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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In-House distribution Certificate about to expire
Hi, My understanding from this information: " https://developer.apple.com/support/certificates/ iOS Distribution Certificate (in-house, internal-use apps) Users will no longer be able to run apps that have been signed with this certificate. You must distribute a new version of your app that is signed with a new certificate. " is that even if I re-sign the app with a new Provisioning Profile based on a new Distribution Certificate the apps will stop working. I need to re-build my apps with a new Distribution certificate+Provisioning profile, when distributing in-house, right? I can see that the apps continue to function when I re-sign them with a new Provisioning Profile, but according to the information above they will stop working the day (day after) the Distribution certificate they were built with expires. /Rikard
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118
Sep ’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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192
Nov ’25
GateKeeper rejects application bundles with a file name with an NFC/NFD problem by copying with Finder
I made a macOS application using Swift Package and distributed it in dmg format through Apple Notary service. However, we received a report from a user that it can be launched from a disk image mounted from dmg, but when copied to /Applications, the app is broken and does not start. I looked into why this happened, I noticed that the codesign command returned different results when copying the application bundle and /Applications on the volume mounted dmg with Finder. Mounted dmg: OK ❯ codesign --verify --deep --verbose /Volumes/azoo-key-skkserv/azoo-key-skkserv.app /Volumes/azoo-key-skkserv/azoo-key-skkserv.app: valid on disk /Volumes/azoo-key-skkserv/azoo-key-skkserv.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement Copied by Finder: Bad codesign reports that there are 148 added/missing files. ❯ codesign --verify --deep --verbose /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app: a sealed resource is missing or invalid file added: /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app/Contents/Resources/AzooKeyKanakanjiConverter_KanaKanjiConverterModuleWithDefaultDictionary.bundle/Contents/Resources/Dictionary/louds/グ1.loudstxt3 (skip...) file missing: /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app/Contents/Resources/AzooKeyKanakanjiConverter_KanaKanjiConverterModuleWithDefaultDictionary.bundle/Contents/Resources/Dictionary/louds/グ1.loudstxt3 (skip...) Copied by ditto: OK ❯ ditto /Volumes/azoo-key-skkserv/azoo-key-skkserv.app /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app ❯ codesign --verify --deep --verbose /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app: valid on disk /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement I made a simple macOS application to explain this problem in an easy-to-understand way. You can download dmg in github releases, mount dmg, copy it in the Finder, and check if there is a problem by running the codesign command. https://github.com/mtgto/example-utf8-mac-notarization As a result, I learned the following two things. Occurs only with resources with file names whose values change due to NFC/NFD normalization No problems occur with the resources of the application itself. Generated by the Swift Package resources that the application depends on I think this is a problem with Finder or Gatekeeper.
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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Aug ’25
Is a LaunchCodeRequirement Time-Of-Check/Time-Of-Use protected?
In the LightweightCodeRequirements framework, there is a LaunchCodeRequirement object which can be used as a requirement object for a Process for example. What I don't understand (I admit my macOS low-level knowledge is limited) is that how can this be used in a secure way that doesn't fall victim of a Time-of-Check/Time-of-Use issue. e.g. I specify a LaunchCodeRequirement via Process.launchRequirement for my process, let's say /usr/local/bin/mycommandlinetool. The LaunchCodeRequirement specifies my development team and a developer ID certificate. The process must be started in some form, before a SecCode/SecTask object can be created, rather than a SecStaticCode object (which only guarantees its validity checks to be intact as long as the file is not modified). But if the process was started, then I have no tools in my set to prevent it from executing its initialization code or similar. Then, by the time I'm able to check via SecCode/SecTask functions the LaunchCodeRequirement, I might have already ran malicious code - if mycommandlinetool was maliciously replaced. Or does the operating system use a daemon to copy the executable specified for Process to a secure location, then creates the SecStaticCode object, assesses the LaunchCodeRequirement and if passed, launches the executable from that trusted location (which would make sure it is immutable for replacement by malicious actors)? I have a hard time understanding how this works under the hood - if I remember correctly these are private APIs.
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Aug ’25
Xcode 16.2 cannot sign developer app (AppKit) after upgraded to macOS 15.3
After I upgraded to macOS 15.3, all of my current Xcode project have the signing issue, I spent half day and I didn't make any progress, I tried two projects, one is Swift AppKit App calling one C++ dylib, another one is a pure Swift AppKit app, when I build, there will be error: Warning: unable to build chain to self-signed root for signer "Apple Development: Steven Tang (XXXXX)" /Volumes/TwoTSSD/steventang/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/ImageEnhancement-ddbilgyraofrdyfeljyuknusunza/Build/Products/Release/ImageEnhancement.app: errSecInternalComponent I tried remove account, add account back in Xcode, none of it worked, also tried ChatGPT's WWDR updating and it won't help.
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1.3k
Feb ’25
Implications of an expired distribution certificate
I received an email saying this: Your iOS Distribution Certificate will no longer be valid in 30 days. To generate a new certificate, sign in and visit Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles. If I don't correct that situation, what will be the consequences for my apps' users? The Apple documentation is vague on this, because they seem to automatically assume that I plan to comply and renew the cert. However I don't own a Mac at present, nor an iOS device. My apps are monetarily free, so no financial incentive exists to buy either. If I don't renew the distribution cert again (maybe by borrowing a Mac), will my apps' existing users be adversely affected? FWIW, my apps don't support iCloud in any way. I would also note that the "Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles" section isn't visible anywhere; I'm using Firefox.
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2.7k
Jan ’25
CarPlay Navigation Entitlement
We've been trying to get the CarPlay Navigation Entitlement for a couple years now without much luck. Did you have a similar experience? How did you succeed getting the entitlement? Part of the form requires us to submit Screenshots. Did you provide screenshots of your on-device experience or wireframe for CarPlay? How was your experience?
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142
Aug ’25
Certificate Revocation Impact
Background We are using a Developer ID application certificate to sign our application. We lost the private key and we need to revoke it before we can receive a new one. Per documentation (https://developer.apple.com/support/certificates/), I know that previously installed applications will still be able to run, but new installations will not be able to work. I want to confirm what will happen when we revoke the certificate so we know how to prepare customers for this upcoming change. Questions Will existing installations of the application receive a notice that the certificate has been revoked? Will previously installed applications be able to launch again after they are closed? What will the user see when they try to install the application with the revoked certificate?
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3.2k
Aug ’25
Running iOS app on MacOS error: This app cannot be installed because its integrity could not be verified.
The attached file bellow contains the full error error I clone this repo to my mac, change team id and group, and run it in Xcode: https://github.com/protonpass/ios-pass There's no issue when I ran it with the Debug configuration, but when I go to Product > Scheme > Edit Scheme and change the iOS target build configuration to Release then I got that error above. I have tried Archive and export the ipa, verify that the provisioning profile contains my Mac UDID, but when double clicking the ipa to install, I also got the error This app cannot be installed because its integrity could not be verified.
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Jul ’25
Notarization service issue
This has been going on for at least a couple of hours for us: notarizing doesn't complete. Our last job ran for over 90 minutes before CircleCI timed it out. We're using xcrun notarytool submit with the --wait option; it contined to say "Current status: In Progress" for, as I said, 90 minutes or so. (Normally it takes about 70 seconds.) https://developer.apple.com/system-status/ says everything is normal. This does not seem to be the case for us. 😄
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1.2k
Jan ’25
Notarization submission times out.
I am currently having issues uploading my app to appstoreconnect.apple.com/notary/ for notarization. It times out after hanging for a while. I get the following error. 13:42:04 "LocalDataTask <D84AED32-B05B-4439-8BDC-40C0F89B89F1>.<1>" 13:42:04 ), NSLocalizedDescription=The request timed out., NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/notary/v2/asp?, NSErrorFailingURLKey=https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/notary/v2/asp?, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=4})
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Nov ’25
App ID Prefix Mismatch When Updating Old iOS App (2010) - "An App ID with Identifier is not available"
Hi all, I'm a solo iOS developer trying to update an app I released in 2010. My current Team ID is Q37598Q8GE, but the app's original App ID uses an old prefix, YHX995W43P. When I try to create a new App ID with the original Bundle ID (eu.andela.woordenes) to generate a new distribution provisioning profile, I get the error:An attribute in the provided entity has invalid value An App ID with Identifier 'eu.andela.woordenes' is not available. Please enter a different string. I understand this might be due to the old prefix from pre-2011, when Apple allowed multiple prefixes per account. I still have access to the app in App Store Connect and want to push an update, not create a new app. How can I resolve this?Can I reuse the existing App ID (eu.andela.woordenes with prefix YHX995W43P) for a new provisioning profile, or do I need to match my current Team ID (Q37598Q8GE)? If the Bundle ID is already taken by my current app, how do I update the app without changing the Bundle ID? Any steps to fix the prefix mismatch in Xcode or App Store Connect?
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Nov ’25
Unable to Staple Notarization Ticket – SSL Certificate Mismatch for oscdn.apple.com
Hello Apple Support, While attempting to staple a notarization ticket for our signed installer package, the stapler command fails with Error 65. Upon investigation, we found that connections to oscdn.apple.com present an SSL certificate issued to a248.e.akamai.net, which does not include oscdn.apple.com in its Subject Alternative Name (SAN). This mismatch prevents our macOS environment from validating tickets and completing the stapling process. Steps tried: Verified notarization status (Accepted). DNS flushed, tried different DNS (8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1). curl to oscdn.apple.com consistently fails with SSL error 60. Please advise on resolving this certificate mismatch. also when I try to run the stapler command with my pkg "xcrun stapler staple/Users/mactest/Desktop/IPMPlus_Macos_Installer.signed.pkg" getting the output like :- Processing: /Users/mactest/Desktop/IPMPlus_Macos_Installer.signed.pkg Could not validate ticket for /Users/mac-test/Desktop/IPMPlus_Macos_Installer.signed.pkg The staple and validate action failed! Error 65. please help Thank you.
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514
Oct ’25
App Packaging: Error: HTTP status code: 403
Coming from Windows, I'm finding Mac app packaging farcically complicated, to the level of a Python sketch. I mastered Windows packaging, via Inno, in an hour or so, but it has taken me, on and off, the best part of a week to get to the point I am at with the Mac OS, and I'm nowhere near finished (rather, it hasn't finished with me). Every time I surmount one hurdle, another pops up, seemingly just for the jollies. I'm currently stuck at: 'Error: HTTP status code: 403. A required agreement is missing or has expired. This request requires an in-effect agreement that has not been signed or has expired. Ensure your team has signed the necessary legal agreements and that they are not expired.' My account lists no agreements in this category. I understand the need for security, but not the labyrinthine nature of the process. An inner-party member in the former Soviet Union overheard a drunken Stalin say, “I trust no one; not even myself". Apple trusts no one, but has true contempt for developers. Is there a simple way to work through the packaging process? Let me rephrase that: please God, let there be a simpler way of working through the process! Regards, in extremis, Richard
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1.2k
Oct ’25
Developer ID Notary Service - Outage
I’m unable to notarize the executable and the .app — the status has been showing “In Progress” for over an hour. Upon checking the xcrun logs, it indicates that the submission ID was not received. I also noticed there’s an Apple Developer Service outage reported since October 8, 2025. Could you please let me know when this outage is expected to be resolved? It would be very helpful.
