By Greg Nowak. Updated November 4, 2026.
Apple updated its Developer Program License Agreement on August 18, adding new EU terms for alternative distribution, payments, and business models. Attachment 14 takes effect on October 1, 2026, and Apple is asking members to sign in and accept the agreement.
The exact acceptance deadline for your membership appears on its developer account page. If that date is missed, Apple can pause access to resources including Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, App Store Connect, TestFlight, and the App Store Connect API. For a business that depends on an app, this can interrupt releases and routine maintenance at a particularly inconvenient time.
Accepting the agreement is quick when the right person can sign in. The difficulty is usually identifying that person, finding the correct Apple Account, and receiving its two-factor authentication code. Here is the recovery sequence I would use with an app owner or agency client.
Missed the October 1 deadline?
The fix is the same after the date as before it: the Account Holder signs in at developer.apple.com/account, reads the pending agreement and accepts it. Until then Apple can keep Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, App Store Connect and TestFlight paused, which a business usually notices on the day an update has to go out. If the sign-in itself fails on the verification code, the rest of this page is the way back in.
First, identify the Account Holder
Only the Apple Developer Program Account Holder can accept legal agreements. An agency developer or App Store Connect Admin may manage releases and users but still cannot accept this agreement for the business.
Start with the email announcing the updated agreement. It should have gone to the Account Holder. If another team member can access App Store Connect, check Users and Access to identify the person with that role. For an organization membership, the role can be transferred to another employee with authority to bind the company, but that is a separate process and should not be treated as a last-minute workaround.
Know which Apple site controls what
- developer.apple.com/account manages program membership, agreements, certificates, identifiers, and profiles.
- appstoreconnect.apple.com manages apps, builds, TestFlight, store listings, users, sales, and related commercial information.
- account.apple.com manages the Apple Account itself, including its password, trusted devices, and trusted phone numbers.
If the problem is a missing verification code, work on the Apple Account first. Repeatedly trying the developer portal will not repair an outdated trusted device or phone number.
Why the verification code went somewhere else
A trusted device is an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, or Mac already signed in to that specific Apple Account using two-factor authentication. Ownership of the device is irrelevant: an iPad signed in to your personal account will not display codes for a separate company developer account.
On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings and tap the name at the top to see which account is signed in. On a Mac, open System Settings and select the name in the sidebar. If the address does not match the Account Holder’s Apple Account, look for another trusted device or use a trusted phone number.
Choose the shortest valid route back in
| What still works? | Action | Likely outcome |
|---|---|---|
| A trusted device | Approve the sign-in and use its six-digit code | Immediate access |
| A trusted phone number | Select “Didn’t get a code?” and request a text or call | Immediate access if the number is reachable |
| The password, but no trusted method | Select “Can’t use [phone number]” and follow recovery prompts | Account recovery may take several days or longer |
| The Account Holder has left | Contact Apple Developer Support about the role and membership | Identity and organization checks may be required |
When requesting a phone code, Apple can send an SMS or place an automated call. This makes a properly maintained office or backup number useful, provided somebody responsible can still answer it.
Once inside, repair the account before accepting
If you regain access through one remaining device or number, use that session to make the account maintainable:
- Sign in at account.apple.com.
- Open Sign-In and Security, then Account Security.
- Review the trusted phone numbers and add a current backup number.
- Review the trusted devices and remove equipment the business no longer controls.
- Record the Account Holder, Apple Account address, recovery ownership, and renewal date in the company’s password manager or operations documentation.
- Visit developer.apple.com/account, read the agreement, confirm the deadline shown for the membership, and accept it.
Apple recommends having an additional trusted number that is not dependent on the same iPhone. That avoids losing both the trusted device and the only route for receiving a code when one handset is lost or damaged.
Be careful with “phone number already in use” errors
Apple distinguishes a trusted phone number used for verification from a phone number used as the primary sign-in identifier for an Apple Account. Restrictions on reusing a primary sign-in number do not automatically mean the number cannot be added as a trusted number.
Check that you are editing the Trusted Phone Numbers section. Do not remove a number from a personal account blindly; that can create a second lockout. If Apple still rejects it, add another reachable business-controlled number and investigate the account identities after the urgent agreement work is complete.
If recovery is your only option, start now
Select “Didn’t get a code?” or “Can’t get to your devices?”, then choose the option saying you cannot use the listed phone number. You can also begin at iforgot.apple.com.
Apple says recovery may take several days or longer, and Apple Support cannot accelerate the waiting period. That makes September 30 a poor day to discover that the Account Holder’s only trusted number belonged to a former employee.
If nobody can confidently identify the Account Holder, the trusted methods, and the agreement status, treat this as an operational access problem rather than a development task. GrN.dk can help map the membership, coordinate with the people involved, and leave the business with a maintainable access record before the next release or agreement deadline.
Quick answers
Can an Admin or the developer accept the agreement?
No. Only the Account Holder can accept the Program License Agreement. An Admin can run releases and invite users and still has to wait for the Account Holder.
How long does Apple Account recovery take?
Apple says several days or longer, and support cannot shorten it. Any trusted device or phone number that still works is faster.
The Account Holder has left the company
For an organization membership the role can move to another employee with authority to bind the company. If the old Account Holder cannot sign in to hand it over, contact Apple Developer Support and expect identity and organization checks.
Where is the agreement in App Store Connect?
The Program License Agreement is accepted at developer.apple.com/account. The Paid Apps agreement, with its tax and banking forms, sits under Business in App Store Connect. The Account Holder accepts both.
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Need help with this kind of work?
Ask Greg to review your Apple developer access Get in touch with Greg.
