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PHAssetCreationRequest merges new Burst Photos into "Recently Deleted" instead of Library
Description I am observing a critical issue when saving burst photos using the Photos Framework. If a burst photo with the same burstIdentifier already exists in the "Recently Deleted" album, any new assets saved via PHAssetCreationRequest are automatically merged into that deleted entry instead of appearing in the main Library or "All Photos." Environment Framework: Photos Framework (iOS) API: [[PHPhotoLibrary sharedPhotoLibrary] performChanges:...] Code Snippet The following logic is used to save the burst assets: [[PHPhotoLibrary sharedPhotoLibrary] performChanges:^{ // 'paths' is a custom object providing the creation request PHAssetCreationRequest *assetCreationRqst = [paths assetCreationRqst]; assetCreationRqst.favorite = [FavorManager.shared isSetDownloadedAssetFavorite:self.curItem]; PHObjectPlaceholder *placeHolder = assetCreationRqst.placeholderForCreatedAsset; localIdentifier = placeHolder.localIdentifier; } completionHandler:^(BOOL success, NSError * _Nullable error) { if (success) { // The handler returns success, but the asset is invisible to the user [weakSelf handleDownloadSuccess:localIdentifier]; } // ... cleanup and completion ... }]; Steps to Reproduce Save a burst photo to the iPhone's built-in Photos app. Manually delete that burst photo so it moves to the "Recently Deleted" album. Execute the code above to save the same burst photo (or a new set containing the same burstIdentifier in its metadata). Check the main Photo Library / "All Photos" view. Observed Result The completionHandler returns success = YES, and a localIdentifier is generated. The photo does not appear in the main Library or "All Photos." The newly saved photo is silently merged into the existing burst set located inside the "Recently Deleted" folder. The user cannot see the new photo unless they manually "Restore" the deleted items from the album. Expected Behavior PHAssetCreationRequest should always result in a visible asset in the user's Library. Even if a matching burstIdentifier exists in "Recently Deleted," the system should treat the new request as a new independent asset or provide an error, rather than hiding it within a deleted collection.
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Xcode 26 failed in the real-device debugging process
Development environment: MacBook pro Apple M1 macOS Tahoe 26.2 (25C56) Xcode 26.x iPhone 6 Plus / iOS 12.4.4 Exception description: After I upgraded to Xcode 26, my iPhone 6 Plus had a system version of 12.4.4. I was unable to perform real-device debugging, whether for existing projects or new ones. The error message from Xcode was as follows: Could not launch “xxx” Domain: IDEDebugSessionErrorDomain Code: 3 Failure Reason: Cannot launch '/private/var/containers/Bundle/Application/A44062C1-32F5-4346-B13C-FC3F39EAF7A1/xxx.app': Unspecified Even though I have already added device support for the iOS 12.4 Has Xcode 26 stopped supporting the debugging of any devices running iOS 12 system?
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Structured Concurrency with Network Framework Sample
I am trying to migrate an app to use Network framework for p2p connection. I came across this great article for migrating to Network framework however this doesnt use the new structured concurrency. This being introduced with iOS 26, there doesnt seem to be any sample code available on how to use the new classes. I am particularly interested in code samples showing how to add TLS with PSK encryption support and handling of switching between Wifi and peer to peer interface with the new structured concurrency supported classes. Are there any good resources I can refer on this other than the WWDC video?
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Removed from App Store Immediately after Distribution
I submitted a software update for one iOS app several days ago. It was approved two days ago. I received a message about distribution that said The status of your app has changed to Ready for Distribution I happened at the iTunes Connect website at that very moment in order to submit a totally new iOS app to the App Store. Its status said 'Removed from App Store.' I thought it was a rare mistake. Unfortunately, it's not. The one that I was submitting was approved some 15 minutes ago. I received the 'Ready for Distribution' message by email. Yet, it's been removed from the store as you see in the screenshot below. As you see in the 2nd screenshot below, it says that it's Ready for Distribution. But it's not? So is this a new norm? And we have to go back the iTunes Connect website to change the app status every time we submit a software title and then get it approved?
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NFCPresentmentIntentAssertion validity behavior
Hello, I would like to discuss the behavior of the expiration of NFCPresentmentIntentAssertion (test in iOS 18.5). In the documentation we have : The intent assertion expires if any of the following occur: The intent assertion object deinitializes Your app goes into the background 15 seconds elapse BUT; in fact ; only the 1st rule is applied. The expiration seems to be random after the usage of CardSession and that's difficult to give to the user a good experience. Has someone faced the same kind of issue; or can give an explanation? Regards, François
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Validation error with Network Extension due to square brackets in Product Name
Hello, I am facing a validation error when uploading a macOS app with a Network Extension. The Error: Invalid system extension. The system extension at “[T] TEXT.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/company_name.network-extension.systemextension” resides in an unexpected location. The Problem: Validation fails only when the app's Product Name contains square brackets: [T] TEXT. If I remove the brackets from the Product Name, validation passes. What I've tried: Setting Product Name to TEXT (without brackets) and CFBundleDisplayName to [T] TEXT. Cleaning Derived Data and rebuilding the archive. Verified that the extension is physically located at Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/. It seems the Apple validation tool fails to parse the bundle path correctly when it contains characters like [ or ]. Question: How can I keep the app name with brackets for the user (in System Settings and Menu Bar) while ensuring the Network Extension passes validation? Is there a way to escape these characters or a specific Info.plist configuration to satisfy the validator?"
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Push notifications not delivered over Wi-Fi with includeAllNetworks = true regardless of excludeAPNS setting
We have a VPN app that uses NEPacketTunnelProvider with includeAllNetworks = true. We've encountered an issue where push notifications are not delivered over Wi-Fi while the tunnel is active in a pre-MFA quarantine state (tunnel is up but traffic is blocked on server side), regardless of whether excludeAPNS is set to true or false. Observed behavior Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = true - Notifications not delivered Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = true - Notifications delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered On cellular, the behavior matches our expectations: setting excludeAPNS = true allows APNS traffic to bypass the tunnel and notifications arrive; setting it to false routes APNS through the tunnel and notifications are blocked (as expected for a non-forwarding tunnel). On Wi-Fi, notifications fail to deliver in both cases. Our question Is this expected behavior when includeAllNetworks is enabled on Wi-Fi, or is this a known issue / bug with APNS delivery? Is there something else in the Wi-Fi networking path that includeAllNetworks affects beyond routing, which could prevent APNS from functioning even when the traffic is excluded from the tunnel? Sample Project Below is the minimal code that reproduces this issue. The project has two targets: a main app and a Network Extension. The tunnel provider captures all IPv4 and IPv6 traffic via default routes but does not forward packets — simulating a pre-MFA quarantine state. The main app configures the tunnel with includeAllNetworks = true and provides a UI toggle for excludeAPNS. PacketTunnelProvider.swift (Network Extension target): import NetworkExtension class PacketTunnelProvider: NEPacketTunnelProvider { override func startTunnel(options: [String : NSObject]?, completionHandler: @escaping (Error?) -> Void) { let settings = NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings(tunnelRemoteAddress: "127.0.0.1") let ipv4 = NEIPv4Settings(addresses: ["198.51.100.1"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.0"]) ipv4.includedRoutes = [NEIPv4Route.default()] settings.ipv4Settings = ipv4 let ipv6 = NEIPv6Settings(addresses: ["fd00::1"], networkPrefixLengths: [64]) ipv6.includedRoutes = [NEIPv6Route.default()] settings.ipv6Settings = ipv6 let dns = NEDNSSettings(servers: ["198.51.100.1"]) settings.dnsSettings = dns settings.mtu = 1400 setTunnelNetworkSettings(settings) { error in if let error = error { completionHandler(error) return } self.readPackets() completionHandler(nil) } } private func readPackets() { packetFlow.readPackets { [weak self] packets, protocols in self?.readPackets() } } override func stopTunnel(with reason: NEProviderStopReason, completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func handleAppMessage(_ messageData: Data, completionHandler: ((Data?) -> Void)?) { if let handler = completionHandler { handler(messageData) } } override func sleep(completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func wake() { } } ContentView.swift (Main app target) — trimmed to essentials: import SwiftUI import NetworkExtension struct ContentView: View { @State private var excludeAPNs = false @State private var manager: NETunnelProviderManager? var body: some View { VStack { Toggle("Exclude APNs", isOn: $excludeAPNs) .onChange(of: excludeAPNs) { Task { await saveAndReload() } } Button("Connect") { Task { await toggleVPN() } } } .padding() .task { await loadManager() } } private func loadManager() async { let managers = try? await NETunnelProviderManager.loadAllFromPreferences() if let existing = managers?.first { manager = existing } else { let m = NETunnelProviderManager() let proto = NETunnelProviderProtocol() proto.providerBundleIdentifier = "<your-extension-bundle-id>" proto.serverAddress = "127.0.0.1" proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs m.protocolConfiguration = proto m.localizedDescription = "TestVPN" m.isEnabled = true try? await m.saveToPreferences() try? await m.loadFromPreferences() manager = m } if let proto = manager?.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { excludeAPNs = proto.excludeAPNs } } private func saveAndReload() async { guard let manager else { return } if let proto = manager.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs } manager.isEnabled = true try? await manager.saveToPreferences() try? await manager.loadFromPreferences() } private func toggleVPN() async { guard let manager else { return } if manager.connection.status == .connected { manager.connection.stopVPNTunnel() } else { await saveAndReload() try? manager.connection.startVPNTunnel() } } } Steps to reproduce Build and run the sample project with above code on a physical iOS device. Connect to a Wi-Fi network. Set excludeAPNS = true using the toggle and tap Connect. Send a push notification to the device to a test app with remote notification capability (e.g., via a test push service or the push notification console). Observe that the notification is not delivered. Disconnect. Switch to cellular. Reconnect with the same settings. Send the same push notification — observe that it is delivered. Environment iOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2 Physical device (iPhone 15 Pro)
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Clarification on concurrency guarantees for shared data between App and Widget extensions
Hi, I’m looking for clarification on what concurrency and consistency guarantees Apple provides when multiple targets (main app + Widget extensions) access shared storage. Specifically: 1. UserDefaults (App Group / suiteName:) • If multiple processes (app + multiple widget instances) read and write the same shared UserDefaults, what guarantees are provided? • Is access serialized internally to prevent corruption? • Are read–modify–write operations safe across processes, or can lost updates occur? 2. Core Data (shared SQLite store in App Group container) • Is it officially supported for multiple processes to open and write to the same Core Data SQLite store? • Are there recommended configurations (e.g. WAL mode) for safe multi-process access? • Is Apple’s recommendation to have a single writer process? 3. FileManager (shared container files) • If two processes write to the same file in an App Group container, what guarantees are provided by the system? • Is atomic replaceItemAt the recommended pattern for safe cross-process updates? Additionally: • Do multiple widget instances count as separate processes with respect to these guarantees? • Is there official guidance on best practices for shared persistence between app and widget extensions? I want to ensure I’m following the correct architecture and not relying on undefined behavior. Thanks.
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RealityKit animation with bindTarget: .opacity doesn't work
I want to fade objects in and out, and while setting an entity's OpacityComponent works, animating it doesn't seem to do anything. In the following code the second sphere should fade out, but it keeps its initial opacity. On the other hand, the animation that changes its transform works. What am I doing wrong? class ViewController: NSViewController { override func loadView() { let arView = ARView(frame: NSScreen.main!.frame) let anchor = AnchorEntity(.world(transform: matrix_identity_float4x4)) arView.scene.addAnchor(anchor) let sphere = ModelEntity(mesh: .generateSphere(radius: 0.5)) anchor.addChild(sphere) sphere.components.set(OpacityComponent(opacity: 0.1)) let sphere2 = ModelEntity(mesh: .generateSphere(radius: 0.5)) sphere2.position = .init(x: 0.2, y: 0, z: 0) anchor.addChild(sphere2) sphere2.components.set(OpacityComponent(opacity: 0.1)) sphere.playAnimation(try! AnimationResource.makeActionAnimation(for: FromToByAction(to: 0, timing: .linear), duration: 1, bindTarget: .opacity)) sphere.playAnimation(try! AnimationResource.makeActionAnimation(for: FromToByAction(to: Transform(translation: SIMD3(x: 0.1, y: 0, z: 0)), timing: .linear), duration: 1, bindTarget: .transform)) view = arView } }
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Highlight or select entity in RealityKit
I'm in the process of converting my SceneKit game to RealityKit. In SceneKit I used to be able to mark nodes as selected by setting SCNMaterial.emission with a custom color. I can do the same with PhysicallyBasedMaterial.emissiveColor, but I'd like to keep my entitities unaffected by the scene lights by using UnlitMaterial. In SceneKit I can set a category mask to indicate what light should affect what node, but there doesn't seem to be such a thing in RealityKit. So at the moment it seems like I have to choose between being able to mark an entity as selected, or having entities unaffected by lighting, but not both. Is there some effect or component I can use to mark entities as selected by applying some coloring regardless of the material used?
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Code Signing Identifiers Explained
Code signing uses various different identifier types, and I’ve seen a lot of folks confused as to which is which. This post is my attempt to clear up that confusion. If you have questions or comments, put them in a new thread, using the same topic area and tags as this post. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Code Signing Identifiers Explained An identifier is a short string that uniquely identifies a resource. Apple’s code-signing infrastructure uses identifiers for various different resource types. These identifiers typically use one of a small selection of formats, so it’s not always clear what type of identifier you’re looking at. This post lists the common identifiers used by code signing, shows the expected format, and gives references to further reading. Unless otherwise noted, any information about iOS applies to iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Formats The code-signing identifiers discussed here a number of different formats: 10-character This is composed of 10 ASCII characters. For example, Team IDs use this format, as illustrated by the Team ID of one of Apple’s test teams: Z7P62XVNWC. Reverse-DNS This is composed of labels separated by a dot. For example, bundle IDs use this format, as illustrated by the bundle ID of the test app associated with this post: com.example.tn3NNNapp. UUID This is a standard universally unique identifier. For example, the App Store Connect API key associated with this post has a issuer UUID of c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4. Email or phone See the Apple Account section below for more on this. Decimal number This is a simple decimal number. For example, the Apple ID for Apple Configurator is 1037126344. The Domain Name System has strict rules about domain names, in terms of overall length, label length, text encoding, and case sensitivity. The reverse-DNS identifiers used by code signing may or may not have similar limits. When in doubt, consult the documentation for the specific identifier type. Reverse-DNS names are just a convenient way to format a string. You don’t have to control the corresponding DNS name. You can, for example, use com.<SomeCompany>.my-app as your bundle ID regardless of whether you control the <SomeCompany>.com domain name. To securely associate your app with a domain, use associated domains. For more on that, see Supporting associated domains. IMPORTANT Don’t use com.apple. in your reverse-DNS identifiers. That can yield unexpected results. Identifiers The following table summarises the identifiers covered below: Name | Format | Example | Notes ---- | ------ | ------- | ----- Team ID | 10-character | `Z7P62XVNWC` | Identifies a developer team User ID | 10-character | `UT376R4K29` | Identifies a developer Team Member ID | 10-character | `EW7W773AA7` | Identifies a developer in a team Bundle ID | reverse-DNS | `com.example.tn3NNNapp` | Identifies an app App ID prefix | 10-character | `Z7P62XVNWC` | Part of an App ID | | `VYRRC68ZE6` | App ID | mixed | `Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.tn3NNNNapp` | Connects an app and its provisioning profile | | `VYRRC68ZE6.com.example.tn3NNNNappB` | Code-signing identifier | reverse-DNS | `com.example.tn3NNNapp` | Identifies code to macOS | | `tn3NNNtool` | App group ID | reverse DNS | `group.tn3NNNapp.shared` | Identifies an app group | reverse DNS | `Z7P62XVNWC.tn3NNNapp.shared` | Identifies an macOS-style app group Managed capability request ID | 10-character | `M79GVA97FK` | Identifies a request for a managed capability App Store Connect API key ID | 10-character | `T9GPZ92M7K` | Identifies a key used for App Store Connect API authentication App Store Connect API issuer | UUID | `c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4` | Identifies a key issuer in the App Store Connect API Apple Account | email or phone | `user@example.com` | Identifies a user to the Developer website and App Store Connect Apple ID | decimal number | 1037126344 | Identifies an app in App Store Connect As you can see, there’s no clear way to distinguish a Team ID, User ID, Team Member ID, and an App ID prefix. You have to determine that based on the context. In contrast, you choose your own bundle ID and app group ID values, so choose values that make it easier to keep things straight. Team ID When you set up a team on the Developer website, it generates a unique Team ID for that team. This uses the 10-character format. For example, Z7P62XVNWC is the Team ID for an Apple test team. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a team, or a user within a team, it sets the Subject Name > Organisational Unit field to the Team ID. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a team, as opposed to a user in that team, it embeds the Team ID in the Subject > Common Name field. For example, a Developer ID Application certificate for the Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has the name Developer ID Application: <TeamName> (Z7P62XVNWC). User ID When you first sign in to the Developer website, it generates a unique User ID for your Apple Account. This User ID uses the 10-character format. For example, UT376R4K29 is the User ID for an Apple test user. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a user, it sets the Subject Name > User ID field to that user’s User ID. It uses the same value for that user in all teams. Team Member ID When you join a team on the Developer website, it generates a unique Team Member ID to track your association with that team. This uses the 10-character format. For example, EW7W773AA7 is the Team Member ID for User ID UT376R4K29 in Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a user on a team, it embeds the Team Member ID in the Subject > Common Name field. For example, an Apple Development certificate for User ID UT376R4K29 on Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has the name Apple Development: <UserName> (EW7W773AA7). IMPORTANT This naming system is a common source of confusion. Developers see this ID and wonder why it doesn’t match their Team ID. The advantage of this naming scheme is that each certificate gets a unique name even if the team has multiple members with the same name. The John Smiths of this world appreciate this very much. Bundle ID A bundle ID is a reverse-DNS identifier that identifies a single app throughout Apple’s ecosystem. For example, the test app associated with this post has a bundle ID of com.example.tn3NNNapp. If two apps have the same bundle ID, they are considered to be the same app. Bundle IDs have strict limits on their format. For the details, see CFBundleIdentifier. If your macOS code consumes bundle IDs — for example, you’re creating a security product that checks the identity of code — be warned that not all bundle IDs conform to the documented format. And non-bundled code, like a command-line tool or dynamic library, typically doesn’t have a bundle ID. Moreover, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the bundle ID, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING On macOS, don’t assume that a bundle ID follows the documented format, is UTF-8, or is even text at all. Do not assume that a bundle ID that starts with com.apple. represents Apple code. A better way to identify code on macOS is with its designated requirement, as explained in TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. On iOS this isn’t a problem because the Developer website checks the bundle ID format when you register your App ID. App ID prefix An App ID prefix forms part of an App ