Once your Apple Developer Program membership is active, complete the steps below in App Store Connect. These steps give the GroupApp team the access needed to prepare and publish your app.
You remain the Account Holder and retain ownership and control of your Apple Developer account. The GroupApp team works through the access you grant us. We do not need or ask you to transfer your Account Holder role.
Make sure you have the following ready:
An active Apple Developer Program membership. If you haven't enrolled yet, follow How to Create an Apple Developer Account.
Access to the Account Holder account. An Admin can invite users, but only the Account Holder can enable App Store Connect API access or accept Apple agreements.
Two-factor authentication. It must be enabled on your Apple Account.
The correct developer team selected. If you belong to more than one Apple developer team, check the team name in the top-right corner of App Store Connect.
GroupApp can only build and sign your app when your Apple Developer Program membership is enrolled as an Organization.
An Individual membership allows invited users to access App Store Connect, but it does not let them access your team's signing resources under Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles. Without that access, we cannot build or sign your app.
If you enrolled as an Individual, contact us before continuing. We'll help you understand the available options for converting to an Organization membership.
Go to appstoreconnect.apple.com and sign in.
Open Users and Access.
Select the People tab.
Click the blue plus (+) icon to invite a new user.
On the pop-up, fill in the following:
First name: GroupApp
Last name: Support
Email: [email protected]
Roles: select Admin.
Click Next, then Invite.
The Admin role gives the GroupApp team access to your apps and Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles on an Organization account. We need this access to create the signing certificates, provisioning profiles, and App Store Connect API key required to build and publish your app.
Our build service, Codemagic, uses the API key to upload app releases. You don't need to create this key yourself when the GroupApp team manages the setup.
Note: Apple invitations expire after three days. If the invitation expires, return to Users and Access, select the pending user, and resend it.
The App Store Connect API lets tools such as Codemagic communicate with your App Store Connect account to support app builds and uploads.
Before the GroupApp team can set up the API key, API access must be enabled for your account. Here’s how:
In App Store Connect, stay in Users and Access.
Open the Integrations tab.
Find App Store Connect API.
What you see next depends on whether API access is already enabled.
You'll see a message similar to: “Permission is required to access App Store Connect API. Only the Account Holder can request access.”
Sign in as the Account Holder.
Click Request Access.
Select the checkbox to accept the terms.
Click Submit.
Apple reviews each request. Once access is enabled, the GroupApp team can handle the remaining API key setup.
If you see a list of API keys and a plus (+) button, access is already enabled. You don't need to do anything else in this step.
Important: Only the Account Holder can enable API access. The GroupApp team cannot complete this step for you. It is a one-time setting for your account, so you won't need to repeat it for future releases. Once enabled, our Admin access lets us create and manage the API key.
Apple may require you to accept updated agreements before your app can be set up or released.
In App Store Connect, open Business. This section was previously called Agreements, Tax, and Banking.
Select the Agreements tab.
Check for any agreements marked as pending or requiring action.
If an agreement needs your attention, follow Apple's instructions to review and accept it.
Only the Account Holder can accept these agreements. The GroupApp team cannot accept them on your behalf.
You generally don't need to take any additional action for free apps. The agreement covering free apps is the Apple Developer Program License Agreement, which you accepted when you enrolled. There is no separate “Free Apps” agreement to find.
You should still check for any updated agreements marked as pending or requiring action. Apple periodically issues new terms, and we cannot create your app record until the latest required agreement has been accepted.
If your app will sell subscriptions or paid content, you'll also need to:
Accept the Paid Apps agreement. Once accepted, this cannot be undone.
Complete your tax forms and bank account details. The agreement must reach Active status before you can sell paid content.
The GroupApp team does not have access to your tax or banking details and will never ask you to provide them.
Once you've completed the steps above, let us know so we can continue setting up your app.
Email [email protected] or message us through the GroupApp app. Include:
Your Apple Team name, so we can confirm we're working with the correct developer account.
Whether you clicked Request Access in Step 2, or whether API access was already enabled.
Once the GroupApp team accepts your invitation and has the required access, we'll handle the remaining technical setup.
Our team will:
Register your app's Bundle ID and create its App Store Connect app record.
Create the distribution certificate and provisioning profile used to sign your app.
Generate the App Store Connect API key and connect it to Codemagic so app releases can be uploaded automatically.
Upload the first build to TestFlight so you can try the app before release.
Submit your app for Apple's App Review once you've approved it.
You'll need to keep your Apple Developer account active and respond to any new agreements Apple issues.
When Apple issues updated terms, the Account Holder must accept them by the required deadline.
If the deadline passes without acceptance, your entire team, including the GroupApp team, can lose access to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, App Store Connect, and the API. Your app releases will be blocked until the agreement is accepted.
If you're unsure whether an Apple email requires action, forward it to us and we'll help you understand what needs to be done.
Your Apple Developer Program membership renews annually. If it expires, your app will be removed from the App Store until the membership is renewed.
Keep your payment card details up to date and make sure your membership renews on time.
In most cases, the GroupApp team can create and manage the API key for you. However, you may need to create it yourself if your organization's security policies require you to issue and share credentials directly. If you're using an Individual membership, you also cannot grant the GroupApp team access to your signing resources, so contact us to discuss your options before proceeding.
If you need to create the API key yourself, first make sure App Store Connect API access is enabled by following Step 2 above.
In App Store Connect, go to Users and Access > Integrations > App Store Connect API.
Select Team Keys. You must create a team key; individual keys cannot be used for code signing.
Click the plus (+) button.
Name the key Codemagic.
Set Access to App Manager, the access level recommended by Codemagic.
Click Generate.
Download the .p8 key file and keep it somewhere secure.
Important: You cannot edit a key's name or access level after creating it. If either needs to change, you'll have to revoke the key and generate a replacement. Apple also lets you download the .p8 file only once and does not keep a copy. If you lose it, you'll need to revoke the key and create a new one.
Issuer ID, shown above the API key list.
Key ID, shown in the key details.
The .p8 key file you downloaded.
Important: Share these credentials securely. Use a secure sharing method, such as a password manager share link through 1Password or Bitwarden Send, or another expiring secure link. Together, these items provide API credentials for your account. Do not send them through regular email, Slack, or text messages.
The plus (+) icon is missing or greyed out on Users and Access.
You are signed in with a role that cannot manage users — only the Account Holder, an Admin, or an App Manager can invite people. Check the team selector in the top-right corner too.
I cannot see the Integrations tab, or the Request Access button is missing.
Integrations sits alongside People and Sandbox. Only the Account Holder is shown the Request Access button — if you are an Admin, hand this step to whoever holds the account. If there is no button but you can see a key list, access is already on.
We cannot create your app record.
Almost always an unsigned agreement. Check Business › Agreements for anything awaiting action — Apple blocks new apps until the current agreement is accepted, and only you can accept it.
We cannot access Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles.
This means the membership is enrolled as an Individual rather than an Organization. Individual memberships cannot share signing resources with invited users at all. Contact us — we will advise on converting to an organization, which Apple supports and which needs a D-U-N-S number.
The invitation was never received.
Check the address was entered exactly as [email protected] and that it is less than 3 days old. Select the pending user and click Resend Invitation.
