如何在Visual Studio 2017（Xamarin）中生成.ipa文件并上传至App Store

Hey there! Let's walk through both of your Xamarin.iOS tasks step by step—they're totally manageable once you follow the right flow.

First, let's cover generating a standalone .ipa file for testing or distribution:

• Validate your project configuration:

  • Open your Xamarin.iOS project in Visual Studio 2017.
  • Right-click the iOS project in the Solution Explorer and select Properties.
  • Navigate to the iOS Bundle Signing tab. Set the Configuration to Release and Platform to iPhone.
  • Ensure you’ve selected a valid Apple Distribution Certificate and Provisioning Profile (these must be pre-configured in your Apple Developer Account—no way around this step!).

• Build the project for Release:

  • Go to Build > Configuration Manager from the top menu.
  • Set the iOS project’s Active Solution Configuration to Release and Active Solution Platform to iPhone.
  • Hit Build > Build Solution (or use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+B) to compile the project. Wait for it to finish without errors—fix any build issues before moving on.

• Generate the .ipa file:

  • Once the build succeeds, right-click the iOS project again and choose Archive for Publishing.
  • Visual Studio will process the archive (this might take a minute or two). When done, the Archives window will open automatically.
  • Select your new archive, click Export, then choose either Ad Hoc (for internal testing) or App Store (if prepping for submission). Follow the prompts to confirm your provisioning profile, then pick a save location for the .ipa file. You’re done!

This builds on the first process, but adds the steps to get your app into App Store Connect:

• Complete the archive process (same as above):

  • Follow all steps from Section 1 to configure your release build, compile, and create an archive. When exporting, make sure to select App Store as the distribution method—this ensures the .ipa is formatted correctly for Apple’s servers.

• Prep your App Store Connect listing:

  • Make sure you’ve already created an app listing in your App Store Connect account, including all required details: app name, description, screenshots, category, pricing, etc. Apple won’t accept your build if these are missing.

• Upload the .ipa to App Store Connect:

  • Option 1: Use Visual Studio’s built-in uploader
    • From the Archives window, select your App Store-ready archive and click Upload. Log in with your Apple Developer credentials when prompted. Visual Studio will handle the upload—just wait for it to finish (speed depends on your internet connection).
  • Option 2: Use Apple’s Transporter app
    • For more reliability, use the Transporter app (available for Mac, which you’ll already have paired with your Windows Visual Studio 2017 as a build host). Open Transporter, drag-and-drop your .ipa file into it, log in with your developer Apple ID, then click Deliver to send the build to App Store Connect.

• Verify the build in App Store Connect:

  • After upload, head to your app’s TestFlight tab in App Store Connect. Your build should appear within 10-15 minutes (sometimes longer during peak processing times).
  • From here, you can submit the build for App Store review, or first test it with internal/external testers via TestFlight.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Developer