Skip to main content

Some Mac apps crashed this weekend because of expired certificates

apple releases macos sierra 10 12 4 with night shift pac man touch bar macbook pro
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Changes to Mac app certificates over the weekend caused several apps to fail to launch or crash but developers have begun issuing the necessary updates.

Of the affected apps, the developers said that the crashing was caused by the code-signing certificates expiring. The malfunction only affected Mac apps that were not downloaded directly from the App Store as these apps are certified in a different way, according to a report from MacRumors. These certificates are intended to verify an app (that’s not from the Mac App Store) as legitimate and safe to use.

These issues appear to have been caused by a “provisioning profile.” This profile is used by the app to inform MacOS that it is a legit app and has been certified. When an app developer’s code-signing certificate expires, so too does the provisioning profile.

This is a relatively new protocol. Previously apps would not be affected by a certificated expiration if they had already been downloaded and were in use. However, last year, Apple made it a requirement that all apps have provisioning profiles. This means developers need to keep up to speed with their certs.

Password manager 1Password was one of the many apps that were affected over the weekend. AgileBits, its developer, issued a warning to users that they would need to manually update the app.

“As you might imagine, we have a whole new level of understanding of the importance of expiring provisioning profiles and certificates. Our new certificate expires in 2022 but I can guarantee you we will be renewing it far before then,” said AgileBits CEO Jeff Shiner.

Soulver, another app that crashed because of the issue, sent out an update to users as well. If you were having any problems with other Mac apps over the last few days, check with the developers to see if they have issued an update that you may need to download.

Editors' Recommendations

Jonathan Keane
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jonathan is a freelance technology journalist living in Dublin, Ireland. He's previously written for publications and sites…
Here’s why people are saying to buy the M1 MacBook Air instead of the M2
Apple MacBook Air M1 open, on a table.

The once highly anticipated M2 MacBook Air is finally out. But despite how great the design looks, many potential buyers are instead turning to the M1 MacBook Air, a laptop that's nearly two years old.

Apple still sells it, of course, and as plenty of reviewers and commentators have pointed out, it may prove to be the better option for many people -- and there are three main reasons why.

Read more
Lenovo ThinkPad X13s vs. MacBook Air M1: An ARM wrestle showdown
The back lid of the ARM-powered ThinkPad.

When it comes to laptops powered by ARM-based SoC, many see Apple as the king. The MacBook Air M1 has amazing battery life, performance, and app-emulation when compared to Windows devices with Qualcomm Snapdragon compute platform SoC.

The MacBook Air stands well ahead of a Microsoft device like the Surface Pro X, which is powered by custom ARM-based Microsoft SQ1 and SQ2 silicon. Recently, though, a new challenger has come to try and take down Apple's spot at the top of the ARM-chip heap. It's the ThinkPad X13s, which is available from Lenovo for prices starting at $1,300.

Read more
4 annoying MacOS problems Apple needs to fix at WWDC
Apple logo on screen in front of group of people.

MacOS Monterey is pretty dang impressive as far as operating systems go. It’s fast, looks gorgeous, and is packed with great features that make it fun and easy to use. But despite all that, there are still many things that make it a real pain at times.

Yet there’s reason to be hopeful. That’s because we are rapidly approaching Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which kicks off on Monday, June 6. WWDC is Apple’s annual software extravaganza, where the company showcases all the latest ideas it has for upgrading MacOS, iOS, and its other software platforms.

Read more