RUN YOUR APP

Signing & Capabilities workflow

You code sign your app to run it on a device and use certain app services such as CloudKit, Game Center, and In-App Purchase. Devices you use for development need to be registered and added to the provisioning profile you use to sign your app. If you use automatic signing (recommended), Xcode creates these development signing assets for you when you need them. Later, Xcode can create your distribution signing assets when you upload your app to App Store Connect to distribute it for testing or through the App Store.

Step 1: Add your Apple ID to Accounts preferences

To identify you and download information about your teams, add your Apple ID account to Accounts preferences. Xcode uses the Apple ID credentials to download information about all the teams you belong to.

Step 2: Assign the targets in your project to a team

Assign each target in your project to a team. Xcode will store the signing assets—certificates, identifiers, and provisioning profiles—in the associated team account. If you enroll as an organization, your program role determines what tasks you can perform in Xcode. If you enroll as an individual, you are the Account Holder for a one-person team. If you are not a member of the Apple Developer Program, Xcode creates a personal team for you.

Step 3: Add capabilities to your app

In the Signing & Capabilities pane, enable the app services you want to use. Xcode configures your project and updates your signing assets accordingly. If needed, Xcode enables the app service for the associated App ID and regenerates provisioning profiles it manages. To fully enable some app services, you may need to sign in to your developer account or App Store Connect.

Step 4: Run your app on a device

The first time you run an app on a connected device or on a wireless device (iOS, tvOS), Xcode creates the necessary development signing assets for you. Xcode registers the device you select and adds it to the provisioning profiles it manages. For macOS apps, Xcode registers the Mac running Xcode.

Step 5: Export your signing certificates and provisioning profiles

The signing certificates and provisioning profiles you use to launch your app on a device are stored on your Mac. Now is a good time to export developer account signing certificates and provisioning profiles because private keys for signing certificates are stored only in your keychain. You can also export developer accounts to move the signing assets to another Mac.

Note: If Apple servers go down preventing you from performing some of these tasks, you can check their status at System Status.