Hello, I have encountered an issue with an iPhone 15PM with iOS 18.5. The NSHTTPCookieStorage failed to clear cookies, but even after clearing them, I was still able to retrieve them. However, on the same system
It is normal on iPhone 14PM. I would like to know the specific reason and whether there are any adaptation related issues. Following code:
NSHTTPCookie *cookie;
NSHTTPCookieStorage *storage = [NSHTTPCookieStorage sharedHTTPCookieStorage];
for (cookie in [storage cookies]) {
[storage deleteCookie:cookie];
}
Networking
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On iOS 18.3, I noted that partition "HTTPCookiePropertyKey: StoragePartition" is not observed to be set for cookies returned from the wkwebview cookie store.
Now on 18.4 beta 4 we are now seeing those same cookies are populated with a partition property. Is there documentation for this change? Is it intended to be suddenly populated in 18.4?
Now that partition property is set, HTTPCookieStorage.shared.cookies(for: serverUri) doesn't seem to return the expected cookies correctly. For context, we are using the cookies extracted from wkwebview, setting them in HTTPCookieStorage.shared and using URLSession to make network calls outside the webivew. Works fine once I forcefully set partition on the cookie to nil.
More details on what the cookie looks like here:
https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/feedback/16906526
Hopefully this is on your radar?
Hi, when I perform an overlay installation via a PKG on macOS for an application containing the NEFilterDataProvider functionality, there is a chance that the entire system network becomes unreachable. Disabling the corresponding Content Filter in "System Settings > Network > Filters" immediately restores network connectivity. This issue does not occur every time, with a frequency of approximately 1 in 20 installation attempts.
The following details may help identify the problem:
The Filter.app containing the NEFilterDataProvider resides within the main app's Resources directory, e.g., /Applications/Main.app/Contents/Resources/Filter.app
Main.app is installed via a PKG; the issue typically occurs during an overlay installation of Main.app.
The NEFilterDataProvider operates as a System Extension.
The func handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEFilterFlow) -> NEFilterNewFlowVerdict {} returns .allow.
Wireshark packet captures show TCP packets but no UDP packets; TCP handshakes cannot complete.
Disabling the corresponding content filter in "System Settings > Network > Filters" restores the network; re-enabling it breaks connectivity again.
After waiting for a period, approximately 30-60 minutes, network connectivity can recover automatically.
What causes this and how can it be fixed? Any workarounds?
I need to know the https address of a certain page within my app. This is going to be used as a redirect URL. I don't think it is a good idea to use deep links because it has to be an https address. I don't think Universal Links will work because it is not my website that I will be communicating with.
I'm creating a custom VPN app which should only work on Cellular. Apart from cellular interface binding VPN is working fine. Even though I specified cellular interface like
let cellularParams = NWParameters.udp
cellularParams.requiredInterfaceType = .cellular
It is going via Wifi when it is ON. I know this is the default iOS behaviour.
How can I prevent this and route through cellular only even when Wifi is enabled on device?
I'm working on enabling a content filter in my iOS app using NEFilterManager and NEFilterProviderConfiguration. The setup works perfectly in debug builds when running via Xcode, but fails on TestFlight builds with the following error:
**Failed to save filter settings: permission denied
**
**Here is my current implementation:
**
(void)startContentFilter {
NSUserDefaults *userDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];
[userDefaults synchronize];
[[NEFilterManager sharedManager] loadFromPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) {
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
if (error) {
NSLog(@"Failed to load filter: %@", error.localizedDescription);
[self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to load content filter: %@", error.localizedDescription]];
return;
}
NEFilterProviderConfiguration *filterConfig = [[NEFilterProviderConfiguration alloc] init];
filterConfig.filterSockets = YES;
filterConfig.filterBrowsers = YES;
NEFilterManager *manager = [NEFilterManager sharedManager];
manager.providerConfiguration = filterConfig;
manager.enabled = YES;
[manager saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) {
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
if (error) {
NSLog(@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription);
[self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription]];
} else {
NSLog(@"Content filter enabled successfully!");
[self showAlertWithTitle:@"Success" message:@"Content filter enabled successfully!"];
}
});
}];
});
}];
}
**What I've tried:
**
Ensured the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension entitlement is set in both the app and system extension.
