges (we researched together) and even some diff sub versions meant problems, don't like that.

Xcode? I know I could go on that way, the thing is I'm a one band man so, using diff/multiple frameworks for specific targeting it's a hell of a lot of work (actually it means two applications instead of one, add a third platform then you have 3 applications).

[not2easy]

Without provisioning via a developer account your app could only run on a "jailbroken" device. There used to be fees for the developer tools, but anyone can download them free now.

My understanding is that the Developer Account is free and uses your AppleID. I haven't signed up there, but the form to join shows no payment, just name and AppleID. There may well be charges, I don't know, but if you have not looked in a while, all the current information is here; [developer.apple.com...]

[lucy24]

You can get a free developer account using your Apple ID, download XCode, get emulators and so on. But I've yet to find any way to upload even a free utility without coughing up the $99/year. (If you don't continue paying, do they remove your material from the App Store, or iTunes, or whatever the ### it is?)

[explorador]

Thanks not2easy. I checked the documentation and while I already have an Apple ID, continued to registration and finished with an Apple Developer Account (still FREE), but just that. Can't get sign in on any program for free, everything takes me to the US$99. Managed to add the account to my XCode but asks me for a "TEAM", when I try to add one it takes me again to the same US$99.

Found documentation on getting a free developer account to create apps and install them on devices (Iphone), even quotes from the webpage (Apple) but those quotes are gone from the website, the documentation found is from 2012, so it's outdated.

Lucy: you can't upload apps to the AppStore unless you have an active developer account, part of the program, that means US$99.


I have everything set: MacOS, Xcode, emulator working fine and Iphone but can't get the App there. Found documentation on how to modify Xcode to bypass the signing, it's tricking the system to get apps built and then install them on the Iphone but that's hacking the system, not the way I would like to go. Sure, I just want to get the app on the Iphone for testing but I'm concerned on such procedures causing problems in the future when I want to upload the APP to the Appstore.

[explorador]

To make things clearer (some texts on documentation are confusing, really) there is a free account type-program but it's only for Safari, the other two: Mac and iOS involve paying the US$99. Yes I will pay the US$99, no problem with that, it's just that for now I'm just testing ground, it's too soon to pay as the cross platform code-app is still in diapers (my app) and you know coding takes a few months.

[physics]

There should be a way to do it for free but afaik there's not. Why? Well, because the Apple folk can really be jerks sometimes that's why. If you have any close buddies who have an account maybe they can "loan" it to you though.

Might I ask what framework you ended up using?

[explorador]

Yes physics, Apple can be... jerks pretty often.

Tried Android Studio, Titanium Appcelerator, SmartFace AppStudio, MS Windows Phone SDK and PhoneGap, nope didn't dive into Xcode, I hae it but it will only be used for final steps. I must say my favorite still is Mosync. It allows me to use the same code for iOS, Android and Windows Phone, I have some tests done with each platform (iOS working on Xcode emulator but still can't put it on the Iphone due to the above reasons explained). Too bad Mosync died (bankrupcy).

There is a project involving audio recording and some manipulation but can't take it :( I Can't do it with Mosync or SmartFace (I have confirmation it can't record audio). Titanium can but didn't like it, and the other options are platform specific, meaning one app for each platform. Don't know how long Mosync binaries will work, I mean there is only so much backwards compatibility, so far the apps work on Android 4+, Windows Phone 8 and IOS 7+,8. Most of what regular clients ask can be done there, one code base: multiple platforms. I read Mosync went to the Apache License but after long research I don't see a lot of people using it, pretty sad, the project looked promising.

[Igor_fr]

Xamarin seems to be a decent multi-platform solution (they use C#).
Here's one of their recipes:
[developer.xamarin.com...]

[explorador]

Thanks Igor, among the options I previously decided to stay away from Xamarin, Mono Touch and Project Lazarus for a variety of reasons. Your post comes as a refreshing suggestion thank you.

Just downloaded and installed, it's 1.3 Gigabytes. Checked the recipe (it's for iOS), can't load the project, I'm finding forum messages saying the errors messages are not helpful and I need Visual Studio 2012 at least. Checked the recipe for Android (it's another code, that's not fully cross platform, I'm ok with it) and downloaded it. Brings me a lot of warnings about deprecated stuff, changed the target etc, and finally built the app, checked it on the emulator, didn't work. Checked it on my Android device, didn't work. Right after all that downloading the app told me I needed to update GTK.

The following is not a rant, just sharing why I liked the other tools:
Most of the options are half a gig of download or more, after install I need to download some more stuff, then update, then check code examples. I've found several in diff options but they are just bits of code, no project so then I need hours to put together the stuff only to find out it doesn't run, then check forums with people having the same problems, then finding answers saying "this worked for me" and also "that didn't work for me", so that way I ended up leaving some options behind.

I'm not good on C, I know samples need work, it's just taking so much time that I decided to drop that project of sound recording. I also found projects alike on public sites that were left behind (people didn't finish it).

So far my options, while lacking that low level functions... do provide me one blank space for same code and multiple outputs, Xcode is the only thing I'm dealing with so far pending to by a license. Thank you, this was helpful.

[Igor_fr]

Sorry it wasn't more helpful; in the end it is always better to go native but it requires significant investments in time and resources :\

[explorador]

Thanks Igor, it was helpful, tried new things and actually expanded research in other directions. Still researching.

[explorador]

Thanks Igor, it was helpful, tried new things and actually expanded research in other directions. Still researching.

Found eqela.com, cross platform development, didn't tried it. Also Intel tools targeting iOS and Android, etc but didn't tried it (actually from now I'm... done on downloading gigs of packages). Found NSB appstudio, nice easy IDE, normal stuff, it builds using phonegap (didn't found any low level functions).

Just gave Telerik a try. It costs a monthly fee, the trial allows 30 days free, it's online based and has a nice set of sample apps available to clone via Git or to download, and also to clone and use on their appbuilder (online). Several things are doable on the platforms I'm currently using but just out of curiosity tried the sound samples, they work out of the box, it's nice, sounds very nice.

[physics]

Explorador - have a look at Corona SDK.

[explorador]

Thanks physics, just downloaded it, gave it a quick look (it uses "Lua" language), the emulator works good, it's not a so heavy download. Will try some more, it's not something I can work on right now (have to learn the language and modus operandi).

[explorador]

Ha! should have tried Corona a while ago, the download says "is now free" so I guess that's the why... kinda remember sawing a price when I checked the website one year ago or more. Just tried it on Windows8, the samples loaded fine, tried it on Macintosh and the examples run as expected, the build does what I wanted on the device without all the errors found on Xamarin or the confusion with other stuff. Haven't tried an actual iPhone build so far because of the signing but I'm liking what I see, thanks Physics.