Why is my StoreKit subscription status not updating in Sandbox?

When working with StoreKit in a Sandbox environment, it can be frustrating if the subscription status is not updating as expected. Here are some common reasons why this might happen and how to troubleshoot the issue.

Common Issues and Solutions

  • Sandbox Account: Ensure you are using a Sandbox testing account. If you are logged in with a regular Apple ID, the subscription status may not update.
  • Receipt Validation: Make sure you are correctly validating the receipt in your app. Incorrect validation can lead to outdated subscription statuses.
  • Network Issues: Check for any connectivity issues that may prevent your app from reaching Apple's servers to update the subscription status.
  • Time Delay: Sometimes changes in subscription statuses can take time to reflect in the Sandbox environment. It's worth waiting a few minutes and trying again.
  • App Version: Ensure you are testing the latest build of your app. Changes made in the code need to be compiled in a new version to take effect.

Example Code for Subscription Receipt Validation

// Example PHP code to validate subscription receipt $receipt = 'your-receipt-data'; $password = 'your-shared-secret'; $url = 'https://sandbox.itunes.apple.com/verifyReceipt'; $data = json_encode(array('receipt-data' => $receipt, 'password' => $password)); $options = [ 'http' => [ 'header' => "Content-type: application/json\r\n", 'method' => 'POST', 'content' => $data, ], ]; $context = stream_context_create($options); $result = file_get_contents($url, false, $context); if ($result === FALSE) { // Handle error } $response = json_decode($result); // Proceed with checking subscription status from $response

StoreKit subscription status Sandbox testing receipt validation Apple ID network issues app version