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iOS App Review: Guidelines 5.1.1(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and 5.1.2(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Use
Our app (Tenkobo) received a rejection notice after review due to the fact that we use Gemini AI since 3 builds ago. Since then, we have been improving the disclosure of the data we collect, explicitly stating all the data, introducing a new feature that checks granular consent and syncs consent state for the user to the backend, and controls for whether to send to the Gemini API service for that feature depending on consent state for the user. Moreover, this feature is a premium add-on to a module that already does most things locally on the device and sends to our cloud infrastructure to allow storage and sync when users use multiple devices. It is a multi-platform app. However, despite every improvement, we keep getting the same Rejection reason that " ... Review Device: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) ... The issues we previously identified still need your attention. Guidelines 5.1.1(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and 5.1.2(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Use The app appears to share the user’s personal data with a third-party AI service but the app does not clearly explain what data is sent, identify who the data is sent to, and ask the user’s permission before sharing the data. Apps may only use, transmit, or share personal data after they meet all of the following requirements: Disclose what data will be sent Specify who the data is sent to Obtain the user’s permission before sending data Identify in the privacy policy what data the app collects, how it collects that data, all uses of that data, and confirm any third party the app shares data with provides the same or equal protection Next Steps Revise the app to explain what data is sent, identify who the data is sent to, and ask the user’s permission before sharing personal data with a third-party AI service. If it does not already, the app’s privacy policy must also identify what data the app collects, how it collects that data, and all uses of that data, including if it is shared with a third-party AI service. " I have asked for help or even that the rejection reason be more specific, but nothing. I have send pictures, and in this last rejection about 8 hours ago, I had to reply with a video showing that what they are asking for is already there. Please, what else can we do? We have requested a review meeting with App Review, the entire product plans are now on the verge of being irredeemably disrupted, and the company could go bankrupt just because our reviewer does not deem it fit to tell us exactly what they are expecting to see. Anyone with experience in this area should kindly provide some advise on what to do now. Thank you.
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291
Feb ’26
Help! App Review Stuck in Guidelines 5.1.1(i) and 5.1.2(i) Loop
Hi, Our app (Tenkobo) received a rejection notice after review due to the fact that we use Gemini AI since 3 builds ago. Since then, we have been improving the disclosure of the data we collect, explicitly stating all the data, introducing a new feature that checks granular consent and syncs consent state for the user to the backend, and controls for whether to send to the Gemini API service for that feature depending on consent state for the user. Moreover, this feature is a premium add-on to a module that already does most things locally on the device and sends to our cloud infrastructure to allow storage and sync when users use multiple devices. It is a multi-platform app. However, despite every improvement, we keep getting the same Rejection reason that "The issues we identified still need your attention. I have asked for help or even that the rejection reason be more specific, but nothing. I have send pictures, and in this last rejection about 8 hours ago, I had to reply with a video showing that what they are asking for is already there. Why does the system work like this? It is frustrating, especially if a development team needs to be guessing how much is too much. We feel we are now close to removing the feature completely out of frustration, and it is very useful feature for our users based on the feedback we received from the android users (the android app has been live since about 6 weeks ago.) Please, what else can we do? We have requested a review meeting with App Review, the entire product plans are now on the verge of being irredeemably disrupted, and the company could go bankrupt just because our reviewer does not deem it fit to tell us exactly what they are expecting to see. Anyone with experience in this area should kindly provide some advise on what to do now. Thank you.
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289
Feb ’26
Does Showing User's Current Location on the Map Require 'NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription'?
