Distribution certificate error

Why am I seeing the error "Already have a current iOS Distribution certificate or a pending certificate request" during app submission?

This error, "Already have a current iOS Distribution certificate or a pending certificate request," typically occurs when you attempt to create a new iOS Distribution certificate in your Apple Developer account while another active or pending certificate already exists. Apple restricts the number of active iOS Distribution certificates you can have for a single developer account, which is usually limited to 2 certificates.

Why this happens:

• Certificate Limit: Apple allows a maximum of two active iOS Distribution certificates for a single developer account.

• Duplicate Requests: If you previously requested or created a certificate and did not properly use or revoke it, this will trigger the error.

• Pending Requests: If you’ve made a certificate request that hasn't been completed, it counts as a pending certificate and prevents further certificate creation.

• Team Certificates: If you are part of a team, others on the same account might have already created certificates.

How to Resolve This Error:

• Delete the Existing Certificate:

  • Log in to your Apple Developer account.

  • Navigate to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles > Certificates.

  • Locate and delete the iOS Distribution certificate that was created via the API.

• Remove the Invalid Profile:

  • Go to the Profiles section.

  • Delete the provisioning profile marked as Invalid.

• Generate New Certificates:

  • Once the existing certificate and invalid profile are removed, you can proceed to generate the certificates again.

By following these steps, you will be able to resolve the error and successfully generate new certificates for your app submission.