EAS Build iOS uploads show success but never reach Apple App Store Connect

[technest3d-source]

Minimal reproducible example

Systemic EAS Build upload issue - affects all projects. Can create minimal reproduction if needed.

Steps to reproduce

1. Create or use existing Expo project with iOS configuration
2. Ensure app.json has valid iOS settings:
   • bundleIdentifier registered in Apple Developer
   • version higher than any existing TestFlight builds
   • buildNumber higher than existing builds
3. Run: npx eas build --platform ios
4. Build completes successfully showing "Build finished" and upload confirmation
5. Wait 30+ minutes
6. Check App Store Connect → TestFlight → iOS Builds
7. Build never appears in TestFlight

VERIFICATION STEPS:

• EAS Dashboard shows build as "Finished" with successful status
• Apple Developer Support confirms no builds received in their system
• Apple Developer Account has active membership and full permissions
• No error emails received from Apple

FREQUENCY:

• Issue occurs with 100% consistency since September 21, 2025
• Multiple builds (68-78) all exhibit same behavior
• Affects different build configurations and versions

WORKAROUND:

• None found using EAS Build
• Apple suggests using Xcode/Transporter (not possible on Windows)

Environment

Operating System: Windows
EAS CLI Version: 16.17.4  
Expo SDK Version: 51.0.0

Expo Account Tier: Free
Apple Developer Program: Active (Individual)
Apple Developer Role: Account Holder/Administrator  

Build Configuration:
- Platform: iOS
- Profile: production
- Build Type: App Store
- Target Version: 2.0.4 (builds 68-78)

Apple Developer Account Details:
- Bundle ID: com.technara3d.weltuntergangsuhr
- Current Live Version: 2.0.3 (Build 65)
- Attempting to Build: Version 2.0.4 (Build 68-78)
- Last Successful Upload: Build 65 (August 2025, confirmed by Apple Support)
- Certificates: Valid and active
- Provisioning Profiles: Valid and active

Issue: All builds 68-78 for version 2.0.4 show successful upload but never reach Apple TestFlight

Expo Doctor Diagnostics

Running "expo doctor"
Running 16 checks on your project...
14/16 checks passed. 2 checks failed. Possible issues detected:

✖ Check for common project setup issues
The .expo directory is not ignored by Git. It contains machine-specific device history and development server settings and should not be committed.
Advice: Add ".expo/" to your .gitignore to avoid committing local Expo state.

✖ Check native tooling versions
Your Expo SDK version 51 is not compatible with Xcode 26.0.0. Required Xcode version: <=16.2.0.
Advice: Use a compatible Xcode version for your SDK version.

Command "expo doctor" failed. npx -y expo-doctor exited with non-zero code: 1

NOTE: These warnings are consistent across all failed builds and appear to be unrelated to the upload issue, as:
1. Git ignore settings don't affect EAS Build uploads
2. Xcode version is on EAS Build servers, not local machine
3. Builds complete successfully despite these warnings
4. Issue persists even with these warnings addressed

[technest3d-source]

UPDATE: Confirmed Systemic Issue Affecting Multiple Projects

I've tested with a completely different project to isolate the issue:

Test Results:

• Project 1: "Weltuntergangsuhr" (original report) - All builds since Sept 21 missing
• Project 2: "Reisecheck-2025-App" (different bundle ID: com.technara3d.travelcheck) - Build 21 created today also missing

Evidence:

• Reisecheck-2025-App Build 21 completed successfully 20 minutes ago
• Shows "Build finished" with upload confirmation in EAS Dashboard
• Build 21 never appeared in TestFlight or App Store Connect
• Completely different app.json configuration (no location permissions, no background modes, no updates config)

Conclusion:
This confirms the issue is systemic across EAS Build's upload infrastructure, not project-specific configuration. Two entirely different projects with different:

• Bundle identifiers
• iOS permissions
• App configurations
• Project settings

Both exhibit identical behavior: successful EAS builds that never reach Apple's servers.

Apple Developer Support Confirmation:
Case #102701959700 - Apple confirms no builds from either project have reached their system since the issue began.

This appears to be a critical failure in EAS Build's upload mechanism to Apple App Store Connect.