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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Codesign in a CI environment (Sequoia)
Can someone please describe what is necessary to perform signing using codesign in a system that runs as LaunchDaemon. All workarounds like placing the codesigning cert + private key a custom keychain and unlock it in the session of the LaunchDaemon doesn't work anymore on Sequoia. Or are there alternatives for signing MachO binaries without codesign?
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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434
Feb ’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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406
Sep ’25
Notarisation of my .dmg taking forever. (Been 3 days so far)
Its just stuck in progress. $ xcrun notarytool history --keychain-profile X Successfully received submission history. history -------------------------------------------------- createdDate: 2025-07-21T16:46:13.233Z id: X name: X.dmg status: In Progress -------------------------------------------------- createdDate: 2025-07-20T18:44:35.683Z id: X name: X.dmg status: In Progress -------------------------------------------------- createdDate: 2025-07-20T11:24:20.319Z id: X name: X.dmg status: In Progress Its a go app; not simple but not very complicated. It is my first time notarising but even then should it take this long?? 3 days is ridiculous!
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876
Jul ’25
Notarization taking forever
I am submitting .dmg notarization requests from Sequoia 15.7.3 using xcrun submit. My developer certificate was created in the last two weeks and is valid. I have had some successful notarizations already so I know that my configuration is correct. However, for the last 48 hours all of my submissions are stuck at 'in progress'. Is there an issue with the notarization service on Apple's side?
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94
4w
Terminal command to show team for signing identity
In our local test configurations, a developer can sign test apps for device installation using any key associated with the company team. However, if a developer accidentally chooses an identity from some other team, installation fails with no information about the problem. It just mentions that no provisioning profile could be found, leaving everyone in the dark about what is wrong. Instead, we would like to pre-validate the selected signing identity by checking the team name or id. This could be done, for example, by extracting the x509 certificate from the signing identity and checking the "OU" field (which is set to the team id). However, none of the apple commands will divulge the x509 certificate from a developer id. So far our best options is to create a fake app, sign the app, then use command: codesign --display --extract-certificates This solution seems excessively serpentine. Is there no direct command that will accept the sha of a signing identity and return a nice .pem containing the associated certificate chain? Or, better yet, is there a command that takes the signing identity and simply returns the name or id of the associated team?
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341
Sep ’25
Failed Qualification After Receiving Default Mail Capability
Hi Apple DTS & community folks, I’m reaching out regarding an issue we’ve encountered with the com.apple.developer.mail-client capability for our app (bundle identifier: so.notion.Mail). We were granted this entitlement last week to allow the app to be set as a default Mail client. While everything works as expected when archiving and distributing builds locally in Xcode, we’re running into a problem when using Xcode Cloud. Specifically, Xcode Cloud attempts to archive and distribute an Ad-Hoc build, but the Ad-Hoc provisioning profile does not include this special entitlement. Since we’re using Xcode-managed profiles, we don’t have the ability to create or adjust an explicit profile ourselves. This issue only arises in Xcode Cloud—local distribution works unless we explicitly attempt an Ad-Hoc build (which is not our intent). I’ve included a screenshot of the error for reference. We found this forum post describing the same issue, where the resolution was Apple enabling the entitlement for Ad-Hoc builds. We’d like to request that Apple enable this capability for Ad-Hoc builds for the Notion Mail application so that Xcode Cloud distribution functions correctly. Thank you for your help!
