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.

Posts under Privacy tag

168 Posts

Post

Replies

Boosts

Views

Activity

Issues Generating Bloom Filters for Apple NetworkExtension URL Filtering
Hi there, We have been trying to set up URL filtering for our app but have run into a wall with generating the bloom filter. Firstly, some context about our set up: OHTTP handlers Uses pre-warmed lambdas to expose the gateway and the configs endpoints using the javascript libary referenced here - https://developers.cloudflare.com/privacy-gateway/get-started/#resources Status = untested We have not yet got access to Apples relay servers PIR service We run the PIR service through AWS ECS behind an ALB The container clones the following repo https://github.com/apple/swift-homomorphic-encryption, outside of config changes, we do not have any custom functionality Status = working From the logs, everything seems to be working here because it is responding to queries when they are sent, and never blocking anything it shouldn’t Bloom filter generation We generate a bloom filter from the following url list: https://example.com http://example.com example.com Then we put the result into the url filtering example application from here - https://developer.apple.com/documentation/networkextension/filtering-traffic-by-url The info generated from the above URLs is: { "bits": 44, "hashes": 11, "seed": 2538058380, "content": "m+yLyZ4O" } Status = broken We think this is broken because we are getting requests to our PIR server for every single website we visit We would have expected to only receive requests to the PIR server when going to example.com because it’s in our block list It’s possible that behind the scenes Apple runs sporadically makes requests regardless of the bloom filter result, but that isn’t what we’d expect We are generating our bloom filter in the following way: We double hash the URL using fnv1a for the first, and murmurhash3 for the second hashTwice(value: any, seed?: any): any { return { first: Number(fnv1a(value, { size: 32 })), second: murmurhash3(value, seed), }; } We calculate the index positions from the following function/formula , as seen in https://github.com/ameshkov/swift-bloom/blob/master/Sources/BloomFilter/BloomFilter.swift#L96 doubleHashing(n: number, hashA: number, hashB: number, size: number): number { return Math.abs((hashA + n * hashB) % size); } Questions: What hashing algorithms are used and can you link an implementation that you know is compatible with Apple’s? How are the index positions calculated from the iteration number, the size, and the hash results? There was mention of a tool for generating a bloom filter that could be used for Apple’s URL filtering implementation, when can we expect the release of this tool?
1
0
226
Jan ’26
Why does NSEvent.addGlobalMonitorForEvents still work in a Sandboxed macOS app
I am building a macOS utility using SwiftUI and Swift that records and displays keyboard shortcuts (like Cmd+C, Cmd+V) in the UI. To achieve this, I am using NSEvent.addGlobalMonitorForEvents(matching: [.keyDown]). I am aware that global monitoring usually requires the app to be non-sandboxed. However, I am seeing some behavior I don't quite understand during development: I started with a fresh SwiftUI project and disabled the App Sandbox. I requested Accessibility permissions using AXIsProcessTrustedWithOptions, manually enabled it in System Settings, and the global monitor worked perfectly. I then re-enabled the App Sandbox in "Signing & Capabilities." To my surprise, the app still records global events from other applications, even though the Sandbox is now active. Is this expected behavior? Does macOS "remember" the trust because the Bundle ID was previously authorized while non-sandboxed, or is there a specific reason a Sandboxed app can still use addGlobalMonitor if the user has manually granted Accessibility access? My app's core feature is displaying these shortcuts for the user's own reference (productivity tracking). If the user is the one explicitly granting permission via the Accessibility privacy pane, will Apple still reject the app for using global event monitors within a Sandboxed environment? Code snippet of my monitor: // This is still firing even after re-enabling Sandbox eventMonitor = NSEvent.addGlobalMonitorForEvents(matching: [.keyDown]) { event in print("Captured: \(event.charactersIgnoringModifiers ?? "")") } I've tried cleaning the build folder and restarting the app, removing the app from accessibility permission, but the events keep coming through. I want to make sure I'm not relying on a "development glitch" before I commit to the App Store path. Here is the full code anyone can use to try this :- import SwiftUI import Cocoa import Combine struct ShortcutEvent: Identifiable { let id = UUID() let displayString: String let timestamp: Date } class KeyboardManager: ObservableObject { @Published var isCapturing = false @Published var capturedShortcuts: [ShortcutEvent] = [] private var eventMonitor: Any? // 1. Check & Request Permissions func checkAccessibilityPermissions() -> Bool { let options: NSDictionary = [kAXTrustedCheckOptionPrompt.takeUnretainedValue() as String: true] let accessEnabled = AXIsProcessTrustedWithOptions(options) return accessEnabled } // 2. Start Capture func startCapture() { guard checkAccessibilityPermissions() else { print("Permission denied") return } isCapturing = true let mask: NSEvent.EventTypeMask = [.keyDown, .keyUp] eventMonitor = NSEvent.addGlobalMonitorForEvents(matching: mask) { [weak self] event in self?.processEvent(event) } } // 3. Stop Capture func stopCapture() { if let monitor = eventMonitor { NSEvent.removeMonitor(monitor) eventMonitor = nil } isCapturing = false } private func processEvent(_ event: NSEvent) { // Only log keyDown to avoid double-counting the UI display guard event.type == .keyDown else { return } var modifiers: [String] = [] var symbols: [String] = [] // Map symbols for the UI if event.modifierFlags.contains(.command) { modifiers.append("command") symbols.append("⌘") } if event.modifierFlags.contains(.shift) { modifiers.append("shift") symbols.append("⇧") } if event.modifierFlags.contains(.option) { modifiers.append("option") symbols.append("⌥") } if event.modifierFlags.contains(.control) { modifiers.append("control") symbols.append("⌃") } let key = event.charactersIgnoringModifiers?.uppercased() ?? "" // Only display if a modifier is active (to capture "shortcuts" vs regular typing) if !symbols.isEmpty && !key.isEmpty { let shortcutString = "\(symbols.joined(separator: " ")) + \(key)" DispatchQueue.main.async { // Insert at the top so the newest shortcut is visible self.capturedShortcuts.insert(ShortcutEvent(displayString: shortcutString, timestamp: Date()), at: 0) } } } } PS :- I just did another test by creating a fresh new project with the default App Sandbox enabled, and tried and there also it worked!! Can I consider this a go to for MacOs app store than?
1
0
591
Jan ’26
Submission Rejected: Guideline 5.1.1 - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and Storage
Hi, I am in need of your help with publishing my game. I got the following explanation for the negative review of my app/game. Issue Description One or more purpose strings in the app do not sufficiently explain the use of protected resources. Purpose strings must clearly and completely describe the app's use of data and, in most cases, provide an example of how the data will be used. Next Steps Update the local network information purpose string to explain how the app will use the requested information and provide a specific example of how the data will be used. See the attached screenshot. Resources Purpose strings must clearly describe how an app uses the ability, data, or resource. The following are hypothetical examples of unclear purpose strings that would not pass review: "App would like to access your Contacts" "App needs microphone access" See examples of helpful, informative purpose strings. The problem is that they say my app asks to allow my app to find devices on local networks. And that this needs more explanation in the purpose strings. Totally valid to ask, but the problem is my app doesn't need local access to devices, and there shouldn't be code that asks this?? FYI the game is build with Unity. Would love some help on how to turn this off so that my app can get published.
1
0
346
Jan ’26
Local network request blocked in Safari but working in Chrome
For Local network access, Chrome prompts the user to allow access and adds it to Settings --> Privacy & Security --> Local Network. However, for Safari, no prompt appears. How do I force Safari to authorise these local network access requests if it won't trigger the permission dialogue? Is there a specific WKWebView configuration or Safari-specific header required to satisfy this security check?
1
0
491
Jan ’26
sshd-keygen-wrapper permissions problem
On macOS 26.1 (25B78) I can't give Full Disk Access to sshd-keygen-wrapper. Now my Jenkins jobs do not work because they do not have the permission to execute the necessary scripts. Until macOS 26.1 everything worked fine. I restarted the machine several times and tried to give access from Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Full Disk Access but it just does not work. I tried logging with ssh on the machine and executing a script but again nothing happened.
20
3
5.9k
Jan ’26
Can't remove "tracking" in my app privacy policy
I was planning to add the Facebook SDK in one of the releases, and I had everything prepared (including changing the privacy policy to state that my app tracks users for advertising). I changed the privacy policy in the App Store connect, thinking that this wouldn't take effect until I sent the app to review. However, after careful consideration, I decided not to move on with the Facebook SDK. My app does not currently track users for advertising. Even though I sent a new release (UI improvements only), I still can't change the privacy policy to remove that my app "tracks" the user. I read multiple posts with people facing similar issues. For my binary, I have: No PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy file NSUserTrackingUsageDescription in Info.plist No tracking declarations in my app configuration I contacted support, and I was redirected here. My case number is 102778907920
0
0
232
Dec ’25
Issue: Plain Executables Do Not Appear Under “Screen & System Audio Recording” on macOS 26.1 (Tahoe)
Summary I am investigating a change in macOS 26.1 (Tahoe) where plain (non-bundled) executables that request screen recording access no longer appear under: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording This behavior differs from macOS Sequoia, where these executables did appear in the list and could be managed through the UI. Tahoe still prompts for permission and still allows the executable to capture the screen once permission is granted, but the executable never shows up in the UI list. This breaks user expectations and removes UI-based permission management. To confirm the behavior, I created a small reproduction project with both: a plain executable, and an identical executable packaged inside an .app bundle. Only the bundled version appears in System Settings. Observed Behaviour 1. Plain Executable (from my reproduction project) When running a plain executable that captures the screen: macOS displays the normal screen-recording permission prompt. Before granting permission: screenshots show only the desktop background. After granting permission: screenshots capture the full display. The executable does not appear under “Screen & System Audio Recording”. Even when permission is granted manually (e.g., dragging the executable into the pane), the executable still does not appear, which prevents the user from modifying or revoking the permission through the UI. If the executable is launched from inside another app (e.g., VS Code, Terminal), the parent app appears in the list instead, not the executable itself. 2. Bundled App Version (from the reproduction project) I packaged the same code into a simple .app bundle (ScreenCaptureApp.app). When running the app: The same permission prompt appears. Pre-permission screenshots show the desktop background. Post-permission screenshots capture the full display. The app does appear under “Screen & System Audio Recording”. This bundle uses the same underlying executable — the only difference is packaging. Hypothesis macOS 26.1 (Tahoe) appears to require app bundles for an item to be shown in the Screen Recording privacy UI. Plain executables: still request and receive permission, still function correctly after permission is granted, but do not appear in the System Settings list. This may be an intentional change, undocumented behavior, or a regression. Reproduction Project The reproduction project includes: screen_capture.go A simple Go program that captures screenshots in a loop. screen_capture_executable Plain executable built from the Go source. ScreenCaptureApp.app/ App bundle containing the same executable. build.sh Builds both the plain executable and the app bundle. Permission reset and TCC testing scripts. The project demonstrates the behavior consistently. Steps to Reproduce Plain Executable Build: ./build.sh Reset screen capture permissions: sudo tccutil reset ScreenCapture Run: ./screen_capture_executable Before granting: screenshots show desktop only. Grant permission when prompted. After granting: full screenshots. Executable does not appear in “Screen & System Audio Recording”. Bundled App Build (if not already built): ./build.sh Reset permissions (optional): sudo tccutil reset ScreenCapture Run: open ScreenCaptureApp.app Before granting: screenshots show desktop. After granting: full screenshots. App bundle appears in the System Settings list. Additional Check I also tested launching the plain executable as a child process of another executable, similar to how some software architectures work. Result: Permission prompt appears Permission can be granted Executable still does not appear in the UI, even though TCC tracks it internally → consistent with the plain-executable behaviour. This reinforces that only app bundles are listed. Questions for Apple Is the removal of plain executables from “Screen & System Audio Recording” an intentional change in macOS Tahoe? If so, does Apple now require all screen-recording capable binaries to be packaged as .app bundles for the UI to display them? Is there a supported method for making a plain executable (launched by a parent process) appear in the list? If this is not intentional, what is the recommended path for reporting this as a regression? Files Unfortunately, I have discovered the zip file that contains my reproduction project can't be directly uploaded here. Here is a Google Drive link instead: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sXsr3Q0g6_UzlOIL54P5wbS7yBkpMJ7A/view?usp=sharing Thank you for taking the time to review this. Any insight into whether this change is intentional or a regression would be very helpful.
3
0
992
Dec ’25
Binary executable requires Accessibility Permissions in Tahoe
I have a binary executable which needs to be given Accessibility Permissions so it can inject keypresses and mouse moves. This was always possible up to macOS 15 - when the first keypress arrived the Accessibility Permissions window would open and allow me to add the executable. However this no longer works in macOS 26: the window still opens, I navigate to the executable file and select it but it doesn't appear in the list. No error message appears. I'm guessing that this may be due to some tightening of security in Tahoe but I need to figure out what to change with my executable to allow it to work.
5
2
959
Dec ’25
Does Image Playground is On-device + Private Cloud ?
Apple's Image Playground primarily performs image generation on-device, but can use secure Private Cloud Compute for more complex requests that require larger models. Private Cloud Compute (PCC) For more complex tasks that require greater computational power than the device can provide, Image Playground leverages Apple's Private Cloud Compute. This system extends the privacy and security of the device to the cloud: Secure Environment: PCC runs on Apple silicon servers and uses a secure enclave to protect data, ensuring requests are processed in a verified, secure environment. No Data Storage: Data is never stored or made accessible to Apple when using PCC; it is used only to fulfill the specific request. Independent Verification: Independent experts are able to inspect the code running on these servers to verify Apple's privacy promises.
3
0
938
Dec ’25
Local Network Discovery Works in Debug but Not in TestFlight (Wi-Fi Speaker Connection Issue)
Hi team, I’m having an issue with my iOS app related to local network communication and connecting to a Wi-Fi speaker. My app works similar to the “4Stream” application. The speaker and the mobile device must be on the same Wi-Fi network so the app can discover and connect to the speaker. What’s happening: When I run the app directly from Xcode in debug mode, everything works perfectly. The speaker gets discovered. The speaker gets connected successfully. The connection flow completes without any problem. But when I upload the same build to TestFlight, the behaviour changes completely. The app gets stuck on the “Connecting…” screen. The speaker is not discovered. But the same code is working fine on Android It never moves forward from that state. So basically: Debug Mode: Speaker is detected and connected properly TestFlight: Stuck at “Connecting…”, speaker does NOT get connected This makes me believe something related to local network access, multicast, Wi-Fi info permissions, or Bonjour discovery is not being applied correctly in the release/TestFlight environment. Below is my current Info.plist and Entitlements file, which already include Local Network Usage, Bonjour services, Location usage for SSID, multicast entitlements, wifi-info, etc. My Info.plist <key>CADisableMinimumFrameDurationOnPhone</key> <true/> <key>CFBundleDevelopmentRegion</key> <string>en</string> <key>CFBundleDisplayName</key> <string>Wanwun</string> <key>CFBundleExecutable</key> <string>$(EXECUTABLE_NAME)</string> <key>CFBundleIdentifier</key> <string>$(PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER)</string> <key>CFBundleInfoDictionaryVersion</key> <string>6.0</string> <key>CFBundleName</key> <string>$(PRODUCT_NAME)</string> <key>CFBundlePackageType</key> <string>APPL</string> <key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key> <string>$(MARKETING_VERSION)</string> <key>CFBundleSignature</key> <string>????</string> <key>CFBundleVersion</key> <string>$(CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION)</string> <key>LSRequiresIPhoneOS</key> <true/> <!-- Allow HTTP to devices on LAN --> <key>NSAppTransportSecurity</key> <dict> <key>NSAllowsArbitraryLoads</key> <true/> <key>NSExceptionDomains</key> <dict> <key>local</key> <dict> <key>NSExceptionAllowsInsecureHTTPLoads</key> <true/> <key>NSIncludesSubdomains</key> <true/> </dict> <key>localhost</key> <dict> <key>NSExceptionAllowsInsecureHTTPLoads</key> <true/> <key>NSIncludesSubdomains</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> </dict> <!-- Local Network Usage --> <key>NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription</key> <string>This app needs local network access to discover and control your sound system device over Wi-Fi.</string> <!-- Bonjour services for discovery --> <key>NSBonjourServices</key> <array> <string>_http._tcp.</string> <string>_wrtn._tcp.</string> <string>_services._dns-sd._udp.</string> </array> <!-- Location for SSID Permission --> <key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key> <string>This app requires location access to read the connected Wi-Fi information.</string> <!-- Camera / Photos --> <key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key> <string>This app needs camera access to capture attendance photos.</string> <key>NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription</key> <string>This app saves captured photos to your gallery.