Demystify code signing and its importance in app development. Get help troubleshooting code signing issues and ensure your app is properly signed for distribution.

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The "com.apple.developer.web-browser" entitlement has no effect on our iOS app
Hi, I was sent here by Apple developer account, it seems here is the only option for me, so your help is very much appreciated! Basically we are building a chromium based browser on iOS, we applied the "com.apple.developer.web-browser" entitlement, and it shows up in our identifier, profile etc. The app is signed with the new entitlement and published to the app store. However it is not listed as an option for default browser, doesn't matter which device I tried. I did verified that the Info.plist contains http/https urlschemes as required. In fact a few of us checked all available documents multiple times and still couldn't see why.
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216
Dec ’25
Account Shows to "Enroll" again after I submitted Mac app for Notarization
I submitted a mac app for Notarization. For the first few tries the Notarization failed with an error "Team is not yet configured for Notarization" but few days after my account started to show "ENROLL" option again even though my membership was set to expire on 2026. I am doubting my account has been suspended. I have not received any emails from apple regarding the suspension. I have contacted support but no help yet ! This was the second year, i was paying for the membership. Could you please help me to - Help me get the account unsuspended (if it is, as there is no notification or information regarding this) If the account is suspended due to my app being submitted for Notarization then help me identify the reason so that i can fix them. Mac App is Time Tracking application that runs in background and capture periodic screenshot backlsh.com (NOTE - I am doing this after taking user consent)
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134
Jul ’25
When to notarize artifacts developed in different stages?
Dear Apple Support, for better understanding to use the Notary Service, I would like to ask when and what have to be notarized. I am absolutely aware of using the Notary Service and which packages can be submitted and how to get the status. Scenario: We have one library which is developed by a specific team and other teams develop and deliver to customer MacOS apps which packages this library for the shipment. So, the library will be produced internally and will be shipped in different products. The library will be code signed before we make available internally. When should we notarize (and staple) this library? Directly after the code is signed or when it will be packaged in each product when it will be delivered to customer? Best regards, Stefan
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104
May ’25
Missing com.apple.developer.voip-push-notification Entitlement in Provisioning Profile
Hello Everyone, I am currently building an app using React Native with Swift bridging, integrating VoIP functionality using Twilio, PushKit, and CallKit. I am encountering the following issue during development: "The current provisioning profile doesn't include the com.apple.developer.voip-push-notification entitlement." What I’ve Done So Far: VoIP Certificate: I have created a valid VoIP Services certificate in the Apple Developer portal. Bundle Identifier and Provisioning Profile: A new Bundle ID was created specifically for this app. I created a provisioning profile for this Bundle ID and downloaded it for use in Xcode. Xcode Capabilities Push Notifications: Enabled Background Modes: Voice over IP: Enabled, Remote notifications: Enabled Entitlements File I have an entitlements file named VoiceCallDemoProjectRelease.entitlements with the following content: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>aps-environment</key> <string>development</string> <key>com.apple.developer.voip-push-notification</key> <true/> </dict> </plist> This entitlements file is properly linked in the project’s build settings. Project Setup I have integrated PushKit for VoIP push handling and CallKit for incoming call UI and control. Problem: In the Apple Developer portal under my App ID settings, I only see an option to enable Push Notifications. There is no option available to enable Voice over IP, and therefore the provisioning profile generated does not include the com.apple.developer.voip-push-notification entitlement. Despite enabling VoIP background mode in Xcode, adding the entitlement in my project, and using a valid VoIP certificate, the profile does not include the required entitlement. Additional Information: I am using an Individual Apple Developer Account, not an Organization account. I have already attempted re-downloading the provisioning profile, restarting Xcode, and cleaning the build folder. Question: What steps should I take to resolve this and ensure that the com.apple.developer.voip-push-notification entitlement is included in my provisioning profile? Is this limitation due to the type of developer account (individual vs. organization), and do I need to upgrade to an Organization account to access this entitlement? Is there any way to request for 'com.appple.developer.voip-push-notification' entitlement to Apple Team ? Any clarification would be appreciated. Thank you.
