Prioritize user privacy and data security in your app. Discuss best practices for data handling, user consent, and security measures to protect user information.

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Creating machine identifier to be used by daemon based app
I am developing a daemon-based product that needs a cryptographic, non-spoofable proof of machine identity so a remote management server can grant permissions based on the physical machine. I was thinking to create a signing key in the Secure Enclave and use a certificate signed by that key as the machine identity. The problem is that the Secure Enclave key I can create is only accessible from user context, while my product runs as a system daemon and must not rely on user processes or launchAgents. Could you please advise on the recommended Apple-supported approaches for this use case ? Specifically, Is there a supported way for a system daemon to generate and use an unremovable Secure Enclave key during phases like the pre-logon, that doesn't have non user context (only the my application which created this key/certificate will have permission to use/delete it) If Secure Enclave access from a daemon is not supported, what Apple-recommended alternatives exist for providing a hardware-backed machine identity for system daemons? I'd rather avoid using system keychain, as its contents may be removed or used by root privileged users. The ideal solution would be that each Apple product, would come out with a non removable signing certificate, that represent the machine itself (lets say that the cetificate name use to represent the machine ID), and can be validated by verify that the root signer is "Apple Root CA"
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3w
CryptoKitError
Hi, I am using CryptoKit in my app. I am getting an error sometimes with some users. I log the description to Firebase but I am not sure what is it exactly about.  CryptoKit.CryptoKitError error 2  CryptoKit.CryptoKitError error 3 I receive both of these errors. I also save debug prints to a log file and let users share them with me. Logs are line-by-line encrypted but after getting these errors in the app also decryption of log files doesn't work and it throws these errors too. I couldn't reproduce the same error by myself, and I can't reach the user's logs so I am a little blind about what triggers this. It would be helpful to understand what these errors mean. Thanks
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1.5k
May ’25
Deffie Hellman exchange for ECDH
I am trying to generate public and private keys for an ECDH handshake. Back end is using p256 for public key. I am getting a failed request with status 0 public func makeHandShake(completion: @escaping (Bool, String?) -> ()) { guard let config = self.config else { completion(false,APP_CONFIG_ERROR) return } var rData = HandshakeRequestTwo() let sessionValue = AppUtils().generateSessionID() rData.session = sessionValue //generating my ECDH Key Pair let sPrivateKey = P256.KeyAgreement.PrivateKey() let sPublicKey = sPrivateKey.publicKey let privateKeyBase64 = sPrivateKey.rawRepresentation.base64EncodedString() print("My Private Key (Base64): \(privateKeyBase64)") let publicKeyBase64 = sPublicKey.rawRepresentation.base64EncodedString() print("My Public Key (Base64): \(publicKeyBase64)") rData.value = sPublicKey.rawRepresentation.base64EncodedString() let encoder = JSONEncoder() do { let jsonData = try encoder.encode(rData) if let jsonString = String(data: jsonData, encoding: .utf8) { print("Request Payload: \(jsonString)") } } catch { print("Error encoding request model to JSON: \(error)") completion(false, "Error encoding request model") return } self.rsaReqResponseHandler(config: config, endpoint: config.services.handShake.endpoint, model: rData) { resToDecode, error in print("Response received before guard : \(resToDecode ?? "No response")") guard let responseString = resToDecode else { print("response string is nil") completion(false,error) return } print("response received: \(responseString)") let decoder = JSONDecoder() do { let request = try decoder.decode(DefaultResponseTwo.self, from: Data(responseString.utf8)) let msg = request.message let status = request.status == 1 ? true : false completion(status,msg) guard let serverPublicKeyBase64 = request.data?.value else { print("Server response is missing the value") completion(false, config.messages.serviceError) return } print("Server Public Key (Base64): \(serverPublicKeyBase64)") if serverPublicKeyBase64.isEmpty { print("Server public key is an empty string.") completion(false, config.messages.serviceError) return } guard let serverPublicKeyData = Data(base64Encoded: serverPublicKeyBase64) else { print("Failed to decode server public key from Base64. Data is invalid.") completion(false, config.messages.serviceError) return } print("Decoded server public key data: \(serverPublicKeyData)") guard let serverPublicKey = try? P256.KeyAgreement.PublicKey(rawRepresentation: serverPublicKeyData) else { print("Decoded server public key data is invalid for P-256 format.") completion(false, config.messages.serviceError) return } // Derive Shared Secret and AES Key let sSharedSecret = try sPrivateKey.sharedSecretFromKeyAgreement(with: serverPublicKey) // Derive AES Key from Shared Secret let symmetricKey = sSharedSecret.hkdfDerivedSymmetricKey( using: SHA256.self, salt: "AES".data(using: .utf8) ?? Data(), sharedInfo: Data(), outputByteCount: 32 ) // Storing AES Key in Config let symmetricKeyBase64 = symmetricKey.withUnsafeBytes { Data($0) }.base64EncodedString() print("Derived Key: \(symmetricKeyBase64)") self.config?.cryptoConfig.key = symmetricKeyBase64 AppUtils.Log(from: self, with: "Handshake Successful, AES Key Established") } catch { AppUtils.Log(from: self, with: "Handshake Failed :: \(error)") completion(false, self.config?.messages.serviceError) } } } this is request struct model public struct HandshakeRequestTwo: Codable { public var session: String? public var value: String? public enum CodingKeys: CodingKey { case session case value } public init(session: String? = nil, value: String? = nil) { self.session = session self.value = value } } This is backend's response {"message":"Success","status":1,"data":{"senderId":"POSTBANK","value":"MFkwEwYHKoZIzj0CAQYIKoZIzj0DAQcDQgAErLxbfQzX+xnYVT1LLP5VOKtkMRVPRCoqYHcCRTM64EMEOaRU16yzsN+2PZMJc0HpdKNegJQZMmswZtg6U9JGVw=="}} This is my response struct model public struct DefaultResponseTwo: Codable { public var message: String? public var status: Int? public var data: HandshakeData? public init(message: String? = nil, status: Int? = nil, data: HandshakeData? = nil) { self.message = message self.status = status self.data = data } } public struct HandshakeData: Codable { public var senderId: String? public var value: String? public init(senderId: String? = nil, value: String? = nil) { self.senderId = senderId self.value = value } }
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618
Dec ’24
Mac Issue with Developer ID certificate and Sign in with Apple capability
Hello I have a problem with provisionprofile file. I have created Identifier with Sign in with Apple capability turned on, created Profile with Developer ID selected and now I try to export archive with generated Developer ID provision file but it says "Profile doesn't support Sign in with Apple" Also interesting thing that default provisions like macOS App Development Mac App Store Connect don't show such error when I try to export archive Maybe this problem is only related to Developer ID provision and Direct Distribution doesn't support Sign in with Apple, but I havent found proves about this idea
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464
Oct ’25
Mark the iOS app content not to be backed up when doing unencrypted backup in iTunes
Hi,is there an option to mark the file or folder or item stored in user defaults ... not to be backed up when doing unencrypted backup in iTunes?We are developing iOS app that contains sensitive data. But even if we enable Data Protection for the iOS app it can be backed up on mac unencrypted using iTunes. Is there a way to allow backing up content only if the backup is encrypted?
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1.8k
Oct ’25
Proper Approach to Programmatically Determine SIP State
Hello, I have encountered several challenges related to System Integrity Protection (SIP) state detection and code signing requirements. I would like to seek clarification and guidance on the proper approach to programmatically determine the SIP state. Here are the issues I’ve encountered: XPC Code Signing Check APIs: APIs like setCodeSigningRequirement and setConnectionCodeSigningRequirement do not work when SIP disabled and that's ok given what SIP is. LaunchCodeRequirement API: When using Process.launchRequirement, the LaunchCodeRequirement API does not function anymore when SIP disabled. The IsSIPProtected requirement behaves in a way that is not clearly documented -- it appears to only apply to pre-installed Apple apps. Legacy APIs: Older APIs like SecCodeCheckValidity are likely to be non-functional, though I haven’t had the chance to validate this yet. Private API Concerns: So to mitigate those limitations I prefer my app to not even try to connect to untrusted XPC or launch untrusted Processes when SIP is disabled. The only way to determine SIP state I could find is a low-level C function csr_get_active_config. However, this function is not declared in any publicly available header file, indicating that it is a private API. Since private APIs cannot be used in App Store-distributed apps and are best avoided for Developer ID-signed apps, this does not seem like a viable solution. Given these limitations, what is the recommended and proper approach to programmatically determine the SIP state in a macOS application? Any insights or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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144
May ’25
ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest
I have these two pods: Frameworks/GTMSessionFetcher.framework/GTMSessionFetcher Frameworks/GoogleToolboxForMac.framework/GoogleToolboxForMac they are showing this error: ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest I've tried manually making privacy files, I've tried updating the SDK's too. I cant update them because firebase depends on GTM Session at a lower version and if I update, MLKit depends on toolbox (even though its deprecating) If I upgrade then the whole project explodes. What do I do. I need help. this is all I get and it doesn't help: https://developer.apple.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements
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4.1k
Feb ’25
CryptoTokenKit
I am building a MAC app using crypto token. I have previously done this successfully for iPhone. In iPhone we found if something crashed on the token session while performing a sign (meaning the function wasn't able to return a value) the token or the keychain freezes and stopped returning keychain items at the query for keychain items it will return status 0. The only way to solve this was to reboot the iphone. In Mac something similar is happening, a crash at internet connection level made the extension get stuck and now event after restarting the mac it does not allow connection this query let query: [String:Any] = [kSecAttrAccessGroup as String: kSecAttrAccessGroupToken, kSecAttrKeyClass as String : kSecAttrKeyClassPrivate,kSecClass as String : kSecClassIdentity, kSecReturnAttributes as String : kCFBooleanTrue as Any, kSecReturnRef as String: kCFBooleanTrue as Any, kSecMatchLimit as String: kSecMatchLimitAll, kSecReturnPersistentRef as String: kCFBooleanTrue as Any] let status = SecItemCopyMatching(query as CFDictionary, &item) print("Status: (status.description)") This generates: Unable to connect to com.intereidas.dniMac.mac.TKExt:DniMac even after retries. Status: 0 Found items: 0 This does not get fixed after mac restart, how can we make the token extension work again?
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461
Dec ’24
Migration of "Sign with Apple" users
Hello, We’ve resumed the migration process after a break. Since my colleague is no longer with us, I had to go through the steps again myself. As before, we’re trying to migrate "Sign In with Apple" users from tenant TENANT_A with client_id=CLIENT_ID_A to tenant TENANT_B with client_id=CLIENT_ID_B I followed the procedure described here: [Apple Developer Documentation](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/technotes/tn3159-migrating-sign-in-with-apple-users-for-an-app-transfer – Migrating Sign In with Apple Users, essentially repeating what my coworker previously attempted in coordination with your employee Stephanie. Here’s a summary of the steps and the issue we’re facing: STEP 1 - get authcode for TEAM A curl --location 'https://appleid.apple.com/auth/token' --header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' --data-urlencode 'grant_type=client_credentials' --data-urlencode 'scope=user.migration' --data-urlencode 'client_id=pl.CLIEND_ID_A' --data-urlencode 'client_secret=<TEAM_A_SECRET>' I receive response: { "access_token": "<ACCESS_TOKEN_TEAM_A>", "token_type": "Bearer", "expires_in": 3600 } STEP 2 - get authcode for TEAB B curl --location 'https://appleid.apple.com/auth/token' --header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' --data-urlencode 'grant_type=client_credentials' --data-urlencode 'scope=user.migration' --data-urlencode 'client_id=CLIENT_ID_B' --data-urlencode 'client_secret=<TEAB_B_SECRET>' I receive response: { "access_token":"<ACCESS_TOKEN_TEAB_B>", "token_type": "Bearer", "expires_in": 3600 } STEP 3 - get transfer_sub from TEAM A curl --location 'https://appleid.apple.com/auth/usermigrationinfo' --header 'Authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN_TEAM_A>' --header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' --data-urlencode 'client_id=CLIENT_ID_A' --data-urlencode 'client_secret=<TEAM_A_SECRET>' --data-urlencode 'sub=USER_SUB_FROM_TEAM_A' --data-urlencode 'target=TENANT_B' I receive response: { "transfer_sub": "USER_SUB_FROM_TEAM_B" } STEP 4 - Team B exchanges transfer identifers curl --location 'https://appleid.apple.com/auth/usermigrationinfo' --header 'Authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN_TEAM_B' --header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' --data-urlencode 'client_id=CLIENT_ID_B' --data-urlencode 'client_secret=<TEAM_B_SECRET>' I receive response: { "error": "invalid_request" } We’ve created a new client_id under tenant B and want to migrate users there. However, we skipped the step described in Step 3 of the documentation(https://developer.apple.com/documentation/technotes/tn3159-migrating-sign-in-with-apple-users-for-an-app-transfer#3-Team-A-initiates-app-transfer-to-Team-B), which involves initiating an app transfer. The reason is that this client_id is used solely for web authentication, not for a mobile app, so we don’t have an app to transfer. Based on our analysis and your documentation, it seems this flow only works if the client_id matches across both tenants, which can only be achieved through an app transfer, something we cannot proceed with. Apple previously insisted that we migrate these users, but as shown above, we’re stuck. Is there any alternative flow available, or can you assist us in completing this migration?
