How to Create an App Store Sandbox Account

Step-by-step guide to setting up an Apple Sandbox tester account for testing in-app purchases and subscriptions during development.

Apple requires you to test in-app purchases using a Sandbox tester account — a special Apple ID that can complete purchases without being charged real money. This guide walks you through the entire process.

What You Need Before You Start

An active Apple Developer account (paid, $99/year)
Access to App Store Connect at appstoreconnect.apple.com
A test device running iOS (not the Simulator — Sandbox accounts do not work on the iOS Simulator)
An email address that has never been used for an Apple ID

Go to appstoreconnect.apple.com and sign in with your Apple Developer account credentials.

Step 2: Open the Sandbox Testers Section

Click Users and Access in the top navigation bar.
In the left sidebar, click Sandbox under the Testers heading.
Click the + (Add) button to create a new Sandbox tester.

Step 3: Fill In the Tester Details

You will see a form with several fields:

First Name / Last Name — Use any name. This is only for your reference.
Email — Enter an email address that has never been used to create an Apple ID. If you use an existing Apple ID email, setup will fail.
Password — Choose a strong password. You will enter this on the test device.
Date of Birth — Must be 18 years or older to make purchases.
App Store Territory — Select the storefront you want to test. If you are testing German pricing or German-only products, select Germany.

Click Create when done.

Step 4: Sign Out of Your Apple ID on the Test Device

Before signing in with your Sandbox account, sign out of the real Apple ID on your device:

Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap your name at the top.
Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
Enter your real Apple ID password when prompted, and confirm the sign-out.

Tip: Do not use your primary personal device for Sandbox testing. Use a dedicated test device or a spare device to avoid disrupting your real purchases, subscriptions, and iCloud data.

Step 5: Trigger a Purchase in Your App

You do not sign in with the Sandbox account through the Settings app. Instead:

Open your app on the test device.
Navigate to any screen that triggers an in-app purchase.
Tap the purchase button.
When the App Store sign-in prompt appears, enter your Sandbox tester email and password.

iOS will sign in to the Sandbox environment automatically and process a test transaction at no charge.

Step 6: Confirm the Purchase Worked

After completing the flow you should see:

A confirmation dialog indicating the purchase was successful.
The purchased feature or content unlocked in your app.
No charge on any payment method — Sandbox purchases are always free.

Troubleshooting

“This Apple ID has not yet been used in the App Store” — Tap Review and accept the Terms and Conditions using your Sandbox credentials, then retry the purchase.

“Authentication failed” — Double-check that you typed the Sandbox email and password correctly. These credentials are separate from any real Apple ID.

Purchase button is greyed out or missing — Make sure in-app purchases are configured and approved in App Store Connect, and that your provisioning profile includes the In-App Purchases capability.

Sandbox works but production purchases fail — Sandbox accounts only work against the Sandbox environment. Use a real Apple ID for production testing.

Managing Sandbox Accounts

You can create multiple Sandbox accounts for different territories or to test subscription renewal cycles. To delete a Sandbox tester, return to Users and Access → Sandbox Testers, select the account, and click Delete.

Subscription renewals are accelerated in the Sandbox environment: a 1-month subscription renews every 5 minutes, making it practical to test the full subscription lifecycle quickly.