Discuss how to secure user data, respect user data preferences, support iCloud Private Relay and Mail Privacy Protection, replace CAPTCHAs with Private Access Tokens, and more. Ask about Privacy nutrition labels, Privacy manifests, and more.

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Handling ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest
An ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest rejection email looks as follows: ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest- Your app includes "<path/to/SDK>", which includes , an SDK that was identified in the documentation as a privacy-impacting third-party SDK. Starting February 12, 2025, if a new app includes a privacy-impacting SDK, or an app update adds a new privacy-impacting SDK, the SDK must include a privacy manifest file. Please contact the provider of the SDK that includes this file to get an updated SDK version with a privacy manifest. For more details about this policy, including a list of SDKs that are required to include signatures and manifests, visit: https://developer.apple.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements. Glossary ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest: An email that includes the name and path of privacy-impacting SDK(s) with no privacy manifest files in your app bundle. For more information, see https://developer.apple.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements. : The specified privacy-impacting SDK that doesn't include a privacy manifest file. If you are the developer of the rejected app, gather the name of the SDK from the email you received from Apple, then contact the SDK's provider for an updated version that includes a valid privacy manifest. After receiving an updated version of the SDK, verify the SDK includes a valid privacy manifest file at the expected location. For more information, see Adding a privacy manifest to your app or third-party SDK. If your app includes a privacy manifest file, make sure the file only describes the privacy practices of your app. Do not add the privacy practices of the SDK to your app's privacy manifest. If the email lists multiple SDKs, repeat the above process for all of them. If you are the developer of an SDK listed in the email, publish an updated version of your SDK that includes a privacy manifest file with valid keys and values. Every privacy-impacting SDK must contain a privacy manifest file that only describes its privacy practices. To learn how to add a valid privacy manifest to your SDK, see the Additional resources section below. Additional resources Privacy manifest files Describing data use in privacy manifests Describing use of required reason API Adding a privacy manifest to your app or third-party SDK TN3182: Adding privacy tracking keys to your privacy manifest TN3183: Adding required reason API entries to your privacy manifest TN3184: Adding data collection details to your privacy manifest TN3181: Debugging an invalid privacy manifest
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Mar ’25
Privacy Resources
General: Forums topic: Privacy & Security Forums tag: Privacy Developer > Security — This also covers privacy topics. App privacy details on the App Store UIKit > Protecting the User’s Privacy documentation Bundle Resources > Privacy manifest files documentation TN3181 Debugging an invalid privacy manifest technote TN3182 Adding privacy tracking keys to your privacy manifest technote TN3183 Adding required reason API entries to your privacy manifest technote TN3184 Adding data collection details to your privacy manifest technote TN3179 Understanding local network privacy technote Handling ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest forums post Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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Jul ’25
Does accessing ARP table via sysctl trigger Local Network Access prompt?
Starting with macOS 15 (Sequoia), applications that perform network discovery operations now trigger a permission prompt: "Allow [AppName] to find devices on local networks". I am using sysctl() with NET_RT_FLAGS and RTF_LLINFO to access the ARP table and retrieve gateway MAC addresses: int mib[6]; mib[0] = CTL_NET; mib[1] = PF_ROUTE; mib[2] = 0; mib[3] = AF_INET; mib[4] = NET_RT_FLAGS; mib[5] = RTF_LLINFO; // This flag accesses ARP table entries if (sysctl(mib, 6, buf, &amp;needed, NULL, 0) &lt; 0) return nil; From my testing, the Local Network Access prompt does not always appear. It looks like if the MAC address is already cached in the ARP table, no prompt is shown, and the prompt only appears when the system needs to resolve a new MAC address. Is this correct behavior? Does ARP resolution by itself triggering the prompt?
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Sending to Private Relay Email using amazon ses not working
Hello Developers, I have ran into a problem while sending mail to apple private relay email. We have built a mobile application where user can sign up through apple and they can sign up using hide-my-email feature. Which provides private relay address for us. Now we want to communicate with them using private relay mail address. The technology we are using to send emails are amazon SES, have done SPF, DMIK, DMARC and added domains in apple identity services for mail communication, passed an SPF check as well. But still mail is not getting delivered what am i doing wrong or apple doesn't support third party apps for sending emails to private relay? Is there any other way to achieve this please let me know Using the same body as attached in image is working fine for rest emails.
