Build and upload a Flutter iOS app using GitHub Actions

What You'll Need

Apple ID

• The ID you use to log into apple developer.
• You should already have this if you've registered an developer account.

App-specific password

• A password for app use.
• Can be created here (under the App-Specific Passwords section):
  • https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage
• Reference:
  • https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397

Bundle ID

• Create a new Identifier here:
  • https://developer.apple.com/account/resources/identifiers/list
• Reference:
  • https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appstoreconnectapi/registering_apps_in_app_store_connect

Certificate

• Create a new Certificate here:
  • https://developer.apple.com/account/resources/certificates/list
• Export a .p12 file from the Keychain.

Certificate password

• You'll be asked for this when exporting the .p12 file.
• Specify any password you prefer.

Profile

• Create a new Profile here:
  • https://developer.apple.com/account/resources/profiles/list

App

• Create a new app here:
  • https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/apps

Also, I've set environment variables in the GitHub repository's Secrets.

• ENVIRON_JSON
  • Set in JSON format:

{
  "API_URL":"https://xxxx.com",
}

Steps:

Set up Profile, Identifier, etc., in Xcode.

• Reference:
  • https://docs.flutter.dev/deployment/ios

Create an ExportOptions.plist

• You can find this by archiving once in Xcode and downloading it to your local machine.
• Necessary for creating the ipa file.

Create base64 strings for the Certificate and Profile.

• You can do this by running the following command in the terminal:

base64 -i <file_path>

Set up the GitHub Actions workflow.

• Create a new file in the .github/workflows directory.
• Set Secrets in the repository settings.

Source

Based on the following:

https://docs.github.com/en/actions/deployment/deploying-xcode-applications/installing-an-apple-certificate-on-macos-runners-for-xcode-development

name: CD_iOS

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      build_number:
        description: 'Build Number'
        required: true
        type: number

jobs:
  build_iOS:
    name: Build for iOS
    runs-on: macos-13
    timeout-minutes: 20

    steps:
      - name: Check out
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Install the Apple certificate and provisioning profile
        env:
          BUILD_CERTIFICATE_BASE64: ${{ secrets.CERTIFICATES_P12 }}
          P12_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD }}
          BUILD_PROVISION_PROFILE_BASE64: ${{ secrets.PROVISIONING_PROFILE }}
          KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_APP_PASS }}
        run: |
          # create variables
          CERTIFICATE_PATH=$RUNNER_TEMP/build_certificate.p12
          PP_PATH=$RUNNER_TEMP/build_pp.mobileprovision
          KEYCHAIN_PATH=$RUNNER_TEMP/app-signing.keychain-db

          # import certificate and provisioning profile from secrets
          echo -n "$BUILD_CERTIFICATE_BASE64" | base64 --decode -o $CERTIFICATE_PATH
          echo -n "$BUILD_PROVISION_PROFILE_BASE64" | base64 --decode -o $PP_PATH

          # create temporary keychain
          security create-keychain -p "$KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD" $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          security set-keychain-settings -lut 21600 $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          security unlock-keychain -p "$KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD" $KEYCHAIN_PATH

          # import certificate to keychain
          security import $CERTIFICATE_PATH -P "$P12_PASSWORD" -A -t cert -f pkcs12 -k $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          security set-key-partition-list -S apple-tool:,apple: -k "$KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD" $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          security list-keychain -d user -s $KEYCHAIN_PATH

          # apply provisioning profile
          mkdir -p ~/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning\ Profiles
          cp $PP_PATH ~/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning\ Profiles

      - name: Install Flutter
        uses: subosito/flutter-action@v2
        with:
          flutter-version: '3.19.3'
          channel: 'stable'
          cache: true

      - name: Install Flutter dependencies
        run: flutter pub get

      - name: Run build_runner build
        run: dart run build_runner build --delete-conflicting-outputs

      - name: Create environ.json
        env:
          ENVIRON_JSON: ${{ secrets.ENVIRON_JSON }}
        run: echo "$ENVIRON_JSON" > ./environ.json

      - name: Building IPA
        run: |
          flutter build ipa --release \
          --dart-define-from-file=environ.json \
          --export-options-plist=ios/Runner/ExportOptions.plist \
          --build-number ${{ github.event.inputs.build_number }}

      - name: Upload to AppStoreConnect
        env:
          APPLE_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_ID }}
          APPLE_APP_PASS: ${{ secrets.APPLE_APP_PASS }}
        run: xcrun altool --upload-app -f "./build/ios/ipa/noah_mobile_frontend.ipa" -t ios -u "$APPLE_ID" -p "$APPLE_APP_PASS"

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