I have a desktop application that shows some real estate properties chosen by the user. The application shows those GPP locations on the map. The SwiftUI code is something like the following. import SwiftUI import MapKit struct ContentView: View { var body: some View ZStack { mapView } } private var mapView: some View { Map(position: $propertyViewModel.mapPosition) { ForEach(propertyViewModel.properties) { property in Annotation("", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: property.lat, longitude: property.lon)) { Button { } label: { VStack { Image(systemName: "house.circle.fill") .resizable() .scaledToFit() .frame(width: 48) .foregroundStyle(colorScheme == .light ? .white : .black) ... } } .buttonStyle(.borderless) } } UserAnnotation() } .mapControls { MapUserLocationButton() } .mapControlVisibility(.visible) .onAppear { CLLocationManager().requestWhenInUseAuthorization() } } } The application only wants to use the CLLocationManager class so that it can show those locations on the map relative to your current GPS position. And I'm hit with two review rejections. Guideline 5.1.1 - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and Storage 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. Guideline 5.1.5 - Legal - Privacy - Location Services The app uses location data for features that are not relevant to a user's location. Specifically, the app is not functional when Location Services are disabled. So I wonder if the application is even required to have 'NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription' and/or 'NSLocationUsageDescription'? just in order to show user's current location so that they can see property locations relative to it? The exact location privacy statement is the following. The application needs your permission in accessing your current location so that it will appear on the map
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339
Feb ’26
Third-party Cookies in CORS Request
We're trying to implement Cross-domain session check for SSO by making CORS request. is Intelligent Tracking Prevention blocks all cookies in CORS requests? I saw all cookies are blocked in CORS requests. We are not able to check the auth session in source domain. Are there anyway to bypass this without user interaction? benefitier.com -> source.com
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356
Feb ’26
Apps do not trigger pop-up asking for permission to access local network on macOS Sequoia/Tahoe
We are having an issue with the Local Network permission pop-up not getting triggered for our apps that need to communicate with devices via local network interfaces/addresses. As we understand, apps using UDP should trigger this, causing macOS to prompt for access, or, if denied, fail to connect. However, we are facing issues with macOS not prompting this popup at all. Here are important and related points: Our application is packaged as a .app package and distributed independently (not on the App Store). The application controls hardware that we manufacture. In order to find the hardware on the network, we send a UDP broadcast with a message for our hardware on the local network, and the hardware responds with a message back. However, the popup (to ask for permission) never shows up. The application is not able to find the hardware device. It is interesting to note that data is still sent out to the network (without the popup) but we receive back the wrong data. The behaviour is consistent macOS Sequoia (and above) with both Apple And Intel silicon. Workarounds that have been tried: Manual Authorization: One solution suggested in various blogs was to go to "Settings → Privacy and Security-> Local network", find your application and grant access. However, the application never shows up in the list here. Firewall: No difference is seen in behaviour with firewall being ON OR OFF. Setting NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription: We have also tried setting the Info.plist adding the NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription with a meaningful string and updating the NSBonjourServices. Running Via terminal (WORKS): Running the application via terminal sees no issues. The application runs correctly and is able to send UDP and receive correct data (and find the devices on the network). But this is not an appropriate solution. How can we get this bug/issue fixed in macOS Sequoia (and above)? Are there any other solutions/workarounds that we can try on our end?
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296
Feb ’26
LocationButton (SwiftUI) broken or changed in iOS 26?
I just spend the morning debugging LocationButton and the associated CLLocationManagerDelegate only to realise that it works perfectly in iOS 18.5 but no longer works for me in iOS 26.0, 26.2 or 26.2.1 (the latter on-device). It does work when I run my app on macOS 26.2 (Designed for iPad). Is there a change in behaviour or requirements on iOS I am missing? On iOS 18.5 I observe that the authorisation status changes from .notDetermined to .authorizedWhenInUse after the LocationButton has been tapped and my delegate is able to obtain the location through locationManager(_ , didUpdateLocations:). On iOS 26.x the authorisation status remains .notDetermined and my delegate receives locationManager(_:didFailWithError:) with error code .denied. Setting NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription in my Info.plistdid not help. Just in case ;) FB21798098 (SwiftUI LocationButton fails to acquire authorization on iOS 26)
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309
Jan ’26
Request for Clarification on Repeated App Review Rejections – Kids Category
Hello App Review Team, I am writing to seek clarification regarding repeated review feedback received via App Store Connect (Resolution Center) for my app: App Name: Animal Sounds & Insects 90+ App ID: 6741077718 Team ID: 24MTF8NJ6Q Over the past two weeks, this app update has remained in review with multiple rejections referencing similar concerns, despite detailed responses and clarifications already provided in the Resolution Center. Unfortunately, I have not received follow-up responses or specific guidance there, which has prevented me from releasing even a minor update. To ensure clarity and avoid further delays, I am summarizing the key points below. Parental Gate (Guideline 1.3 – Kids Category) The review feedback indicates that the app may include links, commerce, or ad interactions without parental permission. I would like to clarify that the app implements a mandatory, non-dismissible parental gate, which is required before: Opening any external links Engaging in any form of commerce, including in-app purchases Interacting with any advertisements This parental gate cannot be bypassed or disabled and is triggered consistently across all applicable user flows. No child user can access links, purchases, or ad interactions without successfully completing the parental gate. If there is a specific screen, flow, or scenario where this behavior was interpreted differently during review, I would greatly appreciate precise details so I can verify and address it immediately. Advertising Experience (Guideline 4.0 – Design) The review also notes that users are required to view advertisements prior to using the app. I would like to clarify that the app does not require users to view advertisements before accessing its core functionality. Specifically: There are no forced ads No launch or entry interstitials No ads that block or gate access to the app’s main features Advertising within the app is passive and non-intrusive. This setup has been live for over one year, and no recent changes were introduced that would alter this behavior. Request for Guidance I fully respect and support the App Review Guidelines and am committed to complying with them. Given the repeated rejections and lack of actionable feedback so far, I kindly request: Clear and specific guidance on the exact screen, flow, or behavior being flagged Confirmation on whether the current parental gate implementation is being detected correctly during review My goal is to resolve any remaining concerns as quickly and accurately as possible so the review process can move forward. Thank you very much for your time and support. I appreciate the work of the App Review team and look forward to your guidance. Kind regards, Jiyan Aslan Developer, Animal Sounds & Insects 90+
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206
Jan ’26
Camera Permissions Popup
We have a very strange issue that I am trying to solve or find the best practice for. We have a SwiftUI View that uses the Camera to preview. So as suggested in Apples Docs we check authorisation status and then if it's not determined we request authorisation. We also have the privacy entry in the info.plist case .notDetermined: AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for: .video) { accessStatusAuthorised in if !accessStatusAuthorised { self.cameraStatus = .notAuthorised } else { self.isAuthorized = true self.cameraStatus = .authorised self.startCameraSession(cameraPosition: cameraPosition) } } case .restricted: cameraStatus = .notAuthorised isAuthorized = false case .denied: cameraStatus = .notAuthorised isAuthorized = false case .authorized: cameraStatus = .authorised isAuthorized = true startCameraSession(cameraPosition: cameraPosition) break @unknown default: isAuthorized = true cameraStatus = .notAuthorised } However when we call this code it freezes the Camera feed, even when allow has been tapped. However and this is the confusing part. If we do not call the code above, we still get the permission for camera access pop up and the camera works fine after allowing. What im concerned about is changing the code to do this and its a possible apple bug that gets fixed and hey then none of the Apps allow the camera function. I cannot see any where that the process has changed for iOS 26 / Xcode 26. Can anyone shed any light on this or had similar experience ?
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280
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?
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528
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?
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941
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
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324
Apr ’26
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?
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Mar ’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.
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374
Jan ’26
Local Network permission on macOS 15 macOS 26: multicast behaves inconsistently and regularly drops
Problem description Since macOS Sequoia, our users have experienced issues with multicast traffic in our macOS app. Regularly, the app starts but cannot receive multicast, or multicast eventually stops mid-execution. The app sometimes asks again for Local Network permission, while it was already allowed so. Several versions of our app on a single machine are sometimes (but not always) shown as different instances in the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list. And when several instances are shown in that list, disabling one disables all of them, but it does not actually forbids the app from receiving multicast traffic. All of those issues are experienced by an increasing number of users after they update their system from macOS 14 to macOS 15 or 26, and many of them have reported networking issues during production-critical moments. We haven't been able to find the root cause of those issues, so we built a simple test app, called "FM Mac App Test", that can reproduce multicast issues. This app creates a GCDAsyncUdpSocket socket to receive multicast packets from a piece of hardware we also develop, and displays a simple UI showing if such packets are received. The app is entitled with "Custom Network Protocol", is built against x86_64 and arm64, and is archived (signed and notarized). We can share the source code if requested. Out of the many issues our main app exhibits, the test app showcases some: The app asks several times for Local Network permission, even after being allowed so previously. After allowing the app's Local Network and rebooting the machine, the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network does not show the app, and the app asks again for Local Network access. The app shows a different Local Network Usage Description than in the project's plist. Several versions of the app appear as different instances in the Privacy list, and behave strangely. Toggling on or off one instance toggles the others. Only one version of the app seems affected by the setting, the other versions always seem to have access to Local Network even when the toggle is set to off. We even did see messages from different app versions in different user accounts. This seems to contradicts Apple's documentation that states user accounts have independent Privacy settings. Can you help us understand what we are missing (in terms of build settings, entitlements, proper archiving...) so our app conforms to what macOS expects for proper Local Network behavior? Related material Local Network Privacy breaks Application: this issue seemed related to ours, but the fix was to ensure different versions of the app have different UUIDs. We ensured that ourselves, to no improvement. Local Network FAQ Technote TN3179 Steps to Reproduce Test App is developed on Xcode 15.4 (15F31d) on macOS 14.5 (23F79), and runs on macOS 26.0.1 (25A362). We can share the source code if requested. On a clean install of macOS Tahoe (our test setup used macOS 26.0.1 on a Mac mini M2 8GB), we upload the app (version 5.1). We run the app, make sure the selected NIC is the proper one, and open the multicast socket. The app asks us to allow Local Network, we allow it. The alert shows a different Local Network Usage Description than the one we set in our project's plist. The app properly shows packets are received from the console on our LAN. We check the list in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network, it includes our app properly allowed. We then reboot the machine. After reboot, the same list does not show the app anymore. We run the app, it asks again about Local Network access (still with incorrect Usage Description). We allow it again, but no console packet is received yet. Only after closing and reopening the socket are the console packets received. After a 2nd reboot, the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list shows correctly the app. The app seems to now run fine. We then upload an updated version of the same app (5.2), also built and notarized. The 2nd version is simulating when we send different versions of our main app to our users. The updated version has a different UUID than the 1st version. The updated version also asks for Local Network access, this time with proper Usage Description. A 3rd updated version of the app (5.3, also with unique UUID) behaves the same. The System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list shows three instances of the app. We toggle off one of the app, all of them toggle off. The 1st version of the app (5.1) does not have local network access anymore, but both 2nd and 3rd versions do, while their toggle button seems off. We toggle on one of the app, all of them toggle on. All 3 versions have local network access.
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1.4k
Apr ’26
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.
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1.4k
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.
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444
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.
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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
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Dec ’25
iOS App Review: Guidelines 5.1.1(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and 5.1.2(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Use
Our app (Tenkobo) received a rejection notice after review due to the fact that we use Gemini AI since 3 builds ago. Since then, we have been improving the disclosure of the data we collect, explicitly stating all the data, introducing a new feature that checks granular consent and syncs consent state for the user to the backend, and controls for whether to send to the Gemini API service for that feature depending on consent state for the user. Moreover, this feature is a premium add-on to a module that already does most things locally on the device and sends to our cloud infrastructure to allow storage and sync when users use multiple devices. It is a multi-platform app. However, despite every improvement, we keep getting the same Rejection reason that " ... Review Device: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) ... The issues we previously identified still need your attention. Guidelines 5.1.1(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and 5.1.2(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Use The app appears to share the user’s personal data with a third-party AI service but the app does not clearly explain what data is sent, identify who the data is sent to, and ask the user’s permission before sharing the data. Apps may only use, transmit, or share personal data after they meet all of the following requirements: Disclose what data will be sent Specify who the data is sent to Obtain the user’s permission before sending data Identify in the privacy policy what data the app collects, how it collects that data, all uses of that data, and confirm any third party the app shares data with provides the same or equal protection Next Steps Revise the app to explain what data is sent, identify who the data is sent to, and ask the user’s permission before sharing personal data with a third-party AI service. If it does not already, the app’s privacy policy must also identify what data the app collects, how it collects that data, and all uses of that data, including if it is shared with a third-party AI service. " I have asked for help or even that the rejection reason be more specific, but nothing. I have send pictures, and in this last rejection about 8 hours ago, I had to reply with a video showing that what they are asking for is already there. Please, what else can we do? We have requested a review meeting with App Review, the entire product plans are now on the verge of being irredeemably disrupted, and the company could go bankrupt just because our reviewer does not deem it fit to tell us exactly what they are expecting to see. Anyone with experience in this area should kindly provide some advise on what to do now. Thank you.
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1
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291
Activity
Feb ’26
Help! App Review Stuck in Guidelines 5.1.1(i) and 5.1.2(i) Loop
Hi, Our app (Tenkobo) received a rejection notice after review due to the fact that we use Gemini AI since 3 builds ago. Since then, we have been improving the disclosure of the data we collect, explicitly stating all the data, introducing a new feature that checks granular consent and syncs consent state for the user to the backend, and controls for whether to send to the Gemini API service for that feature depending on consent state for the user. Moreover, this feature is a premium add-on to a module that already does most things locally on the device and sends to our cloud infrastructure to allow storage and sync when users use multiple devices. It is a multi-platform app. However, despite every improvement, we keep getting the same Rejection reason that "The issues we identified still need your attention. I have asked for help or even that the rejection reason be more specific, but nothing. I have send pictures, and in this last rejection about 8 hours ago, I had to reply with a video showing that what they are asking for is already there. Why does the system work like this? It is frustrating, especially if a development team needs to be guessing how much is too much. We feel we are now close to removing the feature completely out of frustration, and it is very useful feature for our users based on the feedback we received from the android users (the android app has been live since about 6 weeks ago.) Please, what else can we do? We have requested a review meeting with App Review, the entire product plans are now on the verge of being irredeemably disrupted, and the company could go bankrupt just because our reviewer does not deem it fit to tell us exactly what they are expecting to see. Anyone with experience in this area should kindly provide some advise on what to do now. Thank you.
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2
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289
Activity
Feb ’26
Does Showing User's Current Location on the Map Require 'NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription'?
I have a desktop application that shows some real estate properties chosen by the user. The application shows those GPP locations on the map. The SwiftUI code is something like the following. import SwiftUI import MapKit struct ContentView: View { var body: some View ZStack { mapView } } private var mapView: some View { Map(position: $propertyViewModel.mapPosition) { ForEach(propertyViewModel.properties) { property in Annotation("", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: property.lat, longitude: property.lon)) { Button { } label: { VStack { Image(systemName: "house.circle.fill") .resizable() .scaledToFit() .frame(width: 48) .foregroundStyle(colorScheme == .light ? .white : .black) ... } } .buttonStyle(.borderless) } } UserAnnotation() } .mapControls { MapUserLocationButton() } .mapControlVisibility(.visible) .onAppear { CLLocationManager().requestWhenInUseAuthorization() } } } The application only wants to use the CLLocationManager class so that it can show those locations on the map relative to your current GPS position. And I'm hit with two review rejections. Guideline 5.1.1 - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and Storage 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. Guideline 5.1.5 - Legal - Privacy - Location Services The app uses location data for features that are not relevant to a user's location. Specifically, the app is not functional when Location Services are disabled. So I wonder if the application is even required to have 'NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription' and/or 'NSLocationUsageDescription'? just in order to show user's current location so that they can see property locations relative to it? The exact location privacy statement is the following. The application needs your permission in accessing your current location so that it will appear on the map
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339
Activity
Feb ’26
Third-party Cookies in CORS Request
We're trying to implement Cross-domain session check for SSO by making CORS request. is Intelligent Tracking Prevention blocks all cookies in CORS requests? I saw all cookies are blocked in CORS requests. We are not able to check the auth session in source domain. Are there anyway to bypass this without user interaction? benefitier.com -> source.com
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0
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356
Activity
Feb ’26
Apps do not trigger pop-up asking for permission to access local network on macOS Sequoia/Tahoe
We are having an issue with the Local Network permission pop-up not getting triggered for our apps that need to communicate with devices via local network interfaces/addresses. As we understand, apps using UDP should trigger this, causing macOS to prompt for access, or, if denied, fail to connect. However, we are facing issues with macOS not prompting this popup at all. Here are important and related points: Our application is packaged as a .app package and distributed independently (not on the App Store). The application controls hardware that we manufacture. In order to find the hardware on the network, we send a UDP broadcast with a message for our hardware on the local network, and the hardware responds with a message back. However, the popup (to ask for permission) never shows up. The application is not able to find the hardware device. It is interesting to note that data is still sent out to the network (without the popup) but we receive back the wrong data. The behaviour is consistent macOS Sequoia (and above) with both Apple And Intel silicon. Workarounds that have been tried: Manual Authorization: One solution suggested in various blogs was to go to "Settings → Privacy and Security-> Local network", find your application and grant access. However, the application never shows up in the list here. Firewall: No difference is seen in behaviour with firewall being ON OR OFF. Setting NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription: We have also tried setting the Info.plist adding the NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription with a meaningful string and updating the NSBonjourServices. Running Via terminal (WORKS): Running the application via terminal sees no issues. The application runs correctly and is able to send UDP and receive correct data (and find the devices on the network). But this is not an appropriate solution. How can we get this bug/issue fixed in macOS Sequoia (and above)? Are there any other solutions/workarounds that we can try on our end?
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5
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296
Activity
Feb ’26
LocationButton (SwiftUI) broken or changed in iOS 26?
I just spend the morning debugging LocationButton and the associated CLLocationManagerDelegate only to realise that it works perfectly in iOS 18.5 but no longer works for me in iOS 26.0, 26.2 or 26.2.1 (the latter on-device). It does work when I run my app on macOS 26.2 (Designed for iPad). Is there a change in behaviour or requirements on iOS I am missing? On iOS 18.5 I observe that the authorisation status changes from .notDetermined to .authorizedWhenInUse after the LocationButton has been tapped and my delegate is able to obtain the location through locationManager(_ , didUpdateLocations:). On iOS 26.x the authorisation status remains .notDetermined and my delegate receives locationManager(_:didFailWithError:) with error code .denied. Setting NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription in my Info.plistdid not help. Just in case ;) FB21798098 (SwiftUI LocationButton fails to acquire authorization on iOS 26)
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309
Activity
Jan ’26
Request for Clarification on Repeated App Review Rejections – Kids Category
Hello App Review Team, I am writing to seek clarification regarding repeated review feedback received via App Store Connect (Resolution Center) for my app: App Name: Animal Sounds & Insects 90+ App ID: 6741077718 Team ID: 24MTF8NJ6Q Over the past two weeks, this app update has remained in review with multiple rejections referencing similar concerns, despite detailed responses and clarifications already provided in the Resolution Center. Unfortunately, I have not received follow-up responses or specific guidance there, which has prevented me from releasing even a minor update. To ensure clarity and avoid further delays, I am summarizing the key points below. Parental Gate (Guideline 1.3 – Kids Category) The review feedback indicates that the app may include links, commerce, or ad interactions without parental permission. I would like to clarify that the app implements a mandatory, non-dismissible parental gate, which is required before: Opening any external links Engaging in any form of commerce, including in-app purchases Interacting with any advertisements This parental gate cannot be bypassed or disabled and is triggered consistently across all applicable user flows. No child user can access links, purchases, or ad interactions without successfully completing the parental gate. If there is a specific screen, flow, or scenario where this behavior was interpreted differently during review, I would greatly appreciate precise details so I can verify and address it immediately. Advertising Experience (Guideline 4.0 – Design) The review also notes that users are required to view advertisements prior to using the app. I would like to clarify that the app does not require users to view advertisements before accessing its core functionality. Specifically: There are no forced ads No launch or entry interstitials No ads that block or gate access to the app’s main features Advertising within the app is passive and non-intrusive. This setup has been live for over one year, and no recent changes were introduced that would alter this behavior. Request for Guidance I fully respect and support the App Review Guidelines and am committed to complying with them. Given the repeated rejections and lack of actionable feedback so far, I kindly request: Clear and specific guidance on the exact screen, flow, or behavior being flagged Confirmation on whether the current parental gate implementation is being detected correctly during review My goal is to resolve any remaining concerns as quickly and accurately as possible so the review process can move forward. Thank you very much for your time and support. I appreciate the work of the App Review team and look forward to your guidance. Kind regards, Jiyan Aslan Developer, Animal Sounds & Insects 90+
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206
Activity
Jan ’26
Camera Permissions Popup
We have a very strange issue that I am trying to solve or find the best practice for. We have a SwiftUI View that uses the Camera to preview. So as suggested in Apples Docs we check authorisation status and then if it's not determined we request authorisation. We also have the privacy entry in the info.plist case .notDetermined: AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for: .video) { accessStatusAuthorised in if !accessStatusAuthorised { self.cameraStatus = .notAuthorised } else { self.isAuthorized = true self.cameraStatus = .authorised self.startCameraSession(cameraPosition: cameraPosition) } } case .restricted: cameraStatus = .notAuthorised isAuthorized = false case .denied: cameraStatus = .notAuthorised isAuthorized = false case .authorized: cameraStatus = .authorised isAuthorized = true startCameraSession(cameraPosition: cameraPosition) break @unknown default: isAuthorized = true cameraStatus = .notAuthorised } However when we call this code it freezes the Camera feed, even when allow has been tapped. However and this is the confusing part. If we do not call the code above, we still get the permission for camera access pop up and the camera works fine after allowing. What im concerned about is changing the code to do this and its a possible apple bug that gets fixed and hey then none of the Apps allow the camera function. I cannot see any where that the process has changed for iOS 26 / Xcode 26. Can anyone shed any light on this or had similar experience ?
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280
Activity
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?
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1
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528
Activity
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?
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1
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941
Activity
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
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1
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1
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324
Activity
Apr ’26
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?
