Create a Certificate for Distribution

Create a Certificate for Distribution

To publish an app in the App Store or to distribute it to a limited number of devices, you need to code sign it with a distribution provisioning profile. To create a distribution provisioning profile, you need a distribution certificate signed by Apple.

You can create a distribution certificate in the iOS Dev Center.

Prerequisites

• Verify that you have created a certificate signing request and stored the corresponding CSR file on your machine. For more information, see Create a Certificate Signing Request.

Procedure

1. Open iOS Dev Center in your favorite browser and log in.
2. Click Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles.
3. In the drop-down menu in the top left corner, verify that iOS, tvOS, watchOS is selected.
4. In the left-hand sidebar, select Certificates → Production.
5. Click +.
6. Select the type of distribution certificate that you want to create and click Continue.
   • If you are enrolled in the iOS Developer Program, select App Store and Ad Hoc and click Continue.
   • If you are enrolled in the iOS Developer Enterprise Program, select In-House and Ad Hoc and click Continue.
7. On the About Creating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) page, click Continue.
8. On the Generate your certificate page, click Choose File.
9. Browse to the location where the CSR file for your certificate signing request is stored, select it, and confirm the upload.
10. Click Continue.
11. (Optional) Click Download to download your certificate.

Next Steps

Create a distribution provisioning profile in the iOS Dev Center.