diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4b97b5db..887d52c7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 testbed/platforms
 testbed/plugins
 testbed/hooks
+testbed/build.json
 node_modules
 .installed
 .gradle/
diff --git a/hooks/afterPrepare.js b/hooks/afterPrepare.js
index a911986c..8f8e155a 100644
--- a/hooks/afterPrepare.js
+++ b/hooks/afterPrepare.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
         iosPlist.addBranchSettings(preferences)
         iosCapabilities.enableAssociatedDomains(preferences)
         iosAssociatedDomains.addAssociatedDomains(preferences)
-        iosDevelopmentTeam.addDevelopmentTeam(context, preferences) // does not work
+        iosDevelopmentTeam.addDevelopmentTeam(preferences) // does not work, still needs to run through Xcode
       }
     })
   }
diff --git a/hooks/lib/ios/developmentTeam.js b/hooks/lib/ios/developmentTeam.js
index 5bf283db..d352b136 100644
--- a/hooks/lib/ios/developmentTeam.js
+++ b/hooks/lib/ios/developmentTeam.js
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
-// TODO: does not work
+// TODO: does not work. Automatic Signing of Provisioning Profile is not updating (https://pewpewthespells.com/blog/migrating_code_signing.html#automatic-signing-xcode-7)
+// TODO: users will have to bypass by always opening up Xcode
 (function () {
   // properties
   'use strict'
   var fs = require('fs')
   var path = require('path')
-  var encoding = 'utf-8'
-  var filepath = 'platforms/ios/cordova/build.xcconfig'
+
+  var fileName = 'build.json'
 
   // entry
   module.exports = {
@@ -13,32 +14,84 @@
   }
 
   // updates the development team for Universal Links
-  function addDevelopmentTeam (context, preferences) {
-    console.log('BRANCH SDK: Updating Development Team')
+  function addDevelopmentTeam (preferences) {
+    console.log('BRANCH SDK: Updating iOS development team')
+
+    var file = path.join(preferences.projectRoot, fileName)
+    var content = getBuildJson(file)
+    content = convertStringToJson(content)
 
-    if (context.opts.cordova.platforms.indexOf('ios') === -1) return
-    if (!context.opts.options) return
-    if (!context.opts.options.buildConfig) return
+    createDefaultBuildJson(content)
+    updateDevelopmentTeam(content, preferences)
 
-    var buildType = context.opts.options.release ? 'release' : 'debug'
+    content = convertJsonToString(content)
+    setBuildJson(file, content)
+  }
 
-    var buildConfigPath = context.opts.options.buildConfig
-    if (!path.isAbsolute(buildConfigPath)) {
-      buildConfigPath = path.join(context.opts.projectRoot, context.opts.options.buildConfig)
+  // json helper functions
+  function convertJsonToString (content) {
+    try {
+      // pretty-json
+      return JSON.stringify(content, null, 2)
+    } catch (err) {
+      throw new Error('Branch SDK cannot write build.json within your root directory.')
     }
-    var config = require(buildConfigPath)
+  }
 
-    if (!config.ios) return
-    if (!config.ios[buildType]) return
-    if (!config.ios[buildType].developmentTeam) return
+  function convertStringToJson (content) {
+    // handle blank file
+    content = !content ? '{}' : content
+    try {
+      return JSON.parse(content)
+    } catch (err) {
+      throw new Error('Branch SDK cannot read build.json within your root directory.')
+    }
+  }
 
-    var xcconfig = fs.readFileSync(filepath, encoding)
+  // read build.json
+  function getBuildJson (file) {
+    try {
+      return fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8')
+    } catch (err) {
+      // handle no file
+      return '{}'
+    }
+  }
 
-    if (xcconfig.indexOf('DEVELOPMENT_TEAM') === -1) {
-      var content = '\nDEVELOPMENT_TEAM = ' + config.ios[buildType].developmentTeam
+  // write build.json
+  function setBuildJson (file, content) {
+    fs.writeFileSync(file, content, 'utf8')
+  }
 
