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New Capabilities Request Tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles
You can now easily request access to managed capabilities for your App IDs directly from the new Capability Requests tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles > Identifiers. With this update, view available capabilities in one convenient location, check the status of your requested capabilities, and see any notes from Apple related to your requests. Learn more about capability requests.
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Jun ’25
Code Signing Resources
General: Forums topic: Code Signing Forums subtopics: Code Signing > General, Code Signing > Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, Code Signing > Notarization, Code Signing > Entitlements Forums tags: Code Signing, Signing Certificates, Provisioning Profiles, Entitlements Developer Account Help — This document is good in general but, in particular, the Reference section is chock-full of useful information, including the names and purposes of all certificate types issued by Apple Developer web site, tables of which capabilities are supported by which distribution models on iOS and macOS, and information on how to use managed capabilities. Developer > Support > Certificates covers some important policy issues Bundle Resources > Entitlements documentation TN3125 Inside Code Signing: Provisioning Profiles — This includes links to the other technotes in the Inside Code Signing series. WWDC 2021 Session 10204 Distribute apps in Xcode with cloud signing Certificate Signing Requests Explained forums post --deep Considered Harmful forums post Don’t Run App Store Distribution-Signed Code forums post Resolving errSecInternalComponent errors during code signing forums post Finding a Capability’s Distribution Restrictions forums post Signing code with a hardware-based code-signing identity forums post New Capabilities Request Tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles forums post Isolating Code Signing Problems from Build Problems forums post Investigating Third-Party IDE Code-Signing Problems forums post Determining if an entitlement is real forums post Code Signing Identifiers Explained forums post Mac code signing: Forums tag: Developer ID Creating distribution-signed code for macOS documentation Packaging Mac software for distribution documentation Placing Content in a Bundle documentation Embedding nonstandard code structures in a bundle documentation Embedding a command-line tool in a sandboxed app documentation Signing a daemon with a restricted entitlement documentation Defining launch environment and library constraints documentation WWDC 2023 Session 10266 Protect your Mac app with environment constraints TN2206 macOS Code Signing In Depth archived technote — This doc has mostly been replaced by the other resources linked to here but it still contains a few unique tidbits and it’s a great historical reference. Manual Code Signing Example forums post The Care and Feeding of Developer ID forums post TestFlight, Provisioning Profiles, and the Mac App Store forums post For problems with notarisation, see Notarisation Resources. For problems with the trusted execution system, including Gatekeeper, see Trusted Execution Resources. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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Jan ’26
Finding a Capability’s Distribution Restrictions
Some capabilities include distribution restriction. For example, you might be able to use the capability for day-to-day development but have to get additional approval to publish an app using that capability to the App Store. To tell if a capability has such a restriction: Go to Developer > Account. At the top right, make sure you’re logged in as the right team. Under Certificates, IDs & Profiles, click Identifiers. Find the App ID you’re working with and click it. IMPORTANT Some managed capabilities are granted on a per-App ID basis, so make sure you choose the right App ID here. This brings up the App ID editor. In the Capabilities tab, locate the capability you’re working with. Click the little info (i) button next to the capability. The resulting popover lists the supported platforms and distribution channels for that capability. For example, the following shows that the standard Family Controls (Development) capability, which authorises use of the com.apple.developer.family-controls entitlement, is only enabled for development on iOS and visionOS. In contrast, if you’ve been granted distribution access to this capability, you’ll see a different Family Controls (Distribution) capability. Its popover shows that you can use the capability for App Store Connect and Ad Hoc distribution, as well as day-to-day development, on both iOS and visionOS. In the Family Controls example the development-only capability is available to all developers. However, restrictions like this can apply to initially managed capabilities, that is, managed capabilities where you have to apply to use the capability just to get started with your development. For example, when you apply for the Endpoint Security capability, which authorises use of the com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client entitlement, it’s typically granted for development only. If you want to distribute a product using that capability, you must re-apply for another capability that authorises Developer ID distribution [1]. Some folks encounter problems like this because their managed capability was incorrectly granted. For example, you might have applied for a managed capability from an Organization team but it was granted as if you were an Enterprise team. In this case the popover will show In House where you’d expect it to show App Store Connect. If you’ve believe that you were granted a managed capability for the wrong distribution channel, contact the folks who granted you that capability. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" [1] Endpoint Security clients must use independent distribution; they are not accepted in the Mac App Store. Revision History 2026-03-10 Updated to account for changes on the Apple Developer website. 2022-12-09 First posted.
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Cant add family controls
The capability associated with "FAMILY_CONTROLS" could not be determined. Please file a bug report at https://feedbackassistant.apple.com and include the Update Signing report from the Report navigator.
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Aug ’25
How do I resolve the "Automatic signing cannot update bundle identifier..." error?
When I create an archive file and attempt to upload the app using the "Distribute App" button, the upload fails with the error "Automatic signing cannot update bundle identifier...". (The detailed message is below.) When creating an archive file in Xcode, I unchecked "Automatically Manage Signing" and proceeded with the archive. The message says "Font Enumeration," but other apps with the same option enabled upload successfully. Therefore, I believe the "Font Enumeration" option is not the issue. I tried creating a new provisioning file, but it still doesn't work. I deleted all DerivedData files from my Mac storage, restarted Xcode, and tried again, but it still doesn't work. This keeps happening only for certain targets (specific apps) in Xcode. Does anyone know how to fix this? Xcode is the latest version. Message: Automatic signing cannot update bundle identifier "com.xxxxxx.xxxxxx". Automatic signing cannot update your registered bundle identifier to enable Font Enumeration. Update your bundle identifier on https://developer.apple.com/account and then try again.
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Missing code-signing certificate
*** Error: ERROR: [ContentDelivery.Uploader] Validation failed (409) Invalid Provisioning Profile. The provisioning profile included in the com.baiyun-shuniu.scss bundle [Payload/HBuilder.app] is invalid. [Missing code-signing certificate]. A distribution provisioning profile should be used when uploading apps to App Store Connect. (ID: e21c7a63-520f-49c5-8298-9afa3aa14dd5) 2025-05-13 09:23:20.382 INFO: [ContentDelivery.Uploader]
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May ’25
Mac App Packaging
Can someone please explain why Mac app packaging is so farcically convoluted? Windows app packaging can be picked up in an hour or so. But I've spent longer trying to fathom how to package the Mac version than I did building the app. And it's not done with me yet. Every single line of code requires a deep dive into a new, unrelated skillset. So, it’s sidebar after sidebar. Kafka’s ‘The Trial’ comes to mind. Why does it have to be like this?
