How to automatically update an iPhone app from within the app itself?

Question

This link shows a video where an app upgrade is "forced" from within the app itself:

http://buzzworks.de/blog/update-ios-beta-apps-from-within-the-app

The App Store is not called in and it's said to work only for AdHoc apps.

Anyone knows how is this possible?

edit: please give a look to the video before answering. AdHoc apps are signed by the developer and they do not come from the App Store. This sort of forced update is useful when doing beta testing and in enterprise applications.

Answer 1

I didn't it's really possible because the app has to somehow sign itself. The best I can think of right now is that the app is not signed?

Answer 2

You can always force people to go to the app store when a new version is out. Simply make the app connect to a webservice first. Other solutions are not accepted by Apple, or will quite simply not work because of other issues (signing is one of many).

You could also design your app in such a way that forced updates are never a requirement. You can load your user interfaces from the web (Apple has presented some valuable information about that during the previous WWDC), your data can come from the web, and if there is any other correction to do just ensure your app is backwards compatible.

That's how the app store works. And it never requires a 'forced update' ... Well, almost never ;-)

Answer 3

I've found that it's all explained here:

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/featuredarticles/FA_Wireless_Enterprise_App_Distribution/Introduction/Introduction.html

The developer should create an .ipa with the app and a manifest in plist format with the URL to the .ipa and a few other things.

The app can optionally implement its own way to find if an update is available and open the URL to the manifest.