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310
Jul ’25
The specified iOS provisioning profile '' could not be found.
I have developed multiple applications in the past using windows Visual studio 2022 and have never had any issues during development. However this time I am receiving the same error The specified iOS provisioning profile '{profile}' could not be found. Please enable Automatic Provisioning from the iOS Bundle Signing page. Everytime I try to deploy even though I can see that all the appropriate entries are in my apple developer portal, and I can see the profiles have been automatically downloaded to my computer. (The App identifier also matches the one establisehd in the apple developer portal and is linked to the profile). The only thing I can think of, is that my renewal of my developer account got rejected by my bank at first, but on another attempt (about 2 weeks ago) it all went through fine.
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259
Aug ’25
Notarization and Stapling Failing for Signed PKG & DMG with Error 65 Despite Successful Notary Submission
Dear Apple Developer Technical Support, I am encountering an issue with notarizing and stapling both PKG and DMG installers for our Electron-based macOS application COSGrid. Despite receiving successful notarization submission responses via notarytool, the stapling process fails with Error 65. Environment: App Name: COSGrid Bundle Identifier: com.cosgrid.pkg.COSGrid Developer ID Team ID: YB8S2XZ98K macOS Version: macOS [15.1] Xcode Version: [16.0 (16A242d)] Workflow Summary: For PKG: Build via yarn build (Vite + Electron Builder) Package with pkgbuild Sign using productsign Submit for notarization: xcrun notarytool submit COSGridMZA-2.1.10-arm64.pkg --apple-id "..." --team-id YB8S2XZ98K --password "..." --wait Conducting pre-submission checks for COSGridMZA-2.1.10-arm64.pkg and initiating connection to the Apple notary service... Submission ID received id: a8ff8e09-1ab4-49ed-9f6b-4afb9f09e53a Upload progress: 100.00% (235 MB of 235 MB) Successfully uploaded file id: a8ff8e09-1ab4-49ed-9f6b-4afb9f09e53a path: /Users/murugavel/Documents/MZA/mza/release/2.1.10/COSGridMZA-2.1.10-arm64.pkg Waiting for processing to complete. Current status: Accepted..................... Processing complete id: a8ff8e09-1ab4-49ed-9f6b-4afb9f09e53a status: Accepted Receive notarization success Stapling fails: xcrun stapler staple COSGridMZA-2.1.10-arm64.pkg Could not validate ticket... The staple and validate action failed! Error 65. For DMG: Sign via codesign Submit to notarization — success Attempt to staple: xcrun stapler staple -v COSGrid-2.1.10-arm64.dmg Could not validate ticket... The staple and validate action failed! Error 65. Additional Verification: I verified the DMG’s code signature integrity: Command: codesign --verify --verbose=4 COSGrid-2.1.10-arm64.dmg Output: COSGrid-2.1.10-arm64.dmg: valid on disk COSGrid-2.1.10-arm64.dmg: satisfies its Designated Requirement Command: codesign -dvv COSGrid-2.1.10-arm64.dmg Output: Executable=/Users/murugavel/Documents/MZA/mza/release/2.1.10/COSGrid-2.1.10-arm64.dmg Identifier=COSGrid-2.1.10-arm64 Format=disk image CodeDirectory v=20200 size=308 flags=0x0(none) hashes=1+6 location=embedded Signature size=9013 Authority=Developer ID Application: COSGrid Systems Private Limited (YB8S2XZ98K) Authority=Developer ID Certification Authority Authority=Apple Root CA Timestamp=1 Jul 2025 at 11:34:05 AM Info.plist=not bound TeamIdentifier=YB8S2XZ98K Sealed Resources=none Internal requirements count=1 size=180 **Verified Signature for .pkg ** pkgutil --check-signature COSGridMZA-2.1.10-arm64.pkg Package "COSGridMZA-2.1.10-arm64.pkg": Status: signed by a developer certificate issued by Apple for distribution Signed with a trusted timestamp on: 2025-06-30 13:57:19 +0000 Certificate Chain: 1. Developer ID Installer: COSGrid Systems Private Limited (teamID) Expires: 2027-02-01 22:12:15 +0000 2. Developer ID Certification Authority Expires: 2027-02-01 22:12:15 +0000 3. Apple Root CA Expires: 2035-02-09 21:40:36 +0000 