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Nov ’25
"Notarization stuck in 'In Progress' for 15+ hours - submission e3dff14c-16ab-41a7-a81c-0d1774c66588"
Notarization submission has been stuck in "In Progress" status for over 15 hours with no resolution. Hi there, I am trying to roll out distribution to paid users who are unable to receive anything from me for quite some time now, and I've read that notarization is quick. But I've found myself to be under quite a delay. Wondering if I could please get some help. Submission Details: ID: e3dff14c-16ab-41a7-a81c-0d1774c66588 Submitted: 2026-02-08T16:42:07.377Z File: Resonant-0.1.0-arm64.dmg (~200MB) Status: In Progress (stuck) Evidence: Upload completed successfully within minutes Delay is entirely server-side processing Same app structure notarized successfully on Feb 5 (submission f5f4c241) Multiple other submissions stuck since Feb 5 (see history below) Stuck Submissions (all "In Progress" for days): e3dff14c (Feb 8, 16:42 UTC) - 15+ hours 3e6bdcb5 (Feb 8, 16:11 UTC) - 16+ hours 37fd1b9f (Feb 8, 12:53 UTC) - 20+ hours f21a1d9b (Feb 8, 12:31 UTC) - 20+ hours (different app, Clippa.zip) 417244e8 (Feb 8, 06:18 UTC) - 26+ hours 891f370f (Feb 7, 11:44 UTC) - 2+ days 1debba51 (Feb 7, 05:44 UTC) - 2+ days 6a06b87f (Feb 6, 14:16 UTC) - 3+ days 9867261c (Feb 6, 13:44 UTC) - 3+ days 1a7c3967 (Feb 6, 12:58 UTC) - 3+ days Last Successful Notarization: f5f4c241 (Feb 5, 18:24 UTC) - Accepted in normal timeframe Impact: Unable to distribute production release. This is blocking critical bug fixes from reaching users. Expected Behavior: Notarization should complete within 2-10 minutes as documented and as experienced prior to Feb 5. Request: Please investigate why submissions are not being processed and either: Clear the backlog and process pending submissions Provide guidance on how to proceed with distribution
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Feb ’26
Code Signing Identifiers Explained
Code signing uses various different identifier types, and I’ve seen a lot of folks confused as to which is which. This post is my attempt to clear up that confusion. If you have questions or comments, put them in a new thread, using the same topic area and tags as this post. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Code Signing Identifiers Explained An identifier is a short string that uniquely identifies a resource. Apple’s code-signing infrastructure uses identifiers for various different resource types. These identifiers typically use one of a small selection of formats, so it’s not always clear what type of identifier you’re looking at. This post lists the common identifiers used by code signing, shows the expected format, and gives references to further reading. Unless otherwise noted, any information about iOS applies to iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Formats The code-signing identifiers discussed here a number of different formats: 10-character This is composed of 10 ASCII characters. For example, Team IDs use this format, as illustrated by the Team ID of one of Apple’s test teams: Z7P62XVNWC. Reverse-DNS This is composed of labels separated by a dot. For example, bundle IDs use this format, as illustrated by the bundle ID of the test app associated with this post: com.example.tn3NNNapp. UUID This is a standard universally unique identifier. For example, the App Store Connect API key associated with this post has a issuer UUID of c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4. Email or phone See the Apple Account section below for more on this. Decimal number This is a simple decimal number. For example, the Apple ID for Apple Configurator is 1037126344. The Domain Name System has strict rules about domain names, in terms of overall length, label length, text encoding, and case sensitivity. The reverse-DNS identifiers used by code signing may or may not have similar limits. When in doubt, consult the documentation for the specific identifier type. Reverse-DNS names are just a convenient way to format a string. You don’t have to control the corresponding DNS name. You can, for example, use com.<SomeCompany>.my-app as your bundle ID regardless of whether you control the <SomeCompany>.com domain name. To securely associate your app with a domain, use associated domains. For more on that, see Supporting associated domains. IMPORTANT Don’t use com.apple. in your reverse-DNS identifiers. That can yield unexpected results. Identifiers The following table summarises the identifiers covered below: Name | Format | Example | Notes ---- | ------ | ------- | ----- Team ID | 10-character | `Z7P62XVNWC` | Identifies a developer team User ID | 10-character | `UT376R4K29` | Identifies a developer Team Member ID | 10-character | `EW7W773AA7` | Identifies a developer in a team Bundle ID | reverse-DNS | `com.example.tn3NNNapp` | Identifies an app App ID prefix | 10-character | `Z7P62XVNWC` | Part of an App ID | | `VYRRC68ZE6` | App ID | mixed | `Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.tn3NNNNapp` | Connects an app and its provisioning profile | | `VYRRC68ZE6.com.example.tn3NNNNappB` | Code-signing identifier | reverse-DNS | `com.example.tn3NNNapp` | Identifies code to macOS | | `tn3NNNtool` | App group ID | reverse DNS | `group.tn3NNNapp.shared` | Identifies an app group | reverse DNS | `Z7P62XVNWC.tn3NNNapp.shared` | Identifies an macOS-style app group Managed capability request ID | 10-character | `M79GVA97FK` | Identifies a request for a managed capability App Store Connect API key ID | 10-character | `T9GPZ92M7K` | Identifies a key used for App Store Connect API authentication App Store Connect API issuer | UUID | `c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4` | Identifies a key issuer in the App Store Connect API Apple Account | email or phone | `user@example.com` | Identifies a user to the Developer website and App Store Connect Apple ID | decimal number | 1037126344 | Identifies an app in App Store Connect As you can see, there’s no clear way to distinguish a Team ID, User ID, Team Member ID, and an App ID prefix. You have to determine that based on the context. In contrast, you choose your own bundle ID and app group ID values, so choose values that make it easier to keep things straight. Team ID When you set up a team on the Developer website, it generates a unique Team ID for that team. This uses the 10-character format. For example, Z7P62XVNWC is the Team ID for an Apple test team. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a team, or a user within a team, it sets the Subject Name > Organisational Unit field to the Team ID. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a team, as opposed to a user in that team, it embeds the Team ID in the Subject > Common Name field. For example, a Developer ID Application certificate for the Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has the name Developer ID Application: <TeamName> (Z7P62XVNWC). User ID When you first sign in to the Developer website, it generates a unique User ID for your Apple Account. This User ID uses the 10-character format. For example, UT376R4K29 is the User ID for an Apple test user. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a user, it sets the Subject Name > User ID field to that user’s User ID. It uses the same value for that user in all teams. Team Member ID When you join a team on the Developer website, it generates a unique Team Member ID to track your association with that team. This uses the 10-character format. For example, EW7W773AA7 is the Team Member ID for User ID UT376R4K29 in Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a user on a team, it embeds the Team Member ID in the Subject > Common Name field. For example, an Apple Development certificate for User ID UT376R4K29 on Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has the name Apple Development: <UserName> (EW7W773AA7). IMPORTANT This naming system is a common source of confusion. Developers see this ID and wonder why it doesn’t match their Team ID. The advantage of this naming scheme is that each certificate gets a unique name even if the team has multiple members with the same name. The John Smiths of this world appreciate this very much. Bundle ID A bundle ID is a reverse-DNS identifier that identifies a single app throughout Apple’s ecosystem. For example, the test app associated with this post has a bundle ID of com.example.tn3NNNapp. If two apps have the same bundle ID, they are considered to be the same app. Bundle IDs have strict limits on their format. For the details, see CFBundleIdentifier. If your macOS code consumes bundle IDs — for example, you’re creating a security product that checks the identity of code — be warned that not all bundle IDs conform to the documented format. And non-bundled code, like a command-line tool or dynamic library, typically doesn’t have a bundle ID. Moreover, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the bundle ID, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING On macOS, don’t assume that a bundle ID follows the documented format, is UTF-8, or is even text at all. Do not assume that a bundle ID that starts with com.apple. represents Apple code. A better way to identify code on macOS is with its designated requirement, as explained in TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. On iOS this isn’t a problem because the Developer website checks the bundle ID format when you register your App ID. App ID prefix An App ID prefix forms part of an App ID (see below). It’s a 10-character identifier that’s either: The Team ID of the app’s team A unique App ID prefix Note Historically a unique App ID prefix was called a Bundle Seed ID. A unique App ID prefix is a 10-character identifier generated by Apple and allocated to your team, different from your Team ID. For example, Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has been allocated the unique App ID prefix of VYRRC68ZE6. Unique App ID prefixes are effectively deprecated: You can’t create a new App ID prefix. So, unless your team is very old, you don’t have to worry about unique App ID prefixes at all. If a unique App ID prefix is available to your team, it’s possible to create a new App ID with that prefix. But doing so prevents that app from sharing state with other apps from your team. Unique app ID prefixes are not supported on macOS. If your app uses a unique App ID prefix, you can request that it be migrated to use your Team ID by contacting Apple > Developer > Contact Us. If you app has embedded app extensions that also use your unique App ID prefix, include all those App IDs in your migration request. WARNING Before migrating from a unique App ID prefix, read App ID Prefix Change and Keychain Access. App ID An App ID ties your app to its provisioning profile. Specifically: You allocate an App ID on the Developer website. You sign your app with an entitlement that claims your App ID. When you launch the app, the system looks for a profile that authorises that claim. App IDs are critical on iOS. On macOS, App IDs are only necessary when your app claims a restricted entitlement. See TN3125 Inside Code Signing: Provisioning Profiles for more about this. App IDs have the format <Prefix>.