</string> <key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key> <string>This app needs access to your gallery to upload existing images.</string> <!-- Bluetooth --> <key>NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription</key> <string>This app uses Bluetooth to discover nearby sound system devices.</string> <key>NSBluetoothPeripheralUsageDescription</key> <string>This app uses Bluetooth to connect with your sound system.</string> <!-- Launch screen --> <key>UILaunchStoryboardName</key> <string>LaunchScreen</string> <!-- Device Capabilities --> <key>UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities</key> <array> <string>arm64</string> </array> <!-- Orientation --> <key>UISupportedInterfaceOrientations</key> <array> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait</string> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeLeft</string> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeRight</string> </array> <key>UIViewControllerBasedStatusBarAppearance</key> <false/> My Entitlements What I need help with: I want to understand why the app behaves correctly in debug mode (where the speaker connects without issues), but the same functionality fails in TestFlight. Is there something additional required for: Local network discovery on TestFlight? Multicast networking? Reading the Wi-Fi SSID? Bonjour, service scanning? Release build / TestFlight network permissions? If any extra entitlement approval, configuration, or specific service type is needed for TestFlight builds, please guide me. Thank you for your help.
1
0
280
Dec ’25
Feedbacks for DeclaredAgeRange - missing platform support
I've been writing about the DeclaredAgeRange a bit on LinkedIn and now it is time to take to the developer forums. In my efforts to prepare my apps for new local requirements, I've run across some rough edges. The DeclaredAgeRange API is missing on several platforms, and extension types. First and foremost, watchOS. An Apple Watch is a clear single user platform and for standalone apps, the DeclaredAgeRange being absent is felt by developers. FB20954931 - DeclaredAgeRange: Framework not available on watchOS making compliance a challenge for watchOS standalone apps In the same vein of thinking, while users on Apple Vision Pro are far fewer numbers than Apple Watch, it is also a miss. The tricky part would be testing on the simulator. So far I haven't gotten the simulator and sandbox testing to work and give real values across any platform. I don't think an Apple Store will let me try my app out via TestFlight on their devices and they're still too expensive to reasonably buy for most developers. Too bad Feedbacks are not a currency that developers can trade in for gear. FB20955020 - DeclaredAgeRange: Framework not available on visionOS making compliance a challenge for visionOS apps I'll recognize that the user model is different on tvOS, and that as a user while I have family group setup, I don't have any children on the account. I have to imagine that child accounts on an Apple TV exist and would be able to account for the sharing of age ranges to apps. Yes, the user could just switch profiles, but, app developers could still integrate the age range into their apps. Maybe it needs more robust system level support but here is the feedback just the same. FB20955029 - DeclaredAgeRange: Framework not available on tvOS making compliance a challenge on tvOS apps And finally, let's not forget about App Clips. While the App Clips might not be 'downloaded' from App Store itself, it is powered by App Store technologies to an extent. I'd rather not bifurcate my code more than it already is for the shared code between my apps and app clips. Rounding out platform support to App Clips, since it is iOS, would close the loop. FB20954846 - DeclaredAgeRange / App Clips: Add support for DeclaredAgeRange framework for App Clip targets - capability exist, Xcode cannot generate entitlement for it Oh wait, actually, not quite. To fully close the loop, make the DeclaredAgeRange work fully on macCatalyst. The documentation says it is compatible, but from my experiments trying to get it to even compile when targeting macCatalyst apps simply doesn't build. FB21117325 - DeclaredAgeRange: API documentation states available on mac catalyst - but fails to compile in Xcode 26.2
1
1
464
Dec ’25
Unable to change App Tracking configuration
I have reached out to support and they simply tell me they are unable to help me, first redirecting me to generic Apple support, after following up they provided the explanation that they only handle administrative tasks and to post on the forums. I am unable to change my App Tracking Transparency it provides no real error, though network traffic shows a 409 HTTP response from the backend API when trying to save. Here is a screenshot of the result when trying to save. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get this resolved? I've commented back to the reviewers and they simply provided help documentation. I have a technical issue and am unable to get anyone to help resolve this.
2
0
360
Nov ’25
Local Wi-Fi UDP discovery works in Debug but stops working in TestFlight (React Native app)
Hi everyone, I am building a React Native iOS app that discovers audio devices on the local Wi-Fi network using UDP broadcast + mDNS/Bonjour lookup (similar to the “4Stream” app). The app works 100% perfectly in Debug mode when installed directly from Xcode. But once I upload it to TestFlight, the local-network features stop working completely: UDP packets never arrive Device discovery does not work Bonjour/mDNS lookup returns nothing Same phone, same Wi-Fi, same code → only Debug works, TestFlight fails react-native-udp for UDP broadcast react-native-dns-lookup for resolving hostnames react-native-xml2js for parsing device responses
1
0
101
Nov ’25
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": {} }
2
0
812
Nov ’25
Apple Watch app closes when changing photo permissions in the iPhone app.
Apple Watch app closes when changing photo permissions in the iPhone app. App A is installed simultaneously on both the paired iPhone and Apple Watch. I'm running App A on both my iPhone and Apple Watch. When I change the photo permissions on App A installed on my iPhone, App A running on my Apple Watch automatically closes. At first, I assumed App A on my iPhone was abnormally closing, causing App A on my Apple Watch to also close. However, I've determined that changing the photo permissions is the cause of the app closing. I don't think this behavior existed before WatchOS/iOS 26. Is this behavior a natural addition to WatchOS/iOS 26? If I go to the home screen while running app A on my iPhone and change its photo permissions in the Settings app, app A running on my Apple Watch automatically closes.
1
0
307
Nov ’25
App review - privacy
Hi Community, I'm a developer considering building a health & wellness iOS app and want to verify compliance with Apple's guidelines before investing development time. BACKGROUND: I want to create an app that helps users understand their health patterns by analyzing various data inputs including screen time and health metrics from HealthKit. PLANNED APPROACH: The app would use a hybrid ML strategy: NEW USERS: Get insights from a generalized ML model trained on anonymized data from existing users (solves cold-start problem) AFTER ~30 DAYS: Transition to personalized on-device model trained on the user's own data for better accuracy DATA HANDLING: Users grant DeviceActivity & HealthKit permissions explicitly Users select which app categories they want to include Optional opt-in to share anonymized data for improving the generalized model Transition to fully on-device analysis after sufficient data QUESTIONS: Are there specific restrictions on using DeviceActivity data and sending them to a backend for ML training ? Are there specific restrictions on using HealthKit data and sending them to a backend for ML training ? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated before I proceed! Thanks!
1
0
207
Nov ’25
Creating machine identifier to be used by daemon based app
I am developing a daemon-based product that needs a cryptographic, non-spoofable proof of machine identity so a remote management server can grant permissions based on the physical machine. I was thinking to create a signing key in the Secure Enclave and use a certificate signed by that key as the machine identity. The problem is that the Secure Enclave key I can create is only accessible from user context, while my product runs as a system daemon and must not rely on user processes or launchAgents. Could you please advise on the recommended Apple-supported approaches for this use case ? Specifically, Is there a supported way for a system daemon to generate and use an unremovable Secure Enclave key during phases like the pre-logon, that doesn't have non user context (only the my application which created this key/certificate will have permission to use/delete it) If Secure Enclave access from a daemon is not supported, what Apple-recommended alternatives exist for providing a hardware-backed machine identity for system daemons? I'd rather avoid using system keychain, as its contents may be removed or used by root privileged users. The ideal solution would be that each Apple product, would come out with a non removable signing certificate, that represent the machine itself (lets say that the cetificate name use to represent the machine ID), and can be validated by verify that the root signer is "Apple Root CA"
3
0
592
Nov ’25