Why am I getting a "Cannot determine the Apple ID from Bundle ID" error during an iOS build?

Last updated: August 26, 2026

Context

When running an iOS team build, you may encounter the following error in your build logs:

ERROR: [altool] Cannot determine the Apple ID from Bundle ID '...' and platform 'IOS'. (19)
ERROR: [altool] ExitFailure (31)

This can occur when submitting an app to App Store Connect and the build process is unable to identify the correct app from the bundle ID.

Answer

There are two common causes for this error:

  1. Pending App Store Connect Terms & Conditions: If Apple has updated their terms and you have not yet agreed to them, builds may fail. Log in to App Store Connect and check whether there are any pending agreements that need to be accepted.

  2. Known issue with altool in Xcode 26: For App Store Connect accounts associated with multiple providers, the newer altool included in Xcode 26 may be unable to determine the correct app from the bundle ID unless a provider public ID is supplied. As a workaround, you can force the use of the older altool by setting the following environment variable in your build configuration:

    • Variable Name: APP_STORE_CONNECT_ALTOOL_ADDITIONAL_ARGUMENTS

    • Variable Value: --use-old-altool

Start by checking for any pending terms in App Store Connect, as this is often the quickest resolution. If the issue persists after accepting any outstanding agreements, apply the environment variable workaround described above.