Apple & iOS

iOS is the one output where LoopCodeLab cannot build on its own servers. Apple requires a Mac to compile and sign an iOS app, so LoopCodeLab writes the build recipe and hands the actual build to Codemagic, a cloud service that runs macOS machines. Your app is compiled, signed, and sent to TestFlight there. The final App Store release stays a manual step that you control.

To make this work you need three things: an Apple Developer Program membership, an App Store Connect API key, and a Codemagic account. This page explains each one and where it goes.

Prices below are current as of July 2026. Apple and Codemagic can change their pricing, so confirm the figure on the provider’s own site before you pay.

1. Apple Developer Program membership

You cannot ship to the App Store or TestFlight without an Apple Developer Program membership. This is Apple’s paid developer account, and it is the one hard cost gate for iOS.

The membership costs 99 USD per year, billed in your local currency where Apple supports it, as of July 2026 (Apple Developer Program membership details). Non-profits, government bodies, and accredited schools can apply for a fee waiver.

Enroll at developer.apple.com/programs. Enrollment can take a day or two while Apple verifies your identity, so start early. Once you are enrolled you have access to App Store Connect, which is where the next credential comes from.

2. App Store Connect API key

Codemagic needs permission to sign your app and upload builds to your Apple account. Instead of handing over your Apple password, you create an App Store Connect API key. It is a set of credentials Apple issues for automated tools.

Create it in App Store Connect:

1. Go to Users and Access, then the Integrations tab.
2. Open App Store Connect API and select Keys.
3. Generate a new key. Give it a name and a role that can manage apps (App Manager is enough).
4. Download the .p8 file. You can only download it once, so save it somewhere safe.

The key gives you three values, and you need all three:

Value	What it is
Issuer ID	A single ID shown at the top of the Keys page. It identifies your Apple account and is the same for every key you make.
Key ID	A short ID shown next to the individual key in the list. It identifies this specific key.
.p8 private key	The file you download once. This is the secret half of the key. Treat it like a password and never commit it to a repository.

You give these three to Codemagic, not to LoopCodeLab. Codemagic uses them to fetch your signing certificate and provisioning profile automatically, and to send builds to TestFlight.

3. Codemagic account and API token

Codemagic is the cloud macOS service that runs the build. LoopCodeLab generates the Codemagic configuration for you, but you own the Codemagic account and the Apple credentials that live in it.

Connect Codemagic to Apple

1. Create a personal account at codemagic.io and connect the GitHub account where your build’s repository lives.
2. Open Teams, then Integrations, then App Store Connect, and add the API key from step 2: paste the Issuer ID and Key ID, and upload the .p8 file.
3. Give the integration a name. LoopCodeLab’s generated config refers to this integration by name, so keep it consistent. Codemagic’s managed App Store Connect signing then handles the certificate and provisioning profile for you, and you do not manage those files by hand.

Add your Codemagic token to LoopCodeLab

LoopCodeLab needs to trigger the Codemagic build on your behalf. In LoopCodeLab Settings, open the mobile app credentials and add your Codemagic API token. You can find the token in Codemagic under your user settings. This token is the only iOS credential LoopCodeLab holds. The Apple key stays inside Codemagic.

What Codemagic costs

Codemagic’s free tier includes 500 free macOS M2 build minutes per month with one build at a time, as of July 2026 (Codemagic pricing). A signed iOS build usually fits inside that allowance, so many people never pay Codemagic anything.

If you go over the free minutes, extra macOS M2 time is billed pay as you go at 0.095 USD per minute. Teams that build all day can move to a fixed plan starting at 3,990 USD per year for unlimited minutes and three concurrent builds. Confirm current figures on the Codemagic pricing page before you rely on them.

How the iOS flow works

Once the three credentials are in place, LoopCodeLab drives the rest:

1. You ask LoopCodeLab to submit your finished mobile app to iOS.
2. LoopCodeLab writes a codemagic.yaml build recipe and an iOS submission scaffold into your repository and pushes it.
3. The build runs on a Codemagic macOS machine. It compiles the app, and Codemagic’s managed signing applies your certificate and provisioning profile using the Apple key.
4. On success, the signed build is uploaded to TestFlight, where you and your testers can install it.
5. The final App Store release stays manual. You review the TestFlight build, fill in your store listing in App Store Connect, and submit for Apple’s review when you are ready.

Quick checklist

• Apple Developer Program membership, enrolled and active (99 USD per year)
• App Store Connect API key created, with the Issuer ID, Key ID, and .p8 file saved
• Codemagic account created and connected to your GitHub repository
• App Store Connect integration added to Codemagic, with a name you keep consistent
• Codemagic API token added in LoopCodeLab Settings

With these done, an iOS submission runs end to end into TestFlight, and the App Store release is yours to make.

Sources

• Apple Developer Program membership details (fee confirmed July 2026)
• Apple Developer Program fee waivers
• Codemagic pricing (free minutes and rates confirmed July 2026)