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Explore the networking protocols and technologies used by the device to connect to Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices, and cellular data services.

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Is there any ways to Determine the Local Network Permission Status in iOS 18.x
Is There a Reliable Way to Check Local Network Permission Status in 2025? I've read many similar requests, but I'm posting this in 2025 to ask: Is there any official or reliable method to check the current Local Network permission status on iOS 18.x? We need this to guide or navigate users to the appropriate Settings page when permission is denied. Background Our app is an IoT companion app, and Local Network access is core to our product's functionality. Without this permission, our app cannot communicate with the IoT hardware. Sadly, Apple doesn't provide any official API to check the current status of this permission. This limitation has caused confusion for many users, and we frequently receive bug reports simply because users have accidentally denied the permission and the app can no longer function as expected. Our App High Level Flow: 1. Trigger Permission We attempt to trigger the Local Network permission using Bonjour discovery and browsing methods. (see the implementation) Since there's no direct API to request this permission, we understand that iOS will automatically prompt the user when the app makes its first actual attempt to communicate with a local network device. However, in our case, this creates a problem: The permission prompt appears only at the time of the first real connection attempt (e.g., when sending an HTTP request to the IoT device). This results in a poor user experience, as the request begins before the permission is granted. The first request fails silently in the background while the permission popup appears unexpectedly. We cannot wait for the user's response to proceed, which leads to unreliable behavior and confusing flows. To avoid this issue, we trigger the Local Network permission proactively using Bonjour-based discovery methods. This ensures that the system permission prompt appears before any critical communication with the IoT device occurs. We’ve tried alternative approaches like sending dummy requests, but they were not reliable or consistent across devices or iOS versions. (see the support ticket) 2. Wi-Fi Connection: Once permission is granted, we allow the user to connect to the IoT device’s local Wi-Fi. 3. IoT Device Configuration: After connecting, we send an HTTP request to a known static IP (e.g., 192.168.4.1) on the IoT network to configure the hardware. I assume this pattern is common among all Wi-Fi-based IoT devices and apps. Problem: Even though we present clear app-level instructions when the system prompt appears, some users accidentally deny the Local Network permission. In those cases, there’s no API to check if the permission was denied, so: We can’t display a helpful message. We can’t guide the user to Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network to re-enable it. The app fails silently or behaves unpredictably. Developer Needs: As app developers, we want to handle negative cases gracefully by: Detecting if the Local Network permission was denied Showing a relevant message or a prompt to go to Settings Preventing silent failures and improving UX So the question is: What is the current, official, or recommended way to determine whether Local Network permission is granted or denied in iOS 18.x (as of 2025)? This permission is critical for a huge category of apps especially IoT and local communication-based products. We hope Apple will offer a better developer experience around this soon. Thanks in advance to anyone who can share updated guidance.
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241
Jul ’25
iOS Network Signal Strength
This issue has cropped up many times here on DevForums. Someone recently opened a DTS tech support incident about it, and I used that as an opportunity to post a definitive response here. If you have questions or comments about this, start a new thread and tag it with Network so that I see it. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" iOS Network Signal Strength The iOS SDK has no general-purpose API that returns Wi-Fi or cellular signal strength in real time. Given that this has been the case for more than 10 years, it’s safe to assume that it’s not an accidental omission but a deliberate design choice. For information about the Wi-Fi APIs that are available on iOS, see TN3111 iOS Wi-Fi API overview. Network performance Most folks who ask about this are trying to use the signal strength to estimate network performance. This is a technique that I specifically recommend against. That’s because it produces both false positives and false negatives: The network signal might be weak and yet your app has excellent connectivity. For example, an iOS device on stage at WWDC might have terrible WWAN and Wi-Fi signal but that doesn’t matter because it’s connected to the Ethernet. The network signal might be strong and yet your app has very poor connectivity. For example, if you’re on a train, Wi-Fi signal might be strong in each carriage but the overall connection to the Internet is poor because it’s provided by a single over-stretched WWAN. The only good way to determine whether connectivity is good is to run a network request and see how it performs. If you’re issuing a lot of requests, use the performance of those requests to build a running estimate of how well the network is doing. Indeed, Apple practices what we preach here: This is exactly how HTTP Live Streaming works. Remember that network performance can change from moment to moment. The user’s train might enter or leave a tunnel, the user might step into a lift, and so on. If you build code to estimate the network performance, make sure it reacts to such changes. Keeping all of the above in mind, iOS 26 beta has two new APIs related to this issue: Network framework now offers a linkQuality property. See this post for my take on how to use this effectively. The WirelessInsights framework can notify you of anticipated WWAN condition changes. But what about this code I found on the ’net? Over the years various folks have used various unsupported techniques to get around this limitation. If you find code on the ’net that, say, uses KVC to read undocumented properties, or grovels through system logs, or walks the view hierarchy of the status bar, don’t use it. Such techniques are unsupported and, assuming they haven’t broken yet, are likely to break in the future. But what about Hotspot Helper? Hotspot Helper does have an API to read Wi-Fi signal strength, namely, the signalStrength property. However, this is not a general-purpose API. Like the rest of Hotspot Helper, this is tied to the specific use case for which it was designed. This value only updates in real time for networks that your hotspot helper is managing, as indicated by the isChosenHelper property. But what about MetricKit? MetricKit is so cool. Amongst other things, it supports the MXCellularConditionMetric payload, which holds a summary of the cellular conditions while your app was running. However, this is not a real-time signal strength value. But what if I’m working for a carrier? This post is about APIs in the iOS SDK. If you’re working for a carrier, discuss your requirements with your carrier’s contact at Apple. Revision History 2025-07-02 Updated to cover new features in the iOS 16 beta. Made other minor editorial changes. 2022-12-01 First posted.
