Apple — 2. Create the app and keys
Once Apple approves you: the App ID, the app record, and the two keys we need.
Everything here happens inside your approved Apple account. It's about an hour, and it produces two files we need.
You'll need the Admin role or above. If you invited us as Admin, we can do most of this for you — ask, and skip to what to send us. The one thing nobody but your Account Holder can do is switch on API access, covered on the previous page.
Two files on this page can only be downloaded once. Apple shows them to you a single time and never again. Save each one the moment it appears. If a download fails, delete the key and create a new one — there's no way to recover it.
1. Choose your app's ID
This is permanent. It can never be changed once the app exists, and it's how Apple routes everything — including which app a build belongs to.
The format is reverse-domain: com.yourcompany.app. Lowercase, no spaces, no underscores.
Agree it with us before you create it. A typo here is not fixable later; it means starting a new app record and losing anything attached to the old one.
2. Register the App ID
At developer.apple.com/account:
- Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Identifiers → +
- Choose App IDs, then App
- Description: your app's name. Bundle ID: Explicit, then the ID from step 1
- Tick "Push Notifications" under Capabilities
- Continue → Register
That checkbox is not optional. Without it the app cannot be signed at all — not "push won't work", the build fails outright. It's the single most common thing to forget on this page.
Don't create certificates or provisioning profiles here. Those are generated automatically when we build.
3. Create the push key
Same site, Keys → +:
- Name it something like
YourCompany APNs - Tick Apple Push Notifications service (APNs)
- Continue → Register → Download
You get a .p8 file. This is one of the download-once files. It's what lets your app receive push notifications.
4. Create the app record
At appstoreconnect.apple.com → My Apps → + → New App:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS |
| Name | Your app's name as users will see it — up to 30 characters |
| Primary language | Your main market's language |
| Bundle ID | The one from step 2, in the dropdown |
| SKU | Anything; it's internal only. Your company name is fine. |
| User access | Full Access |
If the bundle ID isn't in the dropdown, step 2 didn't complete — go back and check the identifier was registered.
5. Create the API key
This is what lets us upload builds without ever needing your password.
Users and Access → Integrations → App Store Connect API → +
- Name it something like
HouzezMobile Upload - Access: App Manager
- Generate, then Download the
.p8
The second download-once file. If the button is greyed out, API access hasn't been switched on — see the previous page.
Before you leave that page, note down three values shown next to the key:
- Key ID — ten characters
- Issuer ID — a long value with dashes
- Team ID — ten characters, also under Membership details on the developer site
What to send us
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Your app's bundle ID | e.g. com.yourcompany.app |
APNs key (.p8 from step 3) |
Sensitive — see below |
App Store Connect API key (.p8 from step 5) |
Sensitive — see below |
| Key ID, Issuer ID, Team ID | Not sensitive on their own |
| Confirmation that Push Notifications is ticked |
The two .p8 files are private keys. Send them using one of the safe methods on the checklist page — a password-protected zip with the password by a separate channel, not a plain email attachment.
What happens next
We build your app, sign it with your credentials, and upload it to TestFlight — Apple's private testing system. Processing takes 5–15 minutes, then you'll get an invitation.
Anyone on your Apple account can test immediately, with no review. Testers outside your company need a short Apple review first, usually a day.
TestFlight is private. Nothing is public until you say so. Testing your app walks through installing it and what to look for.