Network Extension

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Customize and extend the core networking features of iOS, iPad OS, and macOS using Network Extension.

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How to install and manage Network Extension in case of GUI-less application?
Hello, I am working on a DLP solution for macOS that relies on the Network Extension (NETransparentProxyProvider) for network traffic analysis. Could you please clarify: is it technically possible and officially supported to use a LaunchAgent as the container app to install and manage the Network Extension? If not, what is the recommended approach in case of GUI less application? Thank you in advance.
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no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications;domain=OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4
Here’s the formatted summary in English for your issue submission: Issue Summary We are activating a Network Extension system extension (filter-data) from a signed and notarized macOS app. Activation consistently fails with the following error: Error Message: OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4 Extension not found in App bundle. Unable to find any matched extension with identifier: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data At the same time, sysextd logs show: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications However, our host app and executable paths are already under /Applications, and the extension bundle physically exists in the expected app bundle location. Environment Information macOS: Darwin 25.4.0 Host App: /Applications/xxx.app Host Bundle ID: com.seaskylight.yksmacos System Extension Bundle ID: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Team ID: BVU65MZFLK Device Management: Enrolled via DEP: No MDM Enrollment: No Reproduction Steps Install the host app to /Applications. Launch the host app via Finder or using the command: open -a "/Applications/xxx.app" Trigger OSSystemExtensionRequest activationRequestForExtension for: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data. Observe failure callback (code=4). Collect logs: log show --last 2m --style compact --info --debug --predicate 'process == "sysextd"' Check extension status using: systemextensionsctl list (shows 0 extension(s)) Observed Results sysextd client activation request for com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data attempts to realize extension with identifier com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data. Log indicates: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications App-side Diagnostics (captured at failure) PID: 3249 Bundle Path: /Applications/xxx.app Real Path: /Applications/xxx.app Exec Path: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/MacOS/xxx Real Exec Path: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/MacOS/xxx Ext Path: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/ExamNetFilterData.systemextension Ext Exists: true Running From Helper: false Error Callback: NSError{domain=OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4 desc=Extension not found in App bundle...} Additional Validation We reproduced the same failure using a minimal native host app (SysExtProbe) in /Applications that only submits the activation request for the same extension identifier. It also fails with OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4, indicating this is not specific to Electron app logic. Signing / Packaging Notes Host app and system extension are signed with the same Team ID (BVU65MZFLK). System extension bundle exists under: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/ExamNetFilterData.systemextension Extension Info.plist contains bundle id: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Host app includes NSSystemExtensionUsageDescription. Questions for DTS In non-MDM personal-device scenarios, what exact conditions trigger sysextd to emit: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications even when both bundlePath and realpath are in /Applications? Can code=4 (“Extension not found in App bundle”) be returned for policy/state reasons even when the extension bundle is present and the identifier matches? Are there known sysextd policy/cache states that cause this behavior, and what is the recommended recovery procedure? Feel free to copy and paste this summary for your submission. If you need any further modifications or assistance, let me know!
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Apr ’26
URL Filter Network Extension
Hello team, I am trying to find out a way to block urls in the chrome browser if it is found in local blocked list cache. I found URL Filter Network very much suitable for my requirement. But I see at multiple places that this solution is only for Enterprise level or MDM or supervised device. So can I run this for normal user ? as my targeting audience would be bank users. One more thing how can I test this in development environment if we need supervised devices and do we need special entitlement ? When trying to run sample project in the simulator then getting below error
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Apr ’26
What is the optimal number of records per shard?
Hello, I am currently developing a PIR server using the pir-server-example repository. We are anticipating a total of 10 million URLs for our dataset. In this context, what would be the optimal shard size (number of records per shard) to balance computational latency and communication overhead? Any advice or best practices for handling a dataset of this scale would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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Apr ’26
NEURLFilter Not Blocking urls
Hi I tried to follow this guide https://developer.apple.com/documentation/networkextension/filtering-traffic-by-url I downloaded the sample app and put our pir service server address in the app. The service is already running and the app is connected to the pir service but the url is still not blocked. We tried to block example.com. Is there anything that we need to do in iOS code? This is the sample when there's dataset This is the sample when there's no dataset
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Apr ’26
NEProxySettings.matchDomains = [""] — supported catch-all when no IP routes are claimed?
We are building a VPN using NEPacketTunnelProvider where the intent is to route HTTP/S traffic through a local proxy server, while non-HTTP/S traffic flows directly to the network without being tunnelled at the IP layer. The configuration claims no included IP routes — it relies entirely on NEProxySettings to intercept HTTP/S traffic via the URL loading layer. private func configureIPSettings(_ settings: NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings) { settings.ipv4Settings = NEIPv4Settings( addresses: ["192.168.1.1"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.255"] ) // No includedRoutes set — no IP traffic enters the tunnel } private func configureProxySettings(_ settings: NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings) { let proxySettings = NEProxySettings() proxySettings.httpEnabled = true proxySettings.httpServer = NEProxyServer(address: "127.0.0.1", port: 9000) proxySettings.httpsEnabled = true proxySettings.httpsServer = NEProxyServer(address: "127.0.0.1", port: 9000) proxySettings.matchDomains = [""] settings.proxySettings = proxySettings } When matchDomains is nil or not set, HTTP/S traffic does not reach the local proxy in this configuration. Setting matchDomains = [""] makes it work correctly. The matchDomains documentation states: "If the destination host name of a HTTP connection shares a suffix with one of these strings then the proxy settings will be used." An empty string is a suffix of every string, so [""] matching all hostnames follows from that definition. But this isn't explicitly documented. Questions: Is matchDomains = [""] a supported and stable way to apply proxy settings to all HTTP/S traffic when no IP routes are claimed, or is this an unintended side-effect? Why does matchDomains = nil not apply the proxy globally in this configuration? The documentation doesn't describe its behaviour relative to IP routing. NEDNSSettings.matchDomains explicitly documents an empty string as matching all domains — is the same semantics intended for NEProxySettings.matchDomains?
