How to trust a developer app on iPhone (VPN & Device Management)
Seeing 'Untrusted Developer' after sideloading? Here's how to trust the certificate under Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, and what to do if the option is missing.
Getting startedUpdated Sep 17, 2026·3 min read
The first time you open an app signed with a developer certificate, iOS shows “Untrusted Developer”. It's a one-time confirmation, not an error.
Steps
- Open Settings → General → VPN & Device Management (called *Profiles & Device Management* on older iOS).
- Under Developer App, tap the entry named after the certificate.
- Tap Trust “…”, then Trust again in the popup.
- Go back to the Home Screen and open the app.
Every app signed with the same certificate is covered by that single Trust — you only do this once per certificate.
The Trust button is missing or greyed out
- No internet — iOS contacts Apple to verify the certificate. Turn off VPN/ad-block DNS and retry (see VPN & DNS issues).
- Certificate revoked — the entry shows *Not Verified* and Trust does nothing. Re-sign with a fresh certificate; see Certificate revoked?.
- Screen Time / MDM restrictions — a supervised device may block third-party profiles.