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Developer Account Migration Guide

This document provides a comprehensive guide for migrating the BusinessCard app from the personal mbrucedogs developer account to a new Apple Developer account.

Quick Migration (xcconfig)

With the xcconfig setup, migration is now a single file change:

  1. Open BusinessCard/Configuration/Base.xcconfig
  2. Update these two lines: 
    COMPANY_IDENTIFIER = com.newcompany
DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = NEW_TEAM_ID
  3. Clean build (⇧⌘K) and rebuild

That's it! All bundle IDs, entitlements, and Swift code will automatically use the new values.

Current State Analysis

Account Information

  • Current Team ID: 6R7KLBPBLZ
  • Current Bundle ID Prefix: com.mbrucedogs

Targets and Bundle Identifiers

Target Current Bundle ID
iOS App com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard
Watch App com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard.watchkitapp
Tests com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCardTests
UI Tests com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCardUITests
App Clip (planned) com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard.Clip

Entitlements and Services

Service Current Identifier Migration Impact
CloudKit Container iCloud.com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard HIGH - Data loss risk
App Group group.com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard Medium - Local data only
Push Notifications aps-environment: development Low - Re-register
Associated Domains (planned) appclips:cards.example.com Low - Domain-based

Migration Complexity Rating: MODERATE-HIGH

The main complexity comes from CloudKit. If users have data stored in CloudKit, changing the container identifier means:

  • Users lose access to their synced data
  • No automatic migration path exists
  • Manual data export/import would be required

Pre-Migration Checklist

Before You Start

  • Create the new Apple Developer Account
  • Note the new Team ID (found in Membership section of developer portal)
  • Decide on new bundle ID prefix (e.g., com.newcompany)
  • Plan for CloudKit data migration (if app is in production)
  • If app is NOT yet released, migration is straightforward

Migration Steps

Step 1: Update Team ID in Xcode

Files affected: project.pbxproj

  1. Open project in Xcode
  2. Select project in navigator
  3. For each target, go to Signing & Capabilities
  4. Change Team dropdown to new account
  5. Xcode will update DEVELOPMENT_TEAM in 9 places

Or manually replace in BusinessCard.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj:

Find:    DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = 6R7KLBPBLZ;
Replace: DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = NEW_TEAM_ID;

Step 2: Update Bundle Identifiers

Files affected: project.pbxproj

Old New
com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard com.newcompany.BusinessCard
com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard.watchkitapp com.newcompany.BusinessCard.watchkitapp
com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCardTests com.newcompany.BusinessCardTests
com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCardUITests com.newcompany.BusinessCardUITests
  1. In Xcode, select each target
  2. Update Bundle Identifier in General tab
  3. Verify watch app bundle ID is prefixed with iOS app bundle ID

Step 3: Update CloudKit Container

Files affected: BusinessCard/BusinessCard.entitlements

<!-- Old -->
<key>com.apple.developer.icloud-container-identifiers</key>
<array>
    <string>iCloud.com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard</string>
</array>

<!-- New -->
<key>com.apple.developer.icloud-container-identifiers</key>
<array>
    <string>iCloud.com.newcompany.BusinessCard</string>
</array>

CRITICAL: This creates a NEW, EMPTY CloudKit container. See Data Migration section below.

Step 4: Update App Group

Files affected: BusinessCard/BusinessCard.entitlements

<!-- Old -->
<key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key>
<array>
    <string>group.com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard</string>
</array>

<!-- New -->
<key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key>
<array>
    <string>group.com.newcompany.BusinessCard</string>
</array>

Impact: App Group is used for sharing data between the iOS app and extensions (not watch). Local data in the old group will be inaccessible.

Step 5: Register New Identifiers in Developer Portal

In the new Apple Developer account portal:

  1. Identifiers > App IDs

    • Register com.newcompany.BusinessCard
    • Register com.newcompany.BusinessCard.watchkitapp
    • Register com.newcompany.BusinessCard.Clip (for App Clip)

  2. Identifiers > iCloud Containers

    • Create iCloud.com.newcompany.BusinessCard

  3. Identifiers > App Groups

    • Create group.com.newcompany.BusinessCard

  4. Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles

    • Create new provisioning profiles for all targets
    • Xcode can auto-manage this if "Automatically manage signing" is enabled

Step 6: Update Code References

Search and replace in codebase for hardcoded identifiers.

Files to check (based on grep results):

  • BusinessCard/BusinessCardApp.swift
  • README.md
  • ai_implementation.md
  • Any service files referencing container IDs

Search for:

com.mbrucedogs
iCloud.com.mbrucedogs
group.com.mbrucedogs

Example in SharedCardCloudKitService (from OPUS plan):

// Update default parameter
init(containerID: String = "iCloud.com.newcompany.BusinessCard", ...)