<BundleOrWildcard>, where: <Prefix> is the App ID prefix, discussed above. <BundleOrWildcard> is either a bundle ID, for an explicit App ID, or a wildcard, for a wildcard App ID. The wildcard follows bundle ID conventions except that it must end with a star (*). For example: Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.tn3NNNNapp is an explicit App ID for Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.* is a wildcard App ID for Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. VYRRC68ZE6.com.example.tn3NNNNappB is an explicit App ID with the unique App ID prefix of VYRRC68ZE6. Provisioning profiles created for an explicit App ID authorise the claim of just that App ID. Provisioning profiles created for a wildcard App ID authorise the claim of any App IDs whose bundle ID matches the wildcard, where the star (*) matches zero or more arbitrary characters. Wildcard App IDs are helpful for quick tests. Most production apps claim an explicit App ID, because various features rely on that. For example, in-app purchase requires an explicit App ID. Code-signing identifier A code-signing identifier is a string chosen by the code’s signer to uniquely identify their code. IMPORTANT Don’t confuse this with a code-signing identity, which is a digital identity used for code signing. For more about code-signing identities, see TN3161 Inside Code Signing: Certificates. Code-signing identifiers exist on iOS but they don’t do anything useful. On iOS, all third-party code must be bundled, and the system ensures that the code’s code-signing identifier matches its bundle ID. On macOS, code-signing identifiers play an important role in code-signing requirements. For more on that topic, see TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. When signing code, see Creating distribution-signed code for macOS for advice on how to select a code-signing identifier. If your macOS code consumes code-signing identifiers — for example, you’re creating a security product that checks the identity of code — be warned that these identifiers look like bundle IDs but they are not the same as bundle IDs. While bundled code typically uses the bundled ID as the code-signing identifier, macOS doesn’t enforce that convention. And non-bundled code, like a command-line tool or dynamic library, often uses the file name as the code-signing identifier. Moreover, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the code-signing identifier, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING On macOS, don’t assume that a code-signing identifier is a well-formed bundle ID, UTF-8, or even text at all. Don’t assume that a code-signing identifier that starts with com.apple. represents Apple code. A better way to identify code on macOS is with its designated requirement, as explained in TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. App Group ID An app group ID identifies an app group, that is, a mechanism to share state between multiple apps from the same team. For more about app groups, see App Groups Entitlement and App Groups: macOS vs iOS: Working Towards Harmony. App group IDs use two different forms of reverse-DNS identifiers: iOS-style This has the format group.<GroupName>, for example, group.tn3NNNapp.shared. macOS-style This has the format <TeamID>.<GroupName>, for example, Z7P62XVNWC.tn3NNNapp.shared. The first form originated on iOS but is now supported on macOS as well. The second form is only supported on macOS. iOS-style app group IDs must be registered with the Developer website. That ensures that the ID is unique and that the <GroupName> follows bundle ID rules. macOS-style app group IDs are less constrained. When choosing such a macOS-style app group ID, follow bundle ID rules for the group name. If your macOS code consumes app group IDs, be warned that not all macOS-style app group IDs follow bundle ID format. Indeed, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the app group ID, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING Don’t assume that a macOS-style app group ID follows bundle ID rules, is UTF-8, or is even text at all. Don’t assume that a macOS-style app group ID where the group name starts with com.apple. represents Apple in any way. Some developers use app group IDs of the form <TeamID>.group.<GroupName>. There’s nothing special about this format. It’s just a macOS-style app group ID where the first label in the group name just happens to be group Starting in Feb 2025, iOS-style app group IDs are fully supported on macOS. If you’re writing new code that uses app groups, use an iOS-style app group ID. This allows sharing between different product types, for example, between a native macOS app and an iOS app running on the Mac. Managed Capability Request ID Managed capabilities must be assigned to your account by Apple before you can use them. You apply for these using the Capability Requests tab on the Developer website. For more details, see New Capabilities Request Tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles. When you make such a request, the Developer website assigns it a request ID, using the 10-character format. For example, M79GVA97FK is the request ID for an Apple test request. These request IDs are purely administrative; they have no build-time or run-time impact. App Store Connect API Keys The App Store Connect API authenticates requests using API keys. For the details, see Creating API Keys for App Store Connect API. Each API key has an associated issuer and key ID. The issuer is a UUID, for example, c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4. The key ID uses the 10-character format, for example, T9GPZ92M7K. These identifiers have no run-time impact, but they might be relevant when you’re building your app. For example: If your continuous integration (CI) uses the App Store Connect API, it will need an API key and its associated identifiers. If you notarise a Mac product, you might choose to authenticate using an App Store Connect API key and its associated identifiers. For an example of how to do that with notarytool, see TN3147 Migrating to the latest notarization tool. Apple Account An Apple Account is the personal account you use to access Apple services, including the Developer website and App Store Connect. Historically this was an email address, but nowadays you can also use a phone number. For more about Apple Accounts, see the Apple Account website. Your Apple Account was previously know as your Apple ID, which was confusingly similar to the next identifier. Apple ID In App Store Connect, an Apple ID refers to a decimal number that identifies your app. For example, the Apple ID for Apple Configurator is 1037126344. To see this in App Store Connect, navigate to the app record, select App Information on the left, and look for the Apple ID field. It’s a decimal number, usually around 10 digits long. You can also find this embedded in the App Store URL for the app. For example, the Apple Store URL for Apple Configurator is https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-configurator-2/id1037126344, which ends with its Apple ID. Note In some very obscure cases you might see this referred to as an Adam ID. Your app’s Apple ID is not used at runtime, but you may need to know it to accomplish administrative tasks. For example, most managed capability submission forms ask for your app’s Apple ID. Revision History 2026-03-05 Added the Apple Account and Apple ID sections. 2026-02-25 Added the Managed Capability Request ID and App Store Connect API Keys sections. Added UUID to the list of format. 2026-02-17 Corrected a minor formatting problem. 2026-01-06 First posted.
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3w
Side Button Access entitlement not appearing in Xcode capabilities list
Hi everyone, I'm trying to add the Side Button Access entitlement to my voice-based conversational app following the documentation, but I'm unable to find it in Xcode. Steps I followed: Selected my app target in Xcode project navigator Went to the Signing & Capabilities tab Clicked the + Capability button Searched for "Side Button Access" Problem: The "Side Button Access" option does not appear in the capabilities list at all. Environment: I'm developing and testing in Japan (where this feature should be available) Xcode version: Xcode 26.2 beta 3 iOS deployment target: iOS 26.2 Questions: Is there any pre-registration or special approval process required from Apple before this entitlement becomes available? Are there any additional requirements or prerequisites I need to meet? Is this feature already available, or is it still in a limited beta phase? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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766
Dec ’25
Issue with iOS group entitlements being recognized
I am making an iOS step counting app and I have included a widget in the design. I would like to get the widget to pull data from the main app to display step count etc so I created a bundle id for the widget and have been trying to use a group id to link them together. The group capabilities for both seem to be set up/enabled properly with the same App Groups id, but I've been getting an error in xcode which says, " 'Provisioning Profile: "BUNDLE_ID" doesn't include the com.apple.developer.security.application-groups entitlement.' Try Again But the identifiers do have the App Group id enabled. I have tried automatic signing, manual signing with generated profiles, unchecking and rechecking auto-signing, removing and re-adding the group capability. Creating a new bundle id from scratch, creating a new group id from scratch. Always I get the error. I've really pulled my hair out troubleshooting this and would appreciate support. I'm happy to answer and questions or share details. Thank you.