Diagnostic Logs Attached: Stapler verbose logs for both PKG and DMG codesign verification output for both PKG and DMG Notarytool submission logs Ticket JSON response from Apple API API request/response headers Effective electron-builder.yaml config Key Observations: codesign verification passes successfully for both artifacts Notarization submission reports success via notarytool Stapler fails with Error 65 for both PKG and DMG Ticket JSON fetched from CloudKit API appears valid No provisioning profile used (Developer ID distribution only) Request: Could you please help investigate: Why is the stapler unable to validate or attach the ticket even though notarization completes successfully? Are there any known issues, entitlements, or workflow adjustments recommended in this case? Is any special handling required for Electron apps’ PKG/DMG packages or Hardened Runtime configurations during stapling? I can provide the signed DMG/PKG and full notarization logs upon request. Thank you very much for your assistance — looking forward to your guidance. Best regards, Murugavel COSGrid Systems Private Limited
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116
Jul ’25
JIT entitlement for command line tool
My command line tool with a JIT entitlement is failing to run on Sequoia. 2025-05-26 14:17:09.758 E taskgated-helper[91764:3ab7036] [com.apple.ManagedClient:ProvisioningProfiles] Disallowing DecisionRuleTool because no eligible provisioning profiles found 2025-05-26 14:17:09.758 Df amfid[576:3ab6d6b] /Users/jim/DecisionRuleTool not valid: Error Domain=AppleMobileFileIntegrityError Code=-413 "No matching profile found" UserInfo={NSURL=file:///Users/jim/DecisionRuleTool, NSLocalizedDescription=No matching profile found} 2025-05-26 14:17:09.759 Df kernel[0:3ab7031] (AppleMobileFileIntegrity) AMFI: When validating /Users/jim/DecisionRuleTool: 2025-05-26 14:17:09.759 Df kernel[0:3ab7031] mac_vnode_check_signature: /Users/jim/DecisionRuleTool: code signature validation failed fatally: When validating /Users/jim/DecisionRuleTool: 2025-05-26 14:17:09.759 Df kernel[0:3ab7031] proc 91763: load code signature error 4 for file "DecisionRuleTool" 2025-05-26 14:17:09.759 Df kernel[0:3ab7032] (AppleSystemPolicy) ASP: Security policy would not allow process: 91763, /Users/jim/DecisionRuleTool Codesign isn't giving me any clues as to why. It validates. Asking it what the entitlements are on the binary: % codesign --display --entitlements - /Users/joconnor/MACEP-9852-2/tools/detection/DecisionRuleTool Executable=/Users/jim/DecisionRuleTool [Dict] [Key] com.apple.application-identifier [Value] [String] XXXXXXXXX.com.mycompany.drt [Key] com.apple.developer.team-identifier [Value] [String] XXXXXXXXX [Key] com.apple.security.cs.allow-jit [Value] [Bool] true https://developer.apple.com/documentation/Xcode/signing-a-daemon-with-a-restricted-entitlement This makes it look like this may be hopeless, that I can't create a command line took with proper entitlements.
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123
May ’25
Command CodeSign failed with a nonzero exit code - OpenGL
Hey, So i am trying to setup OpenGL on my mac. Specs : M2 Pro, 15.5 (24F74) Now i have setup the entire project properly as far as i know. GLFW, GLAD and the OpenGL framework. the build libraries are also reference and everything. I have also included the glad.c file in the folder. i have also kept it to run locally in signing tab. its still giving me Command CodeSign failed with a nonzero exit code All the ss are provided
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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471
Jul ’25
Maximum Development Certificates?
I recently had to update my certificates for a project. I deleted a few old ones, and I currently have one Development certificate. I needed to create another Development certificate specifically, it's saying "Maximum number of certificates generated." I thought the maximum was two Development certificates? Has anyone else had this issue? Thinking it could be a stuck workflow or something like that.
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168
Jul ’25
Constructing a filesystem sandbox, how to disable file events
I'm working on a build system similar to Bazel where each build action runs in a sandbox. The sandbox contains only the files that the user defined as input to ensure that the build action doesn't have any implicit dependencies. Bazel achieves this by creating a "symlink forest" to the original source files. This works, but I have observed fseventsd using significant CPU during a Bazel build, presumably because of all the symlinks that get created. Is there a way to disable file events for a directory or a volume? The "File System Events Programming Guide" in the Documentation Archive mentions placing an empty file named no_log in the .fseventsd directory at the root of the volume, but when testing on macOS 15.5 with APFS that appears to no longer work. Related, is a "symlink forest" the best way to create a sandbox like this? Or is there a different method one can use to provide a view of a subset of the files in a directory tree? I read up on the App Sandbox but that seems too coarse grained. Something like Linux's overlayfs would work well, and maybe one can achieve a similar functionality with firmlinks? Curious about folks thoughts here. Thanks in advance!
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245
May ’25
Creating codesigned AppleScript apps
In the past it was relatively easy to download from the developer portal both the app signing and installer signing certs so that I could sign AppleScripts from Script Editor when exporting them and when building packages in Jamf Composer. I went to set that up today and it seems things have changed in the last few years since I've had to set this up. I've been unable to sort this out and would love some help. I'm looking for a tutorial on doing this that walks someone step-by-step through the process for obtaining the certs (yes, I have dev account) and setting them up in keychain and then making use of them. Thanks!
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155
Jun ’25
Family Controls (Distribution) entitlement missing for Device Activity Monitor extension - blocking TestFlight distribution
Hi Apple Developer Community, I'm experiencing an issue with Family Controls entitlements for my iOS app that I'd like to discuss and see if others have encountered similar problems. Background: My app (BrightStart) uses Family Controls to help users build healthy morning routines by temporarily blocking distracting apps until they complete a sunlight exposure session. The core functionality relies on automatic time-based blocking (e.g., block social media apps from 6-8am daily). The Problem: I have Family Controls working perfectly in development builds, but I'm blocked from distributing via TestFlight due to entitlement issues with my Device Activity Monitor extension. Technical Details: Main app bundle ID: app.brightstart.app ✅ Has both "Family Controls (Development)" and "Family Controls (Distribution)" options available Extension bundle ID: app.brightstart.app.BrightStartMonitorExtension ❌ Only shows "Family Controls (Development)" - no Distribution option Error when archiving for TestFlight: ❌ Provisioning profile failed qualification Profile doesn't support Family Controls (Development). Family Controls (Development) feature is for development only. Please use Family Controls (Distribution) for distribution. Impact: Cannot upload to TestFlight for beta testing Native FamilyActivityPicker falls back to mock UI in distributed builds Automatic scheduled app blocking (via DeviceActivityMonitor) doesn't function in production Questions for the community: Has anyone successfully gotten "Family Controls (Distribution)" enabled for a Device Activity Monitor extension? Is this a known limitation, or should I expect this option to be available? Are there alternative approaches for time-based automatic app blocking that work in distribution builds? Should I contact Apple Support directly about enabling this entitlement for the extension? Btw, Cursor wrote this summary above, so it could be just hallucinating the issue? Would really appreciate anyone's thoughts here.
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272
Aug ’25
Copy of notarized & exported app will not run
In XCode I create and export a notarized app for "direct distribution". I then create a tar file of the exported .app to distribute to my users. Until today this worked fine. Now when the users try to run the app it pops up a dialog saying "app is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the Trash." It is possible to ctrl-click on the app and force it to run but, I think, whether this works or not will depend on system settings and not all users have root access to modify settings. Even simply copying the .app folder from the command line will cause this error.
