Scarlet iOS Certificate Revoked? How to Fix It Fast
Is your Scarlet iOS certificate revoked? It is the most common reason Scarlet and the apps you installed with it suddenly stop opening. The good news: in most cases nothing is wrong with your iPhone, and your apps can usually be reinstalled quickly once a working certificate is available. This guide shows how to confirm that a revocation is really the problem, how to fix it without losing app data, and what to use while you wait.
What a Revoked Certificate Means
Every app on an iPhone must be signed by a certificate that Apple trusts. Scarlet signs apps with an enterprise certificate, a type Apple issues to companies so they can install internal apps on their employees’ devices. When Apple finds an enterprise certificate being used to distribute apps to the public, it revokes it. From that moment, iOS refuses to launch anything signed with that certificate: Scarlet itself and every app it installed.
Revocation is not a ban on your device or your Apple ID, and it does not delete your apps. The apps stay on the home screen; iOS simply will not open them until they are signed again with a valid certificate. For a deeper look at the risks of this signing model, see our guide to enterprise certificate safety.
Signs Your Certificate Is Revoked
- Scarlet and the apps you installed with it close right after you tap them, or do not open at all
- An “Unable to Verify App” message that mentions an internet connection, even though you are online
- A message saying the app is no longer available
- All Scarlet-installed apps fail at the same time, while App Store apps still work
That last point is the key test. If only one app crashes, the certificate is probably fine and the app itself is the problem. If everything you installed through Scarlet stopped at once, a revocation is the likely cause.
Revoked, Untrusted or Something Else? A Quick Check
Several different problems look alike. Before you delete anything, work out which one you have:
- “Untrusted Enterprise Developer”: the certificate is valid, but you have not trusted it on this device yet. Fix it in Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, as shown in our guide to the untrusted developer error. Nothing is revoked.
- “Unable to Verify App” while you are offline: iOS needs an internet connection to check the certificate the first time. Connect to Wi-Fi and try again. See how to fix “Unable to Verify App”.
- Apps stop after exactly 7 days: that is the normal expiry of apps signed with a free Apple ID (Sideloadly, AltStore), not a Scarlet revocation. They need a refresh, not a reinstall.
- Scarlet opens to a blank white screen: this has several causes besides a revocation; see the Scarlet iOS white screen fixes.
- A “VPN Required” message: a VPN, DNS profile or restricted network is blocking Scarlet, not a revocation. See how to fix the VPN Required error.
- Every Scarlet app fails at once, online, after it worked before: this is a revocation. Continue with the steps below.
How to Fix a Revoked Scarlet Certificate
Step 1: Check whether a new certificate is out
Revocations hit every Scarlet user at the same time, so the fix depends on the Scarlet team signing a new build with a fresh certificate. How long that takes varies from hours to several days. Check the official Scarlet channels before you change anything on your phone; reinstalling while no working certificate exists only gives you the same error again.
Step 2: Do not delete your apps yet
Deleting an app from the home screen also deletes its data: saves, logins and settings. If you later install a newly signed copy of the same app over the old one, iOS usually keeps that data. So leave the broken apps in place until you have a working Scarlet again, unless you already have the data backed up or stored in the cloud.
Step 3: Reinstall Scarlet from the official source
- Open our Scarlet iOS install page or the official Scarlet website in Safari
- Tap Install and confirm the prompt
- If you are asked to, go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management and trust the new developer profile (step by step in how to trust enterprise developer certificates)
- Open Scarlet and check that it launches
If Scarlet still will not install, the new certificate is probably not live yet. Wait and try again later rather than trying unknown mirror sites. The full install walkthrough is in how to install Scarlet iOS.
Step 4: Reinstall your apps over the old copies
With Scarlet working again, install each app you need from the same source as before. A fresh copy signed with the new certificate replaces the broken one, usually with your data intact. Apps you no longer use can now be removed.
Step 5: Clean up old profiles
Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Old developer entries from the revoked certificate can stay there after the new install. Remove an entry only once no app you want to keep still depends on it, because removing it also removes the apps signed with it.
What to Use While You Wait
If you need an app working right now, sign it yourself. These methods use your own Apple ID instead of an enterprise certificate, so a Scarlet revocation does not affect them:
- Sideloadly: runs on a Windows PC or Mac. Connect your iPhone, choose the IPA and sign it with your Apple ID (how to use Sideloadly).
- AltStore: also needs a computer running AltServer, and it can refresh apps over Wi-Fi.
With a free Apple ID, apps signed this way expire after 7 days and you can have at most 3 of them active at once. On iOS 16 and later you also need to turn on Developer Mode. We compare all three tools in AltStore vs Scarlet iOS vs Sideloadly.
Tricks to Avoid
Some advice you will find online does more harm than good:
- Scarlet copies from unknown mirror sites. A rebuilt installer from an unofficial source can contain anything. Use the official source and check IPA files as shown in how to scan IPA files for malware.
- “Anti-revoke” DNS profiles. These block the servers iOS uses to check certificates. At best they delay the problem, and they also block a security check that protects you. Installing configuration profiles from strangers gives them control over parts of your network traffic.
- Airplane mode. Opening an app offline sometimes works for a short time after a revocation, but it is unreliable and stops working once iOS checks the certificate again.
How to Make the Next Revocation Hurt Less
- Keep copies of the IPA files you use most, so you can reinstall quickly once a new certificate is out
- Turn on the in-app cloud sync or backup where an app offers it, so your data does not depend on the certificate
- Set up Sideloadly or AltStore once, before you need them, for the one or two apps you cannot do without
- If you have a paid Apple developer account, an on-device signer that uses your own certificate avoids shared-certificate revokes; see Feather vs Scarlet iOS
- Read our sideloading security guide so you know which risks come with each method
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does the Scarlet certificate get revoked?
There is no fixed schedule. Apple revokes enterprise certificates when it detects public distribution, so it can happen a few times a year or several times in a month.
Will I lose my apps or data?
The apps stay installed but will not open. Your data is kept as long as you do not delete the apps. Reinstalling a newly signed copy over the old one usually keeps it.
Can Apple ban my iPhone or Apple ID because of a revocation?
A revocation is aimed at the certificate, not at you. Scarlet does not use your Apple ID to sign apps, so a revoked Scarlet certificate does not affect your account.
Does restarting the iPhone fix a revoked certificate?
No. A restart only helps with an untrusted or unverified certificate. A revoked certificate stays revoked until the apps are signed again.
Scarlet is working again but one app still crashes. Why?
That app is probably still the old copy signed with the revoked certificate. Reinstall it through Scarlet. If it crashes after that too, see Scarlet iOS not working: 10 fixes.
Conclusion
A revoked certificate is part of using any enterprise-signed app installer. Confirm that it really is a revocation, keep your apps in place, reinstall Scarlet from the official source once a new certificate is out, and reinstall your apps over the old copies. If you set up a self-signing tool before the next revocation, your most important apps keep working while you wait.