Why does an iOS App Store app still launch when the distribution provisioning profile expires?

Question

From experience I have found that an app distributed with enterprise distribution certificate and provisioning profile will fail to launch when the provisioning profile expires, even if the distribution certificate is still valid. Why is this not the case for App Store apps?

This question is very similar to the following posts, but to my best knowledge there is no question that explains why this is true. I was unable to find this information in the current Apple Developer documentation.

Related Questions:
Expiring App Store Provisioning Profile
How can I update my App in the App Store if the Distribution Provisioning Profile expired?
Renew Provisioning Profiles (Distribution) and keep current Appstore Apps working

Answer 1

App Store apps are signed by Apple and therefore don't include a provisioning profile from the developer.

If a developer doesn't renew their program membership, then they can no longer update or sell apps on the App Store, but the apps need to keep working for people who have purchased/downloaded them, otherwise the user will have a bad experience. To make this happen the provisioning of those apps is signed by Apple, not the developer.

Also, a developer may not release a new version for a long period of time. Again, if app executing was dependent on a provisioning profile from the developer, then the app would stop working giving a bad experience.

In the case of Enterprise Apps, Apple is not involved in the app distribution, and the provisioning profile is tied to the Enterprise program membership. Requiring period replacement of the provisioning profiles ensures that the membership is kept current. It also provides an additional element of "safety" where an enterprise app that is installed on a device that is no longer under the control of the enterprise or no longer has access to updates will stop working after a period of time.