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4.6k
Jul ’25
Get BSSID to check for Rogue access point
Hi, I'm developing a security-focused iOS application and would like to detect potentially suspicious rogue access points. Specifically, I need to access the BSSID of the currently connected Wi-Fi network to analyze and identify inconsistencies (e.g. multiple APs using the same SSID). I understand that access to certain network information is restricted on iOS. Is it possible to use the Network Extension framework (or any approved API) to retrieve the BSSID? If so, are there any specific entitlements or usage descriptions required to ensure App Store approval? My goal is to implement this functionality in full compliance with App Store Review Guidelines and user privacy policies.
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90
Jul ’25
Regarding Dual SIM Usage
I am developing a VoIP application that uses NetworkExtension (Local PUSH function) And VoIP(APNs) PUSH. Since iPhone X, iPhones have supported eSIM, allowing for the simultaneous use of a physical SIM and an eSIM. Consequently, users of our VoIP app have requested the ability to lock the network used by the VoIP app to either the eSIM or the physical SIM. Our VoIP app utilizes the network through the socket API. Is there an API in the iOS SDK to lock the network used via sockets to either the eSIM or the physical SIM? In other words, we would like to be able to retrieve the IP address assigned to the eSIM or the physical SIM in advance, and know which IP address is assigned to which SIM. Are there any such APIs available (that are not "Deprecated")
3
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291
Jul ’25
CoreBluetooth and BLE AdvertisementData
Hi, We're receiving data via centralManager.centralManager.scanForPeripherals, with no options or filtering (for now), and in the func centralManager(_ central: CBCentralManager, didDiscover peripheral: CBPeripheral, advertisementData: [String : Any], rssi RSSI: NSNumber) callback, we get advertisementData for each bluetooth device found. But, I know one of my BLE devices is sending an Eddystone TLM payload, which generally is received into the kCBAdvDataServiceData part of the advertisementData dictionary, but, it doesn't show up. What is happening however (when comparing to other devices that do show that payload), is I've noticed the "isConnectable" part is false, and others have it true. Technically we're not "connecting" as such as we're simply reading passive advertisement data, but does that have any bearing on how CoreBluetooth decides to build up it's AdvertisementData response? Example (with serviceData; and I know this has Eddystone TLM) ["kCBAdvDataLocalName": FSC-BP105N, "kCBAdvDataRxPrimaryPHY": 1, "kCBAdvDataServiceUUIDs": <__NSArrayM 0x300b71f80>( FEAA, FEF5 ) , "kCBAdvDataTimestamp": 773270526.26279, "kCBAdvDataServiceData": { FFF0 = {length = 11, bytes = 0x36021892dc0d3015aeb164}; FEAA = {length = 14, bytes = 0x20000be680000339ffa229bbce8a}; }, "kCBAdvDataRxSecondaryPHY": 0, "kCBAdvDataIsConnectable": 1] Vs This also has Eddystone TLM configured ["kCBAdvDataLocalName": 100FA9FD-7000-1000, "kCBAdvDataIsConnectable": 0, "kCBAdvDataRxPrimaryPHY": 1, "kCBAdvDataRxSecondaryPHY": 0, "kCBAdvDataTimestamp": 773270918.97273] Any insight would be great to understand if the presence of other flags drive the exposure of ServiceData or not...
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145
Jul ’25
WiFi 6 MIMO and spatial audio support for CarPlay
On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that it is recommended that the accessory uses a MIMO (2x2) hardware configuration, does this imply that WiFi 5 and SISO (1X1) will be phased out in the near future? When will WiFi 6 MIMO (2x2) become mandatory? On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that Spatial Audio is mandatory. However, for aftermarket in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system due to the number of speakers are less than 6, is it allowed not to support spatial audio for this type of aftermarket IVI system?
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93
Jul ’25
Unable to Obtain com.apple.managed.vpn.shared Entitlement
Hello, I am seeking guidance regarding the com.apple.managed.vpn.shared keychain access group entitlement for our iOS app, which is required to support managed VPN configurations distributed via MDM profiles. Background: Our app uses the Network Extension framework and requires access to VPN credentials stored in configuration profiles, which—according to Apple documentation and forum posts—necessitates the com.apple.managed.vpn.shared entitlement We have already enabled the standard Network Extension entitlements via the Apple Developer portal What I Have Tried: I referenced the advice from a past Apple DTS engineer in this forum post: https://aninterestingwebsite.com/forums/thread/67613 I have submitted multiple requests to Apple Developer Technical Support (DTS) over the past two months, clearly explaining our use case and referencing the official documentation as well as the above forum thread Unfortunately, I have either received no response or responses that do not address my request for the special entitlement Questions: Has anyone successfully received the com.apple.managed.vpn.shared entitlement recently? If so, what was the process and how long did it take? Is there a specific format or information I should include in my DTS request to expedite the process or avoid misunderstandings? Are there any alternative contacts or escalation paths within Apple Developer Support for cases where standard DTS requests are ignored or misunderstood? Thank you in advance for your help
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133
Jul ’25
WiFi 6 MIMO and spatial audio support
On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that it is recommended that the accessory uses a MIMO (2x2) hardware configuration, does this imply that WiFi 5 and SISO (1X1) will be phased out in the near future? When will WiFi 6 MIMO (2x2) become mandatory? On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that Spatial Audio is mandatory. However, for aftermarket in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system due to the number of speakers are less than 6, is it allowed not to support spatial audio for this type of aftermarket IVI system?
1
0
102
Jul ’25
I have an application that uses Network Extension, and it occasionally triggers a kernel panic, resulting in a complete system freeze.
