Running apps signed with a different Apple ID on a physical device

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Running apps signed with a different Apple ID on a physical device

Hello everyone,

I am new to iOS app development and have a question about the compatibility of running apps on a physical device with a different Apple ID account than the one used to sign them.

To keep my personal and study/work business separate, I use a separate Apple ID account for development. I am planning to create a developer account and link it to my study Apple ID account. However, I will be running the apps on my personal iPhone, which is logged in to my personal Apple ID account.

My concern is whether it is possible to run apps signed with a different Apple ID account on a physical device without any compatibility issues. I would greatly appreciate any insights or guidance on this matter.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Posted on Apr 18, 2023 4:13 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

MrHoffman

Community+ 2024

Level 10

124,669 points

Apr 18, 2023 4:28 PM in response to TimofeySuyargulov

iPhone and iPad are single-user devices. There is no provision to share one device (or one Apple ID) by two users, outside of some sequential sharing circumstances which don’t readily apply here.

You can load apps signed by a developer using TestFlight or such, or treating the second device as a registered testing device.

Details: Distributing your app for beta testing and releases | Apple Developer Documentation

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Answer 2

Apr 18, 2023 4:54 PM in response to TimofeySuyargulov

Reposted from the previous reply:

You can load apps signed by a developer using TestFlight or such, or treating the second device as a registered testing device.

Details: Distributing your app for beta testing and releases | Apple Developer Documentation

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Answer 3

Apr 18, 2023 4:52 PM in response to MrHoffman

Thank you for your response. However, I think there might have been a misunderstanding of my question. I am not asking about sharing one device between two users. Rather, I am wondering if it is possible to run apps signed with a different Apple ID on a physical device without any compatibility issues.

Once again, thank you for your help and I look forward to any further insights on this matter.

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Answer 4

etresoft

Level 9

50,452 points

Apr 18, 2023 5:01 PM in response to TimofeySuyargulov

TimofeySuyargulov wrote:

My concern is whether it is possible to run apps signed with a different Apple ID account on a physical device without any compatibility issues.

Sure. No problem.

In fact, all apps work that way. Apps you download from the App Store are technically signed by Apple.

Generally all you have to do is just configure your project to run on a device. That's all there is. When you run, it runs the app in the debugger via Xcode. But you can run it on your own any time you want. You just don't get the debugger when you do that. Such developer-signed apps have a pretty short lifespan. I'm not sure how long it is. I just tried an app I had installed on a personal device a couple of months ago and it still runs. I think if you don't have a paid developer account, that time might be as short as 3 days. But I don't really know.

It is definitely a good ideal to keep your personal and business accounts separate. I also recommend that you do not install any beta versions. If there is something in a beta that you really want to ship with, then you can install it on a test device, but never your personal device.

And lastly, don't waste your time running in the simulator. Use a real device.

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Answer 5

Apr 18, 2023 5:05 PM in response to MrHoffman

Oh well, thank you for taking the time to reply and provide a possible solution to my question! I'll definitely look into using TestFlight or registering a device for testing.

Your help is much appreciated, thank you again!

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Answer 6

Apr 18, 2023 5:23 PM in response to etresoft

Thank you so much for your helpful response! I really appreciate your clear explanation and guidance on this matter.

It's good to know that running apps won't cause any compatibility issues. And thanks for the tip on not wasting time running in the simulator, I'll definitely use a real device as you suggested.

I completely agree with your recommendation to keep personal and business accounts separate as it is a top priority for me, and I appreciate your caution against installing beta versions on personal devices.

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out, it's great to have such a supportive community of developers to turn to for advice!

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Running apps signed with a different Apple ID on a physical device

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