Trying to distribute app to Apple Store

I created an MadOS app with xcode 16.5 with a developer id certificate. I've been trying to install a distribution certificate for over a week with several co-workers. I can add a distribution certificate to my key chain, and created a provisioning profile. I've tried every combination but none work. I put xcode in automatic signing but can only see my developer id, if I put it in manual with and without a provisioning profile but if I give the app binary, other users can't run the app because the certificate isn't working. I need support to work with me to look the developer portal and my system to figure this out.

Answered by DTS Engineer in 843084022

I just wanna check some assumptions here. It sounds like you’re trying to upload a Mac app to the App Store. Is that right?

Are you have problems signing your app? Or running your app after you’ve signed it?

Because the latter is not something that you should expect to work. If you sign code for App Store distribution, the only thing you can do with that code is upload it to the App Store. There isn’t a supported way to run such code locally.

I talk about this in a lot more detail in Don’t Run App Store Distribution-Signed Code.

Share and Enjoy

Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

Hello,

If your app is to be distributed via the App Store, then you should not be using a Developer ID certificate to sign your app. Developer ID certificates are only used for distributing apps outside of the App Store.

I would suggest you use automatic signing in Xcode if possible because Xcode will do a lot of the work for you to make your app work properly, such as updating your provisioning profile. Can you describe the error you are getting with automatic signing?

Please see Distributing your app for beta testing and releases for more information on how to upload your app to Appstore Connect.

Distributing your app to registered devices has more information on distributing apps to your team for testing.

I've followed yours and your suggested instructions and have been able to load my cert. All things look good until I build the app and I get the following error. I'm first pasting the image of my project and then the error information. [https://madshot.net/10c6e510875e.png)

Could not launch “Madshot360” Domain: IDELaunchErrorDomain Code: 20 Recovery Suggestion: Runningboard has returned error 5. Please check the system logs for the underlying cause of the error. User Info: { DVTErrorCreationDateKey = "2025-06-10 19:58:02 +0000"; DVTRadarComponentKey = 968756; IDERunOperationFailingWorker = IDELaunchServicesLauncher; }

The operation couldn’t be completed. Launch failed. Domain: RBSRequestErrorDomain Code: 5 Failure Reason: Launch failed.

Launchd job spawn failed Domain: NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code: 153

Event Metadata: com.apple.dt.IDERunOperationWorkerFinished : { "device_identifier" = "00008112-0004052C22D8A01E"; "device_model" = "Mac14,15"; "device_osBuild" = "15.5 (24F74)"; "device_platform" = "com.apple.platform.macosx"; "device_thinningType" = "Mac14,15"; "dvt_coredevice_version" = "443.19"; "dvt_coresimulator_version" = "1010.10"; "dvt_mobiledevice_version" = "1784.120.3"; "launchSession_schemeCommand" = Run; "launchSession_state" = 1; "launchSession_targetArch" = arm64; "operation_duration_ms" = 235; "operation_errorCode" = 20; "operation_errorDomain" = IDELaunchErrorDomain; "operation_errorWorker" = IDELaunchServicesLauncher; "operation_name" = IDERunOperationWorkerGroup; "param_debugger_attachToExtensions" = 0; "param_debugger_attachToXPC" = 1; "param_debugger_type" = 3; "param_destination_isProxy" = 0; "param_destination_platform" = "com.apple.platform.macosx"; "param_diag_113575882_enable" = 0; "param_diag_MainThreadChecker_stopOnIssue" = 0; "param_diag_MallocStackLogging_enableDuringAttach" = 0; "param_diag_MallocStackLogging_enableForXPC" = 1; "param_diag_allowLocationSimulation" = 1; "param_diag_checker_tpc_enable" = 1; "param_diag_gpu_frameCapture_enable" = 0; "param_diag_gpu_shaderValidation_enable" = 0; "param_diag_gpu_validation_enable" = 0; "param_diag_guardMalloc_enable" = 0; "param_diag_memoryGraphOnResourceException" = 0; "param_diag_mtc_enable" = 1; "param_diag_queueDebugging_enable" = 1; "param_diag_runtimeProfile_generate" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_asan_enable" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_tsan_enable" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_tsan_stopOnIssue" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_ubsan_enable" = 0; "param_diag_sanitizer_ubsan_stopOnIssue" = 0; "param_diag_showNonLocalizedStrings" = 0; "param_diag_viewDebugging_enabled" = 1; "param_diag_viewDebugging_insertDylibOnLaunch" = 1; "param_install_style" = 2; "param_launcher_UID" = 2; "param_launcher_allowDeviceSensorReplayData" = 0; "param_launcher_kind" = 0; "param_launcher_style" = 99; "param_launcher_substyle" = 0; "param_runnable_appExtensionHostRunMode" = 0; "param_runnable_productType" = "com.apple.product-type.application"; "param_structuredConsoleMode" = 1; "param_testing_launchedForTesting" = 0; "param_testing_suppressSimulatorApp" = 0; "param_testing_usingCLI" = 0; "sdk_canonicalName" = "macosx15.4"; "sdk_osVersion" = "15.4"; "sdk_variant" = macos; }

System Information

macOS Version 15.5 (Build 24F74) Xcode 16.3 (23785) (Build 16E140) Timestamp: 2025-06-10T12:58:02-07:00

Hello,

Open the Console app and look at your logs for more information on why your app is not running. You might want to filter by your app's bundle ID or name to see what is going on. Feel free to post the error you see and we can determine how to move forward from that.

Accepted Answer

I just wanna check some assumptions here. It sounds like you’re trying to upload a Mac app to the App Store. Is that right?

Are you have problems signing your app? Or running your app after you’ve signed it?

Because the latter is not something that you should expect to work. If you sign code for App Store distribution, the only thing you can do with that code is upload it to the App Store. There isn’t a supported way to run such code locally.

I talk about this in a lot more detail in Don’t Run App Store Distribution-Signed Code.

Share and Enjoy

Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

Trying to distribute app to Apple Store
 
 
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