Apple Developer FAQ – Aware3

Apple Developer FAQs

How do I accept the Pending Agreement in Apple Developer?

Go to the Apple Developer website here.
Click Account at the top of the page.
Sign into Apple Developer using the Account Holder's Apple ID. (Helpful hint, make sure you are logging in using your organization’s Apple ID vs. an individual Apple ID.)
When you login, you will see a red or yellow banner at the top of the page that states, “The Apple Developer Program License Agreement has been updated.” Click Review Agreement on the right-hand side of this banner.
From here, you will see a popup window with your pending agreement. If you do not see the popup window, you might need to disable any popup blockers you have installed.
Review this agreement and then click I agree.
Once you have accepted the agreement, the banner notifying you of the agreement at the top of the page will be gone.

My app was previously published under FACTS’s account. How do I set up my Apple Developer Account?

Click here to see Apple’s overview of what’s needed to set up your Apple Developer Account. For a detailed walkthrough, click here and get started.

Here's an overview of the steps that are part of this process!

Create an Apple Developer Account and join the Apple Developer Program
Add FACTS as an admin user to your App Store Connect and Apple Developer Accounts
We will transfer your app from FACTS's developer account to your new Developer Account
Check up on your graphics! Have you recently gone through a rebranding? Any changes to your icon, splash screens, and home screens can be made now! You will also need to adjust some of your splash screen sizes of your current splash screens to fit Apple's new requirements for each iOS device's dimensions. Check out our design guide for templates and inspiration here!
We will update your app!

If applicable, please send us a copy of your state and federal-level tax exemption form for 501(c)(3) verification to keep on file for our records!

If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at communitysupport@factsmgt.com! 😄

I already have an Apple Developer Account for my organization. What do I do?

That's great! Simply add FACTS as an admin user to your App Store Connect and Apple Developer Accounts.

I already have a personal Apple Developer Account - can I use this?

No, you will need to create an Apple Developer Account for your organization.

I'm having trouble with Apple's Two-Factor Authentication process. Help!

You may have Two-Step Verification turned on. If so, you'll want to switch to Two-Factor Authentication. Read more here!

What is a DUNS number?

Assigned and maintained by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), the D-U-N-S Number is widely used as a standard business identifier. Apple uses it to verify your organization's legal status. You can read more here.

Help! I can no longer find my app in the App Store. What should I do?

The two most common reasons that an app becomes unavailable in the App Store are:

The Apple Developer Membership for your organization has expired and Apple has removed your app until the agreement is renewed.
Apple has updated their guidelines and is removing apps that are outdated and have not been updated in a while. Since your last update, Apple has revised their guidelines to require an Apple Developer Account owned by the content creator - you. Previously, we have published your app in FACTS's name. Apple now requires that your app be published under your own Apple Developer Account.

What are my next steps?

Check to see if you have an Apple ID for your organization’s Apple Developer account. If you do, please see the question, “I received an email stating my membership in Apple Developer has expired, how do I renew my account?”
If you do not have an Apple ID for your organization, you will need to set up a Developer Account for your organization in order to get your app back up in the App Store (per Apple’s rules). See the question, “My app was previously published under FACTS’s account. How do I set up my Apple Developer Account?”

I received an email stating my membership in Apple Developer has expired, how do I renew my account?

Go to the Apple Developer website here.
Click Account at the top of the page.
Sign into Apple Developer using the Account Holder's Apple ID. (Helpful hint, make sure you are logging in using your organization’s Apple ID vs. an individual Apple ID.)
Next to the Developer Program Membership alert, click Renew Membership.
Click Continue.
Enter your credit card information to pay for another year of membership.

*Note: Apple does have an auto-renewal program if you'd like to enroll in that for the future. Contact Apple Support to get started.

My Apple Developer membership expired, but I just renewed my account. How long until my app is back in stores?

Once you’ve renewed your Apple Developer membership, it usually takes Apple a few hours to get your app back in stores.

We recommend enrolling in Apple’s auto-renewal program to prevent your app from being removed from stores in the future. Contact Apple Support if you’d like to enroll in this program.

Apple sends out a lot of emails. Which emails do I need to act on and which emails will FACTS handle on my behalf?

TLDR: The Account Holder for your organization must accept the Membership Agreement and Pending Agreement, FACTS cannot accept these contracts. FACTS receives and handles all other emails from Apple.

As the Account Holder, the most important emails you need to pay attention to are any emails that mention a membership agreement or pending agreement. FACTS is unable to accept these on your behalf. Therefore, in order to keep your app up to date and in stores, please accept these agreements as soon as Apple sends you their request.

Apple will remove your app from stores if you do not renew your Apple Developer Membership. Again, FACTS cannot accept these requests on your behalf. This is the Account Holder’s responsibility. That being said, Apple does send out a lot of emails. Since FACTS is an admin on your Apple Developer account, we also receive these same emails. Therefore, the account holder can ignore all other emails from Apple, except Pending Membership agreements and Membership Expiration emails.

How do I accept the Apple Paid Applications Schedule Agreement?

The Apple Paid Applications Schedule Agreement allows Apple to update and release paid apps via your organization’s Apple Developer Account. Your app with FACTS will always be free for your users. This agreement will only show up on your account if the Account Holder of your organization has requested the agreement from Apple. Since your app with FACTS is free, this contract is not important. However, once it has been requested by your organization’s Account Holder, you must accept it, even if you do not have a paid app. If you believe that this agreement was added to your account in error, we recommend you contact Apple as they might be able to remove it from your account.

If you have any further questions about the Paid Applications Schedule Agreement, we suggest reaching out to Apple Support here.

How often should I log into my Apple Developer account?

In order to stay up to date with Apple Developer Pending Agreements and Membership Agreements, we recommend the Account Holder logs into Apple Developer at least once every quarter.

Helpful hints:

Set up a calendar reminder on your phone to log into your Apple Developer account quarterly to make sure there are no outstanding agreements.
In the FACTS admin portal, go to Profiles > Tags and create an Apple Account Holder tag. Then tag yourself (or the Account Holder) and schedule a push notification to go out to the Apple Account Holder tag quarterly, with a reminder to login and accept any agreements. If another person on your team takes over the Account Holder role, make sure to tag them with the Account Holder tag so they receive the push notification reminders on their device.

I received an email saying my certificates have been revoked, what should I do?

This is actually a normal part of the app development process, even though it sounds scary. We handle this specific issue for you, so you can disregard this particular email.

I’ve received an email saying my app has been rejected. Do I need to do anything or will FACTS take care of this for me?

Great question! Since FACTS is listed as an admin on your account, we receive all of these emails as well. The rejection is a normal part of the Apple review process and something FACTS will handle on our end. No action is needed on your part. We will reach back out to you as soon as your app is available in stores.

The individual who originally set up our Apple Developer account is no longer with our organization. How do I change the Account Holder on my Apple Developer Account?

If you would like to transfer the Account Holder role to someone else on your team, follow Apple’s steps here.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Apple Support.

How much does this cost?

Apple charges a $99 annual membership fee, but the fee is reimbursed for eligible nonprofits. You can read more about reimbursement here, and request your reimbursement directly here.

How do I waive my Apple Developer membership fee?

You can learn more about Apple Developer Program Membership Fee Waivers and request a waiver here.

How do I contact Apple Support?

You can contact Apple Support here. Apple is great about getting back with you in just a few minutes!

If you have any questions or need help, send us a note at communitysupport@factsmgt.com!