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Apr ’26
NEURLFilter Not Blocking URLs
I've been able to run this sample project with the PIRServer. But the urls are still not blocked. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/networkextension/filtering-traffic-by-url https://github.com/apple/pir-service-example I got this on the log Received filter status change: <FilterStatus: 'running'>
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Apr ’26
macOS DNS Proxy system extension makes device stop processing MDM commands until reboot
Hi, I see an interaction issue between a DNS Proxy system extension and MDM on macOS: after some time the device stops processing MDM commands until reboot, while DNS filtering continues to work. Environment: macOS: 15.x / 26.x (reproduced on multiple minor versions) App: /Applications/MyMacProxy.app System extension: NEDNSProxyProvider as system extension Bundle id: com.company.agent.MyMacProxy.dnsProxy Deployment: MDM (SimpleMDM) DNS proxy config via com.apple.dnsProxy.managed Devices: supervised Macs Steps to reproduce: Enrol Mac into MDM. Install MyMacProxy app + DNS proxy system extension via pkg and apply com.apple.dnsProxy.managed profile. DNS proxy starts, DNS is filtered correctly, user network works normally. After some hours, try to manage the device from MDM: push a new configuration profile, remove an existing profile, or install / remove an app. 5.MDM server shows commands as pending / not completed. On the Mac, DNS is still filtered via our DNS proxy, and general network access (Safari etc.) continues to work. After reboot, pending MDM commands are processed and we can remove the app, profile and system extension normally. This is reproducible on our test machines. What I see on the Mac in the “stuck” state apsd is running: sudo launchctl print system/com.apple.apsd # job state = running com.apple.mdmclient.daemon exists as a job but is not running: sudo launchctl print system/com.apple.mdmclient.daemon Abbreviated output: system/com.apple.mdmclient.daemon = { ... state = not running job state = exited runs = 5 last exit code = 0 ... } So the MDM client daemon has exited cleanly (exit code 0) and is currently not running; its APS endpoints are configured. Our DNS proxy system extension is still processing flows: we see continuous logging from our NEDNSProxyProvider, and DNS filtering is clearly active (requests go through our upstream). systemextensionsctl list still shows our DNS proxy system extension as active. From the user’s perspective, everything works (with filtered DNS). From the MDM server’s perspective, commands stay pending until the next reboot. After reboot, MDM behaviour is normal again. Uninstall / cleanup (current approach, simplified) We currently use an MDM‑delivered shell script that: disables our DNS proxy configuration for the console user by editing ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.networkextension.plist and setting Enabled = false for our DNSProxyConfigurations entries; flushes DNS cache and restarts mDNSResponder; unloads our LaunchDaemon / LaunchAgent for the host app; kills the system extension process using pgrep -f "com.company.agent.MyMacProxy.dnsProxy" | xargs kill -9; removes the extension binary from /Library/SystemExtensions/.../com.company.agent.MyMacProxy.dnsProxy.systemextension; removes /Applications/MyMacProxy.app and related support files. We currently do not call systemextensionsctl uninstall <TEAMID> com.company.agent.MyMacProxy.dnsProxy from MDM, mainly because of SIP and because we understand that fully silent system extension uninstall is constrained. The MDM responsiveness issue, however, can appear even if we don’t run this aggressive uninstall script and just let the extension run for some hours. Questions Is it expected that a DNS Proxy system extension (managed via com.apple.dnsProxy.managed) can leave a device in a state where: apsd is running, com.apple.mdmclient.daemon is not running (last exit code 0), DNS proxy continues to filter traffic, but MDM commands remain pending until reboot? Are there known best practices or pitfalls when combining: DNS Proxy system extensions (NEDNSProxyProvider), MDM‑distributed com.apple.dnsProxy.managed profiles, and MDM app / profile management on recent macOS versions? For uninstall in an MDM environment, what pattern do you recommend? For example, is it better to: disable / remove the DNS proxy profile, stop the NE configuration via NEDNSProxyManager from the app, avoid killing the system extension or removing files from /Library/SystemExtensions immediately, and instead require a reboot for full removal? I can provide a sysdiagnose and unified logs (including nesessionmanager, mdmclient and our logs) from an affected machine if that would be helpful.
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Apr ’26
TN3134 clarification: DNS Proxy Provider unusable without MDM on iOS?
Hi, I’m looking for clarification on TN3134: Network Extension provider deployment, specifically iOS deployment requirements for: packet tunnel provider DNS proxy provider From the documentation: Packet Tunnel Provider App extension (min iOS 9.0): per-app mode requires a managed device DNS Proxy Provider App extension (min iOS 11.0): supervised devices only App extension (min iOS 11.0): per-app mode requires managed devices Issue I implemented a DNS proxy using NEDNSProxyManager. Works as expected in debug builds on a local device Fails to configure when distributed via TestFlight Console Output (TestFlight build) error 10:05:39.872258-0500 nehelper The production version of *** is not allowed to create DNS proxy configurations. Use MDM to create DNS Proxy configurations for the production version of ***. Question Is it possible to distribute a DNS proxy provider for use on non-MDM / non-supervised devices? If not: Is the limitation strictly enforced at distribution/runtime? Is a packet tunnel provider the only viable alternative for App Store distribution? There is a lot of different VPN apps on the App Store that appear to work out of the box without MDM or supervision, which suggests they are using a different deployment model. Thank you for any clarification or guidance!
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Apr ’26
`sysextd` rejects new `NEFilterDataProvider` activation with "no policy" on macOS 26 — despite valid Developer ID + notarization
I'm building a macOS network monitor using NEFilterDataProvider as a system extension, distributed with Developer ID signing. On macOS 26.3 (Tahoe), sysextd consistently rejects the activation request with "no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications" — despite the app being in /Applications and passing every verification check. I'm aware of the known Xcode NE signing bug (r. 108838909) and have followed the manual signing process from Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension. I've also tried both xcodebuild build and xcodebuild archive workflows — identical failure. Environment macOS 26.3 (25D125), SIP enabled Xcode 26.3 (17C529) Hardware Apple M2 Pro Certificate Developer ID Application (issued Jan 30, 2026 — 27 days old) MDM/Profiles None installed Signing & Verification (all pass) $ spctl -a -vv /Applications/Chakshu.app /Applications/Chakshu.app: accepted source=Notarized Developer ID origin=Developer ID Application: ROBIN SHARMA (R65679C4F3) $ codesign --verify --deep --strict -vv /Applications/Chakshu.app /Applications/Chakshu.app: valid on disk /Applications/Chakshu.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement $ xcrun stapler validate /Applications/Chakshu.app The validate action worked! App signing: Authority=Developer ID Application: ROBIN SHARMA (R65679C4F3) Authority=Developer ID Certification Authority Authority=Apple Root CA TeamIdentifier=R65679C4F3 Runtime Version=26.2.0 Notarization Ticket=stapled App entitlements: com.apple.application-identifier = R65679C4F3.dev.indrasvat.chakshu com.apple.developer.team-identifier = R65679C4F3 com.apple.developer.system-extension.install = true com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension = [content-filter-provider-systemextension] keychain-access-groups = [R65679C4F3.*] Extension signing: Same Developer ID authority, same team, same timestamp. Extension entitlements match (minus system-extension.install). Developer ID provisioning profiles are embedded in both app and extension. What sysextd logs Captured Feb 26, 2026 from log stream --predicate 'process == "sysextd"': sysextd [com.apple.sx:XPC] client activation request for dev.indrasvat.chakshu.filter sysextd attempting to realize extension with identifier dev.indrasvat.chakshu.filter sysextd (Security) SecKeyVerifySignature ← pass (×2) sysextd (Security) SecTrustEvaluateIfNecessary ← pass (×2) sysextd [com.apple.xpc:connection] activating connection: name=com.apple.CodeSigningHelper sysextd [com.apple.xpc:connection] invalidated after the last release sysextd no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications sysextd [com.apple.sx:XPC] client connection invalidated Signature and trust evaluation pass. CodeSigningHelper completes. Then the policy check fails. The app receives OSSystemExtensionError code 4 (extensionNotFound). What I've tried and ruled out Build process: Approach Result xcodebuild build -configuration Release + manual re-sign Same failure xcodebuild archive + export from archive + manual re-sign (per thread/737894) Same failure Minimal hand-crafted Xcode project (no xcodegen, trivial code) Same failure Both workflows follow Quinn's process exactly: build with Apple Development → copy app → embed Developer ID provisioning profiles → re-sign inside-out (extension first, then app) with -systemextension suffix entitlements → notarize → staple → install to /Applications. System-level checks: Rebooting — no change Killing sysextd — no change Removing com.apple.quarantine xattr — no change chown root:wheel on app bundle — no change lsregister -r (reset Launch Services) — no change Waiting 27 days for certificate propagation — no change Reinstalling via Finder drag-to-Applications — no change No MDM or configuration profiles installed /Library/SystemExtensions/db.plist shows extensionPolicies: [] (empty) Key observation Pre-existing network extensions activated before macOS 26 work fine on this machine. For example, Tailscale's NEPacketTunnelProvider shows state: activated_enabled in the system extensions database — it was activated on a prior macOS version and is still running. Only new system extension activations fail. I've seen similar Tahoe-specific reports from LuLu (same NEFilterDataProvider type, Developer ID distribution): LuLu #825 LuLu #831 Questions Is this a known regression in macOS 26's sysextd policy evaluation for new Developer ID system extension activations? sysextd's policy check fails after all signature and trust evaluation succeeds. Is there a separate trust/policy path that sysextd consults beyond what spctl, codesign, and CodeSigningHelper verify? Is there anything else I should be checking? I have a sysdiagnose captured immediately after the failure, a minimal reproducer project, and full raw sysextd logs available on request.