Step 7: Update Associated Domains (If App Clip Implemented)

Files affected: Both iOS app and App Clip entitlements

The domain itself (cards.example.com) doesn't change, but the server's apple-app-site-association file needs the new Team ID:

{
  "appclips": {
    "apps": ["NEW_TEAM_ID.com.newcompany.BusinessCard.Clip"]
  },
  "applinks": {
    "apps": [],
    "details": [{
      "appID": "NEW_TEAM_ID.com.newcompany.BusinessCard",
      "paths": ["/appclip/*"]
    }]
  }
}

CloudKit Data Migration

Scenario A: App Not Yet Released

Effort: None

If the app hasn't been released to users, there's no data to migrate. Simply use the new container.

Scenario B: App Released, Minimal Users

Effort: Low

  1. Communicate to users that data will reset
  2. Provide in-app export feature before migration (export to vCard files)
  3. After update, users re-import their cards

Scenario C: App Released, Significant Users

Effort: HIGH

CloudKit doesn't support container migration. Options:

Option 1: Dual Container (Recommended)

Keep access to both containers temporarily:

<key>com.apple.developer.icloud-container-identifiers</key>
<array>
    <string>iCloud.com.mbrucedogs.BusinessCard</string>
    <string>iCloud.com.newcompany.BusinessCard</string>
</array>

Then implement in-app migration:

  1. On launch, check old container for data
  2. Copy records to new container
  3. Delete from old container
  4. Remove old container access in future update

Complexity: Requires both accounts to grant container access, or the old account must add the new Team ID to the old container's permissions.

Option 2: Backend Migration Service

  1. Build a server that can access both containers
  2. Migrate data server-side
  3. Coordinate with app update

Complexity: Requires server infrastructure and CloudKit server-to-server keys.

Option 3: User-Initiated Export/Import

  1. Add "Export All Cards" feature (before migration)
  2. Export to files (vCard, JSON, or iCloud Drive)
  3. Release update with new container
  4. Add "Import Cards" feature
  5. Users manually export/import

Complexity: Lowest technical effort, but poor user experience.

SwiftData Considerations

SwiftData with CloudKit uses the CloudKit container for sync. When the container changes:

  • Private database records: Lost (unless migrated)
  • Local SwiftData store: Remains on device but stops syncing
  • New installs: Start fresh with empty database

If using SwiftData's automatic CloudKit sync, consider:

  1. Disable CloudKit sync temporarily during migration
  2. Keep local data intact
  3. Re-enable sync with new container
  4. Local data will upload to new container

Watch App Considerations

The watch app uses WatchConnectivity (not App Groups) for data sync, so:

  • Bundle ID change: Required (must match iOS app prefix)
  • Data sync: Unaffected (syncs from iOS app)
  • Re-pairing: May need to reinstall watch app after bundle ID change

App Store Considerations

Same Account, New Bundle ID

  • This is a NEW app listing
  • Lose reviews, ratings, download history
  • Can reference old app in description

App Transfer (Same Bundle ID)

  • If keeping the same bundle ID but transferring ownership
  • Use App Store Connect's "Transfer App" feature
  • Preserves reviews, ratings, users
  • Requires: Both accounts in good standing, no active TestFlight, no pending updates

Recommendation

If possible, use App Transfer to maintain continuity. This requires:

  1. Old account initiates transfer
  2. New account accepts transfer
  3. Bundle ID stays the same
  4. Only Team ID changes in project
  5. CloudKit container permissions may need updates

Complete File Change Summary

File Changes Required
project.pbxproj Team ID (9 places), Bundle IDs (6 places)
BusinessCard.entitlements CloudKit container, App Group
BusinessCardWatch.entitlements None (currently empty)
SharedCardCloudKitService.swift Container ID parameter
README.md Update any bundle ID references
ai_implementation.md Update any bundle ID references
Server AASA file Update Team ID

Testing After Migration

  1. Clean build: Delete derived data, clean build folder
  2. Fresh install: Delete app from device, reinstall
  3. CloudKit Dashboard: Verify new container is receiving data
  4. Watch app: Verify watch installs and syncs correctly
  5. Push notifications: Verify registration with new bundle ID
  6. App Clip: Test invocation URL with new Team ID

Timeline Estimate

Phase Duration
Preparation (new account setup) 1-2 days
Code changes 1-2 hours
Testing 1-2 days
CloudKit data migration (if needed) 1-2 weeks
App Store transition 1-3 days

Recommendation

If the app is not yet released: Migrate now while it's simple.

If the app is released: Consider using App Transfer to keep the same bundle ID and minimize disruption. You'll still need to update the Team ID and potentially CloudKit container access.

Last updated: January 10, 2026