Saturday, February 4, 2012

How to install beta Mac App Store apps and provisioning profiles


Get in on a Mac App Store beta but not sure how to install the beta app? There are several apps that have iPhone and/or iPad versions as well as Mac versions these days, and if you’re beta testing the iOS version, you might need to set up the Mac App Store version as well. No worries, as long as you gave them the proper hardware UUID for your Mac, getting the app set up easy to do. In fact, it’s just as easy, and very similar to, the process for installing iOS beta software on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.

Install the provisioning profile

  1. Download the file to your Mac.
  2. If the file came zipped, unzip it. (Yeah, obvious, but we try to be complete.)
  3. Double click the .provisionprofile file
  4. System Preferences will launch; click on InstallHow to install beta Mac App Store apps and provisioning profiles
  5. When prompted, enter your admin password
  6. The provisioning file should then show up in your profiles

Install the binary

  1. If you have an older version of the app already on your Mac, play it safe and trash it
  2. Drag the beta app to your Application folder
That’s it. If you have any trouble — it’s a beta app, after all — check with the developer. You made need to trash some other, previously installed files, or do some other configuration first. When you do have it working, enjoy.
The Mac App Store isn’t the only way to distribute software on OS X, so many developers may never need to send UUID-locked beta builds. But if the Mac App Store is the only way the developer intends to distribute their software, this may well be the beta road they take.

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