[FAQ] macOS CODESIGNING crash when launching Affinity apps.

[Dan C]

We have seen many reports of the CODESIGNING error for Mac App Store apps since the release of Big Sur.

Unfortunately Affinity is not the only application facing this issue, as can be seen from the below link on Apples forums - 

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252030900

We have put together a list of steps which may help, if you are still having trouble after following these steps then we recommend contacting Apple directly.

 

1. Reboot your Mac
   Some users have found that after a simple reboot, Affinity apps open without crashing, so this is worth trying first - if this doesn't help please continue trying the steps below!
    
2. Launch the app in Safe Mode
   For this, you will need to boot your Mac into Safe Mode first, please follow the below link if you are unsure how to do this - 
   https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mh21245
   
   Once booted into Safe Mode, launch the Affinity app and wait for it to load.
   Close the app and reboot your Mac in 'normal' mode.
   Relaunch the Affinity app.
    
3. Reset your App to default settings
   Resetting your app has resolved this issue for some customers. 
   You can reset your app back to its default settings by holding down the CTRL key while launching the app. When the Clear User Data window appears, click Select All and then Clear. The app will now open.
   
   Be aware that resetting your app back to its default settings will lose any custom settings such as keyboard shortcuts and brushes etc. To backup such settings before resetting the app, please watch our Affinity: Exporting User Settings and Keyboard Shortcuts video. - https://player.vimeo.com/video/189596577/

4. Clear your App Data folder
   This is the most 'destructive' of all methods, as it will complete reset your Affinity to base settings, with no files left behind. Some users have found this works, but we do recommend keeping a backup of the app data folder you remove, so as to not lose any work, assets, brushes etc.
   
   Firstly, make sure the Affinity app isn't loading/trying to open, then please open Finder and navigate to the below location. Depending on the Affinity app you have installed, and the method of which it was installed the location will be different -
   
   Mac App Store installations:
   ~/Library/Containers/[Affinity Photo/Designer/Publisher]/Data/Library/Application Support/
   
   Affinity Store Installations:
   ~/Library/Application Support/[Affinity Photo/Designer/Publisher]
   
   Select the Affinity folder at this location and move it to your Desktop. This is now the backup for your Affinity data, so do not delete this folder unless you don't have any custom settings.
   
   With the folder removed from here, start the Affinity app. You should see the app re-populates App Data with a new set of these files, then hopefully opens as expected.

Hopefully this helps resolve the issue for our users, as mentioned at the top of this post, this issue extends well beyond Affinity apps and can affect any app on your Mac. We hope that Apple will have a solution shortly, and if none of the above works for you then please contact Apple directly for further support.