In this article
Before you start
Have the following ready. Both Apple and Google will ask for most of it.
Business registration document showing the new legal name and/or entity type (articles of incorporation, certificate of amendment, certificate of conversion, or the equivalent filing from your state, province, or country).
New tax ID (EIN or local equivalent), if one was issued.
D-U-N-S Number for the new entity, with the D&B listing already updated to reflect the new name, address, and structure. See Step 1.
Company website and a work email address on your company's domain (for example,
[email protected]). Apple in particular checks this for organization accounts.Access to the Account Holder / Account Owner login for each store. Only these roles can make legal entity changes.
Updated banking and tax details, if the new entity has a new bank account or tax profile.
Start early. Verification with Apple and Google can take two to six weeks combined. If you have an app release or renewal coming up, begin the process before your old entity is dissolved.
Name change vs. entity type change
The path you take depends on what changed.
What changed | Apple | |
Legal name only (same entity, e.g., "Acme Fitness LLC" → "Acme Wellness LLC") | Contact Apple Developer Support with proof of the name change. Team ID, apps, and certificates stay the same. | Edit the legal name on your existing Google Payments profile and re-verify. |
Entity type only (e.g., LLC → Corporation, same name) | Contact Apple Developer Support with the conversion document and updated D-U-N-S listing. | Create a new Payments profile with the new details, verify it, and link it to your developer account. |
Individual → Organization (sole proprietor who incorporated) | Request a membership conversion from Individual to Organization. Requires a D-U-N-S Number. | Create a new Organization Payments profile, verify it, and link it. Account type can't be edited in place. |
Entirely new entity (merger, acquisition, new company taking over the apps) | Depending on the situation, Apple may treat this as an account update or require an app transfer to a new developer account. Ask Apple Support first. | Same as entity type change. If the new company won't control the existing account, use Google's app transfer process instead. |
Sole proprietors and DBAs. Apple does not accept DBAs, trade names, or fictitious business names as the basis for an Organization account. If you operate as a sole proprietor, you must stay on an Individual membership. Once you form an LLC or corporation, you're required to convert to an Organization.
Step 1: Update your D-U-N-S Number
Both Apple and Google verify organizations against Dun & Bradstreet. If your D&B listing still shows the old name or structure, your request will stall.
Go to the D&B D-U-N-S lookup and request page (Apple provides a free lookup tool for developers).
Search for your business. If you find your existing listing, submit a profile update with the new legal name, address, and entity type. If you can't find it, request a new number.
Attach your business registration document if prompted.
Wait for D&B's confirmation email. Updates typically take 5–10 business days; new numbers can take up to 30 days.
Allow an additional 1–2 business days after D&B confirms for Apple and Google to see the change.
Tip: The legal name on your D&B listing must match your business registration document exactly, including punctuation and suffixes (Inc., LLC, Ltd.). Mismatches are the most common cause of rejected verifications.
Step 2: Update your Apple Developer account
Apple does not let you edit your legal entity name or type yourself. All changes go through Apple Developer Support, and you must be the Account Holder.
2a. Legal name change or entity type change (already an Organization)
Sign in at developer.apple.com/account as the Account Holder.
In the left sidebar, click Contact Us.
Choose Membership and Account → Account Information Update.
Pick Email or Phone. Phone is usually faster; a support agent will call you to open the case.
Provide the following:
Your Team ID (found under Membership Details)
Current legal entity name on the account
New legal entity name and/or entity type
Updated D-U-N-S Number
Legal address and phone number
Apple will reply by email requesting business documents. Upload your registration or amendment document through the secure link they provide.
Apple reviews and updates the account. Your seller name across all apps updates automatically once approved.
What stays the same: Team ID, bundle IDs, certificates, provisioning profiles, App Store Connect users, and app records. Nothing needs to be re-signed or resubmitted.
2b. Converting from Individual to Organization
Confirm your D-U-N-S listing is updated (Step 1) and that your Apple Developer Apple Account has two-factor authentication turned on.
Update the email on your Apple Account to a work address on your company's domain if it isn't already.
Sign in at developer.apple.com/account and click Contact Us → Membership and Account → Program Enrollment.
State that you want to convert from Individual to Organization and include:
Your full name and title (you must be the founder, co-founder, or an officer with signing authority)
Organization's legal entity name (in Roman characters)
D-U-N-S Number
Website URL
Legal address and phone number
Whether the organization uses a DBA or trade name, and whether it has ever held an Apple Developer Program membership
Apple will call the phone number you provided to verify the request, usually within 1–2 weeks. Make sure whoever answers knows to expect the call.
After verification, Apple emails a form for additional organization details and document upload. Complete it promptly.
Once the migration finishes, sign in to App Store Connect → Business (formerly Agreements, Tax, and Banking) and confirm the new legal entity is shown.
During conversion, publishing may be paused. Some accounts are temporarily locked from submitting builds while the migration is in progress. If you have a time-sensitive release, mention it to Apple Support when you open the case and ask whether interim submissions can be allowed.
2c. Update Apple agreements, tax, and banking
After the entity change is approved:
In App Store Connect, open Business.
