Hi everyone,
I’m working on a Safari browser extension and recently encountered a major issue after transferring the extension from one Apple Developer account to another, then releasing an update under the new account. Following this update, user engagement has dropped off dramatically. My understanding—based on my own investigations, which may be limited—is that this problem arises because Safari is treating the extension as entirely new due to the change in the developer account.
Here’s what I’ve pieced together so far:
• Safari appears to rely on an Extensions.plist file, which uniquely identifies each installed extension by a combination of its bundle identifier and the associated developer account ID.
• The Extensions.plist file also stores the state of granted permissions for each extension. Because our extension now has a new developer account ID, Safari no longer seems to recognize it as the same extension that users had previously approved.
• As a result, previously granted permissions appear to have been lost, and users must manually re-enable the extension—leading to a significant drop in engagement and revenue.
I’m hoping someone can clarify the following:
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Is there a known migration path to transfer an extension between developer accounts without causing users to lose their previously granted permissions?
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Are there best practices, or workarounds, for maintaining continuity when the bundle identifier and/or developer account ID changes? Are there any tools for re-linking permissions after a bundle identifier or developer account ID change?
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Has anyone worked through a similar scenario and found a solution or guidance from Apple Developer Support or the Safari team?
I’ll also be reaching out to Apple Developer Support directly, but any insights from those who’ve dealt with this scenario would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