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[REQUEST] for a tool/method/guidance how to create privacy manifest (PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy) when you don't have Xcode/mac
Hello, PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy Is primordial and without it the app is rejected from the Store I believe. All 5 ressources I had found related to it, mention XCODE, or explain how to add the code to langages that I don't use (Switf i think?) etc. I am building the app thought CI/CD, so prior to building it the app does not have privacy manifest and there is not way to generate it automatically without xcode it seems. My app is written in Flutter prior to becoming an iOS app. I am seeking for a method to do that. Thanks.
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IDFA Not Resetting on App Reinstallation in iOS 26 Beta
Hello everyone, I've noticed some unusual behavior while debugging my application on the iOS 26 beta. My standard testing process relies on the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) authorization status being reset whenever I uninstall and reinstall my app. This is crucial for me to test the permission flow. However, on the current beta, I've observed the following: 1 I installed my app on a device running the iOS 26 beta for the first time. The ATTrackingManager.requestTrackingAuthorization dialog appeared as expected. 2 I completely uninstalled the application. 3 I then reinstalled the app. Unexpected Result: The tracking permission dialog did not appear. And more importantly, the device's advertisingIdentifier appears to have remained unchanged. This is highly unusual, as the IDFA is expected to be reset with a fresh app installation. My question: Is this an intentional change, and is there a fundamental shift in how the operating system handles the persistence of the IDFA or the authorization status? Or could this be a bug in the iOS 26 beta? Any information or confirmation on this behavior would be greatly appreciated.
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api and data collection app stroe connect
I added a feature to my app that retrieves only app settings (no personal data) from my API hosted on Cloudflare Workers. The app does not send, collect, track, or share any user data, and I do not store or process any personal information. Technical details such as IP address, user agent, and device information may be automatically transmitted as part of the internet protocol when the request is made, but my app does not log or use them. Cloudflare may collect this information. Question: Does this count as “data collection” for App Store Connect purposes, or can I select “No Data Collected”?
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forceAirDropUnmanaged not blocking proximity-based AirDrop (NameDrop) on iOS
We’ve run into what looks like a gap in how forceAirDropUnmanaged is enforced on iOS devices. Setup: Device: iOS 17.x (unsupervised, enrolled in MDM) MDM Restriction: forceAirDropUnmanaged = true Managed Open-In restriction also applied (block unmanaged destinations). Verified: from a managed app, the AirDrop icon is hidden in the share sheet. This part works as expected. Issue: When two iOS devices are brought close together, the proximity-initiated AirDrop / NameDrop flow still allows transfer of photos, videos, or files between devices. In this path, forceAirDropUnmanaged does not appear to apply, even though the same restriction works correctly in the standard sharing pane. What I’d expect: If forceAirDropUnmanaged is enabled, all AirDrop transfer paths (including proximity/NameDrop) should be treated as unmanaged, and thus blocked when “Managed Open-In to unmanaged destinations” is restricted. What I observe instead: Share sheet → AirDrop hidden ✅ Proximity/NameDrop → transfer still possible ❌ Questions for Apple / Community: Is this a known limitation or expected behavior? Is there a different restriction key (or combination) that also covers proximity-based AirDrop? If not currently supported, should this be filed as Feedback (FB) to request alignment between share sheet AirDrop and NameDrop enforcement? This behaviour introduces a compliance gap for organisations relying on MDM to control data exfiltration on unsupervised or user-enrolled devices. Any clarification or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
