Maximum number of certificates generated

OK, given that this is in the Enterprise Distribution forum I assume that we are talking about enterprise distribution certificates.

Each enterprise developer program can have 2 distribution certificates. No more are allowed than that. The idea is that you use one of them to sign your production apps and then transition to the other as the original certificate approaches expiration. Note that when I say "approaches expiration" I mean like 6-12 months ahead of the expiration. This isn't a last moment sort of change to make. In most cases the churn of regular updates to the app will serve to get your updated signing version out there.

A new wrinkle in all of this though is the recent changes to the B2B program that allow you to self-assign applications to your own organization. If you can go down this route then you can kiss all the signing and profile mess goodbye and start using TestFlight and the B2B App Store to test and distribute your apps. I wrote all of this up after running through the process after the change was announced.

Were you able to resolve this issue?

This is uniquely frustrating. I am an open source / learning developer - and very far off needing a special paid account for pushing to the App Store.

Coronavirus is happening, people are learning, trying new things.

I've now spent most of a day clearing out provisioning certs, "installed applications" and profiles from XCode. Finally, deleting iCloud backups. But to no avail, still: "maximum number of apps for free development profiles has been reached".

I cannot fathom why. It is at best over-zealous "conversion", and at worst pure greed. The end result being stifling creativity, experimentation and learning.

So it seems to me that Apple changes rules as it goes. I accept the fact that there is max of 3 Distribution certificates allowed. We can leave with it. However it seems that there is now limit of only 1 Development certificate :-/ I don't see a logic in it.. It hasn't been the case just last year.

Now when I try to create 2nd Development certificate - I get error: Could not create another Development certificate, reached the maximum number of available Development certificates.

But I only got 1 Development certificate.