Developers use IPA files to distribute their apps to beta testers or to install on their own devices for testing.

In the winter of 2023, a server admin named Mira found an old hard drive at a flea market in Kraków. Labeled in faded marker: “RF2012 - don’t delete.”

IPA files are used to distribute iOS apps. They can be downloaded from the App Store or, for enterprise or developer purposes, directly from a website or through other means.