Why does altool return "Cannot determine the Apple ID from Bundle ID" (error 19) when publishing to App Store Connect?

Last updated: August 12, 2026

If you're experiencing issues where altool is unable to verify your bundle ID when building iOS apps with Xcode 26.2, this is a known compatibility issue. Here's how to resolve it.

Solution: Use Legacy altool

The primary workaround is to configure your build to use the legacy altool by setting an environment variable in your CodeMagic configuration.

Environment Variable Setup:

  • Variable Name: APP_STORE_CONNECT_ALTOOL_ADDITIONAL_ARGUMENTS

  • Variable Value: --use-old-altool

This can be configured whether you're using the workflow editor or YAML configuration.

Alternative Solution: Use Apple ID Parameter

You can also resolve the issue by passing the --apple-id parameter to the same environment variable:

APP_STORE_CONNECT_ALTOOL_ADDITIONAL_ARGUMENTS='--apple-id <app-id>'

How to find your App ID:

  1. Go to App Store Connect

  2. Navigate to Apps

  3. Select your desired app

  4. The App ID will be part of the URL

Background

This issue is specifically related to Xcode 26.2 compatibility problems with the newer altool verification process. Using either of the above solutions will allow your iOS builds to complete successfully while Apple and development tools work on a permanent fix.