How do I find out if an IOS app uses frameworks/framework libraries

Question

How can I figure out if an app in the IOS appstore uses frameworks? I would like to be able to know if it uses frameworks and possible what frameworks are used, without actually downloading the app.

Secondly, how do i figure out the frameworks used if provided the app's ipa file?

Answer 1

Finding out what frameworks an app in the Appstore uses may be a futile process, but it is possible to find them if one has an ipa file. Here is the process:

1. Convert the ipa file to a zip file by renaming it to ".zip" instead of ".ipa". For example, "test.ipa" should be renamed to "test.zip"
2. Unzip test.zip using whatever tool you chose.
3. Navigate to the test/Payload. You should see a ".app" file in that location.
4. Right-click on the file and select "Show Package Content" in the popup menu.
5. Expand the frameworks folder to view the frameworks. Files within this folder have the ".dylib" extension.

Answer 2

You need an iOS device like iPhone / iPad / iPod with an AppStore account set up, a macOS device like iMac, Apple Configurator 2 app (AC2).

First of all you have to download / buy the app which you want to analyze on your iOS device then connect this device to the macOS device and launch the AC2 app. Once the app was launched go to account settings and connect to your AppleId account. Next, right click on the device icon and select "Add->Apps..." action. A modal window will present. Select an applications which you would like to analyze and then download those apps.

Once the applications will be downloaded the AC2 app will ask you to select an action. At this moment don't select any action, instead go to location " Open Finder and go to a folder "~/Library/Group Containers/K36BKF7T3D.group.com.apple.configurator/Caches/Assets/TemporaryItems/MobileApps" where are stored downloaded apps.

Last thing is to change the extension of the iPad file to zip, do it with Finder app in menu under right click select option "open archive". Once there, go to payload and frameworks folder which contains all frameworks used by the app.