Converting iOS app build to .ipa file (latest iTunes update stops you doing this)

[Terry Judd]

I’ve always just created a .ipa file from my LC iOS app builds by dragging them into iTunes and then back out again. Now Apple has gone and removed apps from the latest version of iTunes (which appears to have automatically updated on my Mac) and I’m left without a way to do this. Are there any easy alternatives?

For example will putting the app in a folder called ‘Payload’, zipping it and renaming it as a .ipa file work or is there some extra stuff than happens as part of the .app to .ipa conversion?

And on a related note. Now that iTunes is out of the picture, are there any other simple tools that I can use to move apps onto an off a number of devices? I have a set of about 50 iPads that I build apps for but I’ve always just managed these using iTunes as most of the dedicated apps like Configurator are overkill for what I need to do.

Terry...