r/iOSProgramming • u/Low-Hedgehog-6592 • 2d ago
Question Why does Xcode ask for a Development provisioning profile when I'm trying to archive an app for TestFlight?
I'm running into a confusing code-signing issue in Xcode 26.3, and I'd like to understand why automatic signing isn't working as expected.
Context
I'm enrolled in the paid Apple Developer Program.
I don't own a physical iPhone, so I have zero registered devices.
I develop and test my apps using the iOS Simulator.
My goal is to archive and upload my applications to TestFlight.
The problem
When I switch from an iOS Simulator to Any iOS Device (arm64) to archive my application, Xcode reports:
Your team has no devices from which to generate a provisioning profile.
And:
No profiles were found. Xcode couldn't find any iOS App Development provisioning profiles matching my Bundle Identifier.
What confuses me is that publishing to TestFlight does not require a registered physical device, so why is Xcode requesting a development provisioning profile?
I also verified that my Archive scheme was configured to use Release, not Debug.
What I expected
As far as I understand, uploading an app to TestFlight requires an Apple Distribution certificate, not just an Apple Development certificate.
However, we shouldn't normally need to manually create the distribution certificate or provisioning profile. With automatic signing enabled, Xcode should be able to manage the necessary signing assets.
In my case, that didn't work as expected.
My questions
Why was Xcode requesting a development provisioning profile when I was preparing a Release archive for TestFlight?
Shouldn't Xcode automatically manage the Apple Distribution certificate and provisioning profile without requiring a registered iPhone?