Custom Apps (Apple Business Manager)

Custom Apps let you distribute your iOS app privately to specific businesses and schools instead of listing it on the public App Store. Your customers get the app through Apple Business Manager (or Apple School Manager) and roll it out to their devices, typically using their MDM solution.

This is Apple's recommended route for client apps, B2B products, and any app that should only be available to the organizations you choose.

From Bifrost's point of view, a Custom App build is identical to an App Store build: it's signed with the same credentials and uploaded to App Store Connect in exactly the same way. What makes it "custom" is a one-time distribution setting in App Store Connect, which this guide walks you through.

Decide before your first release

Create your credentials

In your app's Credentials screen, click + Add Bundle Identifier under the iOS section and choose Custom Apps as the distribution type.

Everything else is the same as a regular App Store setup — the same distribution certificate, an App Store Connect provisioning profile, and an App Store Connect API key. Follow the iOS Credentials guide for the step-by-step process.

Upload your first build

Create your app in App Store Connect with your bundle ID as you would for any app, then create a build in Bifrost with the Deploy to TestFlight toggle enabled and Ship It!

Your build is uploaded to App Store Connect and appears in TestFlight — Custom Apps can be tested through TestFlight just like public apps.

Turn on Custom App Distribution

Once your app record exists in App Store Connect, tell Apple it should be distributed privately:

1. Go to your app in App Store Connect and open Pricing and Availability.
2. Under the distribution method, choose Custom App Distribution (private — available to specific organizations) instead of public App Store availability.
3. Add the Organization ID and organization name of each business or school you're distributing to. You can add more organizations at any time.
4. Set your price — Custom Apps can be free or paid; organizations buy licenses at this price.
5. Submit your app version for review as normal. Custom Apps go through standard App Review.

Where your customer finds their Organization ID

Each organization enrolled in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager has a unique Organization ID. Their administrator can find it by signing in to business.apple.com (or school.apple.com) and viewing the organization's settings — the Organization ID is shown in the enrollment information. Ask your customer to send it to you along with their exact organization name.

How your customers get the app

After Apple approves your app:

1. It appears in your customer's Apple Business Manager under Apps — it never shows up on the public App Store.
2. Their administrator acquires licenses (paying your price, or free if you set none).
3. They distribute it to their users and devices through their MDM solution (Jamf, Intune, Kandji, etc.) or with redemption codes.

Updates work the same way: ship a new build from Bifrost, submit the new version for review, and managed devices receive the update through the organization's MDM.