ios – “APNS token has not been set yet” only when app is built via pipeline

I’m making a flutter app for a client, and Im currently setting up the push notifications using firebase_messaging: ^16.1.1. I’ve also set up a Github Actions pipeline.

The problem: if I release to TestFlight via Github Actions FirebaseMessaging.instance.getAPNSToken() returns null, but if I release via Xcode (Archive -> Validate -> Distribute), FirebaseMessaging.instance.getAPNSToken() returns a token.

This tells me my pipeline is configuered wrong, but I do not know where.

How can I improve my pipeline, so that I push notifications will work on a testflight build?

name: Build-iOS

on:
  push:
    branches: [ "develop" ]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: macos-15 # already tried macos-26, didnt work
    steps:
      - name: Set up Flutter
        uses: subosito/flutter-action@v2
        with:
          channel: stable
          flutter-version: 3.38.9

      - name: Install the Apple certificate and provisioning profile
        env:
          BUILD_CERTIFICATE_BASE64: ${{ secrets.CERTIFICATE_P12 }}
          P12_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.P12_PASSWORD }}
          BUILD_PROVISION_PROFILE_BASE64: ${{ secrets.DEV_PROD_MOBILEPROVISION }}
          KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD }}
        run: |
          # create variables
          CERTIFICATE_PATH=$RUNNER_TEMP/build_certificate.p12
          PP_PATH=$RUNNER_TEMP/build_pp.mobileprovision
          KEYCHAIN_PATH=$RUNNER_TEMP/app-signing.keychain-db
          
          # import certificate and provisioning profile from secrets
          echo -n "$BUILD_CERTIFICATE_BASE64" | base64 --decode -o $CERTIFICATE_PATH
          echo -n "$BUILD_PROVISION_PROFILE_BASE64" | base64 --decode -o $PP_PATH
          
          # create temporary keychain
          security create-keychain -p "$KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD" $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          security set-keychain-settings -lut 21600 $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          security unlock-keychain -p "$KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD" $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          
          # import certificate to keychain
          security import $CERTIFICATE_PATH -P "$P12_PASSWORD" -A -t cert -f pkcs12 -k $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          security set-key-partition-list -S apple-tool:,apple: -k "$KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD" $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          security list-keychain -d user -s $KEYCHAIN_PATH
          
          # apply provisioning profile
          mkdir -p ~/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning\ Profiles
          cp $PP_PATH ~/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning\ Profiles

      - name: flutter build ipa
        run: flutter build ipa --release --no-codesign

      - name: Archive
        env:
          CONFIGURATION: Release
          WORKSPACE: ios/Runner.xcworkspace
          SCHEME: Runner
          CERTIFICATE_ID: "Apple Distribution: Mikkel Thygesen (88JMYVVGNH)"
          PROFILE_ID: abe11ac0-949d-40d8-bb80-406cd39ad9df
          TEAM_ID: 88JMYVVGNH
          ARCHIVE_PATH: ios/build/Runner.xcarchive
        run: >-
          xcodebuild build -sdk iphoneos  
          -configuration $CONFIGURATION 
          -workspace $WORKSPACE  
          -archivePath $ARCHIVE_PATH  
          -scheme $SCHEME
          CODE_SIGN_STYLE=Manual  
          CDE_SIGN_IDENTITY="$CERTIFICATE_ID"  
          PROVISIONING_PROFILE=$PROFILE_ID  
          CODE_SIGNING_REQUIRED=Yes  
          CODE_SIGNING_ALLOWED=No  
          PROVISIONING_PROFILE_SPECIFIER=

      - name: export
        env:
          ARCHIVE_PATH: build/ios/archive/Runner.xcarchive
          EXPORT_OPTIONS_PATH: ios/ExportOptions.plist
          EXPORT_PATH: output
        run: >-
          xcodebuild -exportArchive 
          -archivePath $ARCHIVE_PATH 
          -exportPath $EXPORT_PATH 
          -exportOptionsPlist $EXPORT_OPTIONS_PATH

      - name: Validate & upload
        env:
          API_KEY: ${{ secrets.APP_STORE_API_KEY }}
          ISSUER_ID: ${{ secrets.APP_STORE_ISSUER_ID }}
          APP_STORE_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.APP_STORE_KEY_ID }}
          WORKSPACE_PATH: ${{ github.workspace }}
          IPA_PATH: output/my-app.ipa
        run: |
          mkdir ~/.private_keys
          API_KEY_FILE_NAME=AuthKey_$APP_STORE_KEY_ID.p8
          API_KEY_PATH=~/.private_keys/$API_KEY_FILE_NAME
          echo -n "$API_KEY" | base64 --decode -o $API_KEY_PATH
          
          xcrun altool --validate-app -f $IPA_PATH -t ios --apiKey $APP_STORE_KEY_ID --apiIssuer $ISSUER_ID
          xcrun altool --upload-app -f $IPA_PATH -t ios --apiKey $APP_STORE_KEY_ID --apiIssuer $ISSUER_ID