I had this same problem, I quickly exceed the 30 monthly free builds. What I do is running the build locally on my mac exactly as you mentioned:
eas build -p ios --profile development --local
That will generate a .ipa file.
Then it's all about getting it running on your phone. There are two quick techniques I will highlight:
Via Xcode:
- Open Xcode -> Window -> Devices and Simulators
- It will open the Devices and Simulators window. Select the Devices section and select the device from the left pane.
- Drag and drop the app/IPA on to the 'INSTALLED APPS' section.
- Wait for Xcode to finish the installation.
Upload IPA to some server and download it on your iphone:
Pick one of the app installation services:
- InstallOnAir
- Diawi
- Appetize
Upload the IPA, it will generate an url or QR code. Access it from the iphone and install it.
Answer from Marcel Cohen on Stack OverflowVideos
-
Before submitting an ios build to the app store using
eas submit, do I have to create the app first? What other stuff needs to be done? -
Can I submit a development build to the app store using
eas submit --profile development? I would like to be able to use testflight to invite testers instead of having to know the uuid of the ios devices.