Testing iOS Devices

Signing and setup requirements for testing iOS devices iOS Gateway are described below. You can also use iOS Gateway to run an iOS simulator that mimics a physical iOS device. To learn more about using the simulator, see Testing with iOS Gateway Simulators.

Install Your Own Apps

To install your own apps for testing:

1. If you don't already have one, create and install a developer certificate on the machine where you will run iOS Gateway.
2. Create an App ID, which can be either an explicit App ID or a wildcard App ID. We recommend using a wildcard App ID with your company's bundle prefix (e.g., com.mycompany.*).
3. Create and download a provisioning profile based on that App ID.
4. Use that provisioning profile and the installed developer certificate to re-sign the .ipa file by using the Sign App button in iOS Gateway, then install the app on the device by using the Install App button.

note

Code signing apps to install on iOS devices is an Apple requirement. As much as possible, we will help you navigate the process in order to use iOS Gateway. However, many steps require Apple accounts and access to the Apple Developer website. For anything that we don't address, be sure to check the official Apple documentation.

Connecting to Devices

First, load a provisioning profile and developer certificate into Xcode, then use iOS Gateway to connect to the device:

1. Create and install a developer certificate on the machine where you will run iOS Gateway.

2. Create wildcard App ID with bundle ID com.testplant.*.

3. Create and download a provisioning profile based on that App ID.

4. Double-click the downloaded provisioning profile to import it into Xcode.

   note

   No dialog box opens or other indication that this import was successful. If you want to verify the process, open Xcode and check your account profile.

What iOS Gateway Can Control

You can fully automate both native iOS apps as well as apps you install on the device. You also can automate system pop-ups. Recent versions of iOS allow full automation of any app, so there's no need to launch apps directly.

Although you might choose to start within an app, you can switch back to the home screen or to another app without losing any functionality in the automation.