The Network extension target includes content-filter-provider.
Tested only on physical devices.
App works in development build, but not from TestFlight.
**My questions: **
Why does saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler fail with “permission denied” on TestFlight?
Are there special entitlements required for using NEFilterManager in production/TestFlight builds?
Is MDM (Mobile Device Management) required to deploy apps using content filters?
Has anyone successfully implemented NEFilterProviderConfiguration in production, and if so, how?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
Tags:
Extensions
Swift
Network Extension
Objective-C
Hi all!
I’m having trouble distributing an iOS app with a DNS Proxy NetworkExtension via AdHoc. The app and extension work perfectly with development profiles, but when I export and install the AdHoc IPA, I get a “permission denied” error when trying to install/enable the DNS Proxy extension.
What I’ve done:
Both the app and the DNS Proxy extension have their own App IDs in the Apple Developer portal.
Both App IDs have the same App Group enabled: group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2.
The extension App ID has the NetworkExtension capability with dns-proxy enabled.
I created two AdHoc provisioning profiles (one for the app, one for the extension), both including the same devices and the correct entitlements.
I assigned the correct AdHoc profiles to each target in Xcode and exported the IPA via Organizer.
I install the IPA on a registered device using Apple Configurator.
Entitlements (extracted from the signed binaries on device):
App:
<key>application-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string>
<key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key><array>
<string>packet-tunnel-provider</string>
<string>dns-proxy</string>
</array>
<key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246</string>
<key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key><array>
<string>group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string>
</array>
<key>get-task-allow</key><false/>
DNSProxy Extension:
<key>application-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2.DNSProxy</string>
<key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key><array>
<string>dns-proxy</string>
</array>
<key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246</string>
<key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key><array>
<string>group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string>
</array>
<key>get-task-allow</key><false/>
Error message (from my app’s logs):
Error instalando DNS Proxy: permission denied
Usuario: Roberto
AppGroup: group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2
AppGroupPath: /private/var/mobile/Containers/Shared/AppGroup/D8AD2DED-AD96-4915-9B7A-648C9504679B
Entitlements:
BundleId: com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2
Debug info: Error Domain=NEDNSProxyErrorDomain Code=1 "permission denied" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=permission denied}
Other details:
The device is included in both AdHoc profiles.
The App Group is present and identical in both entitlements.
The extension’s bundle identifier matches the App ID in the portal.
The extension is signed with the correct AdHoc profile.
I have tried rebooting the device and reinstalling the IPA.
The error only occurs with AdHoc; development builds work fine.
Questions:
Is there anything else I should check regarding AdHoc provisioning for NetworkExtension DNS Proxy?
Are there any known issues with AdHoc and NetworkExtension on recent iOS versions?
Is there a way to get more detailed diagnostics from the system about why the permission is denied?
Could this be a bug in iOS, or am I missing a subtle configuration step?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
This is probably a basic question but I wanted to ask your advice for the best way to take consenting users' Watch data from Apple Health Kit and send it to our central server? One idea we had was to create an iOS app that gets the data from Apple's Health SDK on the phone and sends it to our server. Would appreciate any help here, thank you.
Hey!
We are investigating a problem pf rules being ignored by some processes. Despite blocking all traffic, some outgoing unicast packets can be seen in tcpdump. Issue is present in MacOS 15.0.0 - 15.3.1 (Newest at the time of writing). I tested MacOS 14.7.4 and pf rules there behaved as expected. Steps to reproduce the issue:
$ cat pf.conf
block all
$ sudo pfctl -e -F all -f ./pf.conf
Password:
pfctl: Use of -f option, could result in flushing of rules
present in the main ruleset added by the system at startup.
See /etc/pf.conf for further details.
No ALTQ support in kernel
ALTQ related functions disabled
rules cleared
nat cleared
dummynet cleared
0 tables deleted.
196 states cleared
source tracking entries cleared
pf: statistics cleared
pf: interface flags reset
pfctl: pf already enabled
After executing these commands MacOS 14 will block all outgoing unicast traffic, and on MacOS 15 data can be sent to arbitrary addresses:
$ ifconfig en0
en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
options=6460<TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM>
ether b6:5e:a5:c5:1e:db
inet6 fe80::1090:9c8:4325:329a%en0 prefixlen 64 secured scopeid 0xe
inet 192.168.50.144 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.50.255
nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>
media: autoselect
status: active
$ sudo tcpdump -k A -i any -n src 192.168.50.144
tcpdump: data link type PKTAP
tcpdump: verbose output suppressed, use -v[v]... for full protocol decode
listening on any, link-type PKTAP (Apple DLT_PKTAP), snapshot length 524288 bytes
12:05:12.673472 (en0, proc com.apple.geod:1286:, svc BE, out, ch, flowid 0x0, ttag 0x0, dlt 0x1, cmpgc 0x0) IP 192.168.50.144.52012 > 17.253.15.196.443: Flags [P.], seq 1888882378:1888882402, ack 3554898220, win 2048, options [nop,nop,TS val 2752050055 ecr 1291585385], length 24
12:05:13.793937 (en0, proc com.apple.WebKit:974:, eproc Safari:804:, svc BE, out, ch, flowid 0x0, ttag 0x0, dlt 0x1, cmpgc 0x0) IP 192.168.50.144.52024 > 3.65.102.105.443: Flags [P.], seq 2011312019:2011312073, ack 673002582, win 2048, options [nop,nop,TS val 777228223 ecr 484269939], length 54
Was there any change in the way pfctl is used or is this a bug? This issue affects negatively privacy features of our product.
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
Hi guys,
I try to create a content filter app by using network extension api. When it comes to a https/tls remote endpoint, the remoteEndpoint.hostname will always be "" instead of the actual hostname. How can I extract the actual hostname?
private func filterTraffic(flow: NEFilterSocketFlow)
-> NEFilterNewFlowVerdict
{
// Default action from settings will be used if no rules match
logger.error("filter traffic...")
guard let remoteEndpoint = flow.remoteEndpoint as? NWHostEndpoint
else {
logger.error("not a NWHostEndpoint)")
return .allow()
}
logger.error("host name: \(remoteEndpoint.hostname)")
if remoteEndpoint.hostname.hasSuffix("google.com"){
logger.error("google.com")
return .drop()
}
return .allow()
}
code-block
Configure the App ID in the Apple Developer Portal. In the Network Extensions section, the Packet Tunnel section is not displayed, as shown in the figure below
How to proceed with the configuration of App ID. In the Network Extensions section: Display the Packet Tunnel section
Our account is a China region account
When I make a local network HTTP request, an error occurs. I'm sure I've granted wireless data permissions and local network permissions, and I'm connected to the correct Wi-Fi. This problem is intermittent, but once it happens, it will keep happening, and the only way to fix it is to restart the phone. Here is the error log:
sessionTaskFailed(error: Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1009 "似乎已断开与互联网的连接。" UserInfo={_kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=50, NSUnderlyingError=0x30398a5b0 {Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=-1009 "(null)" UserInfo={_NSURLErrorNWPathKey=unsatisfied (Local network prohibited), interface: en0[802.11], uses wifi, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=50, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1}}, _NSURLErrorFailingURLSessionTaskErrorKey=LocalDataTask .<63>, _NSURLErrorRelatedURLSessionTaskErrorKey=(
"LocalDataTask .<63>"
), NSLocalizedDescription=似乎已断开与互联网的连接。, NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=http://192.168.2.1:80/v1/parameters, NSErrorFailingURLKey=http://192.168.2.1:80/v1/parameters, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1})
I would like to inquire about the feasibility of developing an iOS application with the following requirements:
The app must support real-time audio communication based on UDP.
It needs to maintain a TCP signaling connection, even when the device is locked.
The app will run only on selected devices within a controlled (closed) environment, such as company-managed iPads or iPhones.
Could you please clarify the following:
Is it technically possible to maintain an active TCP connection when the device is locked?
What are the current iOS restrictions or limitations for background execution, particularly related to networking and audio?
Are there any recommended APIs or frameworks (such as VoIP, PushKit, or Background Modes) suitable for this type of application?
Our app supports live streaming (RTSP, RTMP, WebRTC) functionality.
