---
title: "What is IPA?"  
description: "What is IPA?"  
author: "Sunil Singh"  
published: 2015-04-21  
updated: 2020-09-19  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/interview/2418/what-is-ipa  
category: "iphone"  
tags: ["iphone", "ios", "ipad"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# What is IPA?

IPA stands for "iOS App Store Package"\
An .ipa file is an [iOS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS) application archive file which stores an iOS [app](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_application_software). It is usually encrypted with [Apple](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.)'s [FairPlay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FairPlay) [DRM](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management) technology. Each .ipa file is compressed with a binary for the [ARM architecture](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture) and can only be installed on an [iOS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS)-device such as iPhone,iPad and iPod Touch. \

## Answers

### Answer by Sunil Singh

IPA stands for "iOS App Store Package"\
An .ipa file is an [iOS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS) application archive file which stores an iOS [app](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_application_software). It is usually encrypted with [Apple](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.)'s [FairPlay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FairPlay) [DRM](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management) technology. Each .ipa file is compressed with a binary for the [ARM architecture](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture) and can only be installed on an [iOS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS)-device such as iPhone,iPad and iPod Touch. \


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/interview/2418/what-is-ipa

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