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Apr ’26
WKWebView customUserAgent replaces system User-Agent with NetworkingExtension identifier on iOS 26.4
Reproduction Steps:a. Create a WKWebView instance and set a custom string to customUserAgent.b. Load any web page (e.g., https://example.com).c. Check the User-Agent field in the request headers via packet capture tools or Web Inspector. Expected Result:The custom User-Agent should be appended to the default system identifier (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 18_7 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15...), instead of being completely overwritten. Actual Result:The User-Agent is fully replaced with: NetworkingExtension/8624.1.16.10.6 Network/5812.102.3 iOS/26.4, and all basic system identifiers are missing. Additional Information: Device: iPhone 16 Pro Max iOS Version: 26.4 (Build 20T5127) WKWebView setup: Directly set using the customUserAgent property Network Extension features are not used in the project, but the NetworkingExtension identifier still appears in the User-Agent
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Apr ’26
NEURLFilter production build fails with _NSURLErrorPrivacyProxyFailureKey — how to provision OHTTP privacy proxy for bundle?
Summary I'm implementing NEURLFilter with the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension.url-filter-provider entitlement for a system-wide URL filtering feature. The feature works perfectly in development-signed builds (connecting successfully to my PIR server over extended testing) but every production-signed build fails before any network call is made. NEURLFilterManager reports .serverSetupIncomplete (code 9). After installing the NetworkExtension debug profile, the unredacted com.apple.CipherML logs reveal the cause: no privacy proxy is provisioned for this bundle identifier, and the connection is configured proxy fail closed. Environment iOS 26 Entitlement: com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension.url-filter-provider Extension point: com.apple.networkextension.url-filter-control PIR server configured via NEURLFilterManager.setConfiguration(...) Privacy Pass issuer configured Dev-signed builds: working correctly, connecting to the PIR server Production-signed builds (both TestFlight and distribution): failing identically The Error Chain Surfaced to the app via NEURLFilterManager.lastDisconnectError: NEURLFilterManager.Error.serverSetupIncomplete (code 9) ← NEAgentURLFilterErrorDomain Code 3 ← com.apple.CipherML Code 1100 "Unable to query status" ← com.apple.CipherML Code 1800 (error details were logged and redacted) After installing the VPN (NetworkExtension) debug profile, the unredacted com.apple.CipherML subsystem shows: queryStatus(for:options:) threw an error: Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1009 "The Internet connection appears to be offline." UserInfo={ _NSURLErrorNWPathKey = satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: en0[802.11], ipv4, dns, uses wifi, LQM: good, NSErrorFailingURLKey = https://<my-pir-server>/config, NSUnderlyingError = { Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=50 "Network is down" }, _NSURLErrorPrivacyProxyFailureKey = true, NSLocalizedDescription = "The Internet connection appears to be offline." } The critical diagnostic line in the com.apple.network subsystem is: nw_endpoint_proxy_handler_should_use_proxy Proxies not present, but required to fail closed And the connection setup shows the proxy fail closed flag is mandatory for the connection: [C... ... Hostname#...:443 quic, bundle id: <my-bundle-id>, attribution: developer, using ephemeral configuration, context: NWURLSession (sensitive), proxy fail closed] start The network path itself is healthy (Wi-Fi good, DNS resolves correctly), but the connection is explicitly configured to fail closed if no proxy is present, and no proxy is provisioned for this bundle identifier. The entire failure happens in approximately 18 ms, far too fast for any network round-trip, confirming no traffic ever leaves the device. What I've Verified The entitlement is present in the distribution build The NEURLFilterControlProvider extension loads and returns a valid Bloom filter prefilter (with a tag that round-trips correctly between extension and framework) NEURLFilterManager.setConfiguration(pirServerURL:pirPrivacyPassIssuerURL:pirAuthenticationToken:controlProviderBundleIdentifier:) accepts all four parameters without error Development-signed builds of the same bundle identifier connect successfully to the same PIR server On production-signed builds, zero requests reach the PIR server — failure is purely client-side, before any network activity The Question How does the OHTTP privacy proxy get provisioned for a bundle identifier so that production builds can successfully use NEURLFilter? Specifically: Is there a Capability Request form I need to submit for url-filter-provider? I cannot find one in the Capability Requests section of my developer portal. Should I be running my own OHTTP gateway (for example using swift-nio-oblivious-http), and if so, does Apple then need to provision routing from their OHTTP relay to my gateway URL? Is the OHTTP relay path meant to be automatic once the entitlement is active, and if so, is there a specific activation step I'm missing? Is there any way to verify the current provisioning state for a specific bundle identifier from the developer portal? I can provide the full sysdiagnose and unredacted bundle/server details privately to an Apple engineer if that would help diagnose. I'd prefer to keep them out of a public post. Thanks!
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Apr ’26
Issue when repeated AP connections started and stopped multiple times
We observed intermittent failures when iOS devices repeatedly attempt to connect to an AP via NEHotspotConfiguration. When sniffing the packets, most failures occur before the WPA 4‑way handshake, with a smaller number happening during the handshake itself. SSID and Password were verified to be correct. Root Causes Association fails before handshake (primary issue) iOS often fails at the association phase (Apple80211AssociateAsync errors such as -3905 / -3940). These attempts never reach the WPA 4‑way handshake. iOS auto‑join suppression amplifies the problem After a single association failure, iOS marks the network as failed and blocks retry attempts. Subsequent attempts are rejected by policy (Already failed to auto-join known network profile) without new radio activity. This makes one real failure appear as many repeated failures. 4‑Way handshake failures (secondary) In some cases, association succeeds but the connection drops during WPA setup (Join Failure(6)). The error (if received, not always) is Internal Error - 8. Could we inquire on what might be the best steps to resolve this issue?
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Apr ’26
Background UDP receive for lighting control (Art-Net/sACN)
I'm developing a lighting control app for iOS that receives Art-Net (UDP port 6454) and sACN (UDP port 5568) packets from a lighting console and relays commands to BLE wristbands with LEDs. This is used in live event production — the participant locks their phone while in a show and expects lighting control to continue uninterrupted. The problem UDP receive stops reliably ~30 seconds after the screen locks. I understand this is by design - iOS suspends apps in the background. However, I'm trying to understand if any supported path exists for this use case. What I've already tried UIRequiresPersistentWiFi = true - helps with Wi-Fi association but doesn't prevent app suspension Silent AVAudioEngine loop with UIBackgroundModes: audio - keeps the app alive, works in testing, but risks App Store rejection and feels like an abuse of the audio background mode NWListener (Network framework) on the UDP port - same suspension behaviour Socket rebind on applicationWillEnterForeground - recovers after resume but doesn't prevent dropout What I'm asking Is there any supported background mode or entitlement for sustained UDP receive in a professional/enterprise context? (Similar to how VoIP apps get the voip background mode for sustained network activity.) Is the silent audio workaround considered acceptable for App Store distribution in a professional tools context, or will it be rejected? Is NEAppProxyProvider or another Network Extension a viable path, and if so does it require a special entitlement? Test project I have a minimal Xcode project (~130 lines) demonstrating the issue — NWListener on port 6454, packet counter, staleness timer, and silent audio toggle. I can share the test code. STEPS TO REPRODUCE In Xcode (one-time setup): Select the UDPBackgroundTest target → Signing & Capabilities → set your Team Plug in your iPhone → select it as the run destination Build & run — confirm packets appear on screen when you run 'send_test_udp.py' Lock the phone and observe the dropout Test: Open the app and run 'python3 send_test_udp.py 192.168.0.XXX' The app counts up the packages, they match the python output. 1 packet per second. lock screen & and wait 10 seconds unlock phone an see the numbers are 10 packets off
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101
Apr ’26
Need MetricKit Implementation details for MacOS background Application, mainly for
Hi, We are trying to integrate Metric Kit into our MacOS Application. Our application is a background process. We are interested in getting CPU and Memory metrics for our process. MXMetricPayload is the one we are looking at. We tried to integrate metric Kit and left the background app for 24 hours, we did not get any callback. So, does metric kit work for background app in MacOS? Also does it for Network Extension?
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Apr ’26
NEAppProxyUDPFlow.writeDatagrams fails with "The datagram was too large" on macOS 15.x, macOS 26.x
I'm implementing a NEDNSProxyProvider on macOS 15.x and macOS 26.x. The flow works correctly up to the last step — returning the DNS response to the client via writeDatagrams. Environment: macOS 15.x, 26.x Xcode 26.x NEDNSProxyProvider with NEAppProxyUDPFlow What I'm doing: override func handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEAppProxyFlow) -> Bool { guard let udpFlow = flow as? NEAppProxyUDPFlow else { return false } udpFlow.readDatagrams { datagrams, endpoints, error in // 1. Read DNS request from client // 2. Forward to upstream DNS server via TCP // 3. Receive response from upstream // 4. Try to return response to client: udpFlow.writeDatagrams([responseData], sentBy: [endpoints.first!]) { error in // Always fails: "The datagram was too large" // responseData is 50-200 bytes — well within UDP limits } } return true } Investigation: I added logging to check the type of endpoints.first : // On macOS 15.0 and 26.3.1: // type(of: endpoints.first) → NWAddressEndpoint // Not NWHostEndpoint as expected On both macOS 15.4 and 26.3.1, readDatagrams returns [NWEndpoint] where each endpoint appears to be NWAddressEndpoint — a type that is not publicly documented. When I try to create NWHostEndpoint manually from hostname and port, and pass it to writeDatagrams, the error "The datagram was too large" still occurs in some cases. Questions: What is the correct endpoint type to pass to writeDatagrams on macOS 15.x, 26.x? Should we pass the exact same NWEndpoint objects returned by readDatagrams, or create new ones? NWEndpoint, NWHostEndpoint, and writeDatagrams are all deprecated in macOS 15. Is there a replacement API for NEAppProxyUDPFlow that works with nw_endpoint_t from the Network framework? Is the error "The datagram was too large" actually about the endpoint type rather than the data size? Any guidance would be appreciated. :-))
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Apr ’26
No internet after reboot for 90s
Development environment: Xcode 26.4, macOS 26.3.1 Run-time configuration: iOS 18.7.6 and higher We have an application running on supervised devices, with an MDM profile typically deployed via jamf. The profile enables a Content Filter, with the two flags "Socket Filter" and "Browser Filter" set to true. On the device side, we implement the content filter as a network extension via: a class FilterDataProvider extending NEFilterDataProvider, a class FilterControlProvider extending NEFilerControlProvider. For the record, the FilterDataProvider overrides the handle*() methods to allow all traffic; the handleNewFlow() simply reports the new connection to FilterControlProvider for analysis. Problem: some customers reported that after a reboot of their device, they would not get access to the internet for up to 60s/90s. We have not been able to reproduce the problem on our own devices. What we see is that, even with our app uninstalled, without any Content Filter, it takes roughly 20s to 25s for a device to have internet access, so we can probably consider this 20s delay as a baseline. But would you be aware of a reason that would explain the delay observed by these customers? More details: We have conducted some tests on our devices, with extended logging. In particular: we have added an internet probe in the app that is triggered when the app starts up: it will try to connect to apple.com every 2s and report success or failure, we also have a network monitor (nw_path_monitor_set_update_handler) that reacts to network stack status updates and logs the said status. A typical boot up sequence shows the following: the boot time is 7:59:05, the app starts up at 7:59:30 (manually launched when the device is ready), the probe fails and keeps failing, the content filter is initialized/started up 7:59:53 and is ready at 7:59:55, the network monitor shows that the network stack is connected (status = nw_path_status_satisfied) right after that, and the probe succeeds in connecting 2s later. In other words, internet is available about 50s after boot time, 25s after app startup (i.e. after the device is actually ready). For some customers, this 25s delay can go up to 60/90s.
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Apr ’26
Requesting URL Filtering capability
Hi Apple team, Could you please let us know the estimated timeline for approval of our OHTTP relay request? We’d appreciate any updates on the current status or next steps from your side. My request number is GZ8425KHD9. Thanks in advance.
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435
Activity
3w
How to install and manage Network Extension in case of GUI-less application?
Hello, I am working on a DLP solution for macOS that relies on the Network Extension (NETransparentProxyProvider) for network traffic analysis. Could you please clarify: is it technically possible and officially supported to use a LaunchAgent as the container app to install and manage the Network Extension? If not, what is the recommended approach in case of GUI less application? Thank you in advance.