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Private Relay emails bounced as 'Unauthorized Sender'
Private relay emails are not being delivered, even though we've followed the guidance here, https://developer.apple.com/help/account/capabilities/configure-private-email-relay-service/ iCloud, gmail etc. get delivered fine but as soon as its a private relay email address they get bounced as unauthorized sender. We've tried a couple of domains but here I'll document test.x.domain.com We have registered domains (test.x.domain.com), also the sender communication emails just to be safe (noreply at test.x.domain.com). Passed SPF Authentication, DKIM Authentication. ESP account shows as all green checks in mailgun. Is there any way to track down what the actual rejection reason is? { "@timestamp": "2025-08-20T14:30:59.801Z", "account": { "id": "6425b45fb2fd1e28f4e0110a" }, "delivery-status": { "attempt-no": 1, "bounce-type": "soft", "certificate-verified": true, "code": 550, "enhanced-code": "5.1.1", "first-delivery-attempt-seconds": 0.014, "message": "5.1.1 <bounce+b53c9e.27949-6qj4xaisn4k=privaterelay.appleid.com@test.x.domain.com>: unauthorized sender", "mx-host": "smtp3.privaterelay.appleid.com", "session-seconds": 1.7229999999999999, "tls": true }, "domain": { "name": "test.x.domain.com" }, "envelope": { "sender": "noreply@test.x.domain.com", "sending-ip": "111.22.101.215", "targets": "6qj4xaisn4k@privaterelay.appleid.com", "transport": "smtp" }, "event": "failed", "flags": { "is-authenticated": true, "is-delayed-bounce": false, "is-routed": false, "is-system-test": false, "is-test-mode": false }, "id": "1gtVBeZYQ0yO1SzipVP99Q", "log-level": "error", "message": { "headers": { "from": "\"Test Mail\" <noreply@test.x.domain.com>", "message-id": "20250820143058.7cac292cf03993f2@test.x.domain.com", "subject": "Test Mail", "to": "6qj4xaisn4k@privaterelay.appleid.com" }, "size": 22854 }, "primary-dkim": "s1._domainkey.test.x.domain.com", "reason": "generic", "recipient": "6qj4xaisn4k@privaterelay.appleid.com", "recipient-domain": "privaterelay.appleid.com", "recipient-provider": "Apple", "severity": "permanent", "storage": { "env": "production", "key": "BAABAgFDX5nmZ7fqxxxxxxZNzEVxPmZ8_YQ", "region": "europe-west1", "url": [ "https://storage-europe-west1.api.mailgun.net/v3/domains/test.x.domain.com/messages/BAABAgFDXxxxxxxxxxxxxxNzEVxPmZ8_YQ" ] }, "user-variables": {} }
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Do I need to declare data collection for simple GET requests
Hi, I have an iOS app that only makes GET requests to my own API (hosted on Cloudflare Workers). The app only receives information for its settings (like whether to show a coupon code). It does not send, collect, track, or share any user data, and I do not store or process any personal information. I understand that technical details (like IP address, user-agent, device information, etc.) are automatically sent as part of the internet protocol. Since I don’t log or use this data, I’m unsure if it counts as “data collection.” However, it is possible that Cloudflare collects this information for security purposes and deletes it after some time. Question: In this case, can I select “No data collected” in the App Privacy section of App Store Connect? Thanks!
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Detecting if a phone call is being recorded by another app on iOS
Hello, I’m new here. I'm developing an iOS app and I’d like to know whether it is possible to detect if a phone call is being recorded by another app running in the background. I’ve already reviewed the documentation for CallKit and AVAudioSession, but I couldn’t find anything related. My expectation was that iOS might provide some callback or API to indicate if a call is being recorded (third-party apps), but so far I haven’t found a way. My questions are: Does iOS expose any API to detect if a call is being recorded? If not, is there any indirect, Apple's policy compliant method (e.g., microphone usage events) that can be relied upon? Or is this something that iOS explicitly prevents for privacyreasons? Expecting solutions that align with Apple’s policies and would be accepted under the App Store Review Guidelines. Thanks in advance for any guidance.
