App Transfer Impact on Universal Linking/AASA

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Created 1d

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Hello,

We are planning to transfer an app to a different Apple Developer account and had several questions regarding Apple App Site Association (AASA) and Universal Links behavior after the transfer.

We are specifically interested in the period immediately after the app transfer, but before the app has been updated under the recipient account.

We currently support Universal Links through our Apple App Site Association (AASA) configuration.

Could you clarify the following:

After the app transfer, will existing Universal Links continue functioning for users who already have the app installed?
Will we need to update our AASA file to include the recipient account’s new Team ID in order for Universal Links to continue functioning properly?
If so, is there a recommended transition strategy for supporting both existing installed app instances and newly installed versions during the migration period?

Any clarification on the expected Universal Links and AASA transition behavior during and after an app transfer would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

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Answer 1

DTS Engineer OP

Apple

5h

Thanks so much for the post.

For users who already have the app installed, Universal Links will continue to function normally immediately after the transfer in App Store Connect.

When a user installed the app originally, iOS downloaded your AASA file and verified it against the app's entitlements. Because the binary on their device has not changed, the operating system still expects the old Team ID. As long as you do not remove the old Team ID from your AASA file, Universal Links will remain unbroken for these users.

While the app transfer happens immediately in App Store Connect, the actual Team ID associated with the app binary does not change until the new owner submits an app update.

Once the recipient account compiles and submits a new version of the app, that new binary will be signed with the New Team ID. For Universal Links to work on this new version (for both fresh installs and users updating the app), your AASA file must include the new appID.

Because the AASA appIDs (or appID depending on your formatting) property accepts an array, you can list multiple App IDs for the same routing rules. You should update your AASA file on your server before the new owner releases their first app update.

When you transfer the app, make sure the AASA file contains the correct AppID is you still using the same server and url.

Albert   Worldwide Developer Relations.

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Answer 2

davidsd OP

3h

Hi Albert,

Thank you for the details! The details and transition steps are clear.

I wanted to confirm one additional scenario to make sure I understand the transition behavior correctly.

During that interim period where the app transfer has completed in App Store Connect, but the recipient account has not yet released a new app version signed with the new Team ID.

If a brand new user downloads and installs the app from the App Store for the first time, will Universal Links continue functioning normally as long as the AASA file still includes the original Team ID and appID?
Is it correct to assume that the App Store would still be distributing the existing binary signed with the original Team ID until a new version is submitted by the recipient account?

Thank you.

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