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414
Activity
3w
no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications;domain=OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4
Here’s the formatted summary in English for your issue submission: Issue Summary We are activating a Network Extension system extension (filter-data) from a signed and notarized macOS app. Activation consistently fails with the following error: Error Message: OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4 Extension not found in App bundle. Unable to find any matched extension with identifier: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data At the same time, sysextd logs show: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications However, our host app and executable paths are already under /Applications, and the extension bundle physically exists in the expected app bundle location. Environment Information macOS: Darwin 25.4.0 Host App: /Applications/xxx.app Host Bundle ID: com.seaskylight.yksmacos System Extension Bundle ID: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Team ID: BVU65MZFLK Device Management: Enrolled via DEP: No MDM Enrollment: No Reproduction Steps Install the host app to /Applications. Launch the host app via Finder or using the command: open -a "/Applications/xxx.app" Trigger OSSystemExtensionRequest activationRequestForExtension for: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data. Observe failure callback (code=4). Collect logs: log show --last 2m --style compact --info --debug --predicate 'process == "sysextd"' Check extension status using: systemextensionsctl list (shows 0 extension(s)) Observed Results sysextd client activation request for com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data attempts to realize extension with identifier com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data. Log indicates: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications App-side Diagnostics (captured at failure) PID: 3249 Bundle Path: /Applications/xxx.app Real Path: /Applications/xxx.app Exec Path: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/MacOS/xxx Real Exec Path: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/MacOS/xxx Ext Path: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/ExamNetFilterData.systemextension Ext Exists: true Running From Helper: false Error Callback: NSError{domain=OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4 desc=Extension not found in App bundle...} Additional Validation We reproduced the same failure using a minimal native host app (SysExtProbe) in /Applications that only submits the activation request for the same extension identifier. It also fails with OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4, indicating this is not specific to Electron app logic. Signing / Packaging Notes Host app and system extension are signed with the same Team ID (BVU65MZFLK). System extension bundle exists under: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/ExamNetFilterData.systemextension Extension Info.plist contains bundle id: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Host app includes NSSystemExtensionUsageDescription. Questions for DTS In non-MDM personal-device scenarios, what exact conditions trigger sysextd to emit: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications even when both bundlePath and realpath are in /Applications? Can code=4 (“Extension not found in App bundle”) be returned for policy/state reasons even when the extension bundle is present and the identifier matches? Are there known sysextd policy/cache states that cause this behavior, and what is the recommended recovery procedure? Feel free to copy and paste this summary for your submission. If you need any further modifications or assistance, let me know!
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209
Activity
Apr ’26
URL Filter Network Extension
Hello team, I am trying to find out a way to block urls in the chrome browser if it is found in local blocked list cache. I found URL Filter Network very much suitable for my requirement. But I see at multiple places that this solution is only for Enterprise level or MDM or supervised device. So can I run this for normal user ? as my targeting audience would be bank users. One more thing how can I test this in development environment if we need supervised devices and do we need special entitlement ? When trying to run sample project in the simulator then getting below error
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540
Activity
Apr ’26
What is the optimal number of records per shard?
Hello, I am currently developing a PIR server using the pir-server-example repository. We are anticipating a total of 10 million URLs for our dataset. In this context, what would be the optimal shard size (number of records per shard) to balance computational latency and communication overhead? Any advice or best practices for handling a dataset of this scale would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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2
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226
Activity
Apr ’26
NEURLFilter Not Blocking urls
Hi I tried to follow this guide https://developer.apple.com/documentation/networkextension/filtering-traffic-by-url I downloaded the sample app and put our pir service server address in the app. The service is already running and the app is connected to the pir service but the url is still not blocked. We tried to block example.com. Is there anything that we need to do in iOS code? This is the sample when there's dataset This is the sample when there's no dataset
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151
Activity
Apr ’26
NEProxySettings.matchDomains = [""] — supported catch-all when no IP routes are claimed?
We are building a VPN using NEPacketTunnelProvider where the intent is to route HTTP/S traffic through a local proxy server, while non-HTTP/S traffic flows directly to the network without being tunnelled at the IP layer. The configuration claims no included IP routes — it relies entirely on NEProxySettings to intercept HTTP/S traffic via the URL loading layer. private func configureIPSettings(_ settings: NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings) { settings.ipv4Settings = NEIPv4Settings( addresses: ["192.168.1.1"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.255"] ) // No includedRoutes set — no IP traffic enters the tunnel } private func configureProxySettings(_ settings: NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings) { let proxySettings = NEProxySettings() proxySettings.httpEnabled = true proxySettings.httpServer = NEProxyServer(address: "127.0.0.1", port: 9000) proxySettings.httpsEnabled = true proxySettings.httpsServer = NEProxyServer(address: "127.0.0.1", port: 9000) proxySettings.matchDomains = [""] settings.proxySettings = proxySettings } When matchDomains is nil or not set, HTTP/S traffic does not reach the local proxy in this configuration. Setting matchDomains = [""] makes it work correctly. The matchDomains documentation states: "If the destination host name of a HTTP connection shares a suffix with one of these strings then the proxy settings will be used." An empty string is a suffix of every string, so [""] matching all hostnames follows from that definition. But this isn't explicitly documented. Questions: Is matchDomains = [""] a supported and stable way to apply proxy settings to all HTTP/S traffic when no IP routes are claimed, or is this an unintended side-effect? Why does matchDomains = nil not apply the proxy globally in this configuration? The documentation doesn't describe its behaviour relative to IP routing. NEDNSSettings.matchDomains explicitly documents an empty string as matching all domains — is the same semantics intended for NEProxySettings.matchDomains?
