Moving your app from a developer's account into your own
Short answer: Both Apple and Google let an app move between developer accounts without being removed from the store, and users, reviews and ratings come with it. You need your own active developer account first, then the current owner starts the transfer and you accept it. The store listing is the easy part; certificates, push keys, subscriptions, test groups and the backend accounts behind the app need their own checklist.
Plenty of small businesses launched an app through an agency that published it under the agency's own developer account. That works until you change developers, the agency closes, or you want to sell the business. Moving the app into an account your company controls is routine, but it goes wrong when people treat it as one button.
Apple App Store
Before
- Have your own organization account ready. It must be active and in good standing. Apple's overview of app transfer says the Account Holder initiates the transfer and the receiving Account Holder accepts it.
- Check the criteria. Apple's transfer criteria page lists conditions including: both accounts not in a pending or changing state; both having accepted the latest paid and free agreements; at least one version released on the App Store; not on pre-order; and no version currently waiting for review, in review or pending release. In-App Purchase product IDs cannot clash with product IDs already in your account.
- Back up the app's information. Apple notes the app is removed from the old account after transfer, so the agency should export anything you may want: metadata, screenshots, reports.
- Turn off TestFlight. Apple says beta testing must be switched off for all beta versions before the transfer, by removing builds and testers and clearing test information.
- Remove Xcode Cloud data if it was used.
- Subscriptions: if the app sells auto-renewing subscriptions, the current owner generates an app-specific shared secret and shares it with you before starting, so your servers can keep verifying subscriptions.
- Sign in with Apple: a transfer identifier must be generated for each user in the database through Apple's REST endpoint before the move, and grouped apps must be ungrouped.
During
The agency's Account Holder initiates the transfer in App Store Connect and you accept it in yours. Apple says the app stays available for download during and after the transfer, keeps its reviews and ratings, and users keep receiving updates. The bundle ID stays the same.
After
- Push notifications. Apple says the existing APNs certificates stay valid until they expire, after which your team must create new ones; with keys, you create or reuse an APNs key in your team and update your push server with it.
- Apple Pay. The merchant ID does not transfer; you need a new one in your account for the next update.
- Keychain sharing keeps working only until the app is updated; after your first update, users have to sign in again once.
- Wallet passes that update from your service need to be reissued with a new identifier.
- Subscriptions: generate a new app-specific shared secret once the transfer completes, so the previous owner no longer has a working one.
- New shared secrets, certificates and profiles should be created in your account, and the next build signed by your team.
Google Play
Before
Google's help page on transferring apps sets out the steps:
- Both accounts registered and active. If you need a new account, Google's page lists a US$25 registration fee as of November 2026.
- Download reports. Bulk export, payout and earnings reports do not transfer.
- Transaction IDs. You need the developer registration transaction ID for both accounts, found in the registration receipt email or Google Payments activity.
- Payments profile on your account if the app is paid or sells in-app products. If your default currency differs, Google adjusts prices, and apps with in-app purchases are unpublished after transfer until you check prices and publish again.
- Integrated services: add your account to Google Analytics, make your account an Owner on the Google Cloud projects, and unlink Firebase projects from the old Play Console and link them to yours.
- Signing keys. With Play App Signing, you can request a new upload key, and if you have concerns about the app signing key, a key upgrade for new installs.
During
The original owner submits a transfer request; you approve it in your account. Google says its support team then reviews and responds within two business days.
After
- Google transfers users, statistics, ratings, reviews, subscriptions and store listing information.
- Orders from before the transfer stay in the original account, so refunds for them go through that account.
- Test groups do not transfer. Recreate internal, closed and open testing tracks; testers may need to opt in again.
- Promotions do not transfer, though issued promo codes keep working.
- Update ad SDK integrations such as AdMob so ad traffic is attributed to your account.
The parts no store transfers for you
A store transfer moves the listing. The app usually depends on other accounts, and these need separate handovers:
- Backend hosting and database (Firebase, a cloud provider, a hosting company): make your company the owner, not just a user.
- Domain names used by the app's API or deep links.
- Push notification services such as Firebase Cloud Messaging or a third-party provider.
- Source code repository: get the repository moved to your organization, including history.
- Third-party API keys: maps, payments, email, SMS. Rotate keys the old developer had.
- Analytics and crash reporting projects.
- Email address on the store listings: support and privacy contacts should be addresses you control.
A good test: if the agency vanished tomorrow, could a new developer build, sign and publish an update with only what you own? If not, the transfer is not finished.
FAQ
Will users have to reinstall the app?
No. Both stores keep the app live and update it for existing users. On iOS, keychain changes can mean one extra sign-in after your first update.
Can the agency refuse to transfer?
The transfer needs their action. That is why ownership of the developer account and the app should be agreed in writing at the start of any project; if it was not, talk to them early and calmly.
Do we need an organization account?
Not technically, but for a business it is usually the right home, because the company appears as the seller and the account does not depend on one person.
Should we change the app's name or icon at the same time?
Keep the transfer separate from other changes. Move it, confirm everything works, then plan your next release.
If your app is still sitting in someone else's developer account, we can help you plan the move.