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84
Jun ’25
macos app won't run
I created a distribution certificate for my app release build and have manually loaded this cert (link to xcode image at the bottom of this paragraph). All things look good until I build the app and I get the following error. I'm first pasting the image of my project and then the error information. [https://madshot.net/10c6e510875e.png) Could not launch “Madshot360” Domain: IDELaunchErrorDomain Code: 20 Recovery Suggestion: Runningboard has returned error 5. Please check the system logs for the underlying cause of the error. User Info: { DVTErrorCreationDateKey = "2025-06-10 19:58:02 +0000"; DVTRadarComponentKey = 968756; IDERunOperationFailingWorker = IDELaunchServicesLauncher; } The operation couldn’t be completed. Launch failed. Domain: RBSRequestErrorDomain Code: 5 Failure Reason: Launch failed. Launchd job spawn failed Domain: NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code: 153 Event Metadata: com.apple.dt.IDERunOperationWorkerFinished : { "device_identifier" = "00008112-0004052C22D8A01E"; "device_model" = "Mac14,15"; "device_osBuild" = "15.5 (24F74)"; "device_platform" = "com.apple.platform.macosx"; "device_thinningType" = "Mac14,15"; "dvt_coredevice_version" = "443.19"; "dvt_coresimulator_version" = "1010.10"; "dvt_mobiledevice_version" = "1784.120.3"; "launchSession_schemeCommand" = Run; "launchSession_state" = 1; "launchSession_targetArch" = arm64; "operation_duration_ms" = 235; "operation_errorCode" = 20; "operation_errorDomain" = IDELaunchErrorDomain; "operation_errorWorker" = IDELaunchServicesLauncher; "operation_name" = IDERunOperationWorkerGroup; "param_debugger_attachToExtensions" = 0; "param_debugger_attachToXPC" = 1; "param_debugger_type" = 3; "param_destination_isProxy" = 0; "param_destination_platform" = "com.apple.platform.macosx"; "param_diag_113575882_enable" = 0; "param_diag_MainThreadChecker_stopOnIssue" = 0; "param_diag_MallocStackLogging_enableDuringAttach" = 0; "param_diag_MallocStackLogging_enableForXPC" = 1; "param_diag_allowLocationSimulation" = 1; "param_diag_checker_tpc_enable" = 1; "param_diag_gpu_frameCapture_enable" = 0; "param_diag_gpu_shaderValidation_enable" = 0; "param_diag_gpu_validation_enable" = 0; "param_diag_guardMalloc_enable" = 0; "param_diag_memoryGraphOnResourceException" = 0; "param_diag_mtc_enable" = 1; "param_diag_queueDebugging_enable" = 1; "param_diag_runtimeProfile_generate" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_asan_enable" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_tsan_enable" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_tsan_stopOnIssue" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_ubsan_enable" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_ubsan_stopOnIssue" = 0; "param_diag_showNonLocalizedStrings" = 0; "param_diag_viewDebugging_enabled" = 1; "param_diag_viewDebugging_insertDylibOnLaunch" = 1; "param_install_style" = 2; "param_launcher_UID" = 2; "param_launcher_allowDeviceSensorReplayData" = 0; "param_launcher_kind" = 0; "param_launcher_style" = 99; "param_launcher_substyle" = 0; "param_runnable_appExtensionHostRunMode" = 0; "param_runnable_productType" = "com.apple.product-type.application"; "param_structuredConsoleMode" = 1; "param_testing_launchedForTesting" = 0; "param_testing_suppressSimulatorApp" = 0; "param_testing_usingCLI" = 0; "sdk_canonicalName" = "macosx15.4"; "sdk_osVersion" = "15.4"; "sdk_variant" = macos; } System Information macOS Version 15.5 (Build 24F74) Xcode 16.3 (23785) (Build 16E140) Timestamp: 2025-06-10T12:58:02-07:00
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79
Jun ’25
Some of the apps I have developed are being flagged as malware
I have a free developer account, and I have been creating applications. When I tried to open one of them, it said that this app has been flagged as malware. It is not malware, so I don't know why it has been flagged as this. Not just this app, but suddenly a whole bunch of my apps have been flagged as malware as well! The app I have been developing is basically a windows Taskbar for my macbook air, and it has been working well until the latest update i made where it hides in full screen, suddenly it started taking up significant energy, so i reverted to an older version while i was fixing it. Then, when i try to open it another time, it starts to open, and it says "Malware Blocked and Moved to Bin" “Taskbar.app” was not opened because it contains malware. This action did not harm your Mac”. All versions of the taskbar now contain this message. I try opening some of my other apps, a shared storage client and a shared storage server (where i was testing with app groups), and they couldn't open either, the same malware message appeared. ProPermission couldn't open either (changes permissions on files for me so i don't have to use the terminal or finder). I can run these apps through the Xcode environment (attached process), but when I archieve it into an app bundle, the malware flag appears. Please note that I am certain that these apps do not contain malware, apparently XProtect has incorrectly flagged my apps as malware. Because I do not have the paid developer account, I cannot notarize my apps. I am using MacOS Tahoe 26.1 with Xcode 26.0, and I have tested it with a iMac Intel 2017 with MacOS Ventura.
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270
Nov ’25
Notary Tool credentials failing to stay persistently in the keychain
The problem is the following: We create a keychain item called NotaryTool (There are multiple accounts that use Notary tool and we created it for all of them ) This is created in the following way: $ xcrun notarytool store-credentials This process stores your credentials securely in the Keychain. You reference these credentials later using a profile name. Profile name: NotaryTool We recommend using App Store Connect API keys for authentication. If you'd like to authenticate with an Apple ID and app-specific password instead, leave this unspecified. Path to App Store Connect API private key: //AuthKey_ABCDEFGH.p8 App Store Connect API Key ID: <ABCDEFGH> App Store Connect API Issuer ID: ABCDEF-ABCD-1234-1234-1234567 Validating your credentials... Success. Credentials validated. Credentials saved to Keychain. To use them, specify `--keychain-profile "NotaryTool"` The key is downloaded from Apple and some other IDs are provided alongside. These should remain in the keychain for as long as the user process is running (just like any other process) A few runs are successful when we run with the profile that was created. After a few runs we start seeing a failure. Now we are seeing the following issue where the keychain item just vanishes: Error: No Keychain password item found for profile: NotaryTool\n\nRun 'notarytool store-credentials' to create another credential profile.\nError during the not process\nTue Aug 26 06:02:09 2025 Notarization failed with notarytool with exit code 17664: \nTue Aug 26 06:02:09 2025 could not upload for notarization!!!
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156
Oct ’25
Inquiry Regarding Gatekeeper Behavior During Application Upgrade
Can you please help us with the scenario below, including details and Apple’s recommendations? I've already read through the Notarization and Gatekeeper documentation. The installed version of our application is 1.2.3, located in /Applications/XYZSecurity.app. We created an upgrade package for version 1.2.4. As part of the pre-install script in the 1.2.4 installer, we explicitly deleted some obsolete .dylib files from /Applications/XYZSecurity.app/Contents/Frameworks and some executable files from /Applications/XYZSecurity.app/Contents/MacOS that were no longer needed in version 1.2.4. The installation of version 1.2.4 completed successfully, but we see the below error logs in installer.log: PackageKit: Failed to unlinkat file reference /Applications/XYZSecurity.app/Contents/Frameworks/libhelper.dylib PackageKit: Failed to unlinkat file reference /Applications/XYZSecurity.app/Contents/MacOS/helper-tool Our Key Questions: Is it the right practice to remove obsolete files in the pre-install script during an upgrade? Is this approach recommended by Apple? Can this cause any issues with Apple Gatekeeper? Is there a possibility of my application getting blocked by Gatekeeper as a result?
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410
Sep ’25
Entitlement missing - Application is agent (UIElement)
I have an app that runs as a status bar app, mostly. I have set the following in the info.plist file for the app: <key>Application is agent (UIElement)</key> <true/> However, I get a compile error: Provisioning profile Mac Team Provisioning Profile: yout.Drive doesn't include the Application is agent (UIElement) entitlement. Checking the entitlements, I do not see this entitlement anywhere. Where and how do I set this?
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140
Aug ’25