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169
Activity
Apr ’26
NEURLFilter Not Blocking URLs
I've been able to run this sample project with the PIRServer. But the urls are still not blocked. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/networkextension/filtering-traffic-by-url https://github.com/apple/pir-service-example I got this on the log Received filter status change: <FilterStatus: 'running'>
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194
Activity
Apr ’26
macOS DNS Proxy system extension makes device stop processing MDM commands until reboot
Hi, I see an interaction issue between a DNS Proxy system extension and MDM on macOS: after some time the device stops processing MDM commands until reboot, while DNS filtering continues to work. Environment: macOS: 15.x / 26.x (reproduced on multiple minor versions) App: /Applications/MyMacProxy.app System extension: NEDNSProxyProvider as system extension Bundle id: com.company.agent.MyMacProxy.dnsProxy Deployment: MDM (SimpleMDM) DNS proxy config via com.apple.dnsProxy.managed Devices: supervised Macs Steps to reproduce: Enrol Mac into MDM. Install MyMacProxy app + DNS proxy system extension via pkg and apply com.apple.dnsProxy.managed profile. DNS proxy starts, DNS is filtered correctly, user network works normally. After some hours, try to manage the device from MDM: push a new configuration profile, remove an existing profile, or install / remove an app. 5.MDM server shows commands as pending / not completed. On the Mac, DNS is still filtered via our DNS proxy, and general network access (Safari etc.) continues to work. After reboot, pending MDM commands are processed and we can remove the app, profile and system extension normally. This is reproducible on our test machines. What I see on the Mac in the “stuck” state apsd is running: sudo launchctl print system/com.apple.apsd # job state = running com.apple.mdmclient.daemon exists as a job but is not running: sudo launchctl print system/com.apple.mdmclient.daemon Abbreviated output: system/com.apple.mdmclient.daemon = { ... state = not running job state = exited runs = 5 last exit code = 0 ... } So the MDM client daemon has exited cleanly (exit code 0) and is currently not running; its APS endpoints are configured. Our DNS proxy system extension is still processing flows: we see continuous logging from our NEDNSProxyProvider, and DNS filtering is clearly active (requests go through our upstream). systemextensionsctl list still shows our DNS proxy system extension as active. From the user’s perspective, everything works (with filtered DNS). From the MDM server’s perspective, commands stay pending until the next reboot. After reboot, MDM behaviour is normal again. Uninstall / cleanup (current approach, simplified) We currently use an MDM‑delivered shell script that: disables our DNS proxy configuration for the console user by editing ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.networkextension.plist and setting Enabled = false for our DNSProxyConfigurations entries; flushes DNS cache and restarts mDNSResponder; unloads our LaunchDaemon / LaunchAgent for the host app; kills the system extension process using pgrep -f "com.company.agent.MyMacProxy.dnsProxy" | xargs kill -9; removes the extension binary from /Library/SystemExtensions/.../com.company.agent.MyMacProxy.dnsProxy.systemextension; removes /Applications/MyMacProxy.app and related support files. We currently do not call systemextensionsctl uninstall <TEAMID> com.company.agent.MyMacProxy.dnsProxy from MDM, mainly because of SIP and because we understand that fully silent system extension uninstall is constrained. The MDM responsiveness issue, however, can appear even if we don’t run this aggressive uninstall script and just let the extension run for some hours. Questions Is it expected that a DNS Proxy system extension (managed via com.apple.dnsProxy.managed) can leave a device in a state where: apsd is running, com.apple.mdmclient.daemon is not running (last exit code 0), DNS proxy continues to filter traffic, but MDM commands remain pending until reboot? Are there known best practices or pitfalls when combining: DNS Proxy system extensions (NEDNSProxyProvider), MDM‑distributed com.apple.dnsProxy.managed profiles, and MDM app / profile management on recent macOS versions? For uninstall in an MDM environment, what pattern do you recommend? For example, is it better to: disable / remove the DNS proxy profile, stop the NE configuration via NEDNSProxyManager from the app, avoid killing the system extension or removing files from /Library/SystemExtensions immediately, and instead require a reboot for full removal? I can provide a sysdiagnose and unified logs (including nesessionmanager, mdmclient and our logs) from an affected machine if that would be helpful.
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176
Activity
Apr ’26
TN3134 clarification: DNS Proxy Provider unusable without MDM on iOS?
Hi, I’m looking for clarification on TN3134: Network Extension provider deployment, specifically iOS deployment requirements for: packet tunnel provider DNS proxy provider From the documentation: Packet Tunnel Provider App extension (min iOS 9.0): per-app mode requires a managed device DNS Proxy Provider App extension (min iOS 11.0): supervised devices only App extension (min iOS 11.0): per-app mode requires managed devices Issue I implemented a DNS proxy using NEDNSProxyManager. Works as expected in debug builds on a local device Fails to configure when distributed via TestFlight Console Output (TestFlight build) error 10:05:39.872258-0500 nehelper The production version of *** is not allowed to create DNS proxy configurations. Use MDM to create DNS Proxy configurations for the production version of ***. Question Is it possible to distribute a DNS proxy provider for use on non-MDM / non-supervised devices? If not: Is the limitation strictly enforced at distribution/runtime? Is a packet tunnel provider the only viable alternative for App Store distribution? There is a lot of different VPN apps on the App Store that appear to work out of the box without MDM or supervision, which suggests they are using a different deployment model. Thank you for any clarification or guidance!
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252
Activity
Apr ’26
`sysextd` rejects new `NEFilterDataProvider` activation with "no policy" on macOS 26 — despite valid Developer ID + notarization
I'm building a macOS network monitor using NEFilterDataProvider as a system extension, distributed with Developer ID signing. On macOS 26.3 (Tahoe), sysextd consistently rejects the activation request with "no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications" — despite the app being in /Applications and passing every verification check. I'm aware of the known Xcode NE signing bug (r. 108838909) and have followed the manual signing process from Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension. I've also tried both xcodebuild build and xcodebuild archive workflows — identical failure. Environment macOS 26.3 (25D125), SIP enabled Xcode 26.3 (17C529) Hardware Apple M2 Pro Certificate Developer ID Application (issued Jan 30, 2026 — 27 days old) MDM/Profiles None installed Signing & Verification (all pass) $ spctl -a -vv /Applications/Chakshu.app /Applications/Chakshu.app: accepted source=Notarized Developer ID origin=Developer ID Application: ROBIN SHARMA (R65679C4F3) $ codesign --verify --deep --strict -vv /Applications/Chakshu.app /Applications/Chakshu.app: valid on disk /Applications/Chakshu.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement $ xcrun stapler validate /Applications/Chakshu.app The validate action worked! App signing: Authority=Developer ID Application: ROBIN SHARMA (R65679C4F3) Authority=Developer ID Certification Authority Authority=Apple Root CA TeamIdentifier=R65679C4F3 Runtime Version=26.2.0 Notarization Ticket=stapled App entitlements: com.apple.application-identifier = R65679C4F3.dev.indrasvat.chakshu com.apple.developer.team-identifier = R65679C4F3 com.apple.developer.system-extension.install = true com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension = [content-filter-provider-systemextension] keychain-access-groups = [R65679C4F3.*] Extension signing: Same Developer ID authority, same team, same timestamp. Extension entitlements match (minus system-extension.install). Developer ID provisioning profiles are embedded in both app and extension. What sysextd logs Captured Feb 26, 2026 from log stream --predicate 'process == "sysextd"': sysextd [com.apple.sx:XPC] client activation request for dev.indrasvat.chakshu.filter sysextd attempting to realize extension with identifier dev.indrasvat.chakshu.filter sysextd (Security) SecKeyVerifySignature ← pass (×2) sysextd (Security) SecTrustEvaluateIfNecessary ← pass (×2) sysextd [com.apple.xpc:connection] activating connection: name=com.apple.CodeSigningHelper sysextd [com.apple.xpc:connection] invalidated after the last release sysextd no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications sysextd [com.apple.sx:XPC] client connection invalidated Signature and trust evaluation pass. CodeSigningHelper completes. Then the policy check fails. The app receives OSSystemExtensionError code 4 (extensionNotFound). What I've tried and ruled out Build process: Approach Result xcodebuild build -configuration Release + manual re-sign Same failure xcodebuild archive + export from archive + manual re-sign (per thread/737894) Same failure Minimal hand-crafted Xcode project (no xcodegen, trivial code) Same failure Both workflows follow Quinn's process exactly: build with Apple Development → copy app → embed Developer ID provisioning profiles → re-sign inside-out (extension first, then app) with -systemextension suffix entitlements → notarize → staple → install to /Applications. System-level checks: Rebooting — no change Killing sysextd — no change Removing com.apple.quarantine xattr — no change chown root:wheel on app bundle — no change lsregister -r (reset Launch Services) — no change Waiting 27 days for certificate propagation — no change Reinstalling via Finder drag-to-Applications — no change No MDM or configuration profiles installed /Library/SystemExtensions/db.plist shows extensionPolicies: [] (empty) Key observation Pre-existing network extensions activated before macOS 26 work fine on this machine. For example, Tailscale's NEPacketTunnelProvider shows state: activated_enabled in the system extensions database — it was activated on a prior macOS version and is still running. Only new system extension activations fail. I've seen similar Tahoe-specific reports from LuLu (same NEFilterDataProvider type, Developer ID distribution): LuLu #825 LuLu #831 Questions Is this a known regression in macOS 26's sysextd policy evaluation for new Developer ID system extension activations? sysextd's policy check fails after all signature and trust evaluation succeeds. Is there a separate trust/policy path that sysextd consults beyond what spctl, codesign, and CodeSigningHelper verify? Is there anything else I should be checking? I have a sysdiagnose captured immediately after the failure, a minimal reproducer project, and full raw sysextd logs available on request.
