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How can I create a more complex XPCPeerRequirement?
I have been updating some NSXPCConnection code in my macOS 26 app (not sandboxed) to use XPCSession and friends instead. And it is working well and the experience has been generally good. But I have run into a problem when using XPCSession.setPeerRequirement() which I really want to use. It works well when I use something simple like XPCPeerRequirement.isFromSameTeam() but I want to check some more requirements and also use the code from multiple apps (but same team). That is, I want to check for multiple identifiers and team ID and version (and perhaps also in the future that the certificate is a Developer ID). And previously I would use SecRequirementCreateWithString with an entitlement string conceptually like this: var entitlement = "anchor apple generic and (" entitlement += "identifier idA" entitlement += " or identifier idB" entitlement += ")" entitlement += " and certificate leaf[subject.OU] = TeamID" entitlement += #" and info [CFBundleShortVersionString] >= "1.0""# and it works just as it should when creating and using that SecRequirement so I don't think that there is anything particularly wrong with the entitlement. And I had hoped that I could use the same string with XPCPeerRequirement.hasEntitlement(entitlement) but it doesn't work (I get a general "Peer forbidden" error). So I think that I don't really understand what sort of entitlement that hasEntitlement() wants. And also I don't really understand the other ways available to create a XPCPeerRequirement. I have also tried to use a XPCDictionary with XPCPeerRequirement(lightweightCodeRequirements:) but I can't get that to work either (and it seems a bit wrong to have to drop down to use e.g. xpc_object_t with new modern API:s). So my question is: is it possible to create a XPCPeerRequirement with an entitlement like above and, in that case, how? Or is there some other work-around to use XPCSession.setPeerRequirement() with a more complex requirement, e.g. is there a way to combine multiple XPCPeerRequirements into one? Thank you for reading this. /Peter
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665
Feb ’26
NSTableView/NSScrollView jumping scroll position during NSSplitView resize
This is a very basic macOS Finder-style test app using AppKit. I am experiencing a "jump" in the vertical scroll position of my NSTableView (inside an NSScrollView) specifically when the window is resized horizontally. This happens when columns are visually added or removed. Framework: AppKit (Cocoa) Xcode/macOS: 26.2 Code: https://github.com/MorusPatre/Binder/blob/main/ContentView%20-%20Scroll%20Jump%20during%20Resize.swift
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289
Feb ’26
Error when updating system extension
I'm currently observing a problem similar to this thread https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/737334 The difference is that this is happening after updating a system extension. Basically same error, sysextd complains it can not check that the system extension is notarized: macOS Error 3 + Error code=-67050. I think macOS (Sequoia 15.3.2 or 15.7.2 if it matters) is wrong in this case for the following reasons: when using spctl assess -t install, the system extension is reported to be correctly notarized. when restarting the Mac, the updated system extension is correctly checked and staged. if I run spctl assess before sysextd tries to check the system extension, it works. I'm currently thinking of 2 reasons why the check does not work: sysextd is somehow trying to work with a cached assessment that has become invalid after the system extension was updated. macOS needs way more time between the update of the files and the request to update the staged extension. I tried adding a 5-second delay. This does not seem to work or at least reliably. I tried just touching the system extension, no positive result. Unfortunately, in macOS Sequoia, it is not possible anymore to reset-default using spctl and see if it solves the issue, at least the next time the update is performed. [Q] Is there some magic operation that would help macOS correctly check the notarization of an updated system extension?
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841
Feb ’26
Severe Frame Drops When Resizing macOS Window with Dynamic LazyVGrid
Context: I am building a macOS file (currently image only) browser using SwiftUI. The core view is a ScrollView containing a LazyVGrid. The layout is dynamic: as the window resizes, I calculate the optimal number of columns and spacing using a GeometryReader. The Issue: While scrolling is pretty smooth (thanks to custom image caching and prefetching), window resizing is significantly laggy. After having scrolled the UI stutters and drops frames heavily while dragging the window edge. The Code: https://github.com/MorusPatre/Binder
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211
Feb ’26
Spotlight Shows "Helper Apps" That Are Inside Main App Bundle That Are Not Intended to Be Launched By The User
I have Mac apps that embed “Helper Apps” inside their main bundle. The helper apps do work on behalf of the main application. The helper app doesn’t show a dock icon, it does show minimal UI like an open panel in certain situations (part of NSService implementation). And it does make use of the NSApplication lifecycle and auto quits after it completes all work. Currently the helper app is inside the main app bundle at: /Contents/Applications/HelperApp.app Prior to Tahoe these were never displayed to user in LaunchPad but now the Spotlight based AppLauncher displays them. What’s the recommended way to get these out of the Spotlight App list on macOS Tahoe? Thanks in advance.
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Feb ’26
"Show on all spaces" toggles OFF after programmatically setting wallpaper via AppleScript
I'm building an automated wallpaper updater that fetches images from an API and sets them as desktop wallpaper on macOS Tahoe. The automation uses AppleScript combined with database manipulation to ensure wallpaper applies to all spaces. Current implementation (via Apple Shortcuts): wallpaper_path="$1" osascript -e "tell application \"System Events\" to tell every desktop to set picture to POSIX file \"$wallpaper_path\"" sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/desktoppicture.db "UPDATE data SET space=NULL WHERE space IS NOT NULL;" 2>/dev/null killall -HUP Dock Issue First run: Works perfectly - sets wallpaper on all spaces/desktops, "Show on all spaces" is ON After first run: "Show on all spaces" automatically toggles OFF in System Settings Second run onwards: New wallpaper only updates on the active space, inactive spaces show old wallpaper Expected: "Show on all spaces" should remain ON after programmatic wallpaper changes Actual: System Settings automatically disables it, breaking subsequent updates Tested workarounds (all failed): UPDATE data SET space=NULL to clear per-space entries Using every desktop instead of current desktop in AppleScript killall Dock vs killall -HUP Dock vs killall -USR1 Dock Clearing space_id entries from pictures table Running DELETE FROM pictures WHERE space_id IS NOT NULL before setting The database manipulation doesn't prevent macOS from automatically creating per-space entries and disabling the "Show on all spaces" toggle. Question: Is there a way to programmatically set wallpaper while preserving the "Show on all spaces" setting on macOS Tahoe? Environment: macOS: Tahoe (latest) Architecture: Apple Silicon Use case: Daily automated wallpaper updates via Shortcuts
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1.4k
Feb ’26
Tahoe 26.2 and Xcode
I need to use Xcode version 16 for a college project. However, I cannot install it on my mac. M2Pro - ios Tahoe 26.2. Is there any workaround for this? Is my best option to downgrade to Sequoia? I'm a little apprehensive about this but willing to give it a try. Can anyone recommend a good, reliable video for this?
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Feb ’26
Virtual Machine UDID Changes in macOS 15: Looking for Guidance on Development Workflow
Hello, We're developing endpoint security software using the Endpoint Security framework, and we've encountered challenges with the behavior change in macOS 15 regarding provisioning UDIDs in cloned VMs. The Change Prior to macOS 15, cloning a VM preserved its UDID (format: 0000FE00-9C4ED9F68BBDC72D). Starting with macOS 15, cloned VMs receive a new UDID generated from the host's Secure Enclave (format: b043d27202c7ac37ca3c6b82673302225485cae9), making each clone effectively a new device. Our Workflow We maintain a clean base VM image and clone it for each test run. We add the base VM's UDID to our provisioning profile once, then create clones which (previously) retained that same UDID, allowing us to start new testing cycles without re-registering devices. This is essential because our product involves low-level system integration through the Endpoint Security framework, and if something goes wrong during development, it has the potential to affect system stability. To prevent any cascading issues between test runs or different product versions, we need each test to start from a known clean state rather than reusing the same VM. The Challenge With each VM clone generating a new UDID, we're hitting Apple's device registration limits quickly. This particularly impacts: New team members who spin up VMs for the first time and can't run signed builds Our CI/CD pipeline where multiple test environments need provisioning profiles Developers testing different branches who need separate clean environments Current Workaround We've found that VMs created on macOS 14 and upgraded to macOS 15+ retain their original UDID format. However, we're concerned this workaround may stop working in future macOS versions, which would leave us without a viable path forward. If the workaround stops working, our fallback would be signing each CI build with a Developer ID signature to allow running on any device. However, we'd prefer to avoid this as it would significantly increase load on Apple's signing infrastructure for what are essentially internal test builds. We completely understand the security reasoning behind tying UDIDs to the host's Secure Enclave for Apple Account support. However, for development workflows that don't require Apple Account features in VMs but do require clean, isolated test environments, the previous behavior was quite valuable. Question Is there a recommended approach for teams in our situation? We're happy to explore alternative workflows if there's a pattern we're missing, or we'd be glad to provide more context if this is a use case Apple is considering for future updates. Thanks for any guidance you can provide! Feedback case: FB21389730
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1.5k
Feb ’26
Third-party Credential Provider Extension AAGUID is overwritten to zeros
I'm developing a passkey manager using ASCredentialProviderViewController. I've set a custom AAGUID in the attestation object during registration: let aaguid = Data([ 0xec, 0x78, 0xfa, 0xe8, 0xb2, 0xe0, 0x56, 0x97, 0x8e, 0x94, 0x7c, 0x77, 0x28, 0xc3, 0x95, 0x00 ]) However, when I test on webauthn.io, the relying party receives: AAGUID: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 Provider Name: "iCloud Keychain" It appears that macOS overwrites the AAGUID to all zeros for third-party Credential Provider Extensions. This makes it impossible for relying parties to distinguish between different passkey providers, which is one of the key purposes of AAGUID in the WebAuthn specification. Is this expected behavior? Is there a way for third-party Credential Provider Extensions to use their own registered AAGUID? Environment: macOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2
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Feb ’26
In SwiftUI on macOS, using instancing in RealityKit, how can I set individual colours per instance?
I have written this function: @available(macOS 26.0, *) func instancing() async -> Entity { let entity = Entity() do { // 1. Create a CustomMaterial let library = offscreenRenderer.pointRenderer!.device.makeDefaultLibrary()! let surfaceShader = CustomMaterial.SurfaceShader( named: "surfaceShaderWithCustomUniforms", // This must match the function name in Metal in: library ) let instanceCount = 10 // No idea how to actually use this... // let bufferSize = instanceCount * MemoryLayout<UInt32>.stride // // // Create the descriptor // var descriptor = LowLevelBuffer.Descriptor(capacity: bufferSize, sizeMultiple: MemoryLayout<UInt32>.stride) // // // Initialize the buffer // let lowLevelBuffer = try LowLevelBuffer(descriptor: descriptor) // lowLevelBuffer.withUnsafeMutableBytes { rawBytes in // // Bind the raw memory to the UInt32 type // let pointer = rawBytes.bindMemory(to: UInt32.self) // pointer[1] = 0xff_0000 // pointer[0] = 0x00_ff00 // pointer[2] = 0x00_00ff // pointer[3] = 0xff_ff00 // pointer[4] = 0xff_00ff // pointer[5] = 0x00_ffff // pointer[6] = 0xff_ffff // pointer[7] = 0x7f_0000 // pointer[8] = 0x00_7f00 // pointer[9] = 0x00_007f // } var material = try CustomMaterial(surfaceShader: surfaceShader, lightingModel: .lit) material.withMutableUniforms(ofType: SurfaceCustomUniforms.self, stage: .surfaceShader) { params, resources in params.argb = 0xff_0000 } // 2. Create the ModelComponent (provides the MESH and MATERIAL) let mesh = MeshResource.generateSphere(radius: 0.5) let modelComponent = ModelComponent(mesh: mesh, materials: [material]) // 3. Create the MeshInstancesComponent (provides the INSTANCE TRANSFORMS) let instanceData = try LowLevelInstanceData(instanceCount: instanceCount) instanceData.withMutableTransforms { transforms in for i in 0..<instanceCount { let instanceAngle = 2 * .pi * Float(i) / Float(instanceCount) let radialTranslation: SIMD3<Float> = [-sin(instanceAngle), cos(instanceAngle), 0] * 4 // Position each sphere around a circle. let transform = Transform( scale: .one, rotation: simd_quatf(angle: instanceAngle, axis: [0, 0, 1]), translation: radialTranslation ) transforms[i] = transform.matrix } } let instancesComponent = try MeshInstancesComponent(mesh: mesh, instances: instanceData) // 4. Attach BOTH to the same entity entity.components.set(modelComponent) entity.components.set(instancesComponent) } catch { print("Failed to create mesh instances: \(error)") } return entity } and this is the corresponding Metal shader typedef struct { uint32_t argb; } SurfaceCustomUniforms; [[stitchable]] void surfaceShaderWithCustomUniforms(realitykit::surface_parameters params, constant SurfaceCustomUniforms &customParams) { half3 color = { static_cast<half>((customParams.argb >> 16) & 0xff), static_cast<half>((customParams.argb >> 8) & 0xff), static_cast<half>(customParams.argb & 0xff) }; params.surface().set_base_color(color); } which works well and generates 10 red spheres. While listening to the WWDC25 presentation on what's new in RealityKit I am positive to hear the presenter saying that it is possible to customise each instance using a LowLevelBuffer, but so far all my attempts have failed. Is it possible, and if so how ? Thanks for reading and for your help. Kind regards, Christian
