iOS Enterprise Deployment / Expiration

Question

We recently signed up for an iOS Enterprise account for internal app distribution.

Searching the forums reveal two things which I would like to get a confirmation for:

1- The enterprise distribution certificate lasts 3 years. Does this mean we will need to re-build the app at that point with a new certificate or it won't run?

2- The provision profile expires in 1 year. Does this mean we will need to create a new provision profile and attach it to the existing certificate? And then (without MDM), send an email out with the provision profile attached so the user can just install it directly to their devices?

Thanks and will greatly appreciate any responses.

Synoptic

Answer 1

You need to deploy the app once a year with an updated provisioning profile. The app will cease to work on the day the provisioning profile expires otherwise. Apple allows you to have two active distribution mobile provisioning profiles active at the same time so you can renew the certificate months in advanced if necessary. You do not have to update the app when the distribution certificate expires, it will just need to be renewed before you generate a new Mobile Provisioning Profile.

Brit

Can you clarify what you mean by you do not have to update the app on certificate expiry? Are you specifically saying that you need to use the 2nd allowed certificate and a profile generated from it? And does that lead to the conclusion that if attaching to the 2nd certificate isn't an option, then breaking production apps and having to ship updates with new cert/profile is basically expected? Thanks for any help! – Michealmicheil

@Michealmicheil that's correct. At least one deployment a year is required to update the embedded provisioning profile. You do not have to update the app when renewing the distribution certificate which is separate. – Brit