After updating to the 18.5 Developer Beta version, we’ve encountered an issue where streaming over LTE is not working for customers using SKT (SK Telecom) as their carrier.
Upon investigation, it seems that a similar issue might be occurring with a streaming service app called "SOOP."
I would appreciate it if you could share any information regarding this bug.
Thank you.
We have a Java application built for macOS. On the first launch, the application prompts the user to allow local network access. We've correctly added the NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription key to the Info.plist, and the provided description appears in the system prompt.
After the user grants permission, the application can successfully connect to a local server using its hostname. However, the issue arises after the system is rebooted. When the application is launched again, macOS does not prompt for local network access a second time—which is expected, as the permission was already granted.
Despite this, the application is unable to connect to the local server. It appears the previously granted permission is being ignored after a reboot. A temporary workaround is to manually toggle the Local Network permission off and back on via System Settings > Privacy & Security, which restores connectivity—until the next reboot.
This behavior is highly disruptive, both for us and for a significant number of our users. We can reproduce this on multiple systems...
The issues started from macOS Sequoia 15.0
By opening the application bundle using "Show Package Contents," we can launch the application via "JavaAppLauncher" without any issues. Once started, the application is able to connect to our server over the local network. This seems to bypass the granted permissions? "JavaAppLauncher" is also been used in our Info.plist file
Removing the following plist in Recovery Mode seems to resolve the issue
rm "/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Library/Preferences/com.apple.networkextension.plist"
Is this safe to do?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
We're seeing an issue with bonjour services since macOS 15.4 onwards, specifically when running xcuitests on simulators that communicate with an app via bonjour services, the NWListener fails with -65555: NoAuth
Interestingly it only fails on subsequent iterations of the test, first iteration always succeeds.
The same code works fine on macOS 15.3.1 and earlier, but not 15.4 or 15.5.
Is this related to, or the same issue as here? https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/780655
Also raised in feedback assistant: FB17804120
I am writing to seek clarification on two technical issues related to iOS frameworks (CoreBluetooth and NetworkExtension). These observations are critical for optimizing our app's performance, and I would appreciate any official guidance or documentation references.
CoreBluetooth Scanning Frequency and Cycle
Issue:
We noticed inconsistent BLE device discovery times (ranging from 0.5s to 1.5s) despite the peripheral advertising at 2Hz (500ms interval).
Questions:
Does iOS regulate the BLE scan interval or duty cycle internally? If yes, what factors affect this behavior (e.g., foreground/background state, connected devices)?
Are there recommended practices to reduce discovery latency for peripherals with fixed advertising intervals?
Is there a way to configure scan parameters (e.g., scan window/interval) programmatically, similar to Android's BluetoothLeScanner?
Test Context:
Device: iPhone 13 mini (iOS 17.6.1)
Code: CBCentralManager.scanForPeripherals(withServices: nil, options: [CBCentralManagerScanOptionAllowDuplicatesKey: true])
NEHotspotConfigurationManager Workflow and Latency
Issue:
Using NEHotspotConfigurationManager.shared.apply(_:) to connect to Wi-Fi occasionally takes up to 8 seconds to complete.
Questions:
What is the internal workflow of the apply method? Does it include user permission checks, SSID scanning, authentication, or IP assignment steps?
Are there known scenarios where this method would block for extended periods (e.g., waiting for user interaction, network timeouts)?
Is the latency related to system-level retries or radio coexistence with other wireless activities (e.g., Bluetooth)?
Test Context:
Configuration: NEHotspotConfiguration(ssid: "TestSSID")
Behavior: Delay occurs even when the Wi-Fi network is in range and credentials are correct.
Network.framework: Happy Eyeballs cancels also-ran only after WebSocket handshake (duplicate WS sessions)
Hi everyone 👋
When using NWConnection with NWProtocolWebSocket, I’ve noticed that Happy Eyeballs cancels the losing connection only after the WebSocket handshake completes on the winning path.
As a result, both IPv4 and IPv6 attempts can send the GET / Upgrade request in parallel, which may cause duplicate WebSocket sessions on the server.