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Jan ’26
Ditto cannot extract ZIP file into filesystem-compressed files
It's quite common for app bundles to be distributed in .zip files, and to be stored on-disk as filesystem-compressed files. However, having them both appears to be an edge case that's broken for at least two major releases! (FB19048357, FB19329524) I'd expect a simple ditto -x -k appbundle.zip ~/Applications (-x: extract, -k: work on a zip file) to work. Instead it spits out countless errors and leaves 0 Byte files in the aftermath 😭 Please fix.
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Jan ’26
Capturing screen buffer at macOS Login Window with ScreenCaptureKit and PrivilegedHelper
I am developing a remote support tool for macOS. While we have successfully implemented a Privileged Helper Tool and LaunchDaemon architecture that works within an active Aqua session, we have observed a total failure to capture the screen buffer or receive input at the macOS Login Window. Our observation of competitor software (AnyDesk, TeamViewer) shows they maintain graphical continuity through logout/restart. We are seeking the official architectural path to replicate this system-level access. Current Technical Implementation Architecture: A root-level LaunchDaemon manages the persistent network connection. A PrivilegedHelperTool (installed in /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/) is used for elevated tasks. Environment: Tested on macOS 14.x (Sonoma) and macOS 15.x (Sequoia) on Apple Silicon. Capture Methods: We have implemented ScreenCaptureKit (SCK) as the primary engine and CGDisplayCreateImage as a fallback. Binary Status: All components are signed with a Developer ID and have been successfully Notarized. Observed Behavior & Blockers The "Aqua" Success: Within a logged-in user session, our CGI correctly identifies Display IDs and initializes the capture stream. Remote control is fully functional. The "Pre-Login" Failure: When the Mac is at the Login Window (no user logged in), the following occurs: The Daemon remains active, but the screen capture buffer returns NULL or an empty frame. ScreenCaptureKit fails to initialize, citing a lack of graphical context. No TCC (Transparency, Consent, and Control) prompt can appear because no user session exists. The "Bootstrap" Observation: We have identified that the loginwindow process exists in a restricted Mach bootstrap namespace that our Daemon (running in the System domain) cannot natively bridge. Comparative Analysis (Competitor Benchmarking) We have analyzed established remote desktop solutions like AnyDesk and Jump Desktop to understand their success at the login screen. Our findings suggest: Dual-Context Execution: They appear to use a Global LaunchAgent with LimitLoadToSessionType = ["LoginWindow"]. This allows a child process to run as root inside the login window’s graphical domain. Specialized Entitlements: These apps have migrated to the com.apple.developer.persistent-content-capture entitlement. This restricted capability allows them to bypass the weekly/monthly TCC re-authorization prompts and function in unattended scenarios where a user cannot click "Allow." Questions Entitlement Requirement: Is the persistent-content-capture entitlement the only supported way for a third-party app to capture the LoginWindow buffer without manual user intervention? LaunchAgent Strategy: To gain a graphical context at the login screen, is it recommended to load a specialized agent into the loginwindow domain via launchctl bootstrap loginwindow ...? ScreenCaptureKit vs. Legacy: Does ScreenCaptureKit officially support the LoginWindow session, or does it require an active Aqua session to initialize? MDM Bypass: For Enterprise environments, can a Privacy Preferences Policy Control (PPPC) payload grant "Screen Recording" to a non-entitled Daemon specifically for the login window context?
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Jan ’26
Notarization rejected with statusCode 7000 – Team not configured (new developer account)
I’m a newly enrolled Apple Developer Program member and am trying to notarize my first macOS app using notarytool. My enrollment is fully completed: Payment completed Free Apps and Paid Apps Agreements are Active Banking and tax (W-8BEN) are Active DSA compliance (EU) is Active However, every notarization submission is immediately rejected with: statusCode: 7000 “Team is not yet configured for notarization.” The rejection happens before any analysis (ticketContents is null), which suggests an account-level provisioning issue rather than a signing or app problem. I’ve already opened a Developer Programs Support case under: Development & Technical → Other Development or Technical Questions, and provided recent Job IDs for escalation. For developers who have encountered this recently: Is this typically resolved by Apple enabling Developer ID notarization on the backend? Is there anything else required from the developer side once agreements are active? Any confirmation or shared experience would be appreciated.
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Jan ’26
What do you mean no release notes?
I just looked at the "release notes" for macOS 26.3 beta, and it said there were no notes. Imagine if you were getting your car checked, and the bill had an extra $1000 tacked on, with a line item that said "---". As a developer, this is bizarre. As a shareholder, this is dismaying.
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Jan ’26
How to know when `NEPacketTunnelProvider` has been cleaned up?
