iOS 14: Several MDM commands fails with error "Couldn’t communicate with a helper application"

With iOS 14 devices we can see that Many MDM Commands Fails with error " Couldn’t communicate with a helper application." . This Error is more frequent in InstallApplication , InstallProfile command , but other MDM commads also face the same issue. I have attach sample response from some devices. We have seen this error in previous version of iOS but with iOS 14 these are very frequent.


InstallApplication Errors

Code Block 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>CommandUUID</key>
	<string>InstallApplication;Collection=51075000000853127</string>
	<key>ErrorChain</key>
	<array>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>1005</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>DeviceManagement.error</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>Could not install app.</string>
		</dict>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>4097</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>NSCocoaErrorDomain</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>Couldn’t communicate with a helper application.</string>
		</dict>
	</array>
	<key>Status</key>
	<string>Error</string>
	<key>UDID</key>
	<string>UDID-UDID</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Code Block 
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>CommandUUID</key>
	<string>InstallApplication;Collection=33783000002227119</string>
	<key>ErrorChain</key>
	<array>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>4099</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>NSCocoaErrorDomain</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>Couldn’t communicate with a helper application.</string>
		</dict>
	</array>
	<key>Status</key>
	<string>Error</string>
	<key>UDID</key>
	<string>UDIDUDIDUDID</string>
</dict>
</plist>


Code Block <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>CommandUUID</key>
	<string>InstallApplication;Collection=51075000000853127</string>
	<key>ErrorChain</key>
	<array>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>1005</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>DeviceManagement.error</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>Could not install app.</string>
		</dict>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>4097</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>NSCocoaErrorDomain</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>Couldn’t communicate with a helper application.</string>
		</dict>
	</array>
	<key>Status</key>
	<string>Error</string>
	<key>UDID</key>
	<string>UDID-UDID</string>
</dict>
</plist>


InstallProfile Errors

Code Block 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>CommandUUID</key>
	<string>SingletonRestriction</string>
	<key>ErrorChain</key>
	<array>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>4099</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>NSCocoaErrorDomain</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>Couldn’t communicate with a helper application.</string>
		</dict>
	</array>
	<key>Status</key>
	<string>Error</string>
	<key>UDID</key>
	<string>UDIDUDID</string>
</dict>
</plist>


AvailableOSUpdate Error

Code Block <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>CommandUUID</key>
	<string>AvailableOSUpdates</string>
	<key>ErrorChain</key>
	<array>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>12050</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>MCMDMErrorDomain</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>The attempt to check for an available update failed.</string>
			<key>USEnglishDescription</key>
			<string>The attempt to check for an available update failed.</string>
		</dict>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>2214</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>DeviceManagement.error</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>Scan failed.</string>
		</dict>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>4097</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>NSCocoaErrorDomain</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>Couldn’t communicate with a helper application.</string>
		</dict>
	</array>
	<key>Status</key>
	<string>Error</string>
	<key>UDID</key>
	<string>UDIDUDIDUDID</string>
</dict>
</plist>

ClearPasscode

Code Block <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>CommandUUID</key>
	<string>ClearPasscode</string>
	<key>ErrorChain</key>
	<array>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>701</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>DeviceManagement.error</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>The device’s passcode cannot be cleared.</string>
		</dict>
		<dict>
			<key>ErrorCode</key>
			<integer>4097</integer>
			<key>ErrorDomain</key>
			<string>NSCocoaErrorDomain</string>
			<key>LocalizedDescription</key>
			<string>Couldn’t communicate with a helper application.</string>
		</dict>
	</array>
	<key>Status</key>
	<string>Error</string>
	<key>UDID</key>
	<string>UDIDUDIDUDID</string>
</dict>
</plist>


Up vote post of Srikanth Gopalakrishnan Down vote post of Srikanth Gopalakrishnan
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Posted by
Srikanth Gopalakrishnan
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Replies

Generally the error "Couldn’t communicate with a helper application" indicates that a process crashed or exceeded resource limits. I suggest that you take a sysdiagnose and then file feedback with Apple. Please attach the sysdiagnose, the MDM command, and the device's response.
Posted by
Systems Engineer
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Thanks for your response. We have reported with sysdiagnose and the case id is FB8761764 .
Posted by
Srikanth Gopalakrishnan
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Hi Srikanth,

Was the root cause of the "Couldn’t communicate with a helper application." error on installapplication commands ever discovered?

--Andrew Davis

Posted by
Questorthews
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  • Hi Andrew ! Unfortunately, it's not yet resolved. It occurs very randomly and occurs in all OS versions. Sometimes it gets succeeded when the same command is tried several times, sometimes it requires unenrollment or factory reset

    —
    Srikanth Gopalakrishnan

  • Hi Srikanth,

    I'm wondering which MDM system you are using when you are seeing this?

    —
    mdmcernters
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Hi , We have submitted two more feedbacks with sysdiagnose on same issue FB9705858 , FB9713811

Posted by
Srikanth Gopalakrishnan
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Has this problem been solved? do I have any thing can do to fix the issue?

Posted by
Joohae Kim
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