How do I check which app store accounts and signing keys come with a mobile app?
Ask the seller to list every account and key tied to the app: store developer accounts, signing keys, push notification credentials and analytics logins. Then confirm in advance how each one moves to you. Without the signing key and account, you may not be able to update the app at all.
Begin with a written inventory. It should name each store account, who owns it and under what name, plus the signing keys, certificates, push notification settings and any services the app depends on, such as login, payments or cloud storage. Ask where each secret is stored and who has copies.
Find out whether the accounts belong to a company or to a person. An account in a developer’s own name can be harder to move, and the stores have their own steps for transferring an app between accounts. Ask the seller what they have already confirmed with each store.
Ask what happens if a key is lost. Some keys can be reset through the store, and others cannot, which would force a new listing and lose the app’s ratings and installed base. Have your developer check this before closing. Request a test transfer or at least a walk-through, and plan for access to be changed on closing day, with old logins removed. Include the inventory in the purchase agreement so your lawyer can tie payment to delivery. Ask who else, such as a former contractor, still has access.
Key takeaways
- Get a written inventory of accounts, keys and credentials.
- Check whether accounts are held by a company or a person.
- Plan the handover and remove old access on closing day.
- Ask who else, such as a former contractor, still has access to any of them.
Related reading
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
- 03Canadian Centre for Cyber SecurityGovernmentBaseline cyber security controls for small and medium organizations
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