Joining the Apple iPhone Developer Program can sometimes be a confusing and time-consuming process, especially for developers who are new to the Apple ecosystem. Below, we outline our experience:
- We begun by submitting our application through the Apple Developer Program portal. After submission, it is common to experience a waiting period. In our experience, Apple did not respond for approximately four weeks. During this time, we submitted several support tickets to inquire about our application status but did not receive any replies. Based on this, our recommendation is simply to be patient; Apple will contact you once your application is reviewed.
- After about a month, we received approval from Apple to join the Developer Program. At this stage, we paid an annual fee of $99 (subject to change—please check Apple’s official page for current pricing).
- Once payment was submitted, it was approved within 24 hours. You will receive confirmation via email, and your Developer Program account will be activated.
- With your Developer Program membership active, you can now request, download, and install the necessary certificates required for building and signing iOS applications. Apple provides detailed manuals and documentation that we recommend reviewing. Allocating a couple of hours (took two to us) to read these guides will help you understand the process and avoid mistakes.
- On the same day your account is activated, you should be able to compile and test your first application on a physical iPhone, not just the Simulator. This is a significant milestone and allows you to fully test and experience your app as end-users would.