What is an IPA file?
An IPA file, short for iOS App Store Package, is the packaged archive used to distribute and install an iOS app. It bundles the compiled app together with its signature and provisioning profile into a single file you can upload to Apple or, for some distribution methods, install on a device. The file extension is .ipa, and underneath it is simply a zip archive.
What is inside an IPA
If you rename an IPA to .zip and unzip it, you find a folder named Payload that contains the app bundle, the directory ending in .app. That bundle holds the compiled executable, image and resource files, the Info.plist, the embedded.mobileprovision provisioning profile, and a _CodeSignature folder with the code signature. The signature and profile are what let Apple and iOS confirm the build came from your account and is authorized for the intended devices or distribution method.
How IPAs are created and used
An IPA is produced when you archive a build and export it for a distribution method, such as uploading to the App Store, TestFlight, ad hoc testing, or enterprise distribution. Each method signs the IPA differently: an App Store build is signed for upload to App Store Connect, while an ad hoc build is signed for a fixed list of registered devices. After you upload an App Store IPA, Apple processes it and generates device specific variants, so users download a slice rather than the whole archive.
IPAs and how AppFlight fits
Because an IPA must be signed correctly to be accepted, producing one usually involves certificates, a provisioning profile, and the right export settings. AppFlight builds native Swift and SwiftUI projects and handles signing and packaging as part of its path to TestFlight and the App Store, so the signed build is uploaded for you rather than exported and managed by hand. Uploading a build still leads to Apple's review, so a submitted app is not the same as an approved one.
FAQ
What is inside an IPA file?
An IPA is a zip archive with a Payload folder that contains the compiled .app bundle. The bundle includes the executable, resources, Info.plist, the code signature, and an embedded provisioning profile. You can rename an IPA to .zip and unzip it to see the contents.
How do I install an IPA on a device?
An IPA installs through approved channels such as the App Store, TestFlight, or, for ad hoc and enterprise builds, tools that respect the provisioning profile. A device only installs an IPA whose signature and profile authorize that device or distribution method.
Is an IPA the same as the App Store version?
An IPA is the package you upload, but the App Store re-processes uploaded builds and delivers app slices tailored to each device. The IPA you upload and the exact bytes a user downloads are not identical, though they come from the same build.