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Can't update Privacy labels until a tracking-free update is approved
App Store Connect's privacy label system creates impossible review situations by checking live app versions instead of submitted builds. Problem: Developer has a live app with tracking on the App Store Developer create a new app version with all tracking removed Privacy labels from AppStore Connect cannot be updated because system references live version with tracking App gets rejected for privacy label mismatch with submitted build Cannot fix labels until approved, cannot get approved with wrong labels Expected behavior: Privacy label system should allow updates for pending app versions or check submitted build instead of live version. Steps to reproduce: Submit app update with tracking removed Try to update privacy labels to "no tracking" from AppStore Connect System shows error: "Your app contains NSUserTrackingUsageDescription, indicating that you will request permission to track users. You must indicate which data types are tracking users. If this is incorrect, update your app binary and upload a new build to App Store Connect." App gets rejected despite submitted build having no tracking This affects any developer trying to remove tracking functionality from AppStore Connect in such a scenario. I have opened a bug in Feedback Assistant: FB19459680
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Aug ’25
App Store Rejection: "AppTrackingTransparency permission request not found" — But ATT Completely Removed
Hi everyone, I'm facing a frustrating App Store rejection that I can't seem to resolve. My app was rejected under Guideline 2.1 - Information Needed with the following message: "The app uses the AppTrackingTransparency framework, but we are unable to locate the App Tracking Transparency permission request when reviewed on iPadOS 18.5." However, in my latest version (2.9 Build 18), I have: Removed all SDKs that collect IDFA or perform tracking. Removed the AppTrackingTransparency framework entirely. Removed the NSUserTrackingUsageDescription key from Info.plist. Confirmed that no third-party SDKs are accessing IDFA or similar. Not using the app_tracking_transparency package (I'm using Flutter). I included a detailed review note explaining all of this, yet the app still gets rejected for not showing the ATT prompt — even though ATT is not used at all. Also, I can't update the App Privacy section until this new version is approved, which still reflects tracking from a previous live version (2.3). Has anyone faced something similar? Questions: Is there a way to confirm what part of the build might still be triggering ATT detection on Apple's side? Could an unused pod or leftover reference be the issue? How do I fully verify that ATT is not linked anywhere in the final binary? Any guidance or tips from others who’ve resolved this would be hugely appreciated! Thanks
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Aug ’25
Why does my app lose Screen Recording permission after updating (adhoc signature)?
Hi everyone, I have a macOS application that uses Screen Recording permission. I build my app with an adhoc signature (not with a Developer ID certificate). For example, in version 1.0.0, I grant Screen Recording permission to the app. Later, I build a new version (1.1.0) and update by dragging the new app into the Applications folder to overwrite the previous one. However, when I launch the updated app, it asks for Screen Recording permission again, even though I have already granted it for the previous version. I don’t fully understand how TCC (Transparency, Consent, and Control) determines when permissions need to be re-granted. Can anyone explain how TCC manages permissions for updated builds, especially with adhoc signatures? Is there any way to retain permissions between updates, or any best practices to avoid having users re-authorize permissions after every update?
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Aug ’25
Device Activity Privacy Restrictions
Hey there! So, I'm trying to see what I'm able to do with the Device Activity Report Extension, and I have a few questions about the following quote: To protect the user’s privacy, your extension runs in a sandbox. This sandbox prevents your extension from making network requests or moving sensitive content outside the extension’s address space. In particular, what constitutes the address space for this extension? Can I save data to a UserDefaults object that only the extension can access? (Apps like Opal allow the user to label apps as "distracting" and "non-distracting", and I'm wondering how they do that!) From what I've read, I believe it cannot write to a shared app group or model (and I just want to confirm this) It also seems that there's nothing preventing it from reading data from the main app, so I'm just wondering if it's able to read data from an app group or model with no problem. Thanks in advance!
