Hi everyone,
I’m new to the Apple Developer side of things and I want to make sure I’m handling this correctly.
I hired a freelance iOS developer to build my app. I have my own Apple Developer account (Individual), and I want the app published under my account.
The developer says he needs me to create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR), then he will generate the distribution certificate on his end and send me the .cer file back. From there, he would use that for signing and submitting the app.
My questions: 1. Is this the correct and modern way to handle app signing? 2. Should I instead just add him to my App Store Connect account with Developer access and let him manage signing through Xcode? Dev claims this won’t work, which I haven’t been able to prove or disprove. ChatGPT says it does,but other AI tools says it doesn’t. 3. Is there any risk in sharing certificates like this? 4. What is considered best practice in 2026 for working with freelancers while keeping full control of the account?
My goal is simple: • The app stays fully under my Apple Developer account. • I retain long term control. • The developer can build and submit without needing my Apple ID or password.
I’m not trying to make things complicated, I just want to do this the right way and avoid issues later.
Thanks in advance.