Review and re-accept the Paid Apps Agreement if prompted. The Account Holder must do this.
Update Tax Forms (W-9, W-8BEN-E, or local equivalent) with the new entity name and tax ID.
Update Banking if the new entity uses a different bank account.
If you've set a developer name that differs from your legal name (a trade name shown on the App Store), note that Apple does not allow it to be changed after your first app is created. Contact Apple Support if the trade name is no longer accurate.
Step 3: Update your Google Play Developer account
Google Play verifies your legal name and address through a Google Payments profile linked to your developer account. Which path you follow depends on what changed. You must be the Account Owner.
3a. Legal name or address change (same account type)
Sign in to Play Console.
Go to Developer account → About you (under Settings).
Click the link to your Payments profile, or open pay.google.com directly.
Under Settings, edit the Business name and/or Business address to match your registration document and D&B listing exactly.
Save. Google will prompt you to re-verify your identity.
Return to Play Console → Developer account → Account details. Upload the requested documents when prompted:
Organizations: business registration document showing the new name. The name must match your D&B profile.
Individuals: government-issued photo ID showing the new legal name.
You'll receive the review outcome by email, typically within 1–7 business days.
3b. Entity type change or Individual → Organization
Google doesn't allow you to change the account type (Personal or Organization), country, or D-U-N-S Number on an existing Payments profile. You'll create a new one and swap it in.
Sign in to Play Console as the Account Owner.
Go to Developer account → About you.
Click Change payments profile (or Create a new payments profile).
Select Organization as the account type and enter:
Legal organization name (exactly as registered and as listed with D&B)
D-U-N-S Number
Organization type, size, and legal address
Contact email and phone number
Save the profile and complete identity verification. Upload your business registration document when requested. Some regions also require ID from an authorized representative.
Once the new profile shows as Verified, go back to Developer account → About you and click Link your payments profile to your developer account.
Click Confirm and Save to complete the transition.
What stays the same: Your developer account ID, all app listings, package names, signing keys, reviews, and install history. Your public developer name is separate from your legal name and can be edited at any time under Developer account → Developer page.
3c. Update your merchant account
If you sell paid apps or in-app products:
In Play Console, go to Setup → Payments profile (or Monetization setup).
Confirm the merchant profile reflects the new legal entity, or link the new profile you created in 3b.
Update tax information and bank account details for the new entity. Payouts can be held until bank verification completes.
Don't ignore verification emails. If Google can't verify your updated details within the deadline shown in Play Console, your apps can be removed from Google Play until verification is complete. You can request a 90-day extension from Account details if you need more time.
Step 4: Let us know
Once both stores show the new legal entity, contact our support team with:
Your new legal entity name and type
Confirmation that Apple and Google verification is complete (a screenshot of each account's membership/account details page is ideal)
Any new billing or contract contact details
We'll update the legal name on your agreement and invoices, and confirm that your app's store listings, privacy policy, and terms reference the correct entity. If we manage your store listings or submissions on your behalf, we'll also re-confirm our team's access to both accounts, since access can occasionally be reset during an entity migration.
Timelines at a glance
Step | Typical duration |
D&B listing update | 5–10 business days (up to 30 for a new number) |
Apple name/entity update | 1–3 weeks after documents are submitted |
Apple Individual → Organization conversion | 2–4 weeks, including verification call |
Google Payments profile re-verification | 1–7 business days |
Google new profile + link (entity type change) | 1–2 weeks |
Our internal records update | 1–2 business days after you notify us |
These are estimates. Both Apple and Google can request additional documentation, which restarts the review clock.
FAQ
Will my apps be taken down while this is in progress? Not if you keep both accounts in good standing and respond to verification requests on time. Existing apps stay live during the process. The main risks are letting Google's verification deadline lapse or letting an Apple membership expire mid-migration.
Do I need new bundle IDs, package names, or signing keys? No. Legal entity changes don't affect app identifiers or signing. Your users receive updates normally.
My old entity is being dissolved. Does the order matter? Yes. Update D&B, Apple, and Google before the old entity is dissolved and before its bank account is closed. Once the old entity no longer exists, proving continuity to Apple and Google becomes much harder.
Can I rename the account but keep publishing under my old brand name? On Google Play, yes — your public developer name is independent of your legal name. On Apple, your seller name defaults to the legal entity name; a different trade name can only be set once, when the first app is created, and must be a registered DBA.
We were acquired. Is this the right process? Sometimes. If the acquiring company will own and operate the existing developer accounts, follow this article. If the apps are moving to the acquirer's existing developer accounts, you need an app transfer instead — a different process on both stores. Contact us before starting and we'll help you choose the right path.
What if Apple or Google rejects my documents? The most common causes are a name mismatch between your registration document and your D&B listing, an expired or draft document, or a document not issued by a government or official registry. Fix the source of the mismatch (usually D&B) and resubmit. If you're stuck for more than two weeks, reply to your Apple case email with the case number, or use the Help section in Play Console, and ask for the case to be escalated.
Still have questions? Contact our support team and include your app name and which store(s) you're updating. We're happy to review your documents before you submit them.