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300
Activity
Apr ’26
WKWebView customUserAgent replaces system User-Agent with NetworkingExtension identifier on iOS 26.4
Reproduction Steps:a. Create a WKWebView instance and set a custom string to customUserAgent.b. Load any web page (e.g., https://example.com).c. Check the User-Agent field in the request headers via packet capture tools or Web Inspector. Expected Result:The custom User-Agent should be appended to the default system identifier (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 18_7 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15...), instead of being completely overwritten. Actual Result:The User-Agent is fully replaced with: NetworkingExtension/8624.1.16.10.6 Network/5812.102.3 iOS/26.4, and all basic system identifiers are missing. Additional Information: Device: iPhone 16 Pro Max iOS Version: 26.4 (Build 20T5127) WKWebView setup: Directly set using the customUserAgent property Network Extension features are not used in the project, but the NetworkingExtension identifier still appears in the User-Agent
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3
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734
Activity
Apr ’26
NEURLFilter production build fails with _NSURLErrorPrivacyProxyFailureKey — how to provision OHTTP privacy proxy for bundle?
Summary I'm implementing NEURLFilter with the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension.url-filter-provider entitlement for a system-wide URL filtering feature. The feature works perfectly in development-signed builds (connecting successfully to my PIR server over extended testing) but every production-signed build fails before any network call is made. NEURLFilterManager reports .serverSetupIncomplete (code 9). After installing the NetworkExtension debug profile, the unredacted com.apple.CipherML logs reveal the cause: no privacy proxy is provisioned for this bundle identifier, and the connection is configured proxy fail closed. Environment iOS 26 Entitlement: com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension.url-filter-provider Extension point: com.apple.networkextension.url-filter-control PIR server configured via NEURLFilterManager.setConfiguration(...) Privacy Pass issuer configured Dev-signed builds: working correctly, connecting to the PIR server Production-signed builds (both TestFlight and distribution): failing identically The Error Chain Surfaced to the app via NEURLFilterManager.lastDisconnectError: NEURLFilterManager.Error.serverSetupIncomplete (code 9) ← NEAgentURLFilterErrorDomain Code 3 ← com.apple.CipherML Code 1100 "Unable to query status" ← com.apple.CipherML Code 1800 (error details were logged and redacted) After installing the VPN (NetworkExtension) debug profile, the unredacted com.apple.CipherML subsystem shows: queryStatus(for:options:) threw an error: Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1009 "The Internet connection appears to be offline." UserInfo={ _NSURLErrorNWPathKey = satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: en0[802.11], ipv4, dns, uses wifi, LQM: good, NSErrorFailingURLKey = https://<my-pir-server>/config, NSUnderlyingError = { Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=50 "Network is down" }, _NSURLErrorPrivacyProxyFailureKey = true, NSLocalizedDescription = "The Internet connection appears to be offline." } The critical diagnostic line in the com.apple.network subsystem is: nw_endpoint_proxy_handler_should_use_proxy Proxies not present, but required to fail closed And the connection setup shows the proxy fail closed flag is mandatory for the connection: [C... ... Hostname#...:443 quic, bundle id: <my-bundle-id>, attribution: developer, using ephemeral configuration, context: NWURLSession (sensitive), proxy fail closed] start The network path itself is healthy (Wi-Fi good, DNS resolves correctly), but the connection is explicitly configured to fail closed if no proxy is present, and no proxy is provisioned for this bundle identifier. The entire failure happens in approximately 18 ms, far too fast for any network round-trip, confirming no traffic ever leaves the device. What I've Verified The entitlement is present in the distribution build The NEURLFilterControlProvider extension loads and returns a valid Bloom filter prefilter (with a tag that round-trips correctly between extension and framework) NEURLFilterManager.setConfiguration(pirServerURL:pirPrivacyPassIssuerURL:pirAuthenticationToken:controlProviderBundleIdentifier:) accepts all four parameters without error Development-signed builds of the same bundle identifier connect successfully to the same PIR server On production-signed builds, zero requests reach the PIR server — failure is purely client-side, before any network activity The Question How does the OHTTP privacy proxy get provisioned for a bundle identifier so that production builds can successfully use NEURLFilter? Specifically: Is there a Capability Request form I need to submit for url-filter-provider? I cannot find one in the Capability Requests section of my developer portal. Should I be running my own OHTTP gateway (for example using swift-nio-oblivious-http), and if so, does Apple then need to provision routing from their OHTTP relay to my gateway URL? Is the OHTTP relay path meant to be automatic once the entitlement is active, and if so, is there a specific activation step I'm missing? Is there any way to verify the current provisioning state for a specific bundle identifier from the developer portal? I can provide the full sysdiagnose and unredacted bundle/server details privately to an Apple engineer if that would help diagnose. I'd prefer to keep them out of a public post. Thanks!
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307
Activity
Apr ’26
Issue when repeated AP connections started and stopped multiple times
We observed intermittent failures when iOS devices repeatedly attempt to connect to an AP via NEHotspotConfiguration. When sniffing the packets, most failures occur before the WPA 4‑way handshake, with a smaller number happening during the handshake itself. SSID and Password were verified to be correct. Root Causes Association fails before handshake (primary issue) iOS often fails at the association phase (Apple80211AssociateAsync errors such as -3905 / -3940). These attempts never reach the WPA 4‑way handshake. iOS auto‑join suppression amplifies the problem After a single association failure, iOS marks the network as failed and blocks retry attempts. Subsequent attempts are rejected by policy (Already failed to auto-join known network profile) without new radio activity. This makes one real failure appear as many repeated failures. 4‑Way handshake failures (secondary) In some cases, association succeeds but the connection drops during WPA setup (Join Failure(6)). The error (if received, not always) is Internal Error - 8. Could we inquire on what might be the best steps to resolve this issue?
