Your developer disappeared? Get your app back first.

Before you hire anyone, including us, make sure the code and the accounts your app runs on are in your name. This checklist covers the nine places to look. It works whether or not you work with us.

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The access checklist

For each one: where it usually lives, what “in your name” looks like, and what to ask the previous team for.

  1. 1 of 9

    Code repository

    GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket

    Check: The repository sits in an account or organisation you own, and you are an owner, not only a collaborator.

    Ask for: A transfer of the repository to your account, or owner access. If all you get is a zip file, ask for the full history too.

  2. 2 of 9

    Domain and DNS

    Your domain registrar, and Cloudflare or another DNS host if one is used

    Check: The domain is registered in your account, with your email as the contact, and you can log in to wherever the DNS records are managed.

    Ask for: A move of the domain into your registrar account, and access to the DNS host.

  3. 3 of 9

    Hosting

    For example Vercel, Netlify, Render, AWS, Google Cloud or a server

    Check: You know which account the live app runs from, who pays the bill, and that you can deploy from it.

    Ask for: A transfer of the project or account to you, or owner access, plus how the app is deployed.

  4. 4 of 9

    Database

    For example Supabase, Firebase or a managed database

    Check: The project is in an account you own, and you have a recent backup or export that you hold yourself.

    Ask for: A transfer of the project, or owner access, and a fresh export before anything changes.

  5. 5 of 9

    Payments

    Stripe, or your payment provider

    Check: The account is in your company’s name, payouts go to your bank account, and you are the account owner.

    Ask for: Owner access. If the account is in someone else’s name, talk to the provider about the right way to move it.

  6. 6 of 9

    App Store Connect

    Apple Developer Program

    Check: The app is listed under your own Apple developer account, not the developer’s.

    Ask for: Apple has an app transfer process between developer accounts. Ask for the app to be transferred to yours.

  7. 7 of 9

    Google Play Console

    Google Play developer account

    Check: The app is in your own Play Console account, and you hold the app signing details or Play App Signing is on.

    Ask for: Google has an app transfer process between developer accounts. Ask for the app to be transferred to yours.

  8. 8 of 9

    Email sending

    For example SendGrid, Postmark, Resend or Mailgun, and the domain’s email records

    Check: The service that sends sign-up, password reset and receipt emails is in your account.

    Ask for: Owner access, or a new account in your name and the DNS changes to point at it.

  9. 9 of 9

    Analytics and error monitoring

    For example Google Analytics, Mixpanel or Sentry

    Check: You can see the numbers and the errors without asking anyone.

    Ask for: Admin access to each tool, so the history stays with the app.

Once you have access

  • Remove anyone who no longer needs access to each account.
  • Rotate API keys and secrets the previous team could see.
  • Take a backup of the database and keep a copy yourself.
  • Write down where each account lives and who owns it.

Then find out what you actually have. An audit tells you what works, what is risky, and whether to fix or rebuild, with a fixed price for the fix. When you book, choose “A developer or agency built it”.

Your accounts, your code.

  • Accounts stay in your name

    Your GitHub, hosting, Supabase or Firebase, Stripe, and App Store and Play Store accounts stay yours. We are invited as collaborators.

  • No passwords or admin keys

    You never send us passwords or admin keys. You add us to each account, and you can remove us at any time.

  • You keep the code

    The code lives in your repository, not ours. If you stop working with us, there is nothing to hand back.

  • NDA first, if you want one

    We are happy to sign your NDA before the audit.

Questions about taking over an app

Taking over from another team: what we need from you, and what you keep

We start with an audit, the same as for any app, so you know what you have before you commit to more. We need access to the code (the repository, or a full export), and to the hosting, database, domain, payment and store accounts, or your help getting them back into your name. You keep the code and every account: we are added as collaborators and work inside your accounts. If the previous team still controls some of them, start with our checklist for getting your app back.

The previous team will not hand anything over. What now?

Work through the list above for the accounts you can reach yourself, starting with the domain and payments. For the code and anything held in their accounts, check what your contract says about ownership. Some of this may need legal advice, which we cannot give.

Should I change passwords and keys once I have access?

Yes. Once each account is in your name, remove the people who no longer need access and rotate the API keys and secrets the previous team could see.

Got the keys back?Let's look at the app.

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