Insights · 4 min read
Your Apple Developer membership expired. What happens to your app?
By Austin Hunter ·
The Apple Developer Program costs $99 a year, and it renews against whoever's card is on the account. When a former developer's card expires or they let the account lapse, the business behind the app is often the last to know.
What happens when it lapses
- The app is taken off the App Store, so new people can't find or download it.
- People who already installed it can usually keep using it.
- Nobody can upload an update or a fix until the membership is active again.
- Access to certificates and developer tools stops, which can affect things like push notifications as certificates expire.
Getting it back
The account's Account Holder renews it at developer.apple.com. In most cases the apps return once the membership and agreements in App Store Connect are active again, but developers regularly report hiccups: a missing renew button, or a status that stays "expired" after paying. If that happens, contact Apple Developer Support. If the Account Holder is a former developer you can't reach, that's the bigger problem to solve.
How to avoid it
- Make sure the developer account is in your company's name, with you as Account Holder.
- Put the renewal on a company card and a calendar reminder a month ahead.
- If the app lives under someone else's account, move it to yours with Apple's App Transfer.
- Do the same check for Google Play Console, domains and hosting.
We can help
If your app's accounts aren't in your name, we can plan the move and keep the app current on a care plan with everything in your name.