ESign Troubleshooting - Fix Signing Failures, Crashes & Certificate Issues
Solve common ESign problems including signing failures, app crashes, revoked certificates, and installation errors. Step-by-step fixes with data migration tips.
Quick Diagnosis
Identify the problem based on what’s crashing:
| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| All signed apps crash (including ESign) | Certificate revoked | Get a new certificate, re-sign everything |
| Only some apps crash | IPA issue or TrollStore-only app | Try a different IPA source or use TrollStore |
| Crashes after injecting tweaks | Tweak incompatibility | Disable tweak injection, sign the original IPA |
| Everything worked before, now nothing opens | Certificate revoked | Get a new certificate; data can be migrated |
Certificate Revoked
How to Tell If Your Certificate Was Revoked
If all apps signed with that certificate stop opening (including ESign itself), and they were working fine before — your certificate has been revoked by Apple.
How to Fix It
- Purchase a new P12 certificate
- Re-sign all your apps with the new certificate
- Reinstall them
⚠️ Important: Preserving Your Data
Do NOT delete the crashed apps! Once deleted, chat history and app data are gone forever.
If you need to keep your chat history or app data:
- Don’t uninstall the crashing apps
- After getting a new certificate, contact support for the data migration tutorial
- Follow the guide to transfer data from the old app to the newly signed version
Signing Failures
”Invalid Certificate” or “Certificate Expired”
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Certificate past expiration date | Get a new certificate |
| Certificate was revoked | Purchase a new certificate |
| Certificate file corrupted | Re-download the certificate files |
How to check: Open ESign → Settings → Certificate Management to view expiration date.
”IPA Parsing Failed”
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Incomplete IPA download | Re-download and verify file size matches the source |
| Corrupted IPA file | Try a different download source |
| File is actually a .zip | Make sure it’s a genuine .ipa file |
Signing Gets Stuck
- Make sure you have enough free storage (at least 2× the IPA file size)
- Close background apps to free up memory
- Force-close ESign and try again, or restart your device
Installation Failures
”Unable to Install”
Check these in order:
1. Developer Mode
- Path: Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode (at the bottom)
- Must be enabled and device restarted
- Not required (and not available) on iOS 15 and earlier
2. Trust the Certificate
- Path: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management
- Tap your certificate and select “Trust”
3. UDID Mismatch
- Custom certificates are tied to a specific device UDID
- Make sure the certificate matches your current device
Installation Completes but No App Icon
- Search for the app name in the App Library
- Check if Screen Time is restricting app installations
- Restart your device and try installing again
App Crashes
Scenario 1: All Signed Apps Crash
Cause: Certificate revoked
Fix:
- Get a new certificate and re-sign all apps
- To preserve data, see the “Preserving Your Data” section above
Scenario 2: Only One App Crashes
Possible causes:
- The IPA file itself is broken
- The app is TrollStore-only and doesn’t support certificate signing
- The app has anti-sideloading detection
Fixes:
- Try a different IPA source
- Confirm whether the app supports certificate signing
- Use TrollStore instead (if your device is compatible)
Scenario 3: Crashes After Injecting Tweaks
Cause: The tweak is incompatible with the app version, or the tweak itself is buggy
Fixes:
- Disable tweak injection in signing options
- Re-sign with the original, unmodified IPA
- If you need the tweak, wait for an update or try a different one
Certificate Import Issues
”Wrong Password”
- Double-check the P12 password — watch for typos, case sensitivity, and extra spaces
- Copy-paste the password instead of typing it manually
- Make sure the password matches the specific .p12 file
”Certificate and Provisioning Profile Don’t Match”
The .p12 certificate and .mobileprovision file must be generated together as a matching pair. Mixing files from different sources will cause this error.
Developer Mode Issues
Can’t Find Developer Mode
| Situation | Explanation |
|---|---|
| iOS 15 or earlier | Not needed — the option doesn’t exist |
| iOS 16 or later | You need to attempt installing a signed app first; then the option appears |
Path: Settings → Privacy & Security → scroll to bottom
Still Stuck?
- Join the ESign community for help
- Contact support with: device model, iOS version, and screenshots of the error
💡 Including screenshots helps diagnose the problem much faster.