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I've been getting the "there was internal api error" message in Xcode and I've finally figured out what the problem was. Apps run with the same bundle identifier will result in this error.

Turns out that the apps aren't being deleted in Organizer. When I delete them, they disappear. But when I quit Xcode, reopen, enter organizer, the applications are still there.

Are these Applications stored in Xcode or on my iDevice? Can I go in and manually remove them? What directory?

Has anyone had this problem? Solutions?

a paid nerd
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CokePokes
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5 Answers5

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In Xcode 4 you can delete an archived application manually. Right click on it, Show in Finder, remove it as any other folder. Xcode will detect the deletion and update the list of archived apps.

Archives are just bundles with .xcarchive extension under ${HOME}/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives. They are organized in folders by date (like 2011-11-11). You can look inside using Show Package Contents menu item, like any other bundle.

djromero
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    I cannot right click on the apps in Organizer. Also when I highlight them, nothing is shown in the "Data Files in Sandbox" section below. I've been messing with this for awhile. And I'm led to believe that the files are on my device. But they are nowhere to be found. – CokePokes Oct 28 '11 at 10:59
  • xcode 4.2. I would just create the same app with the same bundle identifier then drop it into the applist in Organizer to overwrite the empty file to make it valid, then delete it. but I get that error if I try to deploy an app with the same identifier on that device. This is tiresome. – CokePokes Oct 28 '11 at 11:17
  • I've updated the answer with the path where they are in my system. Maybe you can look around that folder and figure out the problem. – djromero Oct 28 '11 at 11:31
  • Thanks for your help. It turns out that Xcode made "invisible directories" in my var/mobile/Applications folder. I had no idea they were there until I used an app that shows application paths. I ssh'd into my iphone and created one of those invisible directories. Then deleted those apps in organizer, unplugged and plugged back in. And shazam! No more duplicate indestructible apps. But now for some reason, my appstore apps are shown in the Organizer list now!? oh well. I'm not complaining. I can now deploy! – CokePokes Oct 28 '11 at 11:53
  • Worth noting, if you're on a touchpad, Ctrl+Click works as right-click. – Philipp Lenssen Nov 27 '19 at 09:37
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XCode 8

You need to clear out this folder. It is where Xcode app archives are stored.

${HOME}/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives

It will also save space on your hard drive. I found that I had upwards of 200 GB of app archives lol.

quemeful
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11

  1. Open Terminal, then goto this folder: cd ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives

  2. Perform delete all folders and files: rm -rf *

You may need root permission to perform delete.

Sujewan
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1

I had a similar problem, which turned out to be caused by my having an older version of the same app loaded to my test iPhone. I forgot to delete it before I load the newer version. Once I deleted the old version from the iPhone, it runs just fine.

nbrooks
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Rich
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0

The "There was internal api error" message box also appears when your Apple Developer member certificate expired recently, and you're trying to run a codesigned app on to your device, and it already exists on the device.

Then, when you delete the app from the device you get the "no valid codesign certificate" message. Then you realize the above, and fix your certificate (and provisioning profile) and then things work again.

At least, that's what happened to me today. ;)

Dhiraj Gupta
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