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3
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417
Activity
Mar ’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.
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1
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374
Activity
Jan ’26
Local Network permission on macOS 15 macOS 26: multicast behaves inconsistently and regularly drops
Problem description Since macOS Sequoia, our users have experienced issues with multicast traffic in our macOS app. Regularly, the app starts but cannot receive multicast, or multicast eventually stops mid-execution. The app sometimes asks again for Local Network permission, while it was already allowed so. Several versions of our app on a single machine are sometimes (but not always) shown as different instances in the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list. And when several instances are shown in that list, disabling one disables all of them, but it does not actually forbids the app from receiving multicast traffic. All of those issues are experienced by an increasing number of users after they update their system from macOS 14 to macOS 15 or 26, and many of them have reported networking issues during production-critical moments. We haven't been able to find the root cause of those issues, so we built a simple test app, called "FM Mac App Test", that can reproduce multicast issues. This app creates a GCDAsyncUdpSocket socket to receive multicast packets from a piece of hardware we also develop, and displays a simple UI showing if such packets are received. The app is entitled with "Custom Network Protocol", is built against x86_64 and arm64, and is archived (signed and notarized). We can share the source code if requested. Out of the many issues our main app exhibits, the test app showcases some: The app asks several times for Local Network permission, even after being allowed so previously. After allowing the app's Local Network and rebooting the machine, the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network does not show the app, and the app asks again for Local Network access. The app shows a different Local Network Usage Description than in the project's plist. Several versions of the app appear as different instances in the Privacy list, and behave strangely. Toggling on or off one instance toggles the others. Only one version of the app seems affected by the setting, the other versions always seem to have access to Local Network even when the toggle is set to off. We even did see messages from different app versions in different user accounts. This seems to contradicts Apple's documentation that states user accounts have independent Privacy settings. Can you help us understand what we are missing (in terms of build settings, entitlements, proper archiving...) so our app conforms to what macOS expects for proper Local Network behavior? Related material Local Network Privacy breaks Application: this issue seemed related to ours, but the fix was to ensure different versions of the app have different UUIDs. We ensured that ourselves, to no improvement. Local Network FAQ Technote TN3179 Steps to Reproduce Test App is developed on Xcode 15.4 (15F31d) on macOS 14.5 (23F79), and runs on macOS 26.0.1 (25A362). We can share the source code if requested. On a clean install of macOS Tahoe (our test setup used macOS 26.0.1 on a Mac mini M2 8GB), we upload the app (version 5.1). We run the app, make sure the selected NIC is the proper one, and open the multicast socket. The app asks us to allow Local Network, we allow it. The alert shows a different Local Network Usage Description than the one we set in our project's plist. The app properly shows packets are received from the console on our LAN. We check the list in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network, it includes our app properly allowed. We then reboot the machine. After reboot, the same list does not show the app anymore. We run the app, it asks again about Local Network access (still with incorrect Usage Description). We allow it again, but no console packet is received yet. Only after closing and reopening the socket are the console packets received. After a 2nd reboot, the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list shows correctly the app. The app seems to now run fine. We then upload an updated version of the same app (5.2), also built and notarized. The 2nd version is simulating when we send different versions of our main app to our users. The updated version has a different UUID than the 1st version. The updated version also asks for Local Network access, this time with proper Usage Description. A 3rd updated version of the app (5.3, also with unique UUID) behaves the same. The System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list shows three instances of the app. We toggle off one of the app, all of them toggle off. The 1st version of the app (5.1) does not have local network access anymore, but both 2nd and 3rd versions do, while their toggle button seems off. We toggle on one of the app, all of them toggle on. All 3 versions have local network access.
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20
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Activity
Apr ’26
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.
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3
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1.4k
Activity
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.
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444
Activity
Dec ’25
New South Korea Account Notification Requirement
https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=j9zukcr6 starting from Jan 2026 there is change in requirements for account notifications for Sign in with Apple. Does this apply only to developers based in South Korea or all apps which are avai via the korean App Store?
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824
Activity
Jan ’26
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.
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5
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1k
Activity
Dec ’25
“bash requesting screen access” popup in Mac OS 15
How can I allow the popup I am encountering while I run my UI tests with video recording in the Github actions. Since these tests are running on VMs, it's not possible to manually click Allow. Also the remote robot cannot interact with OS-level dialogs.
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379
Activity
Nov ’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
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586
Activity
Dec ’25