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763
Sep ’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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269
Aug ’25
PKG Installer Fails Notarytool Submission Process
I am trying to get a PKG installer through the Apple codesign and notarytool process. When I submit the PKG installer I get a status message of "Invalid" and when I review the log file it has 2 errors. For "status summary" it says: "Archive contains critical validation errors", and for "message" it says" "The binary is not signed". The installer contains a flat file that is installed in the "Users/Shared" folder via the PKG installer. Here are the steps I've taken to get the installer through the codesign and notarytool process. codesign the file that's placed in the "Users/Shared" folder: codesign --options=runtime --sign 'Developer ID Application: XYZ' -v /Users/.../Documents/folder/"flat file" which I get a message saying "signed generic". Create the PKG installer with the signed "flat file". Sign the PKG installer containing the signed "flat file": codesign --options=runtime --sign 'Developer ID Application: XYZ' -v /Users/.../Documents/folder/"flat file" which I get a message saying "signed generic". Submit the PKG file with notarytool: xcrun notarytool submit /Users/.../Documents/folder/"flat file" --verbose --apple-id username --password password --team-id ID# --progress It completes and provides the submission ID. I check the status and get the error message that it's invalid. When I check the full details via the log I get the error messages mentioned above. What am I missing or failing to do?
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539
Feb ’25
Critical Issue - Turkish Developer ID Certificates Contain Unhandled Extension
Dear Apple Developer Support, I am experiencing a critical issue with Developer ID certificates issued for Turkish (C=TR) developer accounts that prevents code signing on macOS. Issue Summary All Turkish Developer ID certificates issued on October 4, 2025, contain an Apple proprietary extension (OID 1.2.840.113635.100.6.1.13) marked as "critical" that both OpenSSL and codesign cannot handle. Technical Details Team ID: 4B529G53AG Certificate Country: TR (Turkey) Issue Date: October 4, 2025 macOS Version: 15.6.1 (24G90) Problematic Extension OID: 1.2.840.113635.100.6.1.13 (marked as critical) Evidence I have verified this issue across THREE different Turkish Developer ID certificates: Serial: 21F90A51423BA96F74F23629AD48C4B1 Serial: 461CBAF05C9EDE6E Serial: 184B6C2222DB76A376C248EC1E5A9575 All three certificates contain the same critical extension. Error Messages OpenSSL: error 34 at 0 depth lookup: unhandled critical extension Codesign: unable to build chain to self-signed root for signer errSecInternalComponent Comparison with Working Certificate My previous Developer ID certificate from Singapore (before revocation) worked perfectly and did NOT contain this critical extension. This confirms the issue is specific to Turkish certificates. Impact Cannot sign applications for distribution, which blocks: DMG signing for distribution Notarization process App distribution to users Questions What is the purpose of OID 1.2.840.113635.100.6.1.13? Why is it marked as critical only for Turkish certificates? Is this related to Turkish regulatory requirements? Can you issue a certificate without this critical extension? Is there a macOS update planned to support this extension? Request Please either: Issue a Developer ID certificate without the critical extension OID 1.2.840.113635.100.6.1.13 Provide a workaround for signing with current Turkish certificates Update the codesign tool to handle this extension This appears to be a systematic issue affecting all Turkish developers as of October 2025. Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter. Best regards,
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375
Oct ’25
Provisioning profile "..." doesn't include the com.apple.developer.deviceactivity entitlement
I'm working on an app that needs access to device activity. When I add device activity entitlement, I'm getting Provisioning profile "..." doesn't include the com.apple.developer.deviceactivity entitlement. This is failing for both, the main app and the extension, and both have entitlements added. It is not clear how to add it to the profile, the provisioning profile is created/managed by XCode. When I remove the entitlement, I can build my app but it won't be able to use device activity data I reached out to Developer Support, and they sent me here. What is the right way to add device activity entitlement? I'm also seeing another issue with XCode Cloud builds. When I remove device activity entitlement. I can build my app w/o any issue, and I can also install it directly on my iPhone. However, XCode Cloud builds fail wit Run command: 'xcodebuild -exportArchive -archivePath /Volumes/workspace/tmp/d41fc2f1-4f39-4906-8941-112488e75f6c.xcarchive -exportPath /Volumes/workspace/adhocexport -exportOptionsPlist /Volumes/workspace/ci/ad-hoc-exportoptions.plist '-DVTPortalRequest.Endpoint=http://172.16.68.193:8089' -DVTProvisioningIsManaged=YES -IDEDistributionLogDirectory=/Volumes/workspace/tmp/ad-hoc-export-archive-logs -DVTSkipCertificateValidityCheck=YES -DVTServicesLogLevel=3' I suspect that it could be related to my app having DeviceActivityExtension but no device activity entitlement is present. Thanks, Peter.
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151
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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297
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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164
Jul ’25
iPad contoroled by MDM Profile can't connect Wi-Fi
iPad(第10世代、iOS v18.1)でMDMを使用してWi-Fiを設定すると、「ネットワーク「SSID名」に接続できない」という問題が発生しています。 この件についてアドバイスをいただければ幸いです。 私が取った手順は次のとおりです。 1.iPadをWi-Fiに接続し、Wi-Fi情報(SSID、ユーザー名、パスワード)をカスタム属性値としてMDMに登録します。 2. MDMから、Wi-Fiプロファイルをデバイスに配布します。 3.Wi-Fiプロファイルがデバイスにインストールされ、その後、ネットワークは自動的に切断されます。 ネットワークに再接続 4.To、OS設定の「Wi-Fi > My Network」に表示されているSSIDをタップしてください。 5.次の証明書画面で、「信頼」ボタンをタップします。 ここで、「ネットワーク「SSID名」に接続できません」というエラーが発生しました。 Appleサポートの提案に基づいて、以下を確認しました。しかし、問題はありません。 1.ルーターの電源がオンになっており、デバイスが通信範囲内にあります。 他のデバイスはWi-Fiに接続できるので問題ありません。 2.Wi-Fiがオンになり、ネットワークが認識されていることを確認します。 Wi-Fiが「オン」で、ネットワークが認識されます。 3.入力画面が表示された場合は、Wi-Fiパスワードを入力します。 入力画面が表示されません。 4.Wi-Fiネットワークに問題がないことを確認します。 接続されているWi-Fiネットワークの名前の下にWi-Fi警告/エラーは表示されません。 5.ケーブルと接続状態を確認します。 他のデバイスはWi-Fiに接続できるので問題ありません。 6.iPadを再起動します。 iPadを再起動しました。しかし、問題は解決しませんでした。 OS:iPadOS18.1 デバイス:iPad第10世代
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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412
Feb ’25
Xcode Automatic Signing Failure After Adding Keychain Capability – Mac Device Incorrectly Identified as iPod
Environment: MacBook Air Apple M2 (macOS Tahoe 26.1) Xcode 26.0 (17A324) Automatic signing enabled Feedback ID: FB21537761 Issue: I'm developing a multiplatform app and encountered an automatic signing failure immediately after adding the Keychain capability. Xcode displays the following error: Automatic signing failed Xcode failed to provision this target. Please file a bug report at https://feedbackassistant.apple.com and include the Update Signing report from the Report navigator. Provisioning profile "Mac Team Provisioning Profile: com.xxx. xxx" doesn't include the currently selected device "FIRF‘s MacBook Air" (identifier 00008112-000904CA3441xxxx). What I've Investigated/Tried: Checked the developer account devices and found that the device with identifier 00008112-000904CA3441xxxx is incorrectly labeled as an “iPod” (it is actually my MacBook Air). Attempted to manually enroll the Mac again, but it still appears as an iPod in the device list. Tried creating a provisioning profile manually, but no devices are available for selection in the device list when generating the profile. Question: Has anyone encountered a similar issue where a Mac is misidentified as an iPod in the developer portal, leading to provisioning failures? Any suggestions on how to resolve this or work around the device recognition problem? Thank you in advance for your help.
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156
4w
xcrun notarytool submit going on 48 hours "In Progress"
I've submitted my app four times, each time waiting a few hours for something to happen, then reducing the file size of my *.dmg and trying again. The first two seemed to have completed after 36 hours, but I no longer have that specific signed binary (and its a much smaller binary now anyway). The latest two are still "In Progress" and its almost been 48 hours. I know my process isn't wrong, and my app isn't somehow incorrectly built or being denied because two were accepted. The outage page shows green for the notary tool (https://developer.apple.com/system-status/) so I'm not sure what the hold up is.
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161
4w
code signature validation failed fatally - Unsatisfied Entitlements
Hello, We have a working application with several entitlements - com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client and com.apple.developer.team-identifier. Recently, the Developer ID signing certificate expired and we created a new one according to the instructions on the website. Also the provisioning profile for those entitlements expired so we edited it to use the new certificate. We built using xcodebuild in a script and signed with codesign, We supply the certificate id and the entitlement in a plist file like this : codesign --timestamp --force --sign "${application_signature}" --options=runtime "${obj}" --entitlements "${SR_ENTITLEMENT_PATH}" (those env vars hold the correct values for the cert id and plist path as far as we checked). The signing works and looks ok with "codesign -dvvv": (XXXX replaces the real file name for privacy) Signature size=9050 Authority=Developer ID Application: XXXXXX. (XXXXX) Authority=Developer ID Certification Authority Authority=Apple Root CA Timestamp=16 Oct 2025 at 11:09:53 AM Info.plist=not bound TeamIdentifier=XXXXX Runtime Version=14.5.0 Sealed Resources=none Internal requirements count=1 size=184 [Dict] [Key] com.apple.application-identifier [Value] [String] XXXXX.com.XXXX.XXXX [Key] com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client [Value] [Bool] true [Key] com.apple.developer.team-identifier [Value] [String] XXXXXX` But when the app need to run it is killed and the console shows the following: amfid: /private/tmp/XXXXX not valid: Error Domain=AppleMobileFileIntegrityError Code=-420 "The signature on the file is invalid" UserInfo={NSURL=file:///private/tmp/XXXXX, NSLocalizedDescription=The signature on the file is invalid} kernel: mac_vnode_check_signature: /private/tmp/CybereasonSensor: code signature validation failed fatally: When validating /private/tmp/XXXXX: Code has restricted entitlements, but the validation of its code signature failed. We didn't change any code or build differently (it's done by a CI jenkins job. So if the file is signed and the and has the entitlements why does it fail? what should be done? Thanks, Boaz
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184
Oct ’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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254
Sep ’25
Xcode not recognizing approved User Assigned Device Name capability in provisioning profile
Hi, I am experiencing an issue where Xcode displays a "Provisioning profile doesn't support the capability" error for the User Assigned Device Name capability, despite it being approved by Apple and visible in our provisioning profile on the Developer Portal. Background We have completed and submitted the required capability request form to Apple for the User Assigned Device Name capability and received approval. The capability appears correctly in our provisioning profile on the Apple Developer Portal and shows among the enabled capabilities alongside other standard capabilities like In-App Purchase and Push Notifications. Issue However, Xcode consistently displays the error message when trying to enable the User Assigned Device Name capability in our project settings, preventing successful builds with this functionality. Troubleshooting Steps Attempted We have tried multiple troubleshooting steps including: Regenerating provisioning profiles Performing clean builds Clearing DerivedData Manually installing profiles Adding the com.apple.developer.device-information.user-assigned-device-name entitlement manually to our entitlements file Toggling automatic signing on and off Environment Details Xcode Version: 16.4 (16F6) iOS Deployment Target: iOS 13 Profile Type: Distribution provisioning profile Capability: User Assigned Device Name Despite the capability being approved by Apple and visible in our provisioning profile, Xcode does not recognize it. This appears to be a synchronization issue between the Apple Developer Portal and Xcode's capability validation system. Has anyone encountered similar issues with recently approved capabilities, specifically the User Assigned Device Name capability? Could you please provide guidance on how to resolve this capability recognition issue? Any suggestions for resolving this discrepancy between the Developer Portal and Xcode would be greatly appreciated.
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558
Sep ’25