Question

I have an iOS app that I’ve had to rename (kept the bundle id the same, but renamed practically everything else), and now I can’t get it to run on my development iPod during the initial launch from Xcode. I’m worried that this means existing users will have a broken app if I submit it now.

Here’s the process:

No app on device.

• Clean
• Build
• Run on target device.

Runs as expected

Current app on device, downloaded from app store.

• Clean
• Build
• Run on target device.

Fails with error: “Could not launch app name. Failed to get the task for process pid“

Attempting to launch to the app from the device shows the app-launch (“zoom”) animation, but immediately closes.

But if I hit run in Xcode again (without cleaning or building) to cause a redownload of the app files, the app will run as expected on the iPod.

My question, then: Because the renamed app runs with a clean install, and runs after a “double launch” with the old app, can I expect this to work as an update? Or does the failed launch with the old app on the device mean the existing installs will just crash all the time? If so, any tips on how to fix this?

(Previous questions indicate that cleaning or deleting the DerivedData folder can fix the issue. I have tried both of these steps, but they haven’t resolved anything.)

Answer 1

Attempts to debug an iOS app that has been signed with a Distribution provisioning key will fail with the “Could not launch app name. Failed to get the task for process pid” error because the app doesn’t have the get-task-allow entitlement. It sounds like on first run either Xcode has not installed your rebuilt app over the downloaded app or Xcode has signed the app with the wrong key.

It’s likely that your app will work correctly as an update.

(I’m sorry for adding this as an answer, but I don’t have enough reputation to add a comment to your question.)