App Wireless Distribution not working in iOS7. Internet Connection needed?

Question

In iOS6 I used to install some of my apps over an adhoc network without internet sharing. So the iPad had no internet connection. Therefore I use a typical html and plist file. Everything was alright.

Now, in iOS7 the installation is not working anymore. It is just stuck in "Waiting" and nothing more happens. (Note: It is still working on my iOS6 iPad)

First I thought something might be wrong with my plist, but then I copied the files to my IIS Server and installed it from there. Here I had a internet connection on my iPad and everything worked out.

Is it possible that the wireless distribution now needs an internet connection in iOS7 e.g. to check the ipa in the app store or something like that? Because this is the only difference I can see.

The app is signed with a valid distribution profile.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

It turned out the installation of apps over the air in iOS 7 really needs an internet connection now. The iPad tries to contact at least the following URLs before installing the app.

ax.init.itunes.apple.com: The device obtains the current file-size limit for downloading apps over the cellular network.

ocsp.apple.com: The device contacts this site to check the status of the distribution certificate used to sign the provisioning profile.

It seems in iOS6 it was ok if those URLs were not reachable and now in iOS 7 they have to be reachable.

Answer 2

Well i just had the same problem and I figured it out. At least on my xcode this is what happened. Turns out the application target release code siging identities auto set to developer and not their current state, from xcode 4.x, which is distribution. So when I went to distribute my application I kept getting the same error you had. So Click on your project name in your project explorer then click on the application target, not the project, and make sure the code signing identity is not set to developer for your releases. I have no idea why the code signing identities were automatically set to the developer profile, maybe there was some sort of bug when updating from xcdoe 4.x to xcode 5 that caused this. But now other devices are able to install the program. Hope this helps.