-      xcconfig += content
-      fs.writeFileSync(filepath, xcconfig, encoding)
+  // creates basic build.json if key-value pairs are missing
+  //    {
+  //      "ios": {
+  //        "debug": {
+  //          "developmentTeam": "FG35JLLMXX4A"
+  //        },
+  //        "release": {
+  //          "developmentTeam": "FG35JLLMXX4A"
+  //        }
+  //      }
+  //    }
+  function createDefaultBuildJson (content) {
+    if (!content.ios) {
+      content.ios = {}
+    }
+    if (!content.ios.debug) {
+      content.ios.debug = {}
+    }
+    if (!content.ios.release) {
+      content.ios.release = {}
     }
   }
+
+  // update build.json with developmentTeam from config.xml
+  function updateDevelopmentTeam (content, preferences) {
+    var release = preferences.iosTeamProd
+    var debug = (preferences.iosTeamDev) ? preferences.iosTeamDev : preferences.iosTeamProd
+
+    content.ios.release.developmentTeam = release
+    content.ios.debug.developmentTeam = debug
+  }
 })()
diff --git a/hooks/lib/sdk/configXml.js b/hooks/lib/sdk/configXml.js
index 73590926..2ea4668f 100644
--- a/hooks/lib/sdk/configXml.js
+++ b/hooks/lib/sdk/configXml.js
@@ -51,9 +51,10 @@
     var bundleId = (configXml.widget['$'].hasOwnProperty('id')) ? configXml.widget['$']['id'] : null
     var bundleName = (configXml.widget.hasOwnProperty('name')) ? configXml.widget.name[0] : null
     var branchKey = (branchXml.hasOwnProperty('branch-key')) ? branchXml['branch-key'][0]['$']['value'] : null
-    var uriScheme = (branchXml.hasOwnProperty('uri-scheme')) ? branchXml['uri-scheme'][0]['$']['value'] : null
     var linkDomain = (branchXml.hasOwnProperty('link-domain')) ? branchXml['link-domain'][0]['$']['value'] : null
-    var iosTeamId = (branchXml.hasOwnProperty('ios-team-id')) ? branchXml['ios-team-id'][0]['$']['value'] : null
+    var uriScheme = (branchXml.hasOwnProperty('uri-scheme')) ? branchXml['uri-scheme'][0]['$']['value'] : null
+    var iosTeamProd = (branchXml.hasOwnProperty('ios-team-prod')) ? branchXml['ios-team-prod'][0]['$']['value'] : null
+    var iosTeamDev = (branchXml.hasOwnProperty('ios-team-dev')) ? branchXml['ios-team-dev'][0]['$']['value'] : null
     var androidPrefix = (branchXml.hasOwnProperty('android-prefix')) ? branchXml['android-prefix'][0]['$']['value'] : null
 
     return {
@@ -64,8 +65,9 @@
       'branchKey': branchKey,
       'uriScheme': uriScheme,
       'linkDomain': linkDomain,
-      'iosTeamId': iosTeamId,
-      'androidPrefix': androidPrefix
+      'iosTeamProd': iosTeamProd,
+      'iosTeamDev': iosTeamDev, // optional
+      'androidPrefix': androidPrefix // optional
     }
   }
 
@@ -101,8 +103,8 @@
     if (preferences.linkDomain === null) {
       throw new Error('Branch SDK plugin is missing "uri-scheme" in <branch-config> in your config.xml')
     }
-    if (preferences.iosTeamId === null) {
-      throw new Error('Branch SDK plugin is missing "ios-team-id" in <branch-config> in your config.xml')
+    if (preferences.iosTeamProd === null) {
+      throw new Error('Branch SDK plugin is missing "ios-team-prod" in <branch-config> in your config.xml')
     }
   }
 })()
diff --git a/testbed/config.xml b/testbed/config.xml
index a07f0d7d..26eca360 100644
--- a/testbed/config.xml
+++ b/testbed/config.xml
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
   <plugin name="branch-cordova-sdk" />
   <branch-config>
     <branch-key value="key_live_icCccJIpd7GlYY5oOmoEtpafuDiuyXhT" />
-    <ios-team-id value="PW4Q8885U7" />
     <uri-scheme value="enefftest" />
     <link-domain value="eneff.app.link" />
+    <ios-team-prod value="PW4Q8885U7" />
   </branch-config>
 
   <name>Branch Testing</name>