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201
Sep ’25
Information on macOS tracking/updating of CRLs
With Let's Encrypt having completely dropped support for OCSP recently [1], I wanted to ask if macOS has a means of keeping up to date with their CRLs and if so, roughly how often this occurs? I first observed an issue where a revoked-certificate test site, "revoked.badssl.com" (cert signed by Let's Encrypt), was not getting blocked on any browser, when a revocation policy was set up using the SecPolicyCreateRevocation API, in tandem with the kSecRevocationUseAnyAvailableMethod and kSecRevocationPreferCRL flags. After further investigation, I noticed that even on a fresh install of macOS, Safari does not block this test website, while Chrome and Firefox (usually) do, due to its revoked certificate. Chrome and Firefox both have their own means of dealing with CRLs, while I assume Safari uses the system Keychain and APIs. I checked cert info for the site here [2]. It was issued on 2025-07-01 20:00 and revoked an hour later. [1] https://letsencrypt.org/2024/12/05/ending-ocsp/ [2] https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/analyze.html?d=revoked.badssl.com
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399
Sep ’25
Multiple views in SFAuthorizationPluginView
Hi there, I'm trying to use SFAuthorizationPluginView in order to show some fields in the login screen, have the user click the arrow, then continue to show more fields as a second step of authentication. How can I accomplish this? Register multiple SecurityAgentPlugins each with their own mechanism and nib? Some how get MacOS to call my SFAuthorizationPluginView::view() and return a new view? Manually remove text boxes and put in new ones when button is pressed I don't believe 1 works, for the second mechanism ended up calling the first mechanism's view's view() Cheers, -Ken
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111
May ’25
prepareInterfaceToProvideCredential .oneTimeCode case is not called
Since release of 18.4. prepareInterfaceToProvideCredential .oneTimeCode case is not called and instead prepareInterfaceForUserChoosingTextToInsert() is called. That is the wrong delegate for this case and it causes confusion for the users. Also, some TOTP fields are recognised however, the key icon button is not presented above the keyboard next to TOTP suggestions. I've also tested 18.5 and it has the same issue. provideOneTimeCodeWithoutUserInteraction works just fine.
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98
May ’25
Issue with "NSUserTrackingUsageDescription" Blocking App Update Submission
Hi everyone, I’m currently facing an issue while trying to submit an update for my app to the App Store. The review process is blocking the update due to a "Privacy - Data Use and Sharing" warning, stating that our app requests "tracking purchase history for tracking purposes." However, we have already removed this functionality and deleted the NSUserTrackingUsageDescription key from our latest build. Despite this, the warning persists, and we are unable to proceed with the update. I have already contacted Apple Support, but in the meantime, I wanted to ask the community: Has anyone else encountered this issue, and if so, how did you resolve it? Is there a way to force a refresh of privacy-related settings in App Store Connect? Are there any additional steps we need to take to completely remove this tracking flag from our app submission? Any insights or guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help.
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565
Feb ’25
Mobile apps and consent dialogue when logging in
We are using ASWebAuthenticationSession with apps on IoS to achieve SSO between apps. The IdP for authentication (OIDC) is an on-premise and trusted enterprise IdP based on one of the leading products in the market. Our problem is that the user is prompted for every login (and logouts) with a consent dialogue box: “AppName” wants to use “internal domain-name” to Sign In This allows the app and website to share information about you. Cancel Continue” I have read in various places that Apple has a concept of “Trusted domains” where you can put an “Apple certified” static web-page on the IdP. This page needs to contain specific metadata that iOS can verify. Once a user logs in successfully a few times, and if the IdP is verified as trusted, subsequent logins would not prompt the consent screen. Question: I struggle to find Apple documentation on how to go about a process that ends with this “Apple certified web-page” on our IdP”. Anyone who has experience with this process, or who can point me in some direction to find related documentation?
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493
May ’25
Passkey authentication problem in some areas in mainland China
Hi team, We are experiencing an issue where some users in China are unable to create passkeys due to authentication errors. This is the UI flows The method we use to prompt users is passkey creation. Technically, this is implemented using Apple’s AuthenticationServices framework. We create an instance of ASAuthorizationController and conform to ASAuthorizationControllerDelegate to handle the results of the authentication attempt. In failure cases, we receive ASAuthorizationError.failed (code 1004), along with some additional details describing the nature of the failure. However, we are currently unable to determine the exact root cause of this issue or how to resolve it. At this point, we can only make assumptions based on the limited error information provided. Our current hypothesis is that due to network restrictions, Apple may be unable to reach the .well-known endpoint where we host the associated domain file. Alternatively, even if the file is successfully loaded and cached to Apple’s CDN, the system in China may not be able to reach the CDN itself. We would greatly appreciate it if you could help us understand what might be causing this problem and guide us on how we can resolve it effectively. Thanks, Hung
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106
May ’25
Assistance in Implementing App Attestation
Hi, We're in the process of implementing Apple's App Integrity, but am getting stalled due to missing documents. Can anyone assist with this? We've been following https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicecheck/validating-apps-that-connect-to-your-server to make the necessary updates, but have come up short with where the document references decoding the Attestation Object. Can we get more information here and how the decoding process work?
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113
May ’25
Title: Intermittent Keychain Data Loss on App Relaunch in iOS Beta 2
Hi everyone, I'm experiencing an intermittent issue with Keychain data loss on the latest iOS Beta 2. In about 7% of cases, users report that previously saved Keychain items are missing when the app is relaunched — either after a cold start or simply after being killed and reopened. Here are the key observations: The issue occurs sporadically, mostly once per affected user, but in 3 cases it has happened 4 times. No explicit deletion is triggered from the app. No system logs or error messages from Apple indicate any Keychain-related actions. The app attempts to access Keychain items, but they are no longer available. This behavior is inconsistent with previous iOS versions and is not reproducible in development environments. This raises concerns about: Whether this is a bug in the beta or an intentional change in Keychain behavior. Whether this could affect production apps when the final iOS version is released. The lack of any warning or documentation from Apple regarding this behavior. Has anyone else encountered similar issues? Any insights, workarounds, or official clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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118
Sep ’25
com.apple.developer.web-browser.public-key-credential still leads to com.apple.AuthenticationServices.AuthorizationError Code=1004
Hi, we were recently approved for the com.apple.developer.web-browser.public-key-credential entitlement and have added it to our app. It initially worked as expected for a couple of days, but then it stopped working. We're now seeing the same error as before adding the entitlement: Told not to present authorization sheet: Error Domain=com.apple.AuthenticationServicesCore.AuthorizationError Code=1 "(null)" ASAuthorizationController credential request failed with error: Error Domain=com.apple.AuthenticationServices.AuthorizationError Code=1004 "(null)" Do you have any insights into what might be causing this issue? Thank you!
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168
May ’25
"My App" would like to access data from other apps pop up
Hi All, I have a finder sync extension that passes data back to my main app. It currently writes to a plist file in my group container folder. Since updating to macOS 15, I have been getting this pop-up every time I trigger this writing to the plist after the finder sync extension loads. This is how I write to the plist from my finder sync extension: let appGroupDefaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: "group.team_id.Finder-Sync-Extension-Test-Project") let items = FIFinderSyncController.default().selectedItemURLs() DispatchQueue.main.async { let url = items?.first?.absoluteString var file = items?.first?.lastPathComponent if let defaults = appGroupDefaults{ defaults.set(url, forKey: "targetURL") defaults.synchronize() } self.showWindow(with: NSExtensionContext()) } This is how I read the plist from my main app: if let defaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: "group.team_id.Finder-Sync-Extension-Test-Project") { defaults.synchronize() if let clickedUrl = defaults.string(forKey: "targetURL") { window = NSWindow(contentRect: NSScreen.main?.frame ?? .zero, styleMask: [.miniaturizable, .closable, .resizable, .titled], backing: .buffered, defer: false) window?.title = "My App" window?.makeKeyAndOrderFront(nil) textField.stringValue = clickedUrl window?.contentView?.addSubview(textField) } } It is fine if this popup happens once and the user's choice gets remembered. I just don't want it to happen every time. Any help on if this is the correct way to pass data between the finder sync extension and the main app or on how to get macOS to remember the choice of the user would be great. Thanks, James
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520
Jan ’25