I have noticed race conditions on macOS when tearing down and re-configuring an NEPacketTunnelProvider. My goal is to handle switching out one VPN profile for another identical/near identical one (I'll add some context for this below). The flow that I have tested was to wait for the NEVPNStatusDidChange notification to report a NEVPNStatus.disconnected state, and then start the process of re-configuring the VPN with a new profile. In practice however, I have noticed that I must wait a couple of seconds between NEVPNStatus.disconnected state being reported and setting up a new tunnel. Otherwise, the system routing table gets messed up but the VPN reports being in NEVPNStatus.connected state, resulting in a tunnel that appears healthy but can't be accessed. With this, I wanted to ask if you have any suggestions on any OS items I can observer, in order to deterministically know that the system has fully cleaned up my packet tunnel, and that I am safe to configure another? This would be much more optimal than a hard-coded delay. Additional context: Jamf is a common solution for deploying MDM configuration profiles. However, in my tests, it doesn't support Apple's recommended approach of using the PayloadIdentifier to mark profiles for replacement, as PayloadIdentifiers are automatically updated to match the PayloadUUID of that same profile on upload. Although given what I've observed, I'm not sure the Apple recommended approach would work here in any case. Additionally, it would be nice to transition from non-MDM to MDM cleanly, however, this also requires an indeterminate wait time between the non-MDM configuration being disconnected and subsequently removed, and the MDM one being configured. With these scenarios, we need to be able to add a second configuration, with possibly identical VPN settings, then remove the old one, allowing the system to transition to the new configuration. For the MDM case, the pattern I've noticed on the system is that when the current profile is suddenly deleted, the connection will go into disconnected state, then NEVPNConfigurationChange will fire. The new profile can be configured from NEVPNConfigurationChange, however some time is needed to avoid races. For non-MDM, I had experimented with an approach of polling for MDM configurations appearing. When they do, I'd remove my previous notification observers, and set up a new NEVPNStatusDidChange notification observer, to remove the non-MDM VPN configuration after. it enters a disconnected state. Following the removal, I would call a function to reconfigure the VPN with new configuration. When this logic is in place, the call to stopVPNTunnel() is made. Again, a hardcoded delay is required between stopping and removing the old configuration and setting up a new one. Thanks!
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Jan ’26
"Application damaged and can't be opened' error prompt on 15.6.1 Sequoia
We have an application which keeps throwing the error "application is damaged and cannot be opened. You should move it to Trash" I have already referred to the documentation: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/706379 and https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/706442 I have checked the following possible root causes: Codesign of the application using the codesign command Notarization of the application using the spctl command Executable permissions Checked for the presence of "com.apple.quarantine" flag for the application using xattr -l <path to executables" Checked the bundle structure None of the above listed items seemed to be a problem and are as expected. Can you please help us understand what could cause this issue and how to resolve this without recommending an uninstall/reinstall of the application?
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3.9k
Jan ’26
Direct9 / Support faster floating point instructions - xrosetta87
As the title states, I’ve been trying to emulate some older Direct9 games, and rosetta can’t handle it because of that https://github.com/WineAndAqua/rosettax87 I’ve had to use this, but it really seems like something that I shouldn’t have to do I’ve tried Wineskin, wine, D9VK, MoltenVK, GPTk, and the only thing that’s close to working is using devel wine + d9vk with the xrosetta87 running like its a VPN, and then you play Without xrosetta87 it’s 0-0.5 FPS? with it, it’s like a buttery smooth 60+
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Jan ’26
Mac Studio: Continuity Camera unavailable after reboot unless USB camera is connected
Summary On Mac Studio systems (no built-in camera), macOS does not initialize camera services after a normal reboot if no physical camera is present. As a result, Continuity Camera does not appear anywhere in the system. Observed behavior System Information → Camera reports “No video capture devices were found.” Continuity Camera (iPhone) is completely absent from camera lists. Plugging in any USB UVC webcam immediately initializes camera services and causes both the USB camera and the iPhone (Continuity Camera) to appear. The USB camera can then be unplugged and Continuity Camera continues working until the next reboot. Reproduction steps Use a Mac Studio (no built-in camera) on recent macOS. Ensure no USB webcam or external camera is connected. Reboot the Mac normally. After login, open System Information → Camera. Expected Camera services should initialize even when no physical camera is present, allowing Continuity Camera to be available as the primary camera. Actual No camera devices are present unless a physical USB camera is connected at least once after boot. This reproduces 100% of the time on Mac Studio and appears to be a camera service bootstrap issue where Continuity Camera cannot be the first camera device. Issue has been filed via Feedback Assistant.
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Jan ’26
Credential Provider Extension should allow BE=0, BS=0 for device-bound passkeys
In these threads, it was clarified that Credential Provider Extensions must set both Backup Eligible (BE) and Backup State (BS) flags to 1 in authenticator data: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/745605 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/787629 However, I'm developing a passkey manager that intentionally stores credentials only on the local device. My implementation uses: kSecAttrAccessibleWhenUnlockedThisDeviceOnly for keychain items kSecAttrTokenIDSecureEnclave for private keys No iCloud sync or backup These credentials are, by definition, single-device credentials. According to the WebAuthn specification, they should be represented with BE=0, BS=0. Currently, I'm forced to set BE=1, BS=1 to make the extension work, which misrepresents the actual backup status to relying parties. This is problematic because: Servers using BE/BS flags for security policies will incorrectly classify these as synced passkeys Users who specifically want device-bound credentials for higher security cannot get accurate flag representation Request: Please allow Credential Provider Extensions to return credentials with BE=0, BS=0 for legitimate device-bound passkey implementations. Environment: macOS 26.2 (25C56), Xcode 26.2 (17C52)
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Jan ’26
How can I create a more complex XPCPeerRequirement?
