If you are new to mobile development, you'll see these two acronyms everywhere. An IPA is the packaged app you install on an iPhone or iPad; an APK is the packaged app you install on an Android device. Same idea, two ecosystems, and the files are not interchangeable. Here is exactly what each one is, what is inside it, and how you actually get it onto a phone.
IPA (iOS App Store Package)
Platform: iOS, iPadOS.
Structure: It is a zipped folder. Rename it to .zip, unpack it, and you'll find a Payload/ directory containing a single YourApp.app bundle — the compiled Mach-O binary, an Info.plist, app icons, asset catalogs, and the signing data (embedded.mobileprovision plus a _CodeSignature/ folder).
Signing: Every IPA is signed with a certificate and a provisioning profile that decides which devices may run it. The main types are App Store, Ad Hoc (limited to device UDIDs registered in the profile), Enterprise, and Development.
Encryption: IPAs downloaded from the App Store are encrypted with Apple's FairPlay DRM, so you cannot just copy them to another computer and run them. IPAs signed for Development or Ad Hoc are not encrypted the same way, which is what makes them shareable for beta testing.
Want to see what a specific build is signed for? You can decode the provisioning profile, entitlements, and bundle ID of any IPA with the IPA inspector without opening Xcode.
How you install an IPA
You cannot double-tap an IPA on the home screen the way you tap an APK. On iOS the supported paths are: the App Store, TestFlight, or an over-the-air (OTA) install link that uses Apple's itms-services protocol. With an Ad Hoc build the device's UDID has to be in the provisioning profile first. After the first launch of an Enterprise or manually-signed build, you also trust the certificate under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. See the full walkthrough in how to install IPA files over the air.
APK (Android Package Kit)
Platform: Android.
Structure: Also a zipped folder. Inside you'll find AndroidManifest.xml (the binary manifest), resources (res/ and resources.arsc), the compiled code (classes.dex, sometimes several .dex files), native libraries under lib/, and a META-INF/ folder holding the APK signature.
Signing: Android verifies the package with the APK Signature Scheme (v2/v3). An unsigned APK will not install.
You can read an APK's declared permissions, package name, min/target SDK, and version code straight from the manifest using the APK inspector.
How you install an APK
Because Android allows sideloading, installing an APK is more direct than iOS. Download the file in your phone's browser and tap it. The first time, Android blocks the install and asks you to allow it from that source — enable the browser or file manager under Settings > Apps > Special app access > Install unknown apps, then tap the file again. (On older Android versions this was a single global toggle at Settings > Security > Unknown sources.)
The Evolution: AAB
Modern Android development uses AAB (Android App Bundle) for uploading to Google Play. However, the AAB is not installable directly. Google Play takes the AAB and splits it into smaller, optimized APKs for the user's specific device (its screen density, CPU architecture, and language). For testing off-store you still hand testers a real APK, not an AAB.
Can you convert one to the other?
No.
While frameworks like React Native or Flutter let you write ONE codebase that exports to both, the final files are compiled for completely different runtimes.
- Android uses Java/Kotlin, compiled to DEX bytecode that runs on the ART runtime.
- iOS uses Objective-C/Swift, compiled to native ARM machine code.
You cannot run an APK on an iPhone any more than you can put a PlayStation disc into an Xbox. To ship the same app to both platforms you build and distribute two separate files.
Distributing IPA and APK builds to testers
Once you have a signed build, the hard part is getting it onto other people's phones without the App Store or Play Store. BetaDrop handles both file types the same way: upload an IPA or an APK (up to 512 MB) and you get an instant OTA install link plus a QR code. Testers open it in their phone browser and install directly — no TestFlight, no store review wait, no tester accounts, no cables. Start with upload your IPA file for iOS or upload your Android app for the APK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install an IPA on Android?
No. IPA files are built specifically for iOS architecture and operating system. Android cannot read or run them.
Can I install an APK on iPhone?
No. APK files are for Android. iOS devices cannot install Android apps, and there is no setting anywhere in iOS that changes that.
How do I open an IPA or APK file on a computer?
Both IPA and APK files are ZIP archives. Rename the file extension to .zip and open it with any unarchiver to see the compiled code and assets inside. Nothing runs on the desktop — the binaries only execute on their target phone.
How do I install an APK on an Android phone?
Download the APK in your phone browser and tap it. The first time, Android asks you to allow installs from that source: go to Settings > Apps > Special app access > Install unknown apps, enable the browser or file manager you used, then tap the file again to install.
How do I install an IPA on an iPhone?
You cannot double-tap an IPA the way you tap an APK. An iPhone installs an IPA over the air from an itms-services link, and for an Ad Hoc build the device UDID must be listed in the build provisioning profile. After it installs, trust the certificate under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.
What is the difference between an APK and an AAB?
An APK is a single, directly installable package. An AAB (Android App Bundle) is an upload-only format: you send it to Google Play, and Play generates optimized, device-specific APKs from it. You cannot install an AAB on a phone directly.
