Sandbox testers

Connect App Store Connect to change a sandbox tester's renewal rate and clear its purchase history before you rerun purchase flows.

A sandbox tester that has already bought a subscription does not see the trial offer again. With an App Store Connect API key, Astra Scout can clear that history and speed up renewals, without opening the App Store Connect website.

What you need

• An App Store Connect API key: a .p8 file, its Issuer ID and its Key ID.
• An Apple account role that can manage sandbox testers (Admin or Account Holder).
• At least one sandbox tester in App Store Connect → Users and Access → Sandbox.

Team key (recommended). An Admin creates it in App Store Connect → Users and Access → Integrations. Apple lets you download the .p8 file only once, so save it.

Individual key. Also supported. It has no Issuer ID: turn on Individual key in the pane.

Set up

1. Open Settings → App Store.
2. Enter the Issuer ID and Key ID.
3. Click Choose .p8 File… and pick the file. The pane shows the file name. Nothing is saved yet.
4. Click Save. The pane then shows Key saved.
5. Click Test Connection. On success it reads Connected · N sandbox testers.
6. Under Sandbox tester, choose the tester your iPhone signs in with.

The key is stored encrypted on this Mac and is never shown again. Remove deletes it.

Change the renewal rate

Under Sandbox tester, open Subscription renewal rate and choose a rate. The line under it shows how long a 6-month subscription lasts at that rate. Apple may take up to an hour to apply it.

Apple renews a sandbox subscription at most 12 times, then it ends.

Rate	1 week	1 month	3 months	6 months	1 year
Every 3 minutes	3 min	3 min	9 min	18 min	36 min
Every 5 minutes (Apple's default)	3 min	5 min	15 min	30 min	1 h
Every 15 minutes	about 5 min	about 15 min	about 45 min	about 1 h 30 min	about 3 h
Every 30 minutes	10 min	30 min	1 h 30 min	3 h	6 h
Every hour	15 min	1 h	3 h	6 h	12 h

Astra Scout never changes the rate by itself.

Clear the purchase history

1. Connect the iPhone and open its … menu in the device toolbar.
2. Choose Clear Sandbox Purchase History…. If no key or tester is set up yet, Settings opens on App Store instead.
3. Read the confirmation, which names the sandbox account, then click Clear History.

This cannot be undone. Apple says only that it received the request, not when it finishes.

A subscription that has not ended stays until it ends. If you rerun purchase flows often, choose a fast renewal rate first.

After clearing

1. If iOS asks, sign in to the sandbox account again.
2. Open Settings → Developer → Sandbox Apple Account. iOS may have turned off Allow Purchases & Renewals; turn it back on.
3. Relaunch the app and check that it shows the free state or the paywall.
4. Run the purchase flow.

See Purchase testing for the rest of the iPhone setup.

Troubleshooting

Message	What to do
Apple rejected the API key: check the Issuer ID, Key ID and the .p8 file.	Check the three values. The .p8 file must belong to that Key ID. An individual key needs Individual key turned on.
This API key is not allowed to manage sandbox testers (it needs the Admin or Account Holder role).	Ask an Admin to create the key, or to change the role of its owner.
This sandbox tester was not found in App Store Connect (it may have been deleted).	Choose another tester under Sandbox tester.
Apple is rate limiting requests. Wait a moment and try again.	Wait a minute, then retry.
The stored key cannot be opened any more. Choose the .p8 file again.	Click Choose .p8 File… and Save.
Cannot reach App Store Connect. Check the network.	Check the Mac's connection.