Hello,
A question for Apple experts please.
I have finally finished my first game and published it on Android. Now I am moving to iOS.
I don't have a Mac so I hired one in the cloud ($20 for a month). It is very slow but for uploading the app it was OK.
I followed the tutorials and generated a certificate and P12 file. I generated a public key and a private key. I generated the provisioning profile. I used Cocoon to build and sign my app and I used the App loader to load it to iTunes and currently awaiting approval.
The process wasn't easy mainly because I don't understand what the certificate files, P12 and provisioning profiles are, but I followed the instructions and it seems to have finally allowed me to upload the app.
My questions are
1- In 15 days my access to the virtual Mac will expire. What do I need to store from the Mac before I lose access to it? Do I need the file (CertificateSigningRequest)? Do I need to keep the keys? If so, how do I get them from the keychain? Do I need the P12 file? Do I need the provisioning profile?
2- The certificate I got is valid for one year. What happens when it expires? Do I need to upload the app again with a new certificate?
3- If I don't renew my developer subscription next year, will my app disappear from the store?
Thanking you in advance for your help.
Since, I'm new to IOS like you, but I new some stuff.
For, Number One just be sure to save P12 some where in your system because you may need it when you renew your Certificate.
For 2 and 3. According to Andy Obusek form stackoverflow.com, " Your live apps will not be taken down. Nothing will happen to anything that is live in the app store. Once they formally expire, the only thing that will be impacted is your ability to sign code (and thus make new builds and provide updates). Regarding your distribution certificate, once it expires, it simply disappears from the ‘Certificates, Identifier & Profiles’ section of Member Center. If you want to renew it before it expires, revoke the current certificate and you will get a button to request a new one.
Regarding the provisioning profile, don't worry about it before expiration, just keep using it. It's easy enough to just renew it once it expires. The peace of mind is that nothing will happen to your live app in the store." To see the full post, check out this out: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10759973/proper-way-to-renew-distribution-certificate-for-ios
I hope this helped..........
Good Luck