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Oct ’25
Notarization stuck for days
It's been over 24h and it's still in progress. Is there a timeout for a failed notarization? or do we just wait for days.. weeks.. moths? Successfully received submission info createdDate: 2025-06-25T09:52:03.153Z id: 2ae713a5-c2e3-432f-84ee-e5d3d4aed621 name: slideshow-city-1.1.0-arm64.dmg status: In Progress
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Jun ’25
Gatekeeper stops directly distributed MacOS app with Network Extension
Is it possible to directly distribute a macOS app with a Developer ID Certificate that belongs to a different team? I am trying to resolve issues that arise when distributing a macOS app with a Network Extension (Packet Tunnel) outside the App Store using a Developer ID Certificate from a different team than the app’s provisioning profiles and entitlements. I started by attempting Direct Distribution in Xcode with automatic signing. However, it fails with the following message: Provisioning profile "Mac Team Direct Provisioning Profile: ” failed qualification checks: Profile doesn't match the entitlements file's value for the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension entitlement. I suspect the issue is that the provisioning profile allows "packet-tunnel-provider-systemextension", whereas the entitlements generated by Xcode contain "packet-tunnel-provider". When I manually modify the .entitlements file to include the -systemextension suffix, the project fails to build because Xcode does not recognize the modified entitlement. If there is a workaround for this issue, please let me know. Due to these issues, I resorted to manually creating a signed and notarized app. My process is as follows: Export the .app from the Xcode archive. Since the exported .app does not contain the necessary entitlements or provisioning profile for direct distribution, I replace Contents/embedded.provisioningprofile in both the .app and the .appex network extension. Sign the app and its components in the following order: codesign --force --options runtime --timestamp --sign "Developer ID Application: <name>" <app>.app/Contents/Frameworks/<fw>.framework/ codesign --force --options runtime --timestamp --sign "Developer ID Application: <name>"<app>.app/Contents/PlugIns/<netext>.appex/Contents/Frameworks/<fw>.framework/Versions/A/<fw> codesign --force --options runtime --entitlements dist-vpn.entitlements --timestamp --sign "Developer ID Application: <name>" <app>.app/Contents/PlugIns/<netext>.appex/ codesign --force --options runtime --entitlements dist.entitlements --timestamp --sign "Developer ID Application: <name>" <app>.app Verify the code signature: codesign --verify --deep --strict --verbose=4 <app>.app - <app>.app: valid on disk - <app>.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement Create a ZIP archive using: ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent <app>.app <app>.zip Notarize the app with notarytool and staple it. The notarization completes successfully with errors: nil. Package the notarized app into a DMG, notarize, and staple the DMG. The app runs successfully on the development machine. However, when moved to another machine and placed in /Applications, it fails to open. Inspecting Console.app reveals Gatekeeper is blocking the launch:
 taskgated-helper <bundleid>: Unsatisfied entitlements: com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension, com.apple.developer.team-identifier taskgated-helper entitlements: { "com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension" = ("packet-tunnel-provider-systemextension"); "com.apple.developer.team-identifier" = <teamid>; } As mentioned earlier, the Developer ID Certificate used for signing belongs to a different team. We are a third-party developer and do not have access to the Developer ID Certificate of the team assigned as the team-identifier. When I changed the bundle identifier (app ID), team, entitlements, and provisioning profiles to match the team associated with the Developer ID Certificate, the app worked. My question is:
 Is this failure caused by using a Developer ID Certificate from a different team, or should it still work if the provisioning profiles and entitlements are correctly set? Could there be an issue elsewhere in the provisioning profiles or entitlements for the original app ID?
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525
Jun ’25
Can't publish to Testflight with Tap to Pay on iPhone entitlement despite it being granted
Hello, I went through the verification process to get the Tap to Pay on iPhone entitlement, and after a couple of corrections I was finally assured that I was granted the entitlement for production use. However, in App Store Connect, I can only see "Development" for "Provisioning Support" of the entitlement, and I'm not able to publish the app to Testflight because the profile doesn't support the entitlement (I'm using automatic code signing with XCode). Where is this going wrong? The Tap to Pay support assured me they granted the right entitlement and pointed me to the developer support. Thank you, Johannes
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111
Jun ’25
All Notarization Requests Stuck "In Progress" for Over 48 Hours
Hello, We are currently facing an issue with the Apple Notary Service that is completely blocking our production pipeline. For the past three days, every single submission has been stuck in the "In Progress" state indefinitely. Some submissions have been pending for over 48 hours, and none of them ever proceed to analysis. When checking the status via xcrun notarytool history, all entries show "In Progress". Attempting to retrieve logs with xcrun notarytool log always returns: Submission log is not yet available. This strongly suggests that the processing hasn't even started. This issue occurs consistently from my local machine (MacBook Air M3) and Our GitHub Actions CI workflow. Both environments are properly configured with Electron + Electron-Builder, and the app is correctly signed and uploaded each time. We have verified multiple times all credentials and code signing settings, no exceptions so far or problems in the pipeline. Here are a few stuck submission IDs: This is not a normal delay, it looks like a backend issue affecting our account or this specific App ID. Please escalate this case as soon as possible. We appreciate your urgent attention. Best
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Jun ’25