development

App ID

A registration in the Apple Developer portal that combines a Team ID prefix with a bundle identifier, defining the app's identity and enabled capabilities for code signing.

bundle identifier entitlements provisioning profile

An App ID is a record in the Apple Developer portal that formally registers your app’s bundle identifier and declares which capabilities (push notifications, iCloud, HealthKit, etc.) it is allowed to use.

App ID Structure

An App ID consists of two parts:

  • Team ID prefix (assigned by Apple, e.g., ABC123DEF4)
  • Bundle ID suffix (defined by you, e.g., com.yourcompany.yourapp)

Combined: ABC123DEF4.com.yourcompany.yourapp

Explicit vs Wildcard App IDs

Explicit App IDs match a single bundle identifier exactly. Required for most capabilities and for App Store distribution.

Wildcard App IDs use an asterisk (e.g., com.yourcompany.*) to match multiple apps. Useful for development but cannot use capabilities that require an explicit App ID (push notifications, App Groups, etc.).

App ID and Capabilities

When you enable capabilities in the Developer portal (push notifications, iCloud, Associated Domains, etc.), they are registered against your App ID. Your provisioning profile inherits these capabilities. If you add a new capability to your App ID, you must regenerate your provisioning profile.

Creating an App ID

  1. Go to developer.apple.com > Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles > Identifiers
  2. Click ”+” and select “App IDs” > “App”
  3. Enter a description and your bundle identifier
  4. Enable the capabilities your app needs
  5. Click Register