Publishing iOS Apps

This guide covers publishing Miko apps for iOS using the Miko.iOS host. The output is an IPA archive that can be distributed via TestFlight or the App Store.

Requirements

• macOS with Xcode installed
• .NET 10 SDK with the ios workload (dotnet workload install ios)
• An Apple Developer account (required for signing and App Store distribution)
• A signing identity (certificate) and provisioning profile

Configure signing

iOS apps must be signed with a certificate and provisioning profile. Add the following properties to MyApp.iOS.csproj:

<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">
  <CodesignKey>iPhone Distribution: Your Name (XXXXXXXXXX)</CodesignKey>
  <CodesignProvision>Your Provisioning Profile Name</CodesignProvision>
</PropertyGroup>

• CodesignKey — the name of the signing identity (certificate) in your macOS Keychain. Use security find-identity -v -p codesigning to list available identities.
• CodesignProvision — the name of the provisioning profile installed on your Mac. Profiles are in ~/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning Profiles/.

Build and archive

dotnet publish MyApp.iOS/MyApp.iOS.csproj \
  -c Release \
  -f net10.0-ios \
  -r ios-arm64 \
  -p:ArchiveOnBuild=true

The output is an .xcarchive in bin/Release/net10.0-ios/ios-arm64/publish/. You can also export an IPA from the archive:

xcodebuild -exportArchive \
  -archivePath bin/Release/net10.0-ios/ios-arm64/publish/MyApp.xcarchive \
  -exportPath bin/Release/net10.0-ios/ios-arm64/publish/ \
  -exportOptionsPlist ExportOptions.plist

See Apple's documentation for creating an ExportOptions.plist file.

App metadata

The following properties control the app's identity and versioning:

In MyApp.iOS.csproj

<PropertyGroup>
  <ApplicationId>com.example.myapp</ApplicationId>
  <ApplicationVersion>1</ApplicationVersion>
  <ApplicationDisplayVersion>1.0</ApplicationDisplayVersion>
</PropertyGroup>

• ApplicationId — the bundle identifier; it must match your provisioning profile and CFBundleIdentifier below. dotnet new miko-multiplatform --appId com.mycompany.myapp sets it together with the Android ApplicationId.
• ApplicationVersion — the build number (CFBundleVersion), incremented for every upload
• ApplicationDisplayVersion — the public version (CFBundleShortVersionString)

In Info.plist

The template's Info.plist includes:

<key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>
<string>com.example.myapp</string>
<key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key>
<string>1.0</string>
<key>CFBundleVersion</key>
<string>1</string>

• CFBundleIdentifier must match ApplicationId in the csproj; --appId writes both
• Keep CFBundleShortVersionString / CFBundleVersion in step with ApplicationDisplayVersion / ApplicationVersion when you bump the version

App icon

The template includes a placeholder icon (the .NET bot from the .NET MAUI template) in Assets.xcassets/AppIcon.appiconset/, referenced from Info.plist by XSAppIconAssets. The set contains one PNG per size listed in its Contents.json; replace every file with your artwork at the same pixel size. Icon1024.png is the App Store icon.

Launch screen

iOS requires a launch screen. The template includes Resources/LaunchScreen.storyboard, a plain white view, referenced by UILaunchStoryboardName in Info.plist. Without a launch screen, iOS runs the app in a letterboxed compatibility mode, and App Store Connect will reject the upload.

Customize the storyboard in Xcode if you want a branded splash screen.

Privacy manifest

App Store Connect requires apps to declare the "required reason" APIs they use. The template includes Resources/PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy (from the .NET MAUI template) with the categories the .NET runtime itself uses: file timestamps, system boot time and disk space. A user-defaults entry is present but commented out; enable it if your app uses NSUserDefaults (directly or through a library).

If your app uses additional privacy-sensitive APIs (camera, location, photo library, etc.), you must add entries to this file. See Apple's Privacy manifest guide for the full list.

Scene lifecycle

The template uses the modern UISceneSession lifecycle:

• Info.plist declares UIApplicationSceneManifest
• AppDelegate.GetConfiguration() returns a configuration whose delegate is SceneDelegate
• SceneDelegate.WillConnect creates the window for its UIWindowScene and sets MikoViewController as the root

Background and foreground transitions need no code: MikoViewController stops rendering and pauses video when the app enters the background, resumes when it returns, and releases GPU caches on a memory warning.

Minimum iOS version

The template sets a minimum of iOS 15.0 in the iOS csproj (the build writes MinimumOSVersion into the app's Info.plist from it):

<SupportedOSPlatformVersion>15.0</SupportedOSPlatformVersion>

This is Miko's minimum supported iOS version. You can raise it if your app targets newer iOS features.

Upload to App Store Connect

Once you have a signed IPA (either from dotnet publish + manual export, or from Xcode's archive organizer):

Option 1: Xcode Transporter

1. Open Transporter (separate app, installed with Xcode)
2. Sign in with your Apple ID
3. Drag the IPA file into the window
4. Click Deliver

Option 2: Command line

xcrun altool --upload-app \
  --type ios \
  --file MyApp.ipa \
  --username "your-apple-id@example.com" \
  --password "@keychain:Application Loader: your-apple-id@example.com"

Use an app-specific password (generated in your Apple ID account settings), not your main Apple ID password.

TestFlight

After uploading to App Store Connect, the build appears in the TestFlight section within a few minutes (after automated processing completes). You can then:

• Add internal testers (up to 100, no review required)
• Add external testers (up to 10,000, requires a brief App Store review)

TestFlight builds expire after 90 days.

App Store submission

Once testing is complete:

1. Go to App Store Connect > My Apps > [Your App]
2. Create a new version under App Store (if this is the first release)
3. Select the build from TestFlight
4. Fill in the release notes, screenshots, description, and app category
5. Submit for review

Apple's review typically takes 1–3 days.

What to check before submitting

• [ ] App icon is replaced (not the default placeholder)
• [ ] Launch screen is present (LaunchScreen.storyboard)
• [ ] Bundle identifier matches the provisioning profile
• [ ] Privacy manifest lists all required-reason APIs your app uses
• [ ] CFBundleVersion is incremented from the previous build
• [ ] The app runs correctly on a real device (not just the simulator)
• [ ] Screenshots and metadata are ready in App Store Connect

If the app uses Miko.Native capabilities (camera, location, etc.), ensure the corresponding Info.plist usage description strings are present (e.g. NSCameraUsageDescription, NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription).