Hi, I am developing an app that checks if Bluetooth is available on the device or not (does not actually use any Bluetooth capabilities). The only CoreBluetooth API's that I use are: CBCentralManager the state property of the CBCentralManager centralManagerDidUpdateState When I am testing, I experience different behaviors on my test devices. On an iPhone 15 iOS 18.5, the app works fine. However, on an iPhone 13 iOS 18.3.2, the app crashes with the following error: This app has crashed because it attempted to access privacy-sensitive data without a usage description. The app's Info.plist must contain an NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription key with a string value explaining to the user how the app uses this data. Why is this permission required on my iPhone 13 iOS 18.3.2, but not my iPhone 15 iOS 18.5? Why do I experience different behavior on different iPhone configurations?

We are developing an IoT companion app that connects to the IoT device's Wi-Fi network and communicates with it through local network APIs. To support this functionality, we have: Added the necessary keys in the Info.plist. NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription , NSBonjourServices Used a Bonjour service at app launch to trigger the local network permission prompt. Problem on iOS 18.x (including 18.6 beta) Even when the user explicitly denies the local network permission, our API communication still works. This is unexpected behavior, as we assume denying permission should restrict access to local network communication. We tested this with the latest iOS 18.6 beta (as per Thread 789461021), but the issue still persists. This behavior raises concerns about inconsistent permission enforcement in iOS 18.x. Problem on iOS 17.x In iOS 17.x, if the user accidentally denies the local network permission and later enables it manually via Settings, the change does not take effect immediately. The app cannot access the local network unless the device is restarted, which results in a confusing and poor user experience. Expected Behavior If local network permission is denied, local API communication should be strictly blocked. If the permission is later enabled via Settings, the app should regain access without requiring a device restart. Request We request clarification and resolution on: Why local network APIs are accessible even when permission is denied on iOS 18.x. Whether the delayed permission update (requiring restart) in iOS 17.x is expected or a known issue. Best practices to ensure consistent and predictable permission handling across iOS versions.

Hi, I am developing an app that checks if biometric authentication capabilities (Face ID and Touch ID) are available on a device. I have a few questions: Do I need to include a privacy string in my app to use the LAContext's canEvaluatePolicy function? This function checks if biometric authentication is available on the device, but does not actually trigger the authentication. From my testing, it seems like a privacy declaration is only required when using LAContext's evaluatePolicy function, which would trigger the biometric authentication. Can you confirm if this is the expected behavior across all iOS versions and iPhone models? When exactly does the biometric authentication permission pop-up appear for users - is it when calling canEvaluatePolicy or evaluatePolicy? I want to ensure my users have a seamless experience. Please let me know if you have any insights on these questions. I want to make sure I'm handling the biometric authentication functionality correctly in my app. Thank you!

Hi everyone, My iOS app performs only a GET request to an external server to receive a JSON with configuration data (e.g., app settings). It does not send any personal data — it's a read-only request used only to adjust app behavior. Since the app only performs a GET request to the server and does not send any data from the user, no data is collected or stored. In App Store Connect > App Privacy, is it correct to select: "No, we do not collect data from this app"? Just want to confirm this is acceptable before submitting. Thanks!

FB18383742 Setup 🛠️ Xcode 16.4 (16F6) 📱 iPhone 13 mini (iOS 18.0.1) ⌚️ Apple Watch Series 10 (watchOS 11.3.1) Observations As AccessorySetupKit does not request "Core Bluetooth permissions", when a watchOS companion app is installed after having installed the iOS app, the toggle in the watch settings for Privacy & Security > Bluetooth is turned off and disabled After removing the iPhone associated with the Apple Watch, Bluetooth works as expected in the watchOS app Upon reinstalling the iOS app, there's a toggle for Bluetooth in the iOS ASK app's settings and the ASK picker cannot be presented 🤨 From ASK Documentation: AccessorySetupKit is available for iOS and iPadOS. The accessory’s Bluetooth permission doesn’t sync to a companion watchOS app. But this doesn't address not being able to use Core Bluetooth in a watch companion app at all 🥲 Reproducing the bug Install the iOS + watchOS apps Launch iOS app, tap "start scan", observe devices can be discovered (project is set up to find heart rate monitors) Launch watchOS, tap allow on Bluetooth permission pop-up watchOS app crashes 💥 Meanwhile, in the iOS app, there should be a log entry for 💗 CBCentralManager state: poweredOff and the ASK picker is no longer able to discover any devices The state of the device permissions: iOS app has no paired accessories or Bluetooth permission watchOS app's Bluetooth permission shown as turned off & disabled Remove the iOS app Relaunch the watchOS app Notice the CBCentralManager state is unauthorized Remove and reinstall the watchOS app Tap allow on Bluetooth permission pop-up watchOS app does not crash and CBCentralManager state is poweredOn The state of the watch permissions: Bluetooth is turned on & the toggle is not disabled Note that at this time the iOS app is not installed, there is no way to remove Bluetooth permission for the watch app. Reinstall + launch the iOS app Notice a warning in the log: [##### WARNING #####] App has companion watch app that maybe affected if using CoreBluetooth framework. Please read developer documentation for AccessorySetupKit. Notice a log entry for 💗 CBCentralManager state: poweredOn before tapping start scan Tap start scan and observe another log entry: Failed to show picker due to: The operation couldn’t be completed. (ASErrorDomain error 550.) ASErrorDomain 550: The picker can't be used because the app is in the background. Is this the expected error? 🤔 The state of the iOS permissions: The app's settings show a Bluetooth toggle normally associated with Core Bluetooth, but the app never showed a Core Bluetooth pop-up The iOS ASK app now has Core Bluetooth permission 😵‍💫 Following up with Apple This is a known bug that should be fixed in watchOS 26 when Bluetooth permissions for watch apps can be set independently of the iOS app. I've yet to test it with watchOS 26. See repo for the same post with screenshots of the settings and demo code reproducing the bug: https://github.com/superturboryan/AccessorySetupKit-CoreBluetooth-watchOS-Demo

Hi everyone, I'm developing an iOS app using the AppsFlyer SDK. I understand that starting with iOS 14.5, if a user denies the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) permission, we are not allowed to access the IDFA or perform cross-app tracking. However, I’d like to clarify which in-app events are still legally and technically safe to send when the user denies ATT permission. Specifically, I want to know: Is it acceptable to send events like onboarding_completed, paywall_viewed, subscription_started, subscribe, subscribe_price, or app_opened if they are not linked to IDFA or any form of user tracking? Would sending such internal behavioral events (used purely for SKAdNetwork performance tracking or in-app analytics) violate Apple’s privacy policy if no device identifiers are attached? Additionally, if these events are sent in fully anonymous form (i.e., not associated with IDFA, user ID, email, or any identifiable metadata), does Apple still consider this a privacy concern? In other words, can onboarding_completed, paywall_viewed, subsribe, subscribe_price, etc., be sent in anonymous format without violating ATT policies? Are there any official Apple guidelines or best practices that outline what types of events are considered compliant in the absence of ATT consent? My goal is to remain 100% compliant with Apple’s policies while still analyzing meaningful user behavior to improve the in-app experience. Any clarification or pointers to documentation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I am developing a navigation application. My goal is for this navigation app to also work in the background and provide the user with real-time directional updates. When apps request access to location services, users see a TCC (Transparency, Consent, and Control) prompt. This prompt allows the user to choose under what conditions the app can access location services (for example: “While Using the App”, “Always”, etc.). If the user selects the “While Using the App” option, can the navigation app still access location in the background and provide directional information to the user? Is something like this technically possible? Does Apple allow this behavior for navigation apps or similar use cases?

Is There a Reliable Way to Check Local Network Permission Status in 2025? I've read many similar requests, but I'm posting this in 2025 to ask: Is there any official or reliable method to check the current Local Network permission status on iOS 18.x? We need this to guide or navigate users to the appropriate Settings page when permission is denied. Background Our app is an IoT companion app, and Local Network access is core to our product's functionality. Without this permission, our app cannot communicate with the IoT hardware. Sadly, Apple doesn't provide any official API to check the current status of this permission. This limitation has caused confusion for many users, and we frequently receive bug reports simply because users have accidentally denied the permission and the app can no longer function as expected. Our App High Level Flow: 1. Trigger Permission We attempt to trigger the Local Network permission using Bonjour discovery and browsing methods. (see the implementation) Since there's no direct API to request this permission, we understand that iOS will automatically prompt the user when the app makes its first actual attempt to communicate with a local network device. However, in our case, this creates a problem: The permission prompt appears only at the time of the first real connection attempt (e.g., when sending an HTTP request to the IoT device). This results in a poor user experience, as the request begins before the permission is granted. The first request fails silently in the background while the permission popup appears unexpectedly. We cannot wait for the user's response to proceed, which leads to unreliable behavior and confusing flows. To avoid this issue, we trigger the Local Network permission proactively using Bonjour-based discovery methods. This ensures that the system permission prompt appears before any critical communication with the IoT device occurs. We’ve tried alternative approaches like sending dummy requests, but they were not reliable or consistent across devices or iOS versions. (see the support ticket) 2. Wi-Fi Connection: Once permission is granted, we allow the user to connect to the IoT device’s local Wi-Fi. 3. IoT Device Configuration: After connecting, we send an HTTP request to a known static IP (e.g., 192.168.4.1) on the IoT network to configure the hardware. I assume this pattern is common among all Wi-Fi-based IoT devices and apps. Problem: Even though we present clear app-level instructions when the system prompt appears, some users accidentally deny the Local Network permission. In those cases, there’s no API to check if the permission was denied, so: We can’t display a helpful message. We can’t guide the user to Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network to re-enable it. The app fails silently or behaves unpredictably. Developer Needs: As app developers, we want to handle negative cases gracefully by: Detecting if the Local Network permission was denied Showing a relevant message or a prompt to go to Settings Preventing silent failures and improving UX So the question is: What is the current, official, or recommended way to determine whether Local Network permission is granted or denied in iOS 18.x (as of 2025)? This permission is critical for a huge category of apps especially IoT and local communication-based products. We hope Apple will offer a better developer experience around this soon. Thanks in advance to anyone who can share updated guidance.

Hey, there are plans to design a government app. When a citizen will login they will see their passport, driving license etc... What is the solution of avoiding mandatory in-app user data deletion?

I want iOS device identifier for a framework that is used in multiple vendor's apps. I'm developing a framework to control a peripheral. The framework has to send unique information to register the device with the peripheral. My naive idea was to use IdentifierForVendor. But this API provides the device identifier for the same vendor's apps, not the framework. (The framework will be used by multiple vendors.) Is there a usable device identifier for the framework, regardless of app vendor? Please tell me any solution.

I've developed a Mac app distributed through the App Store that uses NSAppleScript to control Spotify and Apple Music. I'm experiencing inconsistent behavior with automation permission prompts that's affecting user experience. Expected Behavior: When my app first attempts to send Apple Events to Spotify or Apple Music, macOS should display the automation permission prompt, and upon user approval, the app should appear in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Automation. Actual Behavior: Initial permission prompts work correctly when both apps are actively used after my app download. If a user hasn't launched Spotify/Apple Music for an extended period, the permission prompt fails to appear when they later open the music app. The music app doesn't appear in the Automation privacy pane too. Once this happens, permission prompts never trigger again for that app Steps to Reproduce: Fresh install of my app Don't use Spotify for several days/weeks Launch Spotify Trigger Apple Events from my app to Spotify No permission prompt appears, app doesn't show in Automation settings If you're using Apple Music during this time it runs without any problems. Troubleshooting Attempted: Used tccutil reset AppleEvents [bundle-identifier] - no effect Verified target apps are fully launched before sending Apple Events Tried different AppleScript commands to trigger permissions Problem occurs inconsistently across different Macs Technical Details: macOS 13+ support Using standard NSAppleScript with simple commands like "tell application 'Spotify' to playpause" App Store distribution (no private APIs) Issue affects both Spotify and Apple Music but seems more prevalent with Apple Music Questions: Is there a reliable way to programmatically trigger the automation permission prompt? Are there timing dependencies for when macOS decides to show permission prompts? Could app priority/usage patterns affect permission prompt behavior? I use MediaManager to run the functions and initialize it on AppDidFinishLaunching method and start monitoring there. Any insights or workarounds would be greatly appreciated. This inconsistency is affecting user onboarding and app functionality.

Hi Apple Devs & WebKit Team, We operate https://excnum.com — a personal website currently under reconstruction. It's HTTPS-secure, hosted on a clean VPS, and now features a simple placeholder page with no active forms, scripts, or external redirects. However, Safari on both iOS and macOS is flagging it as a “deceptive website”, blocking all access. This warning appears even though: The site uses a valid SSL certificate via Cloudflare There are no redirects, tracking scripts, or dynamic code We serve a static landing page (“under maintenance”) with zero interaction No malware, phishing, or obfuscation exists — verified with multiple tools A review request has already been submitted at: https://websitereview.apple.com We believe the site may have been blacklisted previously under past ownership or prior configurations. It has since been completely restructured and cleared, but the Safari warning persists. This false flag is harming visibility and trust for an otherwise neutral website. Any advice on how to expedite re-evaluation or request a manual delisting from the deceptive site list would be much appreciated. Thank you! — Alex Admin, EXCNUM.COM

While I was submitting a new feedback today for an iPhone/iPad storage issue, I saw a new log called “iOS storage log”. I could find no reference to this when I searched online. It made me wonder if it was new and if it contained personal data? Most of us only have one device, with all our personal data. Therefore, I’d appreciate any input on what personal data these logs contain.