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Dec ’25
Investigating Third-Party IDE Code-Signing Problems
I regularly see questions from folks who’ve run into code-signing problems with their third-party IDE. There’s a limit to how much I can help you with such problems. This post explains a simple test you can run to determine what side of that limit you’re on. If you have any questions or comments, please put them in a new thread here on DevForums. Put it in Code Signing > General topic area and apply whatever tags make sense for your specific situation. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Investigating Third-Party IDE Code-Signing Problems DTS doesn’t support third-party tools. If you’re using third-party tooling and encounter a code-signing problem, run this test to determine whether you should seek help from Apple or from your tool’s vendor. IMPORTANT Some third-party tools create Xcode projects that you then build and run in Xcode. While that approach is understandable, it’s not something that DTS supports. So, the steps below make sense even if you’re already using Xcode. To check that code-signing is working in general: Launch Xcode. In Xcode > Settings > Accounts, make sure you’re signed in with your developer account. Create a new project from the app project template for your target platform. For example, if you’re targeting iOS, use the iOS > App project template. When creating the project: Select the appropriate team in the Team popup. Choose a bundle ID that’s not the same as your main app’s bundle ID. Choose whatever language and interface you want. Your language and interface choices are irrelevant to code signing. Choose None for your testing system and storage model. This simplifies your project setup. In the Signing & Capabilities editor, make sure that: "Automatically manage signing” is checked. The Team popup and Bundle Identifier fields match the value you chose in the previous step. Select a simulator as the run destination. Choose Product > Build. This should always work because the simulator doesn’t use code signing [1]. However, doing this step is important because it confirms that your project is working general. Select your target device as the run destination. Choose Product > Build. Then Product > Run. If you continue to have problems, that’s something that Apple folks can help you with. If this works, there’s a second diagnostic test: Repeat steps 1 through 10 above, except this time, in step 4, choose a bundle ID that is the same as your main app’s bundle ID. If this works then your issue is not on the Apple side of the fence, and you should escalate it via the support channel for the third-party tools you’re using. On the other hand, if this fails, that’s something we can help you with. I recommend that you first try to fix the issue yourself. For links to relevant resources, see Code Signing Resources. You should also search the forums, because we’ve helped a lot of folks with a lot of code-signing issues over the years. If you’re unable to resolve the issue yourself, feel free to start a thread here in the forums. Put it in Code Signing > General topic area and apply whatever tags make sense for your specific situation.
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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439
Aug ’25
Notarize taking 24+ hours to complete
I have been notarizing the same program for 3 years now and it's usually completed in minutes. I have not changed anything on my end, is there a reason it's taking 24+ hours all of a sudden? I have seen the posts regarding this issue for new applications where it has to "learn", but I have been notarizing the same apps for 3 years now.
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Apr ’25
Notarisation Resources
General: Forums topic: Code Signing Forums subtopic: Code Signing > Notarization Forums tag: Notarization WWDC 2018 Session 702 Your Apps and the Future of macOS Security WWDC 2019 Session 703 All About Notarization WWDC 2021 Session 10261 Faster and simpler notarization for Mac apps WWDC 2022 Session 10109 What’s new in notarization for Mac apps — Amongst other things, this introduced the Notary REST API Notarizing macOS Software Before Distribution documentation Customizing the Notarization Workflow documentation Resolving Common Notarization Issues documentation Notary REST API documentation TN3147 Migrating to the latest notarization tool technote Fetching the Notary Log forums post Q&A with the Mac notary service team Developer > News post Apple notary service update Developer > News post Notarisation and the macOS 10.9 SDK forums post Testing a Notarised Product forums post Notarisation Fundamentals forums post The Pros and Cons of Stapling forums post Resolving Error 65 When Stapling forums post Many notarisation issues are actually code signing or trusted execution issue. For more on those topics, see Code Signing Resources and Trusted Execution Resources. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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4.2k
Jul ’25
Does signed macho binary with teamID is signed by Apple root certificate
In my application I validate the authenticity of my own binaries by checking that the Team Identifier in the code signature matches a predefined value. Currently I do not perform a full signature validation that verifies the certificate chain up to Apple’s root CA. When attempting to do this using SecStaticCodeCheckValidityWithErrors (or validateWithRequirement), the operation sometimes takes several minutes. During that time the calling thread appears blocked, and the system logs show: trustd: [com.apple.securityd:SecError] Malformed anchor records, not an array Because of this delay, I decided to rely only on the Team Identifier. My question is: Can it be assumed that if a Mach-O binary contains a Team Identifier in its code signature, then it must have been signed with a valid Apple Developer certificate? Or are there cases where a binary could contain a Team ID but still not be signed by Apple’s trust chain? Thanks for the help !
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Binary Signing Error
I will post my app xyz.app uses XY swift package this swift package is a wrapper for XYSDK.xcframework XYSDK.xcframework written in c++ and app running on arm64 macos and iphones succesfully. I got this error when i want to distribute it. Currently i sign .framework for ios with Apple Distribution Certificate and same certificate for macos framework there is no other signing step for swift package or xcframework other than that when i want to archive it validates succesfully. Exporting step shows that app has signed, has provisining profile. but .framework is only signed has no provisioning profile. Also one point i see: i have one target named xyz and its Frameworks, Lİbraries and Embedded Context has only XY package but Embed part has no option like embed and sign etc. Blank. I need more info about what am i doing wrong in which step ? I am stuck and can not move any further like weeks Error Detail: Invalid Signature. The binary with bundle identifier XYSDK at path “xyz.app/Frameworks/XYSDK.framework” contains an invalid signature. Make sure you have signed your application with a distribution certificate, not an ad hoc certificate or a development certificate. Verify that the code signing settings in Xcode are correct at the target level (which override any values at the project level). Additionally, make sure the bundle you are uploading was built using a Release target in Xcode, not a Simulator target. If you are certain your code signing settings are correct, choose “Clean All” in Xcode, delete the “build” directory in the Finder, and rebuild your release target. For more information, please consult https://developer.apple.com/support/code-signing. (90035)
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May ’25
No certificate for team '' matching 'Developer ID Application' found
When completing signing on Xcode, it shows the following error message "No certificate for team '' matching 'Developer ID Application' found" I have already followed the steps to generate a certificate from keychain and made a new certificate on developer portal, along with its associated provisioning profile. Viewing "Manage Certificate" window shows the newly created certificate, but Xcode seems to not be able to locate it.
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Feb ’26
Enterprise Vendor Id changing when it shouldn't
Hi All, Really weird one here... I have two bundle ids with the same reverse dns name... com.company.app1 com.company.app2 app1 was installed on the device a year ago. app2 was also installed on the device a year ago but I released a new updated version and pushed it to the device via Microsoft InTunes. A year ago the vendor Id's matched as the bundle id's were on the same domain of com.company. Now for some reason the new build of app2 or any new app I build isn't being recognised as on the same domain as app1 even though the bundle id should make it so and so the Vendor Id's do not match and it is causing me major problems as I rely on the Vendor Id to exchange data between the apps on a certain device. In an enterprise environment, does anyone know of any other reason or things that could affect the Vendor Id? According to Apple docs, it seems that only the bundle name affects the vendor id but it isn't following those rules in this instance.
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Jun ’25
Family Controls Request Form
Hello, We recently resubmitted our Family Controls (Distribution) request with a much more detailed explanation after our previous declined. Our entire app (including an extension) depends on this capability, and right now we’re completely blocked from launching. Months of work are stuck at this final step and it’s honestly becoming very stressful with no visibility on the timeline. If anyone has experience with the approval timeline after resubmitting, or if someone from Apple could help look into it, it would truly mean a lot. 4C6XLQWZQY Y5JJ7GT6BP 3ZBSC333WU Thank you
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How to Share Provisioning Profiles with Customers for macOS App Distribution
I am distributing a macOS application outside the App Store using Developer ID and need to provide provisioning profiles to customers for installation during the package installation process. I have two questions: How can I package and provide the provisioning profile(s) so that the customer can install them easily during the application installation process? Are there any best practices or tools that could simplify this step? In my case, there are multiple provisioning profiles. Should I instruct the customer to install each profile individually, or is there a way to combine them and have them installed all at once? Any guidance on the best practices for this process would be greatly appreciated.
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Jun ’25
New Capabilities Request Tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles
You can now easily request access to managed capabilities for your App IDs directly from the new Capability Requests tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles > Identifiers. With this update, view available capabilities in one convenient location, check the status of your requested capabilities, and see any notes from Apple related to your requests. Learn more about capability requests.
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1.5k
Activity
Jun ’25
Code Signing Resources
General: Forums topic: Code Signing Forums subtopics: Code Signing > General, Code Signing > Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, Code Signing > Notarization, Code Signing > Entitlements Forums tags: Code Signing, Signing Certificates, Provisioning Profiles, Entitlements Developer Account Help — This document is good in general but, in particular, the Reference section is chock-full of useful information, including the names and purposes of all certificate types issued by Apple Developer web site, tables of which capabilities are supported by which distribution models on iOS and macOS, and information on how to use managed capabilities. Developer > Support > Certificates covers some important policy issues Bundle Resources > Entitlements documentation TN3125 Inside Code Signing: Provisioning Profiles — This includes links to the other technotes in the Inside Code Signing series. WWDC 2021 Session 10204 Distribute apps in Xcode with cloud signing Certificate Signing Requests Explained forums post --deep Considered Harmful forums post Don’t Run App Store Distribution-Signed Code forums post Resolving errSecInternalComponent errors during code signing forums post Finding a Capability’s Distribution Restrictions forums post Signing code with a hardware-based code-signing identity forums post New Capabilities Request Tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles forums post Isolating Code Signing Problems from Build Problems forums post Investigating Third-Party IDE Code-Signing Problems forums post Determining if an entitlement is real forums post Code Signing Identifiers Explained forums post Mac code signing: Forums tag: Developer ID Creating distribution-signed code for macOS documentation Packaging Mac software for distribution documentation Placing Content in a Bundle documentation Embedding nonstandard code structures in a bundle documentation Embedding a command-line tool in a sandboxed app documentation Signing a daemon with a restricted entitlement documentation Defining launch environment and library constraints documentation WWDC 2023 Session 10266 Protect your Mac app with environment constraints TN2206 macOS Code Signing In Depth archived technote — This doc has mostly been replaced by the other resources linked to here but it still contains a few unique tidbits and it’s a great historical reference. Manual Code Signing Example forums post The Care and Feeding of Developer ID forums post TestFlight, Provisioning Profiles, and the Mac App Store forums post For problems with notarisation, see Notarisation Resources. For problems with the trusted execution system, including Gatekeeper, see Trusted Execution Resources. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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35k
Activity
Jan ’26
Finding a Capability’s Distribution Restrictions
Some capabilities include distribution restriction. For example, you might be able to use the capability for day-to-day development but have to get additional approval to publish an app using that capability to the App Store. To tell if a capability has such a restriction: Go to Developer > Account. At the top right, make sure you’re logged in as the right team. Under Certificates, IDs & Profiles, click Identifiers. Find the App ID you’re working with and click it. IMPORTANT Some managed capabilities are granted on a per-App ID basis, so make sure you choose the right App ID here. This brings up the App ID editor. In the Capabilities tab, locate the capability you’re working with. Click the little info (i) button next to the capability. The resulting popover lists the supported platforms and distribution channels for that capability. For example, the following shows that the standard Family Controls (Development) capability, which authorises use of the com.apple.developer.family-controls entitlement, is only enabled for development on iOS and visionOS. In contrast, if you’ve been granted distribution access to this capability, you’ll see a different Family Controls (Distribution) capability. Its popover shows that you can use the capability for App Store Connect and Ad Hoc distribution, as well as day-to-day development, on both iOS and visionOS. In the Family Controls example the development-only capability is available to all developers. However, restrictions like this can apply to initially managed capabilities, that is, managed capabilities where you have to apply to use the capability just to get started with your development. For example, when you apply for the Endpoint Security capability, which authorises use of the com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client entitlement, it’s typically granted for development only. If you want to distribute a product using that capability, you must re-apply for another capability that authorises Developer ID distribution [1]. Some folks encounter problems like this because their managed capability was incorrectly granted. For example, you might have applied for a managed capability from an Organization team but it was granted as if you were an Enterprise team. In this case the popover will show In House where you’d expect it to show App Store Connect. If you’ve believe that you were granted a managed capability for the wrong distribution channel, contact the folks who granted you that capability. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" [1] Endpoint Security clients must use independent distribution; they are not accepted in the Mac App Store. Revision History 2026-03-10 Updated to account for changes on the Apple Developer website. 2022-12-09 First posted.
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Activity
3w
Cant add family controls
The capability associated with "FAMILY_CONTROLS" could not be determined. Please file a bug report at https://feedbackassistant.apple.com and include the Update Signing report from the Report navigator.
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243
Activity
Aug ’25
How do I resolve the "Automatic signing cannot update bundle identifier..." error?
When I create an archive file and attempt to upload the app using the "Distribute App" button, the upload fails with the error "Automatic signing cannot update bundle identifier...". (The detailed message is below.) When creating an archive file in Xcode, I unchecked "Automatically Manage Signing" and proceeded with the archive. The message says "Font Enumeration," but other apps with the same option enabled upload successfully. Therefore, I believe the "Font Enumeration" option is not the issue. I tried creating a new provisioning file, but it still doesn't work. I deleted all DerivedData files from my Mac storage, restarted Xcode, and tried again, but it still doesn't work. This keeps happening only for certain targets (specific apps) in Xcode. Does anyone know how to fix this? Xcode is the latest version. Message: Automatic signing cannot update bundle identifier "com.xxxxxx.xxxxxx". Automatic signing cannot update your registered bundle identifier to enable Font Enumeration. Update your bundle identifier on https://developer.apple.com/account and then try again.
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124
Activity
4w
Missing code-signing certificate
*** Error: ERROR: [ContentDelivery.Uploader] Validation failed (409) Invalid Provisioning Profile. The provisioning profile included in the com.baiyun-shuniu.scss bundle [Payload/HBuilder.app] is invalid. [Missing code-signing certificate]. A distribution provisioning profile should be used when uploading apps to App Store Connect. (ID: e21c7a63-520f-49c5-8298-9afa3aa14dd5) 2025-05-13 09:23:20.382 INFO: [ContentDelivery.Uploader]
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152
Activity
May ’25
Mac App Packaging
Can someone please explain why Mac app packaging is so farcically convoluted? Windows app packaging can be picked up in an hour or so. But I've spent longer trying to fathom how to package the Mac version than I did building the app. And it's not done with me yet. Every single line of code requires a deep dive into a new, unrelated skillset. So, it’s sidebar after sidebar. Kafka’s ‘The Trial’ comes to mind. Why does it have to be like this?
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494
Activity
Nov ’25
"Notarization stuck in 'In Progress' for 15+ hours - submission e3dff14c-16ab-41a7-a81c-0d1774c66588"
Notarization submission has been stuck in "In Progress" status for over 15 hours with no resolution. Hi there, I am trying to roll out distribution to paid users who are unable to receive anything from me for quite some time now, and I've read that notarization is quick. But I've found myself to be under quite a delay. Wondering if I could please get some help. Submission Details: ID: e3dff14c-16ab-41a7-a81c-0d1774c66588 Submitted: 2026-02-08T16:42:07.377Z File: Resonant-0.1.0-arm64.dmg (~200MB) Status: In Progress (stuck) Evidence: Upload completed successfully within minutes Delay is entirely server-side processing Same app structure notarized successfully on Feb 5 (submission f5f4c241) Multiple other submissions stuck since Feb 5 (see history below) Stuck Submissions (all "In Progress" for days): e3dff14c (Feb 8, 16:42 UTC) - 15+ hours 3e6bdcb5 (Feb 8, 16:11 UTC) - 16+ hours 37fd1b9f (Feb 8, 12:53 UTC) - 20+ hours f21a1d9b (Feb 8, 12:31 UTC) - 20+ hours (different app, Clippa.zip) 417244e8 (Feb 8, 06:18 UTC) - 26+ hours 891f370f (Feb 7, 11:44 UTC) - 2+ days 1debba51 (Feb 7, 05:44 UTC) - 2+ days 6a06b87f (Feb 6, 14:16 UTC) - 3+ days 9867261c (Feb 6, 13:44 UTC) - 3+ days 1a7c3967 (Feb 6, 12:58 UTC) - 3+ days Last Successful Notarization: f5f4c241 (Feb 5, 18:24 UTC) - Accepted in normal timeframe Impact: Unable to distribute production release. This is blocking critical bug fixes from reaching users. Expected Behavior: Notarization should complete within 2-10 minutes as documented and as experienced prior to Feb 5. Request: Please investigate why submissions are not being processed and either: Clear the backlog and process pending submissions Provide guidance on how to proceed with distribution
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341
Activity
Feb ’26
Notarization In Progress
id: a6f37169-19a7-4abc-b086-3f298866f65d id: 596e3ca4-e8a6-4ba9-9ac7-cf07a430eebb In Progress from 2026-01-21T05:56:24.160Z、2026-01-21T05:55:45.032Z for 30 hours
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210
Activity
Jan ’26
Code Signing Identifiers Explained
Code signing uses various different identifier types, and I’ve seen a lot of folks confused as to which is which. This post is my attempt to clear up that confusion. If you have questions or comments, put them in a new thread, using the same topic area and tags as this post. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Code Signing Identifiers Explained An identifier is a short string that uniquely identifies a resource. Apple’s code-signing infrastructure uses identifiers for various different resource types. These identifiers typically use one of a small selection of formats, so it’s not always clear what type of identifier you’re looking at. This post lists the common identifiers used by code signing, shows the expected format, and gives references to further reading. Unless otherwise noted, any information about iOS applies to iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Formats The code-signing identifiers discussed here a number of different formats: 10-character This is composed of 10 ASCII characters. For example, Team IDs use this format, as illustrated by the Team ID of one of Apple’s test teams: Z7P62XVNWC. Reverse-DNS This is composed of labels separated by a dot. For example, bundle IDs use this format, as illustrated by the bundle ID of the test app associated with this post: com.example.tn3NNNapp. UUID This is a standard universally unique identifier. For example, the App Store Connect API key associated with this post has a issuer UUID of c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4. Email or phone See the Apple Account section below for more on this. Decimal number This is a simple decimal number. For example, the Apple ID for Apple Configurator is 1037126344. The Domain Name System has strict rules about domain names, in terms of overall length, label length, text encoding, and case sensitivity. The reverse-DNS identifiers used by code signing may or may not have similar limits. When in doubt, consult the documentation for the specific identifier type. Reverse-DNS names are just a convenient way to format a string. You don’t have to control the corresponding DNS name. You can, for example, use com.<SomeCompany>.my-app as your bundle ID regardless of whether you control the <SomeCompany>.com domain name. To securely associate your app with a domain, use associated domains. For more on that, see Supporting associated domains. IMPORTANT Don’t use com.apple. in your reverse-DNS identifiers. That can yield unexpected results. Identifiers The following table summarises the identifiers covered below: Name | Format | Example | Notes ---- | ------ | ------- | ----- Team ID | 10-character | `Z7P62XVNWC` | Identifies a developer team User ID | 10-character | `UT376R4K29` | Identifies a developer Team Member ID | 10-character | `EW7W773AA7` | Identifies a developer in a team Bundle ID | reverse-DNS | `com.example.tn3NNNapp` | Identifies an app App ID prefix | 10-character | `Z7P62XVNWC` | Part of an App ID | | `VYRRC68ZE6` | App ID | mixed | `Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.tn3NNNNapp` | Connects an app and its provisioning profile | | `VYRRC68ZE6.com.example.tn3NNNNappB` | Code-signing identifier | reverse-DNS | `com.example.tn3NNNapp` | Identifies code to macOS | | `tn3NNNtool` | App group ID | reverse DNS | `group.tn3NNNapp.shared` | Identifies an app group | reverse DNS | `Z7P62XVNWC.tn3NNNapp.shared` | Identifies an macOS-style app group Managed capability request ID | 10-character | `M79GVA97FK` | Identifies a request for a managed capability App Store Connect API key ID | 10-character | `T9GPZ92M7K` | Identifies a key used for App Store Connect API authentication App Store Connect API issuer | UUID | `c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4` | Identifies a key issuer in the App Store Connect API Apple Account | email or phone | `user@example.com` | Identifies a user to the Developer website and App Store Connect Apple ID | decimal number | 1037126344 | Identifies an app in App Store Connect As you can see, there’s no clear way to distinguish a Team ID, User ID, Team Member ID, and an App ID prefix. You have to determine that based on the context. In contrast, you choose your own bundle ID and app group ID values, so choose values that make it easier to keep things straight. Team ID When you set up a team on the Developer website, it generates a unique Team ID for that team. This uses the 10-character format. For example, Z7P62XVNWC is the Team ID for an Apple test team. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a team, or a user within a team, it sets the Subject Name > Organisational Unit field to the Team ID. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a team, as opposed to a user in that team, it embeds the Team ID in the Subject > Common Name field. For example, a Developer ID Application certificate for the Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has the name Developer ID Application: <TeamName> (Z7P62XVNWC). User ID When you first sign in to the Developer website, it generates a unique User ID for your Apple Account. This User ID uses the 10-character format. For example, UT376R4K29 is the User ID for an Apple test user. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a user, it sets the Subject Name > User ID field to that user’s User ID. It uses the same value for that user in all teams. Team Member ID When you join a team on the Developer website, it generates a unique Team Member ID to track your association with that team. This uses the 10-character format. For example, EW7W773AA7 is the Team Member ID for User ID UT376R4K29 in Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a user on a team, it embeds the Team Member ID in the Subject > Common Name field. For example, an Apple Development certificate for User ID UT376R4K29 on Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has the name Apple Development: <UserName> (EW7W773AA7). IMPORTANT This naming system is a common source of confusion. Developers see this ID and wonder why it doesn’t match their Team ID. The advantage of this naming scheme is that each certificate gets a unique name even if the team has multiple members with the same name. The John Smiths of this world appreciate this very much. Bundle ID A bundle ID is a reverse-DNS identifier that identifies a single app throughout Apple’s ecosystem. For example, the test app associated with this post has a bundle ID of com.example.tn3NNNapp. If two apps have the same bundle ID, they are considered to be the same app. Bundle IDs have strict limits on their format. For the details, see CFBundleIdentifier. If your macOS code consumes bundle IDs — for example, you’re creating a security product that checks the identity of code — be warned that not all bundle IDs conform to the documented format. And non-bundled code, like a command-line tool or dynamic library, typically doesn’t have a bundle ID. Moreover, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the bundle ID, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING On macOS, don’t assume that a bundle ID follows the documented format, is UTF-8, or is even text at all. Do not assume that a bundle ID that starts with com.apple. represents Apple code. A better way to identify code on macOS is with its designated requirement, as explained in TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. On iOS this isn’t a problem because the Developer website checks the bundle ID format when you register your App ID. App ID prefix An App ID prefix forms part of an App ID (see below). It’s a 10-character identifier that’s either: The Team ID of the app’s team A unique App ID prefix Note Historically a unique App ID prefix was called a Bundle Seed ID. A unique App ID prefix is a 10-character identifier generated by Apple and allocated to your team, different from your Team ID. For example, Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has been allocated the unique App ID prefix of VYRRC68ZE6. Unique App ID prefixes are effectively deprecated: You can’t create a new App ID prefix. So, unless your team is very old, you don’t have to worry about unique App ID prefixes at all. If a unique App ID prefix is available to your team, it’s possible to create a new App ID with that prefix. But doing so prevents that app from sharing state with other apps from your team. Unique app ID prefixes are not supported on macOS. If your app uses a unique App ID prefix, you can request that it be migrated to use your Team ID by contacting Apple > Developer > Contact Us. If you app has embedded app extensions that also use your unique App ID prefix, include all those App IDs in your migration request. WARNING Before migrating from a unique App ID prefix, read App ID Prefix Change and Keychain Access. App ID An App ID ties your app to its provisioning profile. Specifically: You allocate an App ID on the Developer website. You sign your app with an entitlement that claims your App ID. When you launch the app, the system looks for a profile that authorises that claim. App IDs are critical on iOS. On macOS, App IDs are only necessary when your app claims a restricted entitlement. See TN3125 Inside Code Signing: Provisioning Profiles for more about this. App IDs have the format <Prefix>.<BundleOrWildcard>, where: <Prefix> is the App ID prefix, discussed above. <BundleOrWildcard> is either a bundle ID, for an explicit App ID, or a wildcard, for a wildcard App ID. The wildcard follows bundle ID conventions except that it must end with a star (*). For example: Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.tn3NNNNapp is an explicit App ID for Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.* is a wildcard App ID for Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. VYRRC68ZE6.com.example.tn3NNNNappB is an explicit App ID with the unique App ID prefix of VYRRC68ZE6. Provisioning profiles created for an explicit App ID authorise the claim of just that App ID. Provisioning profiles created for a wildcard App ID authorise the claim of any App IDs whose bundle ID matches the wildcard, where the star (*) matches zero or more arbitrary characters. Wildcard App IDs are helpful for quick tests. Most production apps claim an explicit App ID, because various features rely on that. For example, in-app purchase requires an explicit App ID. Code-signing identifier A code-signing identifier is a string chosen by the code’s signer to uniquely identify their code. IMPORTANT Don’t confuse this with a code-signing identity, which is a digital identity used for code signing. For more about code-signing identities, see TN3161 Inside Code Signing: Certificates. Code-signing identifiers exist on iOS but they don’t do anything useful. On iOS, all third-party code must be bundled, and the system ensures that the code’s code-signing identifier matches its bundle ID. On macOS, code-signing identifiers play an important role in code-signing requirements. For more on that topic, see TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. When signing code, see Creating distribution-signed code for macOS for advice on how to select a code-signing identifier. If your macOS code consumes code-signing identifiers — for example, you’re creating a security product that checks the identity of code — be warned that these identifiers look like bundle IDs but they are not the same as bundle IDs. While bundled code typically uses the bundled ID as the code-signing identifier, macOS doesn’t enforce that convention. And non-bundled code, like a command-line tool or dynamic library, often uses the file name as the code-signing identifier. Moreover, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the code-signing identifier, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING On macOS, don’t assume that a code-signing identifier is a well-formed bundle ID, UTF-8, or even text at all. Don’t assume that a code-signing identifier that starts with com.apple. represents Apple code. A better way to identify code on macOS is with its designated requirement, as explained in TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. App Group ID An app group ID identifies an app group, that is, a mechanism to share state between multiple apps from the same team. For more about app groups, see App Groups Entitlement and App Groups: macOS vs iOS: Working Towards Harmony. App group IDs use two different forms of reverse-DNS identifiers: iOS-style This has the format group.<GroupName>, for example, group.tn3NNNapp.shared. macOS-style This has the format <TeamID>.<GroupName>, for example, Z7P62XVNWC.tn3NNNapp.shared. The first form originated on iOS but is now supported on macOS as well. The second form is only supported on macOS. iOS-style app group IDs must be registered with the Developer website. That ensures that the ID is unique and that the <GroupName> follows bundle ID rules. macOS-style app group IDs are less constrained. When choosing such a macOS-style app group ID, follow bundle ID rules for the group name. If your macOS code consumes app group IDs, be warned that not all macOS-style app group IDs follow bundle ID format. Indeed, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the app group ID, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING Don’t assume that a macOS-style app group ID follows bundle ID rules, is UTF-8, or is even text at all. Don’t assume that a macOS-style app group ID where the group name starts with com.apple. represents Apple in any way. Some developers use app group IDs of the form <TeamID>.group.<GroupName>. There’s nothing special about this format. It’s just a macOS-style app group ID where the first label in the group name just happens to be group Starting in Feb 2025, iOS-style app group IDs are fully supported on macOS. If you’re writing new code that uses app groups, use an iOS-style app group ID. This allows sharing between different product types, for example, between a native macOS app and an iOS app running on the Mac. Managed Capability Request ID Managed capabilities must be assigned to your account by Apple before you can use them. You apply for these using the Capability Requests tab on the Developer website. For more details, see New Capabilities Request Tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles. When you make such a request, the Developer website assigns it a request ID, using the 10-character format. For example, M79GVA97FK is the request ID for an Apple test request. These request IDs are purely administrative; they have no build-time or run-time impact. App Store Connect API Keys The App Store Connect API authenticates requests using API keys. For the details, see Creating API Keys for App Store Connect API. Each API key has an associated issuer and key ID. The issuer is a UUID, for example, c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4. The key ID uses the 10-character format, for example, T9GPZ92M7K. These identifiers have no run-time impact, but they might be relevant when you’re building your app. For example: If your continuous integration (CI) uses the App Store Connect API, it will need an API key and its associated identifiers. If you notarise a Mac product, you might choose to authenticate using an App Store Connect API key and its associated identifiers. For an example of how to do that with notarytool, see TN3147 Migrating to the latest notarization tool. Apple Account An Apple Account is the personal account you use to access Apple services, including the Developer website and App Store Connect. Historically this was an email address, but nowadays you can also use a phone number. For more about Apple Accounts, see the Apple Account website. Your Apple Account was previously know as your Apple ID, which was confusingly similar to the next identifier. Apple ID In App Store Connect, an Apple ID refers to a decimal number that identifies your app. For example, the Apple ID for Apple Configurator is 1037126344. To see this in App Store Connect, navigate to the app record, select App Information on the left, and look for the Apple ID field. It’s a decimal number, usually around 10 digits long. You can also find this embedded in the App Store URL for the app. For example, the Apple Store URL for Apple Configurator is https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-configurator-2/id1037126344, which ends with its Apple ID. Note In some very obscure cases you might see this referred to as an Adam ID. Your app’s Apple ID is not used at runtime, but you may need to know it to accomplish administrative tasks. For example, most managed capability submission forms ask for your app’s Apple ID. Revision History 2026-03-05 Added the Apple Account and Apple ID sections. 2026-02-25 Added the Managed Capability Request ID and App Store Connect API Keys sections. Added UUID to the list of format. 2026-02-17 Corrected a minor formatting problem. 2026-01-06 First posted.
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3w
Side Button Access entitlement not appearing in Xcode capabilities list
Hi everyone, I'm trying to add the Side Button Access entitlement to my voice-based conversational app following the documentation, but I'm unable to find it in Xcode. Steps I followed: Selected my app target in Xcode project navigator Went to the Signing & Capabilities tab Clicked the + Capability button Searched for "Side Button Access" Problem: The "Side Button Access" option does not appear in the capabilities list at all. Environment: I'm developing and testing in Japan (where this feature should be available) Xcode version: Xcode 26.2 beta 3 iOS deployment target: iOS 26.2 Questions: Is there any pre-registration or special approval process required from Apple before this entitlement becomes available? Are there any additional requirements or prerequisites I need to meet? Is this feature already available, or is it still in a limited beta phase? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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766
Activity
Dec ’25
Issue with iOS group entitlements being recognized
I am making an iOS step counting app and I have included a widget in the design. I would like to get the widget to pull data from the main app to display step count etc so I created a bundle id for the widget and have been trying to use a group id to link them together. The group capabilities for both seem to be set up/enabled properly with the same App Groups id, but I've been getting an error in xcode which says, " 'Provisioning Profile: "BUNDLE_ID" doesn't include the com.apple.developer.security.application-groups entitlement.' Try Again But the identifiers do have the App Group id enabled. I have tried automatic signing, manual signing with generated profiles, unchecking and rechecking auto-signing, removing and re-adding the group capability. Creating a new bundle id from scratch, creating a new group id from scratch. Always I get the error. I've really pulled my hair out troubleshooting this and would appreciate support. I'm happy to answer and questions or share details. Thank you.
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262
Activity
Dec ’25
Investigating Third-Party IDE Code-Signing Problems
I regularly see questions from folks who’ve run into code-signing problems with their third-party IDE. There’s a limit to how much I can help you with such problems. This post explains a simple test you can run to determine what side of that limit you’re on. If you have any questions or comments, please put them in a new thread here on DevForums. Put it in Code Signing > General topic area and apply whatever tags make sense for your specific situation. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Investigating Third-Party IDE Code-Signing Problems DTS doesn’t support third-party tools. If you’re using third-party tooling and encounter a code-signing problem, run this test to determine whether you should seek help from Apple or from your tool’s vendor. IMPORTANT Some third-party tools create Xcode projects that you then build and run in Xcode. While that approach is understandable, it’s not something that DTS supports. So, the steps below make sense even if you’re already using Xcode. To check that code-signing is working in general: Launch Xcode. In Xcode > Settings > Accounts, make sure you’re signed in with your developer account. Create a new project from the app project template for your target platform. For example, if you’re targeting iOS, use the iOS > App project template. When creating the project: Select the appropriate team in the Team popup. Choose a bundle ID that’s not the same as your main app’s bundle ID. Choose whatever language and interface you want. Your language and interface choices are irrelevant to code signing. Choose None for your testing system and storage model. This simplifies your project setup. In the Signing & Capabilities editor, make sure that: "Automatically manage signing” is checked. The Team popup and Bundle Identifier fields match the value you chose in the previous step. Select a simulator as the run destination. Choose Product > Build. This should always work because the simulator doesn’t use code signing [1]. However, doing this step is important because it confirms that your project is working general. Select your target device as the run destination. Choose Product > Build. Then Product > Run. If you continue to have problems, that’s something that Apple folks can help you with. If this works, there’s a second diagnostic test: Repeat steps 1 through 10 above, except this time, in step 4, choose a bundle ID that is the same as your main app’s bundle ID. If this works then your issue is not on the Apple side of the fence, and you should escalate it via the support channel for the third-party tools you’re using. On the other hand, if this fails, that’s something we can help you with. I recommend that you first try to fix the issue yourself. For links to relevant resources, see Code Signing Resources. You should also search the forums, because we’ve helped a lot of folks with a lot of code-signing issues over the years. If you’re unable to resolve the issue yourself, feel free to start a thread here in the forums. Put it in Code Signing > General topic area and apply whatever tags make sense for your specific situation.
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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439
Activity
Aug ’25
Notarize taking 24+ hours to complete
I have been notarizing the same program for 3 years now and it's usually completed in minutes. I have not changed anything on my end, is there a reason it's taking 24+ hours all of a sudden? I have seen the posts regarding this issue for new applications where it has to "learn", but I have been notarizing the same apps for 3 years now.
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109
Activity
Apr ’25
Notarization spend too much time
Greetings! I've notarized my app but it spends always over 1 hour. I think it's because the app size is about 30GB, but is there any way to reduce it?
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312
Activity
Jul ’25
Notarisation Resources
General: Forums topic: Code Signing Forums subtopic: Code Signing > Notarization Forums tag: Notarization WWDC 2018 Session 702 Your Apps and the Future of macOS Security WWDC 2019 Session 703 All About Notarization WWDC 2021 Session 10261 Faster and simpler notarization for Mac apps WWDC 2022 Session 10109 What’s new in notarization for Mac apps — Amongst other things, this introduced the Notary REST API Notarizing macOS Software Before Distribution documentation Customizing the Notarization Workflow documentation Resolving Common Notarization Issues documentation Notary REST API documentation TN3147 Migrating to the latest notarization tool technote Fetching the Notary Log forums post Q&A with the Mac notary service team Developer > News post Apple notary service update Developer > News post Notarisation and the macOS 10.9 SDK forums post Testing a Notarised Product forums post Notarisation Fundamentals forums post The Pros and Cons of Stapling forums post Resolving Error 65 When Stapling forums post Many notarisation issues are actually code signing or trusted execution issue. For more on those topics, see Code Signing Resources and Trusted Execution Resources. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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4.2k
Activity
Jul ’25
Does signed macho binary with teamID is signed by Apple root certificate
In my application I validate the authenticity of my own binaries by checking that the Team Identifier in the code signature matches a predefined value. Currently I do not perform a full signature validation that verifies the certificate chain up to Apple’s root CA. When attempting to do this using SecStaticCodeCheckValidityWithErrors (or validateWithRequirement), the operation sometimes takes several minutes. During that time the calling thread appears blocked, and the system logs show: trustd: [com.apple.securityd:SecError] Malformed anchor records, not an array Because of this delay, I decided to rely only on the Team Identifier. My question is: Can it be assumed that if a Mach-O binary contains a Team Identifier in its code signature, then it must have been signed with a valid Apple Developer certificate? Or are there cases where a binary could contain a Team ID but still not be signed by Apple’s trust chain? Thanks for the help !
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640
Activity
1w
Binary Signing Error
I will post my app xyz.app uses XY swift package this swift package is a wrapper for XYSDK.xcframework XYSDK.xcframework written in c++ and app running on arm64 macos and iphones succesfully. I got this error when i want to distribute it. Currently i sign .framework for ios with Apple Distribution Certificate and same certificate for macos framework there is no other signing step for swift package or xcframework other than that when i want to archive it validates succesfully. Exporting step shows that app has signed, has provisining profile. but .framework is only signed has no provisioning profile. Also one point i see: i have one target named xyz and its Frameworks, Lİbraries and Embedded Context has only XY package but Embed part has no option like embed and sign etc. Blank. I need more info about what am i doing wrong in which step ? I am stuck and can not move any further like weeks Error Detail: Invalid Signature. The binary with bundle identifier XYSDK at path “xyz.app/Frameworks/XYSDK.framework” contains an invalid signature. Make sure you have signed your application with a distribution certificate, not an ad hoc certificate or a development certificate. Verify that the code signing settings in Xcode are correct at the target level (which override any values at the project level). Additionally, make sure the bundle you are uploading was built using a Release target in Xcode, not a Simulator target. If you are certain your code signing settings are correct, choose “Clean All” in Xcode, delete the “build” directory in the Finder, and rebuild your release target. For more information, please consult https://developer.apple.com/support/code-signing. (90035)
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146
Activity
May ’25
No certificate for team '' matching 'Developer ID Application' found
When completing signing on Xcode, it shows the following error message "No certificate for team '' matching 'Developer ID Application' found" I have already followed the steps to generate a certificate from keychain and made a new certificate on developer portal, along with its associated provisioning profile. Viewing "Manage Certificate" window shows the newly created certificate, but Xcode seems to not be able to locate it.
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264
Activity
Feb ’26
Enterprise Vendor Id changing when it shouldn't
Hi All, Really weird one here... I have two bundle ids with the same reverse dns name... com.company.app1 com.company.app2 app1 was installed on the device a year ago. app2 was also installed on the device a year ago but I released a new updated version and pushed it to the device via Microsoft InTunes. A year ago the vendor Id's matched as the bundle id's were on the same domain of com.company. Now for some reason the new build of app2 or any new app I build isn't being recognised as on the same domain as app1 even though the bundle id should make it so and so the Vendor Id's do not match and it is causing me major problems as I rely on the Vendor Id to exchange data between the apps on a certain device. In an enterprise environment, does anyone know of any other reason or things that could affect the Vendor Id? According to Apple docs, it seems that only the bundle name affects the vendor id but it isn't following those rules in this instance.
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10
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305
Activity
Jun ’25
Family Controls Request Form
Hello, We recently resubmitted our Family Controls (Distribution) request with a much more detailed explanation after our previous declined. Our entire app (including an extension) depends on this capability, and right now we’re completely blocked from launching. Months of work are stuck at this final step and it’s honestly becoming very stressful with no visibility on the timeline. If anyone has experience with the approval timeline after resubmitting, or if someone from Apple could help look into it, it would truly mean a lot. 4C6XLQWZQY Y5JJ7GT6BP 3ZBSC333WU Thank you
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1w
How to Share Provisioning Profiles with Customers for macOS App Distribution
I am distributing a macOS application outside the App Store using Developer ID and need to provide provisioning profiles to customers for installation during the package installation process. I have two questions: How can I package and provide the provisioning profile(s) so that the customer can install them easily during the application installation process? Are there any best practices or tools that could simplify this step? In my case, there are multiple provisioning profiles. Should I instruct the customer to install each profile individually, or is there a way to combine them and have them installed all at once? Any guidance on the best practices for this process would be greatly appreciated.
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151
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Jun ’25