How to Enroll in the Apple Developer Program

Congratulations on creating your first, or perhaps first of many, iOS applications! Now that you’re ready to grow a user base, the first step to publishing your App is to enroll in Apple’s Developer Program. As explained in our introduction, you will be required to pay $99 to enroll, unless you or your organization are eligible for a Membership Fee Waiver

By enrolling in the Developer Program, you will gain access to an entire ecosystem of helpful programming resources, including app-enhancing capabilities like push notifications and ApplePay, the ability to run your App directly onto an Apple device, and many others. You will also gain access to two important portals, the Apple Developer Portal and App Store Connect. Finally, enrolling in the Developer Program is the only way to release your App to the App Store; Apple does not allow outside means for distributing applications.

Create an Apple ID

Before we get started with your enrollment, you will need an Apple ID. You likely already have one, as this is the same ID that you might use to sign in on your iPhone or iPad, or for services like iCloud, ApplePay, or Apple Music. Usually, these accounts will be linked to a personal email address. If you do not have an Apple ID, you can create one on any device using the steps that Apple lays out on their support page.

Sign in to the Apple Developer Portal

Head to the Apple Developer Portal, and sign in by tapping the Account button on the top right corner. Note that sign-in might require two-factor authentication, which usually means you’ll need your mobile device handy!

After signing in to the Apple Developer Portal, you will see your name and a “Getting Started” section. You will have access to many more features on this page once you’ve enrolled in the Developer Program.

Enroll in the Apple Developer Program

When you are ready to continue with the sign up process, click “Join the Apple Developer Program” towards the bottom of the page:

And tap “Enroll” on the next page:

On the next page, you will be asked for some personal details so that Apple can confirm your identity:

Once you’ve submitted this information, continue to the next page, where Apple will ask you to select your entity type.

Individuals can enroll in the Developer Program as themselves or as their sole proprietorships, and larger businesses can enroll as well. This walkthrough will assume that you are enrolling as an individual. Know that if you are enrolling a company, you will be required to include more information than we explain here. You can check Apple’s enrollment support page for these requirements.

After choosing your enrollment, the next page includes the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. This is the document that outlines how you are and are not allowed to use the Developer Program and the rights that you and Apple retain from your enrollment. You should read this carefully!

After you’ve reviewed the License, confirm that you’ve read and agreed to the terms by checking off the box at the bottom.

The final page is the payment confirmation page. This page lists your license number and confirms the payment that is now due.

After reviewing the information on the page, continue on to make your payment.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You are now enrolled in Apple’s Developer Program. Take some time to look around in the Developer Portal and App Store Connect so you can see everything that is available for you. In later articles, we will walk you through which features you’ll need to continue with the App submission and publishing process.