We have a Java application built for macOS. On the first launch, the application prompts the user to allow local network access. We've correctly added the NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription key to the Info.plist, and the provided description appears in the system prompt. After the user grants permission, the application can successfully connect to a local server using its hostname. However, the issue arises after the system is rebooted. When the application is launched again, macOS does not prompt for local network access a second time—which is expected, as the permission was already granted. Despite this, the application is unable to connect to the local server. It appears the previously granted permission is being ignored after a reboot. A temporary workaround is to manually toggle the Local Network permission off and back on via System Settings > Privacy & Security, which restores connectivity—until the next reboot. This behavior is highly disruptive, both for us and for a significant number of our users. We can reproduce this on multiple systems... The issues started from macOS Sequoia 15.0 By opening the application bundle using "Show Package Contents," we can launch the application via "JavaAppLauncher" without any issues. Once started, the application is able to connect to our server over the local network. This seems to bypass the granted permissions? "JavaAppLauncher" is also been used in our Info.plist file

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"

Hello Developer Forums Team, I’ve seen that some banking apps prevent screenshots on certain sensitive screens. I’m working on a similar feature in my SDK and want to confirm if my implementation complies with App Store guidelines. Since there’s no public API to block screenshots, I’m using a workaround based on the secure rendering behavior of UITextField (isSecureTextEntry = true). I embed my custom content (e.g., a UITableView) inside the internal secure container of a UITextField, which results in blank content being captured during screenshots—similar to what some banking apps do. Approach Summary I create a UITextField I detect its internal secure container by matching UIKit internal class names as strings I embed my real UI content into that container I do not use or call any private APIs, just match view class names via strings. ScreenshotPreventingView.swift final class ScreenshotPreventingView: UIView { private let textField = UITextField() private let recognizer = HiddenContainerRecognizer() private var contentView: UIView? public var preventScreenCapture = true { didSet { textField.isSecureTextEntry = preventScreenCapture } } public init(contentView: UIView? = nil) { super.init(frame: .zero) self.contentView = contentView setupUI() } private func setupUI() { guard let container = try? recognizer.getHiddenContainer(from: textField) else { return } addSubview(container) NSLayoutConstraint.activate([ container.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: topAnchor), container.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: bottomAnchor), container.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: leadingAnchor), container.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: trailingAnchor) ]) if let contentView = contentView { setup(contentView: contentView, in: container) } DispatchQueue.main.async { self.preventScreenCapture = true } } private func setup(contentView: UIView) { self.contentView?.removeFromSuperview() self.contentView = contentView guard let container = hiddenContentContainer else { return } container.addSubview(contentView) container.isUserInteractionEnabled = isUserInteractionEnabled contentView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false let bottomConstraint = contentView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: container.bottomAnchor) bottomConstraint.priority = .required - 1 NSLayoutConstraint.activate([ contentView.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: container.leadingAnchor), contentView.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: container.trailingAnchor), contentView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: container.topAnchor), bottomConstraint ]) } } HiddenContainerRecognizer.swift struct HiddenContainerRecognizer { private enum Error: Swift.Error { case unsupportedOSVersion(version: Float) case desiredContainerNotFound(_ containerName: String) } func getHiddenContainer(from view: UIView) throws -> UIView { let containerName = try getHiddenContainerTypeInStringRepresentation() let containers = view.subviews.filter { subview in type(of: subview).description() == containerName } guard let container = containers.first else { throw Error.desiredContainerNotFound(containerName) } return container } private func getHiddenContainerTypeInStringRepresentation() throws -> String { if #available(iOS 15, *) { return "_UITextLayoutCanvasView" } if #available(iOS 14, *) { return "_UITextFieldCanvasView" } if #available(iOS 13, *) { return "_UITextFieldCanvasView" } if #available(iOS 12, *) { return "_UITextFieldContentView" } let currentIOSVersion = (UIDevice.current.systemVersion as NSString).floatValue throw Error.unsupportedOSVersion(version: currentIOSVersion) } } How I use it in my Screen let container = ScreenshotPreventingView() override func viewDidLoad() { super.viewDidLoad() container.preventScreenCapture = true container.setup(contentView: viewContainer) //viewContainer is UIView in storyboard, in which all other UI elements are placed in e.g. UITableView self.view.addSubview(container) container.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false NSLayoutConstraint.activate([ container.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.view.topAnchor), container.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.view.bottomAnchor), container.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.view.leadingAnchor), container.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.view.trailingAnchor) ]) } What I’d Like to Confirm Is this approach acceptable for App Store submission? Is there a more Apple-recommended approach to prevent screen capture of arbitrary UI? Thank you for your help in ensuring compliance.

I am developing a macOS application (targeting macOS 13 and later) that is non-sandboxed and needs to install and trust a root certificate by adding it to the System keychain programmatically. I’m fine with prompting the user for admin privileges or password, if needed. So far, I have attempted to execute the following command programmatically from both: A user-level process A root-level process sudo security add-trusted-cert -d -r trustRoot -k /Library/Keychains/System.keychain /path/to/cert.pem While the certificate does get installed, it does not appear as trusted in the Keychain Access app. One more point: The app is not distributed via MDM. App will be distributed out side the app store. Questions: What is the correct way to programmatically install and trust a root certificate in the System keychain? Does this require additional entitlements, signing, or profile configurations? Is it possible outside of MDM management? Any guidance or working samples would be greatly appreciated.

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?

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?

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.