provisioningprofiilit

Provisioning profiles, known in Finnish discussions as provisioningprofiilit, are digital files used in Apple’s development ecosystem to authorize an app to run on specific devices and to enable distribution. Each profile links a signing certificate, an App ID, an optional list of registered devices, and an entitlement set to a designated app or suite of apps. Profiles have an expiration date and must be renewed before they lapse; revoked certificates or profiles will prevent apps from launching.

Provisioning profiles come in several types. Development profiles enable testing on registered devices during app development and require a development certificate and device IDs. Distribution profiles allow app deployment beyond the developer machine and include App Store, Ad Hoc, and Enterprise (in-house) distributions. App Store profiles do not specify devices, while Ad Hoc and Enterprise profiles bind to a limited or internal device pool, respectively.

Creation and management occur in the Apple Developer account and in Xcode. A profile is created by selecting an App ID, an appropriate certificate, and, if needed, a list of devices. The profile is downloaded and installed on development machines and devices, and Xcode can manage signing automatically or use manual signing with a selected profile. For distribution, the profile is used to sign the archived app before submission or distribution.

Best practices include renewing profiles ahead of expiry, limiting device lists, using explicit App IDs when possible, and monitoring certificate health to avoid signing failures. Provisioning profiles are platform-specific and central to the app signing and deployment workflow on Apple platforms.