Standards context
RFC 8305 §6 (Happy Eyeballs v2) states:
Once one of the connection attempts succeeds (generally when the TCP
handshake completes), all other connections attempts that have not
yet succeeded SHOULD be canceled.
This “SHOULD” is intentionally non-mandatory — implementations may reasonably delay cancellation to account for additional factors (e.g. TLS success or ALPN negotiation).
So Network.framework’s current behavior — canceling after the WebSocket handshake — is technically valid, but it can have practical side effects at the application layer.
Why this matters
WebSocket upgrades are semantically HTTP GET requests
(RFC 6455 §4.1).
Per RFC 9110 §9.2,
GET requests are expected to be safe and idempotent — they should not have side effects on the server.
In practice, though, WebSocket upgrades often:
include Authorization headers or cookies
create authenticated or persistent sessions
So if both IPv4 and IPv6 paths reach the upgrade stage, the server may create duplicate sessions before one connection is canceled.
Questions / Request
Is there a way to make Happy Eyeballs cancel the losing path earlier — for example, right after TCP or TLS handshake — when using NWProtocolWebSocket?
If not, could Apple consider adding an option (e.g. in NWProtocolWebSocket.Options) to control the cancellation threshold, such as:
after TCP handshake
after TLS handshake
after protocol handshake (current behavior)
That would align the implementation more closely with RFC 8305 and help prevent duplicate, non-idempotent upgrade requests.
Context
I’m aware of Quinn’s post Understanding Also-Ran Connections.
This report focuses specifically on the cancellation timing for NWProtocolWebSocket and the impact of duplicate upgrade requests.
Although RFC 6455 and RFC 9110 define WebSocket upgrades as safe and idempotent HTTP GETs, in practice they often establish authenticated or stateful sessions.
Thus, delaying cancellation until after the upgrade can create duplicate sessions — even though the behavior is technically RFC-compliant.
Happy to share a sysdiagnose and sample project via Feedback if helpful.
Thanks! 🙏
Example log output
With Network Link Conditioner (Edge):
log stream --info --predicate 'subsystem == "com.apple.network" && process == "WS happy eyeballs"'
2025-11-03 17:02:48.875258 [C3] create connection to wss://echo.websocket.org:443
2025-11-03 17:02:48.878949 [C3.1] starting child endpoint 2a09:8280:1::37:b5c3:443 # IPv6
2025-11-03 17:02:48.990206 [C3.1] starting child endpoint 66.241.124.119:443 # IPv4
2025-11-03 17:03:00.251928 [C3.1.1] Socket received CONNECTED event # IPv6 TCP up
2025-11-03 17:03:00.515837 [C3.1.2] Socket received CONNECTED event # IPv4 TCP up
2025-11-03 17:03:04.543651 [C3.1.1] Output protocol connected (WebSocket) # WS ready on IPv6
2025-11-03 17:03:04.544390 [C3.1.2] nw_endpoint_handler_cancel # cancel IPv4 path
2025-11-03 17:03:04.544913 [C3.1.2] TLS warning: close_notify # graceful close IPv4
I would like to understand the behaviour of Network framework when I have established a connection between 2 iOS devices which are connected through LAN and the same Wifi. Assumptions:
Enabled includePeerToPeer.
Devices are discovered and connected through Bonjour:
When the connection establishes for the first time, does it automatically decide which interface to pick? I see some posts which point to Happy Eyeball algorithm but that seem to point more towards ipv4 vs ipv6 rather than Wifi vs LAN vs P2P.
In the middle of a connection, if the established connection has issues, does the Network framework automatically switch to the best available interface?
If not, I would assume the app will have to handle the switching in betterPathUpdateHandler callback? I’m curious what needs to be done here. Do I just create a new connection and hope that it picks the actual better path?
The NWInterface.InterfaceType doesnt have a type for peer to peer wifi. Does that mean that when the interface actually switches to peer to peer, the InterfaceType will be other?
It would be great if there is a workflow or example of how this needs to be handled with multiple available Interfaces.
Configure the App ID in the Apple Developer Portal. In the Network Extensions section, the Packet Tunnel section is not displayed
How to proceed with the configuration of App ID. In the Network Extensions section: Display the Packet Tunnel section
Our account is a China region account