Common signing problems and what they mean
Apple distribution certificates and provisioning profiles are valid for one year. When the certificate expires, App Store apps remain available, but new archives can no longer be signed. A missing private key error usually means the certificate was created on another Mac and the key was never exported. Profiles become invalid when a certificate is revoked or a capability such as push is added.
For push notifications we recommend an APNs authentication key in p8 format instead of push certificates that expire every year. The key does not expire and works for every app in the team.
On Android the upload key is the weak spot. With Play App Signing, Google holds the actual app signing key, and a lost upload key can be reset through Play Console. Without Play App Signing, a lost key is very hard to replace. That is why we check every Android app for the option to enrol in Play App Signing and keep the upload key somewhere more than one person can reach.
How we sort out your signing
We follow a fixed order so nothing still in use gets revoked by accident. For larger teams we also agree who may create certificates in future, since Apple limits how many distribution certificates an account can hold at once.
- We review certificates, profiles, identifiers and capabilities in your Apple Developer account and the signing status in Play Console.
- We recreate missing or expired certificates and generate matching profiles.
- We store everything encrypted with fastlane match or an equivalent approach.
- We update the Xcode project, Gradle configuration and CI pipeline.
- We upload a test build to confirm the fix.
When the signing error points to a bigger problem
Sometimes a signing failure simply reveals that nobody fully understands the project any more. In that case the AI code engineers at neooutput clean up the build system and dependencies. For WebViewGold apps we provide the right Xcode and Android Studio settings too, so even teams without iOS experience can sign with confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Will my app disappear from the App Store when the certificate expires?
No. For App Store apps, an expired distribution certificate has no effect on users. You just cannot upload new builds until a new certificate is in place.
What if the Android upload key is lost?
If the app uses Play App Signing, you request an upload key reset in Play Console and register a new key. Without Play App Signing, we work out with you which options are left.
Can I just revoke the old certificate?
Only after checking. Revoking invalidates every profile signed with it, which can affect ad hoc builds or internal distribution that is still running.