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Family Controls Distribution Entitlement Request Taking Longer Than Expected - Any Tips?
Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can share their experience or offer advice on entitlement request timelines. I previously had two bundle IDs approved for an app I'm testing via TestFlight - both were approved within a few days. I recently submitted a request for a third bundle ID (JMSHRM8W5J), and after realizing I may not have included enough detail, I submitted a follow-up request (XS2QYC59UU) with more context. It's now been almost three weeks, which is significantly longer than my earlier approvals - though I recognize some of that time included the holidays. A few questions for the community: Has anyone experienced longer wait times for additional entitlements on an existing project (with approved entitlements)? Did submitting a second request help or potentially slow things down? Is there anything I should include in a request to improve chances of quick approval? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Capability for Provisioning Profile to enable MIE
My app uses a Provisioning Profile (as it bundles up a Network System Extension). I do not use "Automatically manage signing" as its causes code signing/deployment issues 🤷‍♂️ In Xcode (version 26), if I enable " Enhanced Security" and check "Enable Hardware Memory Tagging", Xcode states: Provisioning profile "<>" doesn't include the com.apple.security.hardened-process.checked-allocations and com.apple.security.hardened-process.checked-allocations.soft-mode entitlements. Normally to resolve such errors one simply adds the Capability in "Edit your App ID Configuration" and then regenerates the Provisioning Profile. However, I don't see any such capability to would add these entitlements? (I thought "Hardened Process" would be the one - but alas, no). Clicking the "for more information" link in Xcode to view the relevant(?) "Apple Developer Documentation" generates another error 😵‍💫 Didn't see anything in: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/enabling-enhanced-security-for-your-app
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Oct ’25
What is the difference between applying "hardened runtime" to an executable and adding the `-o library` flag to codesign?
Hey, Just recently I realized something I have been overlooking in my build pipelines. I thought that by adding the the "hardened runtime", I disable 3rd-party library injection (I do not have the disable-library-validation entitlement added). However, I was using some checks on my code and I noticed that the "library validation" code signature check fails on my applications (e.g. adding the .libraryValidation requirement via the LightweightCodeRequirements framework) - with codesign -dvvvv /path/to/app I can check it doesn't have the CS_REQUIRE_LV flag: [...] CodeDirectory v=20500 size=937 flags=0x10000(runtime) hashes=18+7 location=embedded [...] then I used in Xcode the "Other Code Signing Flags" setting and added the -o library option, which added the flag: [...] CodeDirectory v=20500 size=937 flags=0x12000(library-validation,runtime) hashes=18+7 location=embedded [...] Is this flag something I should be explicitly setting? Because I was under the impression enabling hardened runtime would be enough. Popular Developer ID distributed applications (e.g. Google Chrome, Parallels Desktop, Slack) all have this flag set.
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Sep ’25
Cloud Signing via Developer ID doesn't seem to work with Admin API Keys
Hi, I'm having a really hard time figuring out why I cannot perform cloud signing via Developer ID with xcodebuild. I have a macOS application, which I can perfectly cloud sign the following way: Sign into Xcode with my Admin + Account Holder Apple ID. Delete my Developer ID Application certificate from Keychain Access. In Xcode, click Archive. When archived, click "Distribute App" in Xcode Organizer. The app is cloud signed. I prove this by extracting the certificate codesign --extract-certificates -- /path/to/app.app then locate the 1.2.840.113635.100.6.1.32 bit mentioned by Quinn in this post. I however do it by simply opening the certifiacte with Keychain Access, where I can investigate the content of the certificate, rather than use that tool he does. Then, I do the following to attempt to cloud sign via xcodebuild: Create an API Key for the whole team in Users and Access > Integrations > App Store Connect with the "Admin" role selected. Download the private key .p8 file to ~/Downloads. Sign out of my Apple ID in Xcode by removing the account in Settings > Accounts. Create an archive: xcodebuild archive -scheme "<redacted scheme name>" -archivePath ~/Downloads/archive.xcarchive -authenticationKeyIssuerID <redacted issuer id> -authenticationKeyID <redacted key id> -authenticationKeyPath ~/Downloads/AuthKey_<redacted key id>.p8 -allowProvisioningUpdates The archive is successfully created, with a new "Apple Development: Created via API (TEAM ID)" naming. Export the archive: xcodebuild -exportArchive -archivePath ~/Downloads/archive.xcarchive -authenticationKeyIssuerID <redacted issuer id> -authenticationKeyID <redacted key id> -authenticationKeyPath ~/Downloads/AuthKey_<redacted key id>.p8 -allowProvisioningUpdates -exportOptionsPlist ~/Downloads/exportOptions.plist -exportPath ~/Downloads which then fails: 2025-03-07 10:27:58.706 xcodebuild[2152:40704] [MT] IDEDistribution: -[IDEDistributionLogging _createLoggingBundleAtPath:]: Created bundle at path "/var/folders/tn/yy7ynz3d0yb4p3sd_5q_wl0h0000gn/T/<redacted app name> macOS_2025-03-07_10-27-58.706.xcdistributionlogs". error: exportArchive Cloud signing permission error error: exportArchive No signing certificate "Developer ID Application" found ** EXPORT FAILED ** Opening the distribution logs, I find this in the Provisioning Log: 2025-03-07 09:09:58 +0000 2025-03-07 09:09:58 +0000 IDEProvisioningRepair(<redacted app name>.app): 2025-03-07 09:09:58 +0000 IDEProvisioningRepair(<redacted app name>.app): Sending request 84E57539-BC1D-407A-8402-7BCE9F2FD100 to <https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/xcbuild/v1/certificates> for session DVTServicesTeamBasedSession <issuer: <redacted issuer id>; key identifier: <redacted key id>>. Method: POST Headers: { Accept = "application/vnd.api+json"; "Accept-Encoding" = "gzip, deflate"; Authorization = "Bearer <redacted bearer token>"; "Content-Length" = 116; "Content-Type" = "application/vnd.api+json"; "User-Agent" = Xcode; "X-HTTP-Method-Override" = GET; "X-Xcode-Version" = "16.2 (16C5032a)"; } Payload: {"urlEncodedQueryParams":"teamId=<redacted team id>&filter%5BcertificateType%5D=DEVELOPER_ID_APPLICATION_MANAGED&limit=200"} 2025-03-07 09:09:59 +0000 2025-03-07 09:09:59 +0000 IDEProvisioningRepair(<redacted app name>.app): 2025-03-07 09:09:59 +0000 IDEProvisioningRepair(<redacted app name>.app): Received response for 84E57539-BC1D-407A-8402-7BCE9F2FD100 @ <https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/xcbuild/v1/certificates>. Code = 0 2025-03-07 09:09:59 +0000 2025-03-07 09:09:59 +0000 IDEProvisioningRepair(<redacted app name>.app): 2025-03-07 09:09:59 +0000 IDEProvisioningRepair(<redacted app name>.app): Response payload: { "errors" : [ { "id" : "3d09690a-e26f-497f-b576-25104064387e", "status" : "403", "code" : "FORBIDDEN_ERROR", "title" : "This request is forbidden for security reasons", "resultCode" : 7495, "detail" : "You haven't been given access to cloud-managed distribution certificates. Please contact your team's Account Holder or an Admin to give you access. If you need further assistance, contact Apple Developer Program Support at https://developer.apple.com/contact/." } ] } Which is really weird, since I am using an API key with Admin rights. If I create a new key, and use it only for this command, App Store Connect does show the "Last Used" date as today after running the command. I thought some time might need to pass, but the issue has been persisting since yesterday. What could be wrong here? I do have a managed Developer ID Application certificate showing in my account but I still can't retrieve it with an Admin right imbued API key.
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Mar ’25
Resolving Tap to Pay on iPhone errors when building for App Store or TestFlight distribution
I am receiving an entitlement error from stripe terminal SDK when integrating Tap to Pay from apple in the info.plist. Im hoping that someone can give me their input on my error output rather than diving into the stripe sdk to point me in the right direction of something I may have missed with entitlements. I have been approved for tap to pay entitlement and am following the instructions here from apple: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/proximityreader/setting-up-the-entitlement-for-tap-to-pay-on-iphone com.apple.developer.proximity-reader.tap-to-pay
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Oct ’25
AppGroups data loss after App transfer and App update.
Hi, I just released a new version of an app that was transferred from another developer account. The previous version of this app used the App Groups feature to store some important data, and I would like to retrieve that data. In the new version, I’m using the same bundle identifier and the same App Group ID (which has already been deleted from the original developer account). I also added the App Groups entitlement in the project settings and set the same App Group ID. However, I still cannot access the data in the App Group. From the documentation and issues I’ve found, it seems that an app should still have permission to access the same App Group after being transferred. Did I miss something? Thanks!
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Sep ’25
Possible bug in Capability Requests tab
Hello, Recently our team requested the "Notification (NSE) filtering" capability. Our request was rejected but we sent a new request with a more detailed explanation of our need. However if we go check the status of the request in the Capability Requests tab the status is "No requests". We sent the new request yesterday. Is it even possible to request a capability after a rejected request? We really need the capability and the absence of it is blocking our progress.
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Sep ’25
certificates expired, created new certificates and missing Mac App Distribution
Hi, My certificates expired and I created new ones. But now Xcode shows me in Apple Accounts status of Mac App Distribution that the Missing Private... Howto fix the missing private key? I need to sign a .pkg for upload with Transporter. Further I generated a CSR for App License Delivery ALD certificates. https://developer.apple.com/help/account/certificates/create-a-certificate-signing-request/ And with App Store Connected I created new certificates. In Xcode I had to remove the Apple Account and add it again, after altering currency. This procedure was described somewhere because Xcode was not able to connect my account. This is fixed now.
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Notarizing macOS software
Hi everyone!! I am submitting an App for Notarization for the first time, I have several attempts, some returned invalid and other show In Progress for more than 8 hours. Is that normal? I addressed the issues that make the other ones Invalid. Thanks so much!
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How to use the WebAssembly (wasm) binary module in macos App
During the release of our macOS App, we encountered the following issue: We need to support dynamic code loading of WebAssembly (wasm) inside our App, mainly by loading WebAssembly (wasm) binary modules. We discovered a problem: a wasm file is neither an executable nor a bundle, so it cannot be code-signed. Since our App needs to pass notarization, we have not set the com.apple.security.cs.allow-unsigned-executable-memory entitlement. Without setting com.apple.security.cs.allow-unsigned-executable-memory, loading a wasm module results in an “unsigned code” error that causes the process to crash. Could you please advise on what we should do to avoid this problem? Is it possible to apply for a special entitlement to allow com.apple.security.cs.allow-unsigned-executable-memory?
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Nov ’25
unzip identifier is not unique?
In Swift I'm using unzip by launching a Process to unzip a file. I added a launchRequirement to the process in order to make sure the executable is code signed by Apple and the identifier is com.apple.unzip. After testing out my code on another machines (both physical and virtual), I found out that in some the identifier is actually com.apple.zipinfo, which broke the SigningIdentifier requirement. It's safe to assume that /usr/bin/unzip can be trusted since it's in a System Integrity Protection (SIP) location, but I'm wondering why this executable has different identifiers?
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Aug ’25
Legacy Team ID prevents adding AppClip
My iOS app was created with a legacy Team ID in 2011. When I try to add an AppClip to the app, the Team ID on the AppClip is the new Team ID. Xcode prevents the build from completing. The com.apple.developer.parent-application-identifiers entitlement (null) of an App Clip must match the application-identifier entitlement ('TYXXXXXP2.com.it-guy.MyApp') of its containing parent app. How can this be resolved? Can the AppClip Team ID be changed in "Identifiers" on the developer.apple.com?
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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
Notarization Taking 20 Hours (and still counting)
I'm developing an app using Electron Builder for a potential port to Windows in the future. I've had a heck of a time getting credentials to work and felt like I was in some sort of time loop doing the same things over and over again to no avail. I finally was able to sign my app, sign the .dmg and start the notarization process. That was last night and it still says "In Progress". If anyone is able to push it through, that would be awesome! (id: 2520e724-7069-408a-9ea4-60b23e8435a7) I saw another thread on here where people stated it was taking forever, I'm not sure if this is just because its my first time, but I was hoping to get a beta out to testers this weekend. I just need a version that doesn't get flagged as "Malware" by Gatekeeper. This is just for a standalone macOS application, not the App Store. Is there a reason that this process takes an absurd amount of time? Will it always be like this or is this just a fluke and it was a bad time to try?
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Mar ’25
Notarization status always stuck on "In Progress..."
Today, I used xcrun notarytool submit to upload my packaged Electron app for macOS—once as a .zip file and once as a .dmg—for Apple notarization. However, both submissions have been stuck at "Current status: In Progress" for several hours now. I’ve also checked the status using xcrun notarytool info, and it keeps returning status: In Progress. Could someone please help me understand what might be going wrong? This is quite urgent—if a technical support engineer or anyone from the team could take a look, I’d be glad to provide the UUIDs of my notarization requests.
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Dec ’25
pkgbuild giving signing identity error
The actual error: pkgbuild: error: Could not find appropriate signing identity for “Developer ID installer: My Name (DeveloperID)”. I'm trying to sign a program written with gfortran. The steps worked the last time (Mar 23) I built this code. The steps to error: a) xcrun notarytool store-credentials --apple-id "xxx" --team-id "yyy" Giving Profile Name zzz and App-specific password b) codesign --force --timestamp --options=runtime -s "Developer ID Application: My Name (yyy)" AppName c) pkgbuild --root ROOT --identifier org.aaa.bbb --version "1.1.1" --sign "Developer ID installer: My Name (yyy)" AppName.pkg ROOT contains the package contents At this point I get the error pkgbuild: error: Could not find appropriate signing identity for “Developer ID installer: My Name (yyy)” Are there steps that have changed. Any suggestions? Thanks, David
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General Tags:
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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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Aug ’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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Oct ’25
Notarization Rejection - The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate
Notarization Rejects Valid Developer ID Certificates - Apple Infrastructure Issue? Environment macOS: 15.6.1 Xcode: 26.0.1 Architecture: arm64 (Apple Silicon) Team ID: W---------- Certificate Status: Valid until 2030 (verified on developer.apple.com) Problem Apple's notarization service consistently rejected properly signed packages with error: "The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate." Despite: ✅ Valid certificates on developer.apple.com ✅ Local signing succeeds (codesign --verify passes) ✅ Proper certificate/key pairing verified ✅ Package structure correct Failed Submission IDs September 2025: adeeed3d-4732-49c6-a33c-724da43f9a4a 5a910f51-dc6d-4a5e-a1c7-b07f32376079 3930147e-daf6-4849-8b0a-26774fd92c3c b7fc8e4e-e03c-44e1-a68e-98b0db38aa39 d7dee4a1-68e8-44b5-85e9-05654425e044 da6fa563-ba21-4f9e-b677-80769bd23340 What I've Tried Re-downloaded fresh certificates from Apple Developer Portal Verified certificate chain locally Tested with multiple different builds Confirmed Team ID matches across all configurations Verified no unsigned nested components Waited 3 months for potential propagation delays Verified all agreements are current and accepted Re-tested with minimal test package - same error persists Local Verification # Certificates present and valid security find-identity -v -p codesigning | grep "Developer ID" 1) XXXXXXXXXX "Developer ID Application: <<REDACTED>> (W----------)" 2) XXXXXXXXXX "Developer ID Installer: <<REDACTED>> (W----------)" # Signing succeeds codesign --verify --deep --strict --verbose=2 [app] → Success Question This appears similar to thread #784184. After 3 months and ensuring all agreements are signed, the issue persists with identical error. The certificates work for local signing but Apple's notarization service rejects them. Could this be: Backend infrastructure issue with Team ID W----------? Certificate not properly registered in Apple's notarization database? Known issue requiring Apple Support intervention? Has anyone else experienced valid Developer ID certificates being rejected specifically by the notarization service while working locally?
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Family Controls + Device Activity Entitlement Missing from Provisioning Profiles (Xcode, iOS App Extensions)
Hello everyone, I’ve been stuck for weeks on an issue with Family Controls + Device Activity entitlements in my iOS app, and Apple Developer Support has not provided a solution so far. I’m hoping someone here who has successfully implemented Family Controls + Device Activity can point me in the right direction. About the App • The app is a Digital Wellbeing app called Breakloop. • It lets users select apps they want to block, requires them to complete a positive affirmation before opening those apps, and can re-block apps after a set time (e.g., 10 minutes). • This functionality exactly matches the purpose of Family Controls and Device Activity APIs. What Works So Far • Family Controls capability is enabled in the main app target in Xcode. • We have valid Apple Developer certificates (Apple Development) and a team account. • The main app builds and runs fine when using Family Controls alone. • We have App IDs for: • bl.Breakloop (main app) • bl.Breakloop.BreakloopMonitorExtension • bl.Breakloop.BreakloopShieldConfigurationExtension The Problem The provisioning profiles for the extension targets (BreakloopMonitorExtension and BreakloopShieldConfigurationExtension) do not include the com.apple.developer.device-activity entitlement even though: • The App IDs in the Developer Portal have Family Controls (Development) enabled. • The extensions have the correct entitlements file with both: com.apple.developer.family-controls com.apple.developer.device-activity • Xcode Signing & Capabilities points to the correct provisioning profile + certificate. Because the provisioning profiles don’t include the entitlement, the build fails with: Provisioning profile doesn't include the com.apple.developer.device-activity entitlement. What Apple Support Said Apple Support told me: • “Family Controls grants access to Device Activity.” • They cannot enable it manually or guarantee that profiles will include the entitlement. • They sent links to the documentation but no further assistance. What I Need Help With 1. Has anyone successfully built extensions using Family Controls + Device Activity? 2. Do I need to request any additional approval for Device Activity, or should it appear automatically once Family Controls is enabled? 3. Is there a known Xcode or Apple Developer Portal configuration issue that causes the entitlement to be missing in provisioning profiles? 4. Any working example of a project setup that uses Family Controls + Device Activity in extensions would be extremely helpful. Extra Info • We use the latest Xcode + iOS SDK. • Tried recreating certificates, profiles, and App IDs multiple times. • Followed Apple’s docs for Family Controls + Device Activity exactly. I would greatly appreciate any guidance, especially from someone who has this working with iOS app extensions. Thank you!
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Sep ’25