I have been updating some NSXPCConnection code in my macOS 26 app (not sandboxed) to use XPCSession and friends instead. And it is working well and the experience has been generally good. But I have run into a problem when using XPCSession.setPeerRequirement() which I really want to use. It works well when I use something simple like XPCPeerRequirement.isFromSameTeam() but I want to check some more requirements and also use the code from multiple apps (but same team). That is, I want to check for multiple identifiers and team ID and version (and perhaps also in the future that the certificate is a Developer ID). And previously I would use SecRequirementCreateWithString with an entitlement string conceptually like this: var entitlement = "anchor apple generic and (" entitlement += "identifier idA" entitlement += " or identifier idB" entitlement += ")" entitlement += " and certificate leaf[subject.OU] = TeamID" entitlement += #" and info [CFBundleShortVersionString] >= "1.0""# and it works just as it should when creating and using that SecRequirement so I don't think that there is anything particularly wrong with the entitlement. And I had hoped that I could use the same string with XPCPeerRequirement.hasEntitlement(entitlement) but it doesn't work (I get a general "Peer forbidden" error). So I think that I don't really understand what sort of entitlement that hasEntitlement() wants. And also I don't really understand the other ways available to create a XPCPeerRequirement. I have also tried to use a XPCDictionary with XPCPeerRequirement(lightweightCodeRequirements:) but I can't get that to work either (and it seems a bit wrong to have to drop down to use e.g. xpc_object_t with new modern API:s). So my question is: is it possible to create a XPCPeerRequirement with an entitlement like above and, in that case, how? Or is there some other work-around to use XPCSession.setPeerRequirement() with a more complex requirement, e.g. is there a way to combine multiple XPCPeerRequirements into one? Thank you for reading this. /Peter
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1
Boosts
0
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665
Activity
Feb ’26
NSTableView/NSScrollView jumping scroll position during NSSplitView resize
This is a very basic macOS Finder-style test app using AppKit. I am experiencing a "jump" in the vertical scroll position of my NSTableView (inside an NSScrollView) specifically when the window is resized horizontally. This happens when columns are visually added or removed. Framework: AppKit (Cocoa) Xcode/macOS: 26.2 Code: https://github.com/MorusPatre/Binder/blob/main/ContentView%20-%20Scroll%20Jump%20during%20Resize.swift
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0
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0
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289
Activity
Feb ’26
Error when updating system extension
I'm currently observing a problem similar to this thread https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/737334 The difference is that this is happening after updating a system extension. Basically same error, sysextd complains it can not check that the system extension is notarized: macOS Error 3 + Error code=-67050. I think macOS (Sequoia 15.3.2 or 15.7.2 if it matters) is wrong in this case for the following reasons: when using spctl assess -t install, the system extension is reported to be correctly notarized. when restarting the Mac, the updated system extension is correctly checked and staged. if I run spctl assess before sysextd tries to check the system extension, it works. I'm currently thinking of 2 reasons why the check does not work: sysextd is somehow trying to work with a cached assessment that has become invalid after the system extension was updated. macOS needs way more time between the update of the files and the request to update the staged extension. I tried adding a 5-second delay. This does not seem to work or at least reliably. I tried just touching the system extension, no positive result. Unfortunately, in macOS Sequoia, it is not possible anymore to reset-default using spctl and see if it solves the issue, at least the next time the update is performed. [Q] Is there some magic operation that would help macOS correctly check the notarization of an updated system extension?
Replies
5
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0
Views
841
Activity
Feb ’26
Severe Frame Drops When Resizing macOS Window with Dynamic LazyVGrid
Context: I am building a macOS file (currently image only) browser using SwiftUI. The core view is a ScrollView containing a LazyVGrid. The layout is dynamic: as the window resizes, I calculate the optimal number of columns and spacing using a GeometryReader. The Issue: While scrolling is pretty smooth (thanks to custom image caching and prefetching), window resizing is significantly laggy. After having scrolled the UI stutters and drops frames heavily while dragging the window edge. The Code: https://github.com/MorusPatre/Binder
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1
Boosts
0
Views
211
Activity
Feb ’26
Spotlight Shows "Helper Apps" That Are Inside Main App Bundle That Are Not Intended to Be Launched By The User
I have Mac apps that embed “Helper Apps” inside their main bundle. The helper apps do work on behalf of the main application. The helper app doesn’t show a dock icon, it does show minimal UI like an open panel in certain situations (part of NSService implementation). And it does make use of the NSApplication lifecycle and auto quits after it completes all work. Currently the helper app is inside the main app bundle at: /Contents/Applications/HelperApp.app Prior to Tahoe these were never displayed to user in LaunchPad but now the Spotlight based AppLauncher displays them. What’s the recommended way to get these out of the Spotlight App list on macOS Tahoe? Thanks in advance.
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7
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0
Views
574
Activity
Feb ’26
"Show on all spaces" toggles OFF after programmatically setting wallpaper via AppleScript
I'm building an automated wallpaper updater that fetches images from an API and sets them as desktop wallpaper on macOS Tahoe. The automation uses AppleScript combined with database manipulation to ensure wallpaper applies to all spaces. Current implementation (via Apple Shortcuts): wallpaper_path="$1" osascript -e "tell application \"System Events\" to tell every desktop to set picture to POSIX file \"$wallpaper_path\"" sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/desktoppicture.db "UPDATE data SET space=NULL WHERE space IS NOT NULL;" 2>/dev/null killall -HUP Dock Issue First run: Works perfectly - sets wallpaper on all spaces/desktops, "Show on all spaces" is ON After first run: "Show on all spaces" automatically toggles OFF in System Settings Second run onwards: New wallpaper only updates on the active space, inactive spaces show old wallpaper Expected: "Show on all spaces" should remain ON after programmatic wallpaper changes Actual: System Settings automatically disables it, breaking subsequent updates Tested workarounds (all failed): UPDATE data SET space=NULL to clear per-space entries Using every desktop instead of current desktop in AppleScript killall Dock vs killall -HUP Dock vs killall -USR1 Dock Clearing space_id entries from pictures table Running DELETE FROM pictures WHERE space_id IS NOT NULL before setting The database manipulation doesn't prevent macOS from automatically creating per-space entries and disabling the "Show on all spaces" toggle. Question: Is there a way to programmatically set wallpaper while preserving the "Show on all spaces" setting on macOS Tahoe? Environment: macOS: Tahoe (latest) Architecture: Apple Silicon Use case: Daily automated wallpaper updates via Shortcuts
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1.4k
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Feb ’26
Tahoe 26.2 and Xcode
I need to use Xcode version 16 for a college project. However, I cannot install it on my mac. M2Pro - ios Tahoe 26.2. Is there any workaround for this? Is my best option to downgrade to Sequoia? I'm a little apprehensive about this but willing to give it a try. Can anyone recommend a good, reliable video for this?