{"bug_type":"210","timestamp":"2025-07-04 14:19:35.00 +0800","os_version":"macOS 15.5 (24F74)","roots_installed":0,"incident_id":"5457889A-1002-4389-BAE6-A447733EFD78"} { "build" : "macOS 15.5 (24F74)", "product" : "MacBookPro18,4", "socId" : "6001", "socRevision" : "11", "incident" : "5457889A-1002-4389-BAE6-A447733EFD78", "crashReporterKey" : "4ABE0CA2-C60B-8B0E-557A-C0BDEB1E9144", "kernel" : "Darwin Kernel Version 24.5.0: Tue Apr 22 19:54:49 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.121.62/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000", "date" : "2025-07-04 14:19:35.95 +0800", "panicString" : "panic(cpu 1 caller 0xfffffe00215f28e8): Kernel data abort. at pc 0xfffffe0021310d9c, lr 0x37a67e002116f050 (saved state: 0xfffffe60706d3240)\n\t x0: 0xfffffe2eaac676f8 x1: 0x0000000000000000 x2: 0xfffffe002116f050 x3: 0x0000000000000002\n\t x4: 0x0000000000002021 x5: 0xffffffffffffffff x6: 0x0000000000000000 x7: 0x0000006ddf79e068\n\t x8: 0xf9555cb919b50093 x9: 0x0000000000000000 x10: 0x0000000000000054 x11: 0x0000000000000000\n\t x12: 0xfffffe002477dfc8 x13: 0x0000000000000001 x14: 0x0000000000000052 x15: 0x0000000000000000\n\t x16: 0x0000020061052ad4 x17: 0x0000000000000001 x18: 0x0000000000000000 x19: 0xfffffe2eaa38d000\n\t x20: 0x0000000000000000 x21: 0xfffffe2eaac676f8 x22: 0x0000000000000020 x23: 0xfffffe2eab90f000\n\t x24: 0x000000001e22b50a x25: 0x0000000000000000 x26: 0x0000000000000000 x27: 0xfffffe2eab90efb4\n\t x28: 0x0000000000003500 fp: 0xfffffe60706d35b0 lr: 0x37a67e002116f050 sp: 0xfffffe60706d3590\n\t pc: 0xfffffe0021310d9c cpsr: 0x60401208 esr: 0xfffffe6096000006 far: 0x0000000000000068\n\nDebugger message: panic\nMemory ID: 0x6\nOS release type: User\nOS version: 24F74\nKernel version: Darwin Kernel Version 24.5.0: Tue Apr 22 19:54:49 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.121.62/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000\nFileset Kernelcache UUID: AF6531DB60D1EB2338126CF77682B8DE\nKernel UUID: CBC2F718-53E4-3C8D-BEC7-FB6DDC3318E1\nBoot session UUID: 5457889A-1002-4389-BAE6-A447733EFD78\niBoot version: iBoot-11881.121.1\niBoot Stage 2 version: iBoot-11881.121.1\nsecure boot?: YES\nroots installed: 0\nPaniclog version: 14\nKernelCache slide: 0x0000000018540000\nKernelCache base: 0xfffffe001f544000\nKernel slide: 0x0000000018548000\nKernel text base: 0xfffffe001f54c000\nKernel text exec slide: 0x0000000019ce0000\nKernel text exec base: 0xfffffe0020ce4000\nmach_absolute_time: 0x6ddf85c206\nEpoch Time: sec usec\n Boot : 0x686680ed 0x000c5ab2\n Sleep : 0x68676ff9 0x0005fdc0\n Wake : 0x68677007 0x000d2cfa\n Calendar: 0x68677252 0x00021537\n\nZone info:\n Zone map: 0xfffffe1016000000 - 0xfffffe3616000000\n . VM : 0xfffffe1016000000 - 0xfffffe15e2000000\n . RO : 0xfffffe15e2000000 - 0xfffffe187c000000\n . GEN0 : 0xfffffe187c000000 - 0xfffffe1e48000000\n . GEN1 : 0xfffffe1e48000000 - 0xfffffe2414000000\n . GEN2 : 0xfffffe2414000000 - 0xfffffe29e0000000\n . GEN3 : 0xfffffe29e0000000 - 0xfffffe2fac000000\n . DATA : 0xfffffe2fac000000 - 0xfffffe3616000000\n Metadata: 0xfffffe5e3a010000 - 0xfffffe5e43810000\n Bitmaps : 0xfffffe5e43810000 - 0xfffffe5e4f500000\n Extra : 0 - 0\n\nTPIDRx_ELy = {1: 0xfffffe28ded6aff0 0: 0x0000000000000001 0ro: 0x000000016fd330e0 }\nCORE 0 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 1 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 2 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 3 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 4 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 5 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 6 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 7 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 8 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 9 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 0: PC=0xfffffe0020f2d330, LR=0xfffffe0020f2d368, FP=0xfffffe60717cb460\nCORE 1 is the one that panicked. Check the full backtrace for details.\nCORE 2: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe607167bed0\nCORE 3: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe60725d3ed0\nCORE 4: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe6072bafed0\nCORE 5: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe6072197ed0\nCORE 6: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe60727abed0\nCORE 7: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe6071897ed0\nCORE 8: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe607149bed0\nCORE 9: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe607214bed0\nCompressor Info: 0% of compressed pages limit (OK) and 0% of segments limit (OK) with 0 swapfiles and OK swap space\nPanicked task 0xfffffe1d4729c7a0: 1925 pages, 14 threads: pid 36674: com.TE.TEDataCloak.ne\nPanicked thread: 0xfffffe28ded6aff0, backtrace: 0xfffffe60706d28f0, tid: 743602\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020d432b4 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2980\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea52f8 fp: 0xfffffe60706d29f0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea3554 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2ab0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020cebb98 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2ac0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020d42b98 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2e90\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe00215e7388 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2eb0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe00215f28e8 fp: 0xfffffe60706d30c0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea5154 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3160\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea36c8 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3220\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020cebb98 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3230\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002116f050 fp: 0xfffffe60706d35b0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002116f050 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3730\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002116de88 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3780\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0021180174 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3810\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002117ea94 fp: 0xfffffe60706d38d0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002117d69c fp: 0xfffffe60706d3a30\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0021281400 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3a80\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe00213146dc fp: 0xfffffe60706d3c10\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0021324ff8 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3d00\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0021325580 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3de0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe00213edc24 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3e50\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea35dc fp: 0xfffffe60706d3f10\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020cebb98 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3f20\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020cebb60 fp: 0x0000000000000000\n\nlast started kext at 3810289154: com.apple.filesystems.smbfs\t6.0 (addr 0xfffffe00200f68e0, size 111737)\nloaded kexts:\ncom.paragon-
2
0
391
Jul ’25
There are some issues with Wi-Fi Aware Building peer-to-peer app
The app is an official Apple app: https://aninterestingwebsite.com/documentation/wifiaware/building-peer-to-peer-apps. I have two phones, an iPhone 12 and an iPhone 13, both with Bluetooth turned on and connected to the same WiFi. The devices paired successfully the first time, but after I reset the Wi-Fi identifier in Settings - Privacy & Security - Paired Devices, the devices could no longer pair. Specifically, one device displays a PIN input pop-up, but the other device does not show the PIN. What could be the reason for this?