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Aug ’25
A Discussion on Marketing Sensitive Apps & Navigating App Review with a Privacy-First Approach
Hello everyone, Ujjwal here, founder and CEO of a new iOS app in the mental wellness space. Our mission is to provide accessible, AI-driven support for individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and loneliness. From the very beginning, this has presented us with a unique and critical challenge: How do we effectively market an app to reach those who need it most, while upholding the absolute highest standards of user privacy? We've built our app, ThunDroid, with a "privacy-by-design" philosophy. We leverage on-device processing for our core AI features, utilize end-to-end encryption, and have proudly integrated 'Sign in with Apple' to maximize user anonymity. We believe these are not just features, but ethical obligations to our users, especially given the nature of the data they trust us with. The challenge, however, arises in marketing. This leads us to focus on mission-driven, organic marketing, but it's a slower path to reaching users who might be in immediate need of support. This brings me to my question for this knowledgeable community. What best practices or creative strategies have you found effective for marketing applications? I appreciate any insights or experiences you're willing to share as we continue to grow ThunDroid responsibly. Thank you for your time and consideration. App Store link: (would love to hear your reviews) [https://apps.apple.com/in/app/thundroid-ai-human-companion/id6746182736)
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Jul ’25
Remote control
Hi everyone, I’m working on a concept for an iOS app that would allow a user to remotely control an Enterprise iOS device, similar to how AnyDesk or TeamViewer work on desktop. I understand that apps like TeamViewer for iOS offer screen sharing, and some level control but not a full level control. Before I invest further in development, I’d like to clarify a few points: Is there any official Apple-supported way (public or private API) to allow remote control of an iOS device? Has Apple ever approved apps that allow true remote control of iOS (not just screen sharing)? If full control is not allowed, what are the permitted alternatives (e.g. screen broadcast via ReplayKit, remote assistance mode, etc.)? Would such an app be considered for enterprise distribution only (via MDM), or is there a potential App Store path? Any insight or experience from developers who’ve tried this would be very appreciated. Thanks!
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122
Jul ’25
No MDM settings to control macOS pasteboard privacy?
For context, my company develops a data loss prevention (DLP) product. Part of our functionality is the ability to detect sensitive data being pasted into a web browser or cloud-based app. The AppKit release notes for April 2025 document an upcoming “macOS pasteboard privacy” feature, which will presumably ship in macOS 26. Using the user default setting “EnablePasteboardPrivacyDeveloperPreview” documented in the release notes, I tested our agent under macOS 15.5, and encountered a modal alert reading " is trying to access the pasteboard" almost immediately, when the program reads the General pasteboard to scan its contents. Since our product is aimed at enterprise customers (and not individual Mac users), I believed Apple would implement a privacy control setting for this new feature. This would allow our customers to push a configuration profile via MDM, with the “Paste from Other Apps” setting for our application preset to “Allow”, so that they can install our product on their endpoints without manual intervention. Unfortunately, as of macOS 26 beta 4 (25A5316i), there does not seem to be any such setting documented under Device Management — for example in PrivacyPreferencesPolicyControl.Services, which lists a number of similar settings. Without such a setting available, a valuable function of our product will be effectively crippled when macOS 26 is released. Is there such a setting (that I've overlooked)? If not, allow me to urge Apple to find the resources to implement one, so that our customers can preset “Paste from Other Apps” to “Allow” for our application.
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Jul ’25
No route to host
Our app is connected to a hardware wifi without network. Under normal circumstances, we can communicate with the device. At some point, the communication suddenly stops, and the ping prompts "No route to host". The only way to reconnect is to restart the device. It feels like the system has marked ARP. Is there any way to reconnect the device without restarting the device?
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Jul ’25
How and when to use .confirmAuthorization option with AccessorySetupKit
I am developing an app that communicates with external BLE device over GATT. The device has a secure-read characteristic exposing some of it's data and requires pairing/bonding in order to communicate with it. I was able to pair and connect with the device using AccessorySetupKit and .bluetoothPairingLE option: let descriptor = ASDiscoveryDescriptor() descriptor.bluetoothServiceUUID = CBUUID(string: serviceUUID) descriptor.supportedOptions = [.bluetoothPairingLE] let picketItem = ASPickerDisplayItem(name: name, productImage: image, descriptor: descriptor) In this case when setting up accessory, I was prompted to compare passkeys and after confirming I can read the characteristic etc. Then I tried adding .confirmAuthorization to picker item and problems started: let descriptor = ASDiscoveryDescriptor() descriptor.bluetoothServiceUUID = CBUUID(string: serviceUUID) descriptor.supportedOptions = [.bluetoothPairingLE] let picketItem = ASPickerDisplayItem(name: name, productImage: image, desc pickerItem.setupOptions = [.confirmAuthorization] When setting up, I can see a passkey to be confirmed, but when confirmed the setup ui get's suck in loading state. Under the hood in logs, I can see that my app has connected to peripheral and was able to read the characteristic. I am unsure why the ui is stuck in loading state in this case. What is the difference when using .confirmAuthorization option and what should be the proper flow of events to setup accessory and then access protoected characteristic?
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