Purchase entitlements survive app reinstall and device transfer

Users who reinstall an app or transfer to a new device lose any premium state stored only in local storage (AsyncStorage, SharedPreferences, UserDefaults, MMKV). CWE-311 (Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data) is a related vector — but the core failure here is data-integrity: the entitlement record does not survive the lifecycle events it must. The business consequence is straightforward: paying users who lose their subscription after a reinstall file chargebacks directly with their bank or credit card company, which harms the developer's payment standing. They also leave negative reviews and generate disproportionate support volume. ISO/IEC 25010 reliability requirements apply — a subscription entitlement is a durable system state that must survive device lifecycle events.

Call the platform entitlement refresh on every app startup — not only after a purchase. Never rely solely on a local flag that gets wiped on reinstall.

// App.tsx or your app initialization hook
useEffect(() => {
  const restoreEntitlements = async () => {
    if (isLoggedIn) {
      const customerInfo = await Purchases.getCustomerInfo();
      setIsPremium(customerInfo.entitlements.active['premium'] !== undefined);
    }
  };
  restoreEntitlements();
}, [isLoggedIn]);

For server-based entitlements, fetch subscription status from your backend (GET /api/user/subscription or equivalent) at login and on app-foreground events. Store the result in memory or a local cache that is treated as derived, not authoritative — the server or platform SDK is the source of truth.

• ID: app-store-iap-subscriptions.restore-entitlements.reinstall-survival
• Severity: high
• What to look for: Count all relevant instances and enumerate each. Determine how entitlement state is stored and restored. The critical question: does the app rely solely on local storage for premium status? Look for entitlement state stored in: AsyncStorage only (React Native), SharedPreferences only (Android), UserDefaults only (iOS), MMKV only — all of these are wiped on app reinstall or device transfer, meaning premium status is lost. The correct patterns are: (1) server-side entitlement: premium status fetched from your backend at login (keyed to user account, not device); (2) RevenueCat/Adapty/Qonversion customerInfo fetched fresh on app launch — these query Apple/Google servers and survive reinstall; (3) StoreKit 2's Transaction.currentEntitlements sequence (async stream) — queries the App Store on-demand and survives reinstall. Search for a startup sequence that restores entitlements: Purchases.getCustomerInfo() in App.tsx or equivalent initialization, a server call like GET /api/user/subscription or GET /api/entitlements in the auth/startup flow, or for await (let transaction in Transaction.currentEntitlements) in Swift. Fail pattern: premium flag written to AsyncStorage at purchase time and read from AsyncStorage at startup — this data does not survive reinstall.
• Pass criteria: Entitlement state is recovered from the platform store (via restore API, SDK's getCustomerInfo(), or StoreKit 2 currentEntitlements) or from a server database on app startup or at login. At least 1 implementation must be verified. Premium access does not depend solely on local device storage.
• Fail criteria: Premium status stored only in local storage (AsyncStorage, SharedPreferences, UserDefaults, MMKV, SQLite on-device) with no mechanism to re-derive it from the store or a server after reinstall.
• Skip (N/A) when: No IAP detected in the app.
• Detail on fail: "isPremium flag stored in AsyncStorage at purchase time and read from AsyncStorage on startup — premium status is permanently lost after app reinstall" or "No call to Purchases.getCustomerInfo() or equivalent on app startup — entitlements not refreshed from the platform store"
• Remediation: Users who reinstall your app and cannot access their paid content will file chargebacks and leave negative reviews. This is a significant post-launch business risk.
  1. Call the entitlement refresh on every app startup (not just after purchase):

     // App.tsx or your app initialization
     useEffect(() => {
       const restoreEntitlements = async () => {
         if (isLoggedIn) {
           const customerInfo = await Purchases.getCustomerInfo();
           setIsPremium(customerInfo.entitlements.active['premium'] !== undefined);
         }
       };
       restoreEntitlements();
     }, [isLoggedIn]);
     

  2. For server-based entitlements, fetch subscription status from your backend at login and on app foreground events