2
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226
Jul ’25
Passing URLAuthenticationChallenge with cert installed on device
Hello! I have a quirky situation that I am looking for a solution to. The iOS app I am working on needs to be able to communicate with systems that do not have valid root certs. Furthermore, these systems addresses will be sent to the user at run time. The use case is that administrators will provide a self signed certificate (.pem) for the iPhones to download which will then be used to pass the authentication challenge. I am fairly new to customizing trust and my understanding is that it is very easy to do it incorrectly and expose the app unintentionally. Here is our users expected workflow: An administrator creates a public ip server. The ip server is then configured with dns. A .pem file that includes a self signed certificate is created for the new dns domain. The pem file is distributed to iOS devices to download and enable trust for. When they run the app and attempt to establish connection with the server, it will not error with an SSL error. When I run the app without modification to the URLSessionDelegate method(s) I do get an SSL error. Curiously, attempting to hit the same address in Safari will not show the insecure warning and proceed without incident. What is the best way to parity the Safari use case for our app? Do I need to modify the urlSession(_ session: URLSession, didReceive challenge: URLAuthenticationChallenge, completionHandler: @escaping (URLSession.AuthChallengeDisposition, URLCredential?) -> Void) method to examine the NSURLAuthenticationMethodServerTrust? Maybe there is a way to have the delegate look through all the certs in keychain or something to find a match? What would you advise here? Sincerely thank you for taking the time to help me, ~Puzzled iOS Dev
3
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230
Jul ’25
Precedence for running mulitple content filters on iOS platform
Do we have clear document around multiple content filter applications running on single device.? While the documentation says 8 content filters and Only one filter available for system-wide use, there is no clear mention about below scenarios - Which content filter will get precedence? System-wide or App managed? Can there be mulitple Content filters configured for same managed application? Will all control provider running on the device get notified about network traffic ? I searched the forums to get a clear answer but seems older threads where nothing was conclusive. Thanks in advance for the help !!
3
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96
Jul ’25
NEPacketTunnelProvider `start/stopTunnel` synchronization
I was having a look through the documentation for NEPacketTunnelProvider, and wanted to know if it's possible for startTunnel(..) and stopTunnel(..) to run simultaneously, and thus require synchronization between resources they deal with? For example, if the VPN is toggled rapidly from system settings, could the setup that occurs in my startTunnel() definition (class instantiation and setTunnelNetworkSettings(value)) potentially occur after the tear-down logic (resource cleanup, setTunnelNetworkSettings(nil)), leaving the system in a state where the VPN is deactivated, but the configuration is in place?
1
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88
Jul ’25
Questions on Device Pairing with DeviceDiscoveryUI in Wi-Fi Aware
At WWDC 25, Dr. Swetank mentioned, “DeviceDiscoveryUI is for making connections between apps and from an app to another device. It supports pairing with both Apple and third-party devices.” I find the pairing process in DeviceDiscoveryUI via Wi-Fi Aware intriguing. I have two questions: Can we pair devices via Bluetooth first and then establish a Wi-Fi Aware connection? If I use DeviceDiscoveryUI, how should I write an Android program to correspond with it and achieve iPhone-Android pairing? The app is an official Apple app: https://aninterestingwebsite.com/documentation/wifiaware/building-peer-to-peer-apps.
1
0
259
Jul ’25
How many instances of the same NEFilterDataProvider can there be in a running NE?
[Q] How many instances of the same NEFilterDataProvider subclass can there be in a single running Network Extension at any given time? I would expect that there can be only 1 instance but I'm looking at a memgraph where 2 instances are listed. As it's the Network Extension framework that is responsible for creating, starting and stopping these instances, this is rather strange.
6
0
177
Jul ’25
Local Network permission appears to be ignored after reboot, even though it was granted
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?
1
0
66
Jul ’25
Local Network permission appears to be ignored after reboot, even though it was granted
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?
