iOS Do I need to be a paying dev to put my app only on my phone?

[drewyboy]

Hey everyone,
I'm just making a personal app and I was wondering if I have to pay the $99 dev fee to get it on my phone. I have absolutely no interest in distributing it on the iTunes store. If this is the case, I'll end up just making it a web app I suppose.

 

[dejo]

Without jailbreaking, yes, you need to be a member of the iOS Developer Program (and pay the $99) in order to deploy an app to your device.

 

[drewyboy]

Hmm, I was afraid of that. One last question, since being new to iOS realm, is it possible for web apps to access things from the phone like my contacts? I'm just trying to make a simple voip using twilio for personal use. All the voips i've tried, I"m not terribly please with. Plus twilio lets me use my phone number for outgoing. Any materials that you know of for web apps?? I'm having a hard time finding some on google. Feels like apple erased all the info.

 

[robbieduncan]

Hmm, I was afraid of that. One last question, since being new to iOS realm, is it possible for web apps to access things from the phone like my contacts? I'm just trying to make a simple voip using twilio for personal use. All the voips i've tried, I"m not terribly please with. Plus twilio lets me use my phone number for outgoing. Any materials that you know of for web apps?? I'm having a hard time finding some on google. Feels like apple erased all the info.

http://developer.apple.com/library/...pp/_index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40008134

Google search terms I used to find that were "Apple Developer iOS web app"

 

[xArtx]

There is no conspiracy, they do want the $99 though.
You might change your mind about the personal app thing.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

If you perceive a need for an app, then it's likely others do as well. Make the app and make your money back on it.

 

[moonman239]

Sadly, dejo's answer is correct. It's unfair, to say the least. I can see why they would want $99 a year for permission to distribute the app via the App Store, but I can't see why someone who writes apps to be used only by him or her and/or the employees of the company he or she works for should pony up any amount of cash to distribute or use such an app.

 

[dejo]

...but I can't see why someone who writes apps to be used only by him or her and/or the employees of the company he or she works for should pony up any amount of cash to distribute or use such an app.

Because doing so would allow developers to distribute their apps outside of the App Store and Apple would lose their cut. Make pretty good sense to me.

 

[xArtx]

The freely distributable torrent client / media player App would go down well!