Apple Push Notification Service (APNs) Server Certificate Update: What Developers Need to Know

Apple has announced an important update to the server certificates for its Apple Push Notification service (APNs), which will come into effect on January 20, 2025 for the sandbox environment and on February 24, 2025 for production. This update involves the change of the Certification Authority (CA) to a new SHA-2 Root: USERTrust RSA Certification Authority certificate. To ensure the uninterrupted delivery of push notifications to your iOS and macOS apps, developers must update their application's Trust Store to accommodate the new server certificate.

Key Points of the Update

1. New Server Certificates:

   - The server certificates for APNs will be updated, affecting both sandbox and production environments.

   - The update will use the SHA-2 Root: USERTrust RSA Certification Authority.

   

2. Cut-off Dates:

   - Sandbox environment: January 20, 2025.

   - Production environment: February 24, 2025.

   

3. Trust Store Update:

   - To avoid disruptions, developers must ensure that both the old and new server certificates are included in their application’s Trust Store.

   - This applies to all application servers that connect to APNs in both sandbox and production environments.

4. APNs SSL Provider Certificates Remain Unchanged:

   - No changes are needed for the APNs SSL provider certificates issued by Apple that you’re already using to authenticate your connection with APNs. The update only concerns the server certificates used by Apple.

 Steps to Prepare

To ensure a smooth transition and avoid any potential issues with push notification delivery, follow these steps:

1. Update Your Trust Store:

   - Confirm that your application’s servers have both the old and new **USERTrust RSA Certification Authority** server certificates included in the Trust Store before the respective cut-off dates for sandbox and production environments.

   

2. Test in Sandbox:

   - After adding the new certificates, test the push notifications in the sandbox environment to confirm that the new server certificate is being trusted and that notifications are delivered successfully.

   

3. Monitor for Production:

   - Prepare your production environment well before the cut-off date of February 24, 2025. This will give you enough time to address any issues that may arise during the transition.

4. Stay Informed:

   - Keep an eye on further announcements from Apple regarding the APNs update and test regularly to ensure that everything works smoothly.

Why This Update Matters

Push notifications are a critical part of the user experience in most mobile applications, enabling real-time communication and engagement with your app’s users. If your app is not ready for this certificate update, you could experience disruptions in the delivery of push notifications. Ensuring that your servers trust the new USERTrust RSA certificate is crucial for maintaining a reliable connection with Apple’s APNs.

Conclusion

Apple’s update to the APNs server certificates marks a necessary step in keeping their infrastructure secure and up to date. As a developer, taking action now to update your application's Trust Store will prevent any potential disruptions to your push notification services in the coming months. Make sure to review your server setup, test in sandbox, and stay ahead of the changes to ensure a smooth transition before the 2025 deadlines.

For more information, refer to the official announcement from Apple [here]

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This blog covers the upcoming APNs server certificate update, ensuring that developers have the necessary information to avoid potential push notification failures in their iOS applications.