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159
Activity
Apr ’26
Background UDP receive for lighting control (Art-Net/sACN)
I'm developing a lighting control app for iOS that receives Art-Net (UDP port 6454) and sACN (UDP port 5568) packets from a lighting console and relays commands to BLE wristbands with LEDs. This is used in live event production — the participant locks their phone while in a show and expects lighting control to continue uninterrupted. The problem UDP receive stops reliably ~30 seconds after the screen locks. I understand this is by design - iOS suspends apps in the background. However, I'm trying to understand if any supported path exists for this use case. What I've already tried UIRequiresPersistentWiFi = true - helps with Wi-Fi association but doesn't prevent app suspension Silent AVAudioEngine loop with UIBackgroundModes: audio - keeps the app alive, works in testing, but risks App Store rejection and feels like an abuse of the audio background mode NWListener (Network framework) on the UDP port - same suspension behaviour Socket rebind on applicationWillEnterForeground - recovers after resume but doesn't prevent dropout What I'm asking Is there any supported background mode or entitlement for sustained UDP receive in a professional/enterprise context? (Similar to how VoIP apps get the voip background mode for sustained network activity.) Is the silent audio workaround considered acceptable for App Store distribution in a professional tools context, or will it be rejected? Is NEAppProxyProvider or another Network Extension a viable path, and if so does it require a special entitlement? Test project I have a minimal Xcode project (~130 lines) demonstrating the issue — NWListener on port 6454, packet counter, staleness timer, and silent audio toggle. I can share the test code. STEPS TO REPRODUCE In Xcode (one-time setup): Select the UDPBackgroundTest target → Signing & Capabilities → set your Team Plug in your iPhone → select it as the run destination Build & run — confirm packets appear on screen when you run 'send_test_udp.py' Lock the phone and observe the dropout Test: Open the app and run 'python3 send_test_udp.py 192.168.0.XXX' The app counts up the packages, they match the python output. 1 packet per second. lock screen & and wait 10 seconds unlock phone an see the numbers are 10 packets off
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101
Activity
Apr ’26
Need MetricKit Implementation details for MacOS background Application, mainly for
Hi, We are trying to integrate Metric Kit into our MacOS Application. Our application is a background process. We are interested in getting CPU and Memory metrics for our process. MXMetricPayload is the one we are looking at. We tried to integrate metric Kit and left the background app for 24 hours, we did not get any callback. So, does metric kit work for background app in MacOS? Also does it for Network Extension?
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454
Activity
Apr ’26
The M5 Pro does not connect to the Wi-Fi AP using RADIUS when NetworkExtension Activiate.
The M5 Pro does not connect to the Wi-Fi AP using RADIUS when NetworkExtension Activiate. The M1 and M2 Pro worked, but only the M5 Pro MacBook Pro did not work. If you deactivate NetworkExtension, it connects to the AP, and afterwards, it works even if you activate NetworkExtension.
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5
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270
Activity
Apr ’26
URL Filter OHTTP Gateway
Hello team, We are using below example https://github.com/apple/pir-service-example as a starting point to setup PIR server for our backend, but I am not really understanding what else we need in this example to configure OHTTP gateway. Any help will be appreciated.
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Activity
Apr ’26
NEAppProxyUDPFlow.writeDatagrams fails with "The datagram was too large" on macOS 15.x, macOS 26.x
I'm implementing a NEDNSProxyProvider on macOS 15.x and macOS 26.x. The flow works correctly up to the last step — returning the DNS response to the client via writeDatagrams. Environment: macOS 15.x, 26.x Xcode 26.x NEDNSProxyProvider with NEAppProxyUDPFlow What I'm doing: override func handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEAppProxyFlow) -> Bool { guard let udpFlow = flow as? NEAppProxyUDPFlow else { return false } udpFlow.readDatagrams { datagrams, endpoints, error in // 1. Read DNS request from client // 2. Forward to upstream DNS server via TCP // 3. Receive response from upstream // 4. Try to return response to client: udpFlow.writeDatagrams([responseData], sentBy: [endpoints.first!]) { error in // Always fails: "The datagram was too large" // responseData is 50-200 bytes — well within UDP limits } } return true } Investigation: I added logging to check the type of endpoints.first : // On macOS 15.0 and 26.3.1: // type(of: endpoints.first) → NWAddressEndpoint // Not NWHostEndpoint as expected On both macOS 15.4 and 26.3.1, readDatagrams returns [NWEndpoint] where each endpoint appears to be NWAddressEndpoint — a type that is not publicly documented. When I try to create NWHostEndpoint manually from hostname and port, and pass it to writeDatagrams, the error "The datagram was too large" still occurs in some cases. Questions: What is the correct endpoint type to pass to writeDatagrams on macOS 15.x, 26.x? Should we pass the exact same NWEndpoint objects returned by readDatagrams, or create new ones? NWEndpoint, NWHostEndpoint, and writeDatagrams are all deprecated in macOS 15. Is there a replacement API for NEAppProxyUDPFlow that works with nw_endpoint_t from the Network framework? Is the error "The datagram was too large" actually about the endpoint type rather than the data size? Any guidance would be appreciated. :-))
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239
Activity
Apr ’26
No internet after reboot for 90s
Development environment: Xcode 26.4, macOS 26.3.1 Run-time configuration: iOS 18.7.6 and higher We have an application running on supervised devices, with an MDM profile typically deployed via jamf. The profile enables a Content Filter, with the two flags "Socket Filter" and "Browser Filter" set to true. On the device side, we implement the content filter as a network extension via: a class FilterDataProvider extending NEFilterDataProvider, a class FilterControlProvider extending NEFilerControlProvider. For the record, the FilterDataProvider overrides the handle*() methods to allow all traffic; the handleNewFlow() simply reports the new connection to FilterControlProvider for analysis. Problem: some customers reported that after a reboot of their device, they would not get access to the internet for up to 60s/90s. We have not been able to reproduce the problem on our own devices. What we see is that, even with our app uninstalled, without any Content Filter, it takes roughly 20s to 25s for a device to have internet access, so we can probably consider this 20s delay as a baseline. But would you be aware of a reason that would explain the delay observed by these customers? More details: We have conducted some tests on our devices, with extended logging. In particular: we have added an internet probe in the app that is triggered when the app starts up: it will try to connect to apple.com every 2s and report success or failure, we also have a network monitor (nw_path_monitor_set_update_handler) that reacts to network stack status updates and logs the said status. A typical boot up sequence shows the following: the boot time is 7:59:05, the app starts up at 7:59:30 (manually launched when the device is ready), the probe fails and keeps failing, the content filter is initialized/started up 7:59:53 and is ready at 7:59:55, the network monitor shows that the network stack is connected (status = nw_path_status_satisfied) right after that, and the probe succeeds in connecting 2s later. In other words, internet is available about 50s after boot time, 25s after app startup (i.e. after the device is actually ready). For some customers, this 25s delay can go up to 60/90s.
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Activity
Apr ’26