A distribution profile is required if want to release your iOS application through the online Apple store.

The information discussed here is reduced and is also covered on the apple iOS Provisioning Portal website. You can access that additional information by logging into the iOS provisioning portal that is accessible from: https://developer.apple.com/. Select the Member Center and use your login credentials to log into your account. Depending if you are a developer for Mac apps and/or iOS apps your login screen may differ. You may have to follow a link to the iOS Dev Center. Then follow the link to the iOS Provisioning Portal. The iOS Provisioning Portal provides you with a link to Distribution. Select the Prepare App tab and select the highlighted headings in order to expand the steps provided by Apple.

The first step in setting up a distribution profile is to create a certificate signing request. You can do this on your Mac. Launch the Keychain Access.app that is stored in Applications/Utilities. Then execute the following steps in your Keychain Access application:
1. Select Preferences > Certificates and ensure that Online Certificates Status
    Protocol (OSCP) and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) are set to Off.
2. Select Keychain Access > Certificate Assistant > Request a Certificate From a
    Certificate Authority... and ensure that you do not have any of your certificates
    highlighted, otherwise the Provisioning Portal will not accept your certificate request.
3. Enter your valid e-mail address in the User Email Address field. Ensure that the e-mail
     address is the same as the one you used when you registered as an iOS Developer.
4. Enter your name in the Common Name field. Ensure that the name you enter is the
     same as the one you used when you registered as an iOS Developer.
5. A CA Email Address is not required.
6. Select the Save to disk radio button and tick Let me specify key pair information,
    if it is present.
7. Press Continue.
8. A dialog appears that allows you to specify where you would like the certificate signing
     request to be stored. Specify a location and select Save.
9. The window content changes, providing you with information on the encryption type and
     size. Select a size of 2048 bits and the RSA encryption algorithm.
10. Press Continue.
11. The certificate is then generated and written to the file you specified under step 8.

After you have generated a certificate signing request, you need to submit your certificate for approval. Log into the iOS Provisioning Portal that is accessible from: https://developer.apple.com/. Select the Member Center and use your login credentials to log into your account. Depending if you are a developer for Mac apps and/or iOS apps your login screen may differ. You may have to follow a link to the iOS Dev Center. Then follow the link to the iOS Provisioning Portal. The iOS Provisioning Portal provides you with a link to Certificates. Select the Distribution tab and follow these steps:
1. Select the Add Certificate button.
2. Select the Upload File button and specify the certificate you generated.
3. Approve your certificate.

Remain on the same page as the one you were on when you submitted the certificate signing request, then follow these steps to download and install the certificate:
1. Download the Apple Worldwide Developer Relations Certifications Authority
    Certificate    by selecting the Download button next to the certificate you created.
2. Download the distribution identity certificate by selecting the click here to download
    now link.
3. Navigate to the Downloads directory into which the certificates were downloaded
    and execute them, one at a time. This raises the Keychain Access assistant and
    installs the certificates for you.

It is important that you backup the keys you created. This allows you to develop on multiple Macs or reinstall the keys after unexpected data loss. You can export your private keys and certificates through the Keychain Access application:
1. Open the application Keychain Access.app that is stored in Applications/Utilities.
2. Select Keys.
3. Highlight the private key associated with the distribution certificate.
4. Select File > Export Items.
5. A window opens that allows you to specify where you would like to save your certificate.
6. Select Personal Information Exchange (.p12) as file format.
7. Select the file name.
8. Select Save.
9. You are prompted for passwords that allow you to access the key in the future.

Log into the iOS Provisioning Portal that is accessible from: https://developer.apple.com/. Select the Member Center and use your login credentials to log into your account. Depending if you are a developer for Mac apps and/or iOS apps your login screen may differ. You may have to follow a link to the iOS Dev Center. Then follow the link to the iOS Provisioning Portal. The iOS Provisioning Portal provides you with a link to Provisioning. Select the Distribution tab and follow these steps:
1. Select New Profile, if you are adding a profile to a list of existing ones. Otherwise you are
    taken directly to the next step.
2. Select App Store as the Distribution Method.
3. Enter the Profile name.
4. Ensure that your Distribution Certificate has been created and is displayed correctly.
5. Select the appropriate App ID that allows you to build all of your applications with the single
    Distribution Provisioning Profile.
6. Select Submit.
7. Select the Download button from next to the Distribution Provisioning Profile you created.
    This allows you to download the .mobileprovision file.
8. Drag the .mobileprovision onto the Xcode icon in the dock to install the Distribution
    Provisioning Profile on your computer.

You are now ready to move on to lesson: How do I set up an App for Submission to iTunes Connect?