1
0
71
Jul ’25
Local Network permission appears to be ignored after reboot, even though it was granted
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
1
0
145
Jul ’25
Is there any ways to Determine the Local Network Permission Status in iOS 18.x
Is There a Reliable Way to Check Local Network Permission Status in 2025? I've read many similar requests, but I'm posting this in 2025 to ask: Is there any official or reliable method to check the current Local Network permission status on iOS 18.x? We need this to guide or navigate users to the appropriate Settings page when permission is denied. Background Our app is an IoT companion app, and Local Network access is core to our product's functionality. Without this permission, our app cannot communicate with the IoT hardware. Sadly, Apple doesn't provide any official API to check the current status of this permission. This limitation has caused confusion for many users, and we frequently receive bug reports simply because users have accidentally denied the permission and the app can no longer function as expected. Our App High Level Flow: 1. Trigger Permission We attempt to trigger the Local Network permission using Bonjour discovery and browsing methods. (see the implementation) Since there's no direct API to request this permission, we understand that iOS will automatically prompt the user when the app makes its first actual attempt to communicate with a local network device. However, in our case, this creates a problem: The permission prompt appears only at the time of the first real connection attempt (e.g., when sending an HTTP request to the IoT device). This results in a poor user experience, as the request begins before the permission is granted. The first request fails silently in the background while the permission popup appears unexpectedly. We cannot wait for the user's response to proceed, which leads to unreliable behavior and confusing flows. To avoid this issue, we trigger the Local Network permission proactively using Bonjour-based discovery methods. This ensures that the system permission prompt appears before any critical communication with the IoT device occurs. We’ve tried alternative approaches like sending dummy requests, but they were not reliable or consistent across devices or iOS versions. (see the support ticket) 2. Wi-Fi Connection: Once permission is granted, we allow the user to connect to the IoT device’s local Wi-Fi. 3. IoT Device Configuration: After connecting, we send an HTTP request to a known static IP (e.g., 192.168.4.1) on the IoT network to configure the hardware. I assume this pattern is common among all Wi-Fi-based IoT devices and apps. Problem: Even though we present clear app-level instructions when the system prompt appears, some users accidentally deny the Local Network permission. In those cases, there’s no API to check if the permission was denied, so: We can’t display a helpful message. We can’t guide the user to Settings → Privacy &amp; Security → Local Network to re-enable it. The app fails silently or behaves unpredictably. Developer Needs: As app developers, we want to handle negative cases gracefully by: Detecting if the Local Network permission was denied Showing a relevant message or a prompt to go to Settings Preventing silent failures and improving UX So the question is: What is the current, official, or recommended way to determine whether Local Network permission is granted or denied in iOS 18.x (as of 2025)? This permission is critical for a huge category of apps especially IoT and local communication-based products. We hope Apple will offer a better developer experience around this soon. Thanks in advance to anyone who can share updated guidance.
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241
Activity
Jul ’25
iOS Network Signal Strength
This issue has cropped up many times here on DevForums. Someone recently opened a DTS tech support incident about it, and I used that as an opportunity to post a definitive response here. If you have questions or comments about this, start a new thread and tag it with Network so that I see it. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" iOS Network Signal Strength The iOS SDK has no general-purpose API that returns Wi-Fi or cellular signal strength in real time. Given that this has been the case for more than 10 years, it’s safe to assume that it’s not an accidental omission but a deliberate design choice. For information about the Wi-Fi APIs that are available on iOS, see TN3111 iOS Wi-Fi API overview. Network performance Most folks who ask about this are trying to use the signal strength to estimate network performance. This is a technique that I specifically recommend against. That’s because it produces both false positives and false negatives: The network signal might be weak and yet your app has excellent connectivity. For example, an iOS device on stage at WWDC might have terrible WWAN and Wi-Fi signal but that doesn’t matter because it’s connected to the Ethernet. The network signal might be strong and yet your app has very poor connectivity. For example, if you’re on a train, Wi-Fi signal might be strong in each carriage but the overall connection to the Internet is poor because it’s provided by a single over-stretched WWAN. The only good way to determine whether connectivity is good is to run a network request and see how it performs. If you’re issuing a lot of requests, use the performance of those requests to build a running estimate of how well the network is doing. Indeed, Apple practices what we preach here: This is exactly how HTTP Live Streaming works. Remember that network performance can change from moment to moment. The user’s train might enter or leave a tunnel, the user might step into a lift, and so on. If you build code to estimate the network performance, make sure it reacts to such changes. Keeping all of the above in mind, iOS 26 beta has two new APIs related to this issue: Network framework now offers a linkQuality property. See this post for my take on how to use this effectively. The WirelessInsights framework can notify you of anticipated WWAN condition changes. But what about this code I found on the ’net? Over the years various folks have used various unsupported techniques to get around this limitation. If you find code on the ’net that, say, uses KVC to read undocumented properties, or grovels through system logs, or walks the view hierarchy of the status bar, don’t use it. Such techniques are unsupported and, assuming they haven’t broken yet, are likely to break in the future. But what about Hotspot Helper? Hotspot Helper does have an API to read Wi-Fi signal strength, namely, the signalStrength property. However, this is not a general-purpose API. Like the rest of Hotspot Helper, this is tied to the specific use case for which it was designed. This value only updates in real time for networks that your hotspot helper is managing, as indicated by the isChosenHelper property. But what about MetricKit? MetricKit is so cool. Amongst other things, it supports the MXCellularConditionMetric payload, which holds a summary of the cellular conditions while your app was running. However, this is not a real-time signal strength value. But what if I’m working for a carrier? This post is about APIs in the iOS SDK. If you’re working for a carrier, discuss your requirements with your carrier’s contact at Apple. Revision History 2025-07-02 Updated to cover new features in the iOS 16 beta. Made other minor editorial changes. 2022-12-01 First posted.
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Activity
Jul ’25
Get BSSID to check for Rogue access point
Hi, I'm developing a security-focused iOS application and would like to detect potentially suspicious rogue access points. Specifically, I need to access the BSSID of the currently connected Wi-Fi network to analyze and identify inconsistencies (e.g. multiple APs using the same SSID). I understand that access to certain network information is restricted on iOS. Is it possible to use the Network Extension framework (or any approved API) to retrieve the BSSID? If so, are there any specific entitlements or usage descriptions required to ensure App Store approval? My goal is to implement this functionality in full compliance with App Store Review Guidelines and user privacy policies.
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90
Activity
Jul ’25
Is pairing required for establishing a WiFi Aware connection between Android devices and Apple devices?
Apple's Wi-Fi Aware demo shows that pairing is required before establishing a connection. Is this pairing mandatory? Can Android devices pair with Apple devices? My Android device strictly supports Wi-Fi Aware 4.0 and I want to achieve interoperability with Apple devices.
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197
Activity
Jul ’25
Regarding Dual SIM Usage
I am developing a VoIP application that uses NetworkExtension (Local PUSH function) And VoIP(APNs) PUSH. Since iPhone X, iPhones have supported eSIM, allowing for the simultaneous use of a physical SIM and an eSIM. Consequently, users of our VoIP app have requested the ability to lock the network used by the VoIP app to either the eSIM or the physical SIM. Our VoIP app utilizes the network through the socket API. Is there an API in the iOS SDK to lock the network used via sockets to either the eSIM or the physical SIM? In other words, we would like to be able to retrieve the IP address assigned to the eSIM or the physical SIM in advance, and know which IP address is assigned to which SIM. Are there any such APIs available (that are not "Deprecated")
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3
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291
Activity
Jul ’25
CoreBluetooth and BLE AdvertisementData
Hi, We're receiving data via centralManager.centralManager.scanForPeripherals, with no options or filtering (for now), and in the func centralManager(_ central: CBCentralManager, didDiscover peripheral: CBPeripheral, advertisementData: [String : Any], rssi RSSI: NSNumber) callback, we get advertisementData for each bluetooth device found. But, I know one of my BLE devices is sending an Eddystone TLM payload, which generally is received into the kCBAdvDataServiceData part of the advertisementData dictionary, but, it doesn't show up. What is happening however (when comparing to other devices that do show that payload), is I've noticed the "isConnectable" part is false, and others have it true. Technically we're not "connecting" as such as we're simply reading passive advertisement data, but does that have any bearing on how CoreBluetooth decides to build up it's AdvertisementData response? Example (with serviceData; and I know this has Eddystone TLM) ["kCBAdvDataLocalName": FSC-BP105N, "kCBAdvDataRxPrimaryPHY": 1, "kCBAdvDataServiceUUIDs": <__NSArrayM 0x300b71f80>( FEAA, FEF5 ) , "kCBAdvDataTimestamp": 773270526.26279, "kCBAdvDataServiceData": { FFF0 = {length = 11, bytes = 0x36021892dc0d3015aeb164}; FEAA = {length = 14, bytes = 0x20000be680000339ffa229bbce8a}; }, "kCBAdvDataRxSecondaryPHY": 0, "kCBAdvDataIsConnectable": 1] Vs This also has Eddystone TLM configured ["kCBAdvDataLocalName": 100FA9FD-7000-1000, "kCBAdvDataIsConnectable": 0, "kCBAdvDataRxPrimaryPHY": 1, "kCBAdvDataRxSecondaryPHY": 0, "kCBAdvDataTimestamp": 773270918.97273] Any insight would be great to understand if the presence of other flags drive the exposure of ServiceData or not...
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145
Activity
Jul ’25
WiFi 6 MIMO and spatial audio support for CarPlay
On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that it is recommended that the accessory uses a MIMO (2x2) hardware configuration, does this imply that WiFi 5 and SISO (1X1) will be phased out in the near future? When will WiFi 6 MIMO (2x2) become mandatory? On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that Spatial Audio is mandatory. However, for aftermarket in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system due to the number of speakers are less than 6, is it allowed not to support spatial audio for this type of aftermarket IVI system?
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93
Activity
Jul ’25
Unable to Obtain com.apple.managed.vpn.shared Entitlement
Hello, I am seeking guidance regarding the com.apple.managed.vpn.shared keychain access group entitlement for our iOS app, which is required to support managed VPN configurations distributed via MDM profiles. Background: Our app uses the Network Extension framework and requires access to VPN credentials stored in configuration profiles, which—according to Apple documentation and forum posts—necessitates the com.apple.managed.vpn.shared entitlement We have already enabled the standard Network Extension entitlements via the Apple Developer portal What I Have Tried: I referenced the advice from a past Apple DTS engineer in this forum post: https://aninterestingwebsite.com/forums/thread/67613 I have submitted multiple requests to Apple Developer Technical Support (DTS) over the past two months, clearly explaining our use case and referencing the official documentation as well as the above forum thread Unfortunately, I have either received no response or responses that do not address my request for the special entitlement Questions: Has anyone successfully received the com.apple.managed.vpn.shared entitlement recently? If so, what was the process and how long did it take? Is there a specific format or information I should include in my DTS request to expedite the process or avoid misunderstandings? Are there any alternative contacts or escalation paths within Apple Developer Support for cases where standard DTS requests are ignored or misunderstood? Thank you in advance for your help
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133
Activity
Jul ’25
WiFi 6 MIMO and spatial audio support
On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that it is recommended that the accessory uses a MIMO (2x2) hardware configuration, does this imply that WiFi 5 and SISO (1X1) will be phased out in the near future? When will WiFi 6 MIMO (2x2) become mandatory? On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that Spatial Audio is mandatory. However, for aftermarket in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system due to the number of speakers are less than 6, is it allowed not to support spatial audio for this type of aftermarket IVI system?
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102
Activity
Jul ’25
I have an application that uses Network Extension, and it occasionally triggers a kernel panic, resulting in a complete system freeze.
{"bug_type":"210","timestamp":"2025-07-04 14:19:35.00 +0800","os_version":"macOS 15.5 (24F74)","roots_installed":0,"incident_id":"5457889A-1002-4389-BAE6-A447733EFD78"} { "build" : "macOS 15.5 (24F74)", "product" : "MacBookPro18,4", "socId" : "6001", "socRevision" : "11", "incident" : "5457889A-1002-4389-BAE6-A447733EFD78", "crashReporterKey" : "4ABE0CA2-C60B-8B0E-557A-C0BDEB1E9144", "kernel" : "Darwin Kernel Version 24.5.0: Tue Apr 22 19:54:49 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.121.62/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000", "date" : "2025-07-04 14:19:35.95 +0800", "panicString" : "panic(cpu 1 caller 0xfffffe00215f28e8): Kernel data abort. at pc 0xfffffe0021310d9c, lr 0x37a67e002116f050 (saved state: 0xfffffe60706d3240)\n\t x0: 0xfffffe2eaac676f8 x1: 0x0000000000000000 x2: 0xfffffe002116f050 x3: 0x0000000000000002\n\t x4: 0x0000000000002021 x5: 0xffffffffffffffff x6: 0x0000000000000000 x7: 0x0000006ddf79e068\n\t x8: 0xf9555cb919b50093 x9: 0x0000000000000000 x10: 0x0000000000000054 x11: 0x0000000000000000\n\t x12: 0xfffffe002477dfc8 x13: 0x0000000000000001 x14: 0x0000000000000052 x15: 0x0000000000000000\n\t x16: 0x0000020061052ad4 x17: 0x0000000000000001 x18: 0x0000000000000000 x19: 0xfffffe2eaa38d000\n\t x20: 0x0000000000000000 x21: 0xfffffe2eaac676f8 x22: 0x0000000000000020 x23: 0xfffffe2eab90f000\n\t x24: 0x000000001e22b50a x25: 0x0000000000000000 x26: 0x0000000000000000 x27: 0xfffffe2eab90efb4\n\t x28: 0x0000000000003500 fp: 0xfffffe60706d35b0 lr: 0x37a67e002116f050 sp: 0xfffffe60706d3590\n\t pc: 0xfffffe0021310d9c cpsr: 0x60401208 esr: 0xfffffe6096000006 far: 0x0000000000000068\n\nDebugger message: panic\nMemory ID: 0x6\nOS release type: User\nOS version: 24F74\nKernel version: Darwin Kernel Version 24.5.0: Tue Apr 22 19:54:49 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.121.62/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000\nFileset Kernelcache UUID: AF6531DB60D1EB2338126CF77682B8DE\nKernel UUID: CBC2F718-53E4-3C8D-BEC7-FB6DDC3318E1\nBoot session UUID: 5457889A-1002-4389-BAE6-A447733EFD78\niBoot version: iBoot-11881.121.1\niBoot Stage 2 version: iBoot-11881.121.1\nsecure boot?: YES\nroots installed: 0\nPaniclog version: 14\nKernelCache slide: 0x0000000018540000\nKernelCache base: 0xfffffe001f544000\nKernel slide: 0x0000000018548000\nKernel text base: 0xfffffe001f54c000\nKernel text exec slide: 0x0000000019ce0000\nKernel text exec base: 0xfffffe0020ce4000\nmach_absolute_time: 0x6ddf85c206\nEpoch Time: sec usec\n Boot : 0x686680ed 0x000c5ab2\n Sleep : 0x68676ff9 0x0005fdc0\n Wake : 0x68677007 0x000d2cfa\n Calendar: 0x68677252 0x00021537\n\nZone info:\n Zone map: 0xfffffe1016000000 - 0xfffffe3616000000\n . VM : 0xfffffe1016000000 - 0xfffffe15e2000000\n . RO : 0xfffffe15e2000000 - 0xfffffe187c000000\n . GEN0 : 0xfffffe187c000000 - 0xfffffe1e48000000\n . GEN1 : 0xfffffe1e48000000 - 0xfffffe2414000000\n . GEN2 : 0xfffffe2414000000 - 0xfffffe29e0000000\n . GEN3 : 0xfffffe29e0000000 - 0xfffffe2fac000000\n . DATA : 0xfffffe2fac000000 - 0xfffffe3616000000\n Metadata: 0xfffffe5e3a010000 - 0xfffffe5e43810000\n Bitmaps : 0xfffffe5e43810000 - 0xfffffe5e4f500000\n Extra : 0 - 0\n\nTPIDRx_ELy = {1: 0xfffffe28ded6aff0 0: 0x0000000000000001 0ro: 0x000000016fd330e0 }\nCORE 0 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 1 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 2 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 3 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 4 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 5 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 6 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 7 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 8 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 9 PVH locks held: None\nCORE 0: PC=0xfffffe0020f2d330, LR=0xfffffe0020f2d368, FP=0xfffffe60717cb460\nCORE 1 is the one that panicked. Check the full backtrace for details.\nCORE 2: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe607167bed0\nCORE 3: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe60725d3ed0\nCORE 4: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe6072bafed0\nCORE 5: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe6072197ed0\nCORE 6: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe60727abed0\nCORE 7: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe6071897ed0\nCORE 8: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe607149bed0\nCORE 9: PC=0xfffffe0020d81094, LR=0xfffffe0020d81094, FP=0xfffffe607214bed0\nCompressor Info: 0% of compressed pages limit (OK) and 0% of segments limit (OK) with 0 swapfiles and OK swap space\nPanicked task 0xfffffe1d4729c7a0: 1925 pages, 14 threads: pid 36674: com.TE.TEDataCloak.ne\nPanicked thread: 0xfffffe28ded6aff0, backtrace: 0xfffffe60706d28f0, tid: 743602\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020d432b4 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2980\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea52f8 fp: 0xfffffe60706d29f0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea3554 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2ab0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020cebb98 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2ac0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020d42b98 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2e90\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe00215e7388 fp: 0xfffffe60706d2eb0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe00215f28e8 fp: 0xfffffe60706d30c0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea5154 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3160\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea36c8 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3220\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020cebb98 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3230\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002116f050 fp: 0xfffffe60706d35b0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002116f050 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3730\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002116de88 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3780\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0021180174 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3810\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002117ea94 fp: 0xfffffe60706d38d0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe002117d69c fp: 0xfffffe60706d3a30\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0021281400 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3a80\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe00213146dc fp: 0xfffffe60706d3c10\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0021324ff8 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3d00\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0021325580 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3de0\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe00213edc24 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3e50\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020ea35dc fp: 0xfffffe60706d3f10\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020cebb98 fp: 0xfffffe60706d3f20\n\t\t lr: 0xfffffe0020cebb60 fp: 0x0000000000000000\n\nlast started kext at 3810289154: com.apple.filesystems.smbfs\t6.0 (addr 0xfffffe00200f68e0, size 111737)\nloaded kexts:\ncom.paragon-
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391
Activity
Jul ’25
There are some issues with Wi-Fi Aware Building peer-to-peer app
The app is an official Apple app: https://aninterestingwebsite.com/documentation/wifiaware/building-peer-to-peer-apps. I have two phones, an iPhone 12 and an iPhone 13, both with Bluetooth turned on and connected to the same WiFi. The devices paired successfully the first time, but after I reset the Wi-Fi identifier in Settings - Privacy & Security - Paired Devices, the devices could no longer pair. Specifically, one device displays a PIN input pop-up, but the other device does not show the PIN. What could be the reason for this?
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2
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226
Activity
Jul ’25
Content Filter on iOS just for inspection/monitoring
Hello, I am planning to build content filter application for iOS platform and based on the documentation I have read, it's not clear if I can just inspect/monitor network traffic and not filter or block URLs in the NEFilterDataProvider. Is this a valid use case ? With this approach, will the App get rejected during the App review.?
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2
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160
Activity
Jul ’25
Passing URLAuthenticationChallenge with cert installed on device
Hello! I have a quirky situation that I am looking for a solution to. The iOS app I am working on needs to be able to communicate with systems that do not have valid root certs. Furthermore, these systems addresses will be sent to the user at run time. The use case is that administrators will provide a self signed certificate (.pem) for the iPhones to download which will then be used to pass the authentication challenge. I am fairly new to customizing trust and my understanding is that it is very easy to do it incorrectly and expose the app unintentionally. Here is our users expected workflow: An administrator creates a public ip server. The ip server is then configured with dns. A .pem file that includes a self signed certificate is created for the new dns domain. The pem file is distributed to iOS devices to download and enable trust for. When they run the app and attempt to establish connection with the server, it will not error with an SSL error. When I run the app without modification to the URLSessionDelegate method(s) I do get an SSL error. Curiously, attempting to hit the same address in Safari will not show the insecure warning and proceed without incident. What is the best way to parity the Safari use case for our app? Do I need to modify the urlSession(_ session: URLSession, didReceive challenge: URLAuthenticationChallenge, completionHandler: @escaping (URLSession.AuthChallengeDisposition, URLCredential?) -> Void) method to examine the NSURLAuthenticationMethodServerTrust? Maybe there is a way to have the delegate look through all the certs in keychain or something to find a match? What would you advise here? Sincerely thank you for taking the time to help me, ~Puzzled iOS Dev
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3
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230
Activity
Jul ’25
Precedence for running mulitple content filters on iOS platform
Do we have clear document around multiple content filter applications running on single device.? While the documentation says 8 content filters and Only one filter available for system-wide use, there is no clear mention about below scenarios - Which content filter will get precedence? System-wide or App managed? Can there be mulitple Content filters configured for same managed application? Will all control provider running on the device get notified about network traffic ? I searched the forums to get a clear answer but seems older threads where nothing was conclusive. Thanks in advance for the help !!
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96
Activity
Jul ’25
NEPacketTunnelProvider `start/stopTunnel` synchronization
I was having a look through the documentation for NEPacketTunnelProvider, and wanted to know if it's possible for startTunnel(..) and stopTunnel(..) to run simultaneously, and thus require synchronization between resources they deal with? For example, if the VPN is toggled rapidly from system settings, could the setup that occurs in my startTunnel() definition (class instantiation and setTunnelNetworkSettings(value)) potentially occur after the tear-down logic (resource cleanup, setTunnelNetworkSettings(nil)), leaving the system in a state where the VPN is deactivated, but the configuration is in place?
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88
Activity
Jul ’25
Questions on Device Pairing with DeviceDiscoveryUI in Wi-Fi Aware
At WWDC 25, Dr. Swetank mentioned, “DeviceDiscoveryUI is for making connections between apps and from an app to another device. It supports pairing with both Apple and third-party devices.” I find the pairing process in DeviceDiscoveryUI via Wi-Fi Aware intriguing. I have two questions: Can we pair devices via Bluetooth first and then establish a Wi-Fi Aware connection? If I use DeviceDiscoveryUI, how should I write an Android program to correspond with it and achieve iPhone-Android pairing? The app is an official Apple app: https://aninterestingwebsite.com/documentation/wifiaware/building-peer-to-peer-apps.
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259
Activity
Jul ’25
How many instances of the same NEFilterDataProvider can there be in a running NE?
[Q] How many instances of the same NEFilterDataProvider subclass can there be in a single running Network Extension at any given time? I would expect that there can be only 1 instance but I'm looking at a memgraph where 2 instances are listed. As it's the Network Extension framework that is responsible for creating, starting and stopping these instances, this is rather strange.
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6
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177
Activity
Jul ’25
Local Network permission appears to be ignored after reboot, even though it was granted
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?
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66
Activity
Jul ’25
Local Network permission appears to be ignored after reboot, even though it was granted
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?
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71
Activity
Jul ’25
Local Network permission appears to be ignored after reboot, even though it was granted
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
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Jul ’25