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565
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Feb ’26
Virtual Machine UDID Changes in macOS 15: Looking for Guidance on Development Workflow
Hello, We're developing endpoint security software using the Endpoint Security framework, and we've encountered challenges with the behavior change in macOS 15 regarding provisioning UDIDs in cloned VMs. The Change Prior to macOS 15, cloning a VM preserved its UDID (format: 0000FE00-9C4ED9F68BBDC72D). Starting with macOS 15, cloned VMs receive a new UDID generated from the host's Secure Enclave (format: b043d27202c7ac37ca3c6b82673302225485cae9), making each clone effectively a new device. Our Workflow We maintain a clean base VM image and clone it for each test run. We add the base VM's UDID to our provisioning profile once, then create clones which (previously) retained that same UDID, allowing us to start new testing cycles without re-registering devices. This is essential because our product involves low-level system integration through the Endpoint Security framework, and if something goes wrong during development, it has the potential to affect system stability. To prevent any cascading issues between test runs or different product versions, we need each test to start from a known clean state rather than reusing the same VM. The Challenge With each VM clone generating a new UDID, we're hitting Apple's device registration limits quickly. This particularly impacts: New team members who spin up VMs for the first time and can't run signed builds Our CI/CD pipeline where multiple test environments need provisioning profiles Developers testing different branches who need separate clean environments Current Workaround We've found that VMs created on macOS 14 and upgraded to macOS 15+ retain their original UDID format. However, we're concerned this workaround may stop working in future macOS versions, which would leave us without a viable path forward. If the workaround stops working, our fallback would be signing each CI build with a Developer ID signature to allow running on any device. However, we'd prefer to avoid this as it would significantly increase load on Apple's signing infrastructure for what are essentially internal test builds. We completely understand the security reasoning behind tying UDIDs to the host's Secure Enclave for Apple Account support. However, for development workflows that don't require Apple Account features in VMs but do require clean, isolated test environments, the previous behavior was quite valuable. Question Is there a recommended approach for teams in our situation? We're happy to explore alternative workflows if there's a pattern we're missing, or we'd be glad to provide more context if this is a use case Apple is considering for future updates. Thanks for any guidance you can provide! Feedback case: FB21389730
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1.5k
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Feb ’26
Third-party Credential Provider Extension AAGUID is overwritten to zeros
I'm developing a passkey manager using ASCredentialProviderViewController. I've set a custom AAGUID in the attestation object during registration: let aaguid = Data([ 0xec, 0x78, 0xfa, 0xe8, 0xb2, 0xe0, 0x56, 0x97, 0x8e, 0x94, 0x7c, 0x77, 0x28, 0xc3, 0x95, 0x00 ]) However, when I test on webauthn.io, the relying party receives: AAGUID: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 Provider Name: "iCloud Keychain" It appears that macOS overwrites the AAGUID to all zeros for third-party Credential Provider Extensions. This makes it impossible for relying parties to distinguish between different passkey providers, which is one of the key purposes of AAGUID in the WebAuthn specification. Is this expected behavior? Is there a way for third-party Credential Provider Extensions to use their own registered AAGUID? Environment: macOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2
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585
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Feb ’26
In SwiftUI on macOS, using instancing in RealityKit, how can I set individual colours per instance?
I have written this function: @available(macOS 26.0, *) func instancing() async -> Entity { let entity = Entity() do { // 1. Create a CustomMaterial let library = offscreenRenderer.pointRenderer!.device.makeDefaultLibrary()! let surfaceShader = CustomMaterial.SurfaceShader( named: "surfaceShaderWithCustomUniforms", // This must match the function name in Metal in: library ) let instanceCount = 10 // No idea how to actually use this... // let bufferSize = instanceCount * MemoryLayout<UInt32>.stride // // // Create the descriptor // var descriptor = LowLevelBuffer.Descriptor(capacity: bufferSize, sizeMultiple: MemoryLayout<UInt32>.stride) // // // Initialize the buffer // let lowLevelBuffer = try LowLevelBuffer(descriptor: descriptor) // lowLevelBuffer.withUnsafeMutableBytes { rawBytes in // // Bind the raw memory to the UInt32 type // let pointer = rawBytes.bindMemory(to: UInt32.self) // pointer[1] = 0xff_0000 // pointer[0] = 0x00_ff00 // pointer[2] = 0x00_00ff // pointer[3] = 0xff_ff00 // pointer[4] = 0xff_00ff // pointer[5] = 0x00_ffff // pointer[6] = 0xff_ffff // pointer[7] = 0x7f_0000 // pointer[8] = 0x00_7f00 // pointer[9] = 0x00_007f // } var material = try CustomMaterial(surfaceShader: surfaceShader, lightingModel: .lit) material.withMutableUniforms(ofType: SurfaceCustomUniforms.self, stage: .surfaceShader) { params, resources in params.argb = 0xff_0000 } // 2. Create the ModelComponent (provides the MESH and MATERIAL) let mesh = MeshResource.generateSphere(radius: 0.5) let modelComponent = ModelComponent(mesh: mesh, materials: [material]) // 3. Create the MeshInstancesComponent (provides the INSTANCE TRANSFORMS) let instanceData = try LowLevelInstanceData(instanceCount: instanceCount) instanceData.withMutableTransforms { transforms in for i in 0..<instanceCount { let instanceAngle = 2 * .pi * Float(i) / Float(instanceCount) let radialTranslation: SIMD3<Float> = [-sin(instanceAngle), cos(instanceAngle), 0] * 4 // Position each sphere around a circle. let transform = Transform( scale: .one, rotation: simd_quatf(angle: instanceAngle, axis: [0, 0, 1]), translation: radialTranslation ) transforms[i] = transform.matrix } } let instancesComponent = try MeshInstancesComponent(mesh: mesh, instances: instanceData) // 4. Attach BOTH to the same entity entity.components.set(modelComponent) entity.components.set(instancesComponent) } catch { print("Failed to create mesh instances: \(error)") } return entity } and this is the corresponding Metal shader typedef struct { uint32_t argb; } SurfaceCustomUniforms; [[stitchable]] void surfaceShaderWithCustomUniforms(realitykit::surface_parameters params, constant SurfaceCustomUniforms &customParams) { half3 color = { static_cast<half>((customParams.argb >> 16) & 0xff), static_cast<half>((customParams.argb >> 8) & 0xff), static_cast<half>(customParams.argb & 0xff) }; params.surface().set_base_color(color); } which works well and generates 10 red spheres. While listening to the WWDC25 presentation on what's new in RealityKit I am positive to hear the presenter saying that it is possible to customise each instance using a LowLevelBuffer, but so far all my attempts have failed. Is it possible, and if so how ? Thanks for reading and for your help. Kind regards, Christian
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303
Activity
Jan ’26
Ditto cannot extract ZIP file into filesystem-compressed files
It's quite common for app bundles to be distributed in .zip files, and to be stored on-disk as filesystem-compressed files. However, having them both appears to be an edge case that's broken for at least two major releases! (FB19048357, FB19329524) I'd expect a simple ditto -x -k appbundle.zip ~/Applications (-x: extract, -k: work on a zip file) to work. Instead it spits out countless errors and leaves 0 Byte files in the aftermath 😭 Please fix.
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4
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357
Activity
Jan ’26
Delay/unresponsive on change input language macos Sierra
Hi,Does anyone else encountered a delayed or unresponsive change when trying to change input languageon macos Sierra?Beta1 and 2 same problem.Working great on El Capitan.Thanks in advanced
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18
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13k
Activity
Jan ’26
Capturing screen buffer at macOS Login Window with ScreenCaptureKit and PrivilegedHelper
I am developing a remote support tool for macOS. While we have successfully implemented a Privileged Helper Tool and LaunchDaemon architecture that works within an active Aqua session, we have observed a total failure to capture the screen buffer or receive input at the macOS Login Window. Our observation of competitor software (AnyDesk, TeamViewer) shows they maintain graphical continuity through logout/restart. We are seeking the official architectural path to replicate this system-level access. Current Technical Implementation Architecture: A root-level LaunchDaemon manages the persistent network connection. A PrivilegedHelperTool (installed in /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/) is used for elevated tasks. Environment: Tested on macOS 14.x (Sonoma) and macOS 15.x (Sequoia) on Apple Silicon. Capture Methods: We have implemented ScreenCaptureKit (SCK) as the primary engine and CGDisplayCreateImage as a fallback. Binary Status: All components are signed with a Developer ID and have been successfully Notarized. Observed Behavior & Blockers The "Aqua" Success: Within a logged-in user session, our CGI correctly identifies Display IDs and initializes the capture stream. Remote control is fully functional. The "Pre-Login" Failure: When the Mac is at the Login Window (no user logged in), the following occurs: The Daemon remains active, but the screen capture buffer returns NULL or an empty frame. ScreenCaptureKit fails to initialize, citing a lack of graphical context. No TCC (Transparency, Consent, and Control) prompt can appear because no user session exists. The "Bootstrap" Observation: We have identified that the loginwindow process exists in a restricted Mach bootstrap namespace that our Daemon (running in the System domain) cannot natively bridge. Comparative Analysis (Competitor Benchmarking) We have analyzed established remote desktop solutions like AnyDesk and Jump Desktop to understand their success at the login screen. Our findings suggest: Dual-Context Execution: They appear to use a Global LaunchAgent with LimitLoadToSessionType = ["LoginWindow"]. This allows a child process to run as root inside the login window’s graphical domain. Specialized Entitlements: These apps have migrated to the com.apple.developer.persistent-content-capture entitlement. This restricted capability allows them to bypass the weekly/monthly TCC re-authorization prompts and function in unattended scenarios where a user cannot click "Allow." Questions Entitlement Requirement: Is the persistent-content-capture entitlement the only supported way for a third-party app to capture the LoginWindow buffer without manual user intervention? LaunchAgent Strategy: To gain a graphical context at the login screen, is it recommended to load a specialized agent into the loginwindow domain via launchctl bootstrap loginwindow ...? ScreenCaptureKit vs. Legacy: Does ScreenCaptureKit officially support the LoginWindow session, or does it require an active Aqua session to initialize? MDM Bypass: For Enterprise environments, can a Privacy Preferences Policy Control (PPPC) payload grant "Screen Recording" to a non-entitled Daemon specifically for the login window context?
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Jan ’26
Notarization rejected with statusCode 7000 – Team not configured (new developer account)
I’m a newly enrolled Apple Developer Program member and am trying to notarize my first macOS app using notarytool. My enrollment is fully completed: Payment completed Free Apps and Paid Apps Agreements are Active Banking and tax (W-8BEN) are Active DSA compliance (EU) is Active However, every notarization submission is immediately rejected with: statusCode: 7000 “Team is not yet configured for notarization.” The rejection happens before any analysis (ticketContents is null), which suggests an account-level provisioning issue rather than a signing or app problem. I’ve already opened a Developer Programs Support case under: Development & Technical → Other Development or Technical Questions, and provided recent Job IDs for escalation. For developers who have encountered this recently: Is this typically resolved by Apple enabling Developer ID notarization on the backend? Is there anything else required from the developer side once agreements are active? Any confirmation or shared experience would be appreciated.
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220
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Jan ’26
What do you mean no release notes?
I just looked at the "release notes" for macOS 26.3 beta, and it said there were no notes. Imagine if you were getting your car checked, and the bill had an extra $1000 tacked on, with a line item that said "---". As a developer, this is bizarre. As a shareholder, this is dismaying.
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179
Activity
Jan ’26
How to know when `NEPacketTunnelProvider` has been cleaned up?
I have noticed race conditions on macOS when tearing down and re-configuring an NEPacketTunnelProvider. My goal is to handle switching out one VPN profile for another identical/near identical one (I'll add some context for this below). The flow that I have tested was to wait for the NEVPNStatusDidChange notification to report a NEVPNStatus.disconnected state, and then start the process of re-configuring the VPN with a new profile. In practice however, I have noticed that I must wait a couple of seconds between NEVPNStatus.disconnected state being reported and setting up a new tunnel. Otherwise, the system routing table gets messed up but the VPN reports being in NEVPNStatus.connected state, resulting in a tunnel that appears healthy but can't be accessed. With this, I wanted to ask if you have any suggestions on any OS items I can observer, in order to deterministically know that the system has fully cleaned up my packet tunnel, and that I am safe to configure another? This would be much more optimal than a hard-coded delay. Additional context: Jamf is a common solution for deploying MDM configuration profiles. However, in my tests, it doesn't support Apple's recommended approach of using the PayloadIdentifier to mark profiles for replacement, as PayloadIdentifiers are automatically updated to match the PayloadUUID of that same profile on upload. Although given what I've observed, I'm not sure the Apple recommended approach would work here in any case. Additionally, it would be nice to transition from non-MDM to MDM cleanly, however, this also requires an indeterminate wait time between the non-MDM configuration being disconnected and subsequently removed, and the MDM one being configured. With these scenarios, we need to be able to add a second configuration, with possibly identical VPN settings, then remove the old one, allowing the system to transition to the new configuration. For the MDM case, the pattern I've noticed on the system is that when the current profile is suddenly deleted, the connection will go into disconnected state, then NEVPNConfigurationChange will fire. The new profile can be configured from NEVPNConfigurationChange, however some time is needed to avoid races. For non-MDM, I had experimented with an approach of polling for MDM configurations appearing. When they do, I'd remove my previous notification observers, and set up a new NEVPNStatusDidChange notification observer, to remove the non-MDM VPN configuration after. it enters a disconnected state. Following the removal, I would call a function to reconfigure the VPN with new configuration. When this logic is in place, the call to stopVPNTunnel() is made. Again, a hardcoded delay is required between stopping and removing the old configuration and setting up a new one. Thanks!
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228
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Jan ’26
"Application damaged and can't be opened' error prompt on 15.6.1 Sequoia
We have an application which keeps throwing the error "application is damaged and cannot be opened. You should move it to Trash" I have already referred to the documentation: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/706379 and https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/706442 I have checked the following possible root causes: Codesign of the application using the codesign command Notarization of the application using the spctl command Executable permissions Checked for the presence of "com.apple.quarantine" flag for the application using xattr -l <path to executables" Checked the bundle structure None of the above listed items seemed to be a problem and are as expected. Can you please help us understand what could cause this issue and how to resolve this without recommending an uninstall/reinstall of the application?
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3.9k
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Jan ’26
Direct9 / Support faster floating point instructions - xrosetta87
As the title states, I’ve been trying to emulate some older Direct9 games, and rosetta can’t handle it because of that https://github.com/WineAndAqua/rosettax87 I’ve had to use this, but it really seems like something that I shouldn’t have to do I’ve tried Wineskin, wine, D9VK, MoltenVK, GPTk, and the only thing that’s close to working is using devel wine + d9vk with the xrosetta87 running like its a VPN, and then you play Without xrosetta87 it’s 0-0.5 FPS? with it, it’s like a buttery smooth 60+
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581
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Jan ’26
Mac Studio: Continuity Camera unavailable after reboot unless USB camera is connected
Summary On Mac Studio systems (no built-in camera), macOS does not initialize camera services after a normal reboot if no physical camera is present. As a result, Continuity Camera does not appear anywhere in the system. Observed behavior System Information → Camera reports “No video capture devices were found.” Continuity Camera (iPhone) is completely absent from camera lists. Plugging in any USB UVC webcam immediately initializes camera services and causes both the USB camera and the iPhone (Continuity Camera) to appear. The USB camera can then be unplugged and Continuity Camera continues working until the next reboot. Reproduction steps Use a Mac Studio (no built-in camera) on recent macOS. Ensure no USB webcam or external camera is connected. Reboot the Mac normally. After login, open System Information → Camera. Expected Camera services should initialize even when no physical camera is present, allowing Continuity Camera to be available as the primary camera. Actual No camera devices are present unless a physical USB camera is connected at least once after boot. This reproduces 100% of the time on Mac Studio and appears to be a camera service bootstrap issue where Continuity Camera cannot be the first camera device. Issue has been filed via Feedback Assistant.
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496
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Jan ’26
Credential Provider Extension should allow BE=0, BS=0 for device-bound passkeys
In these threads, it was clarified that Credential Provider Extensions must set both Backup Eligible (BE) and Backup State (BS) flags to 1 in authenticator data: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/745605 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/787629 However, I'm developing a passkey manager that intentionally stores credentials only on the local device. My implementation uses: kSecAttrAccessibleWhenUnlockedThisDeviceOnly for keychain items kSecAttrTokenIDSecureEnclave for private keys No iCloud sync or backup These credentials are, by definition, single-device credentials. According to the WebAuthn specification, they should be represented with BE=0, BS=0. Currently, I'm forced to set BE=1, BS=1 to make the extension work, which misrepresents the actual backup status to relying parties. This is problematic because: Servers using BE/BS flags for security policies will incorrectly classify these as synced passkeys Users who specifically want device-bound credentials for higher security cannot get accurate flag representation Request: Please allow Credential Provider Extensions to return credentials with BE=0, BS=0 for legitimate device-bound passkey implementations. Environment: macOS 26.2 (25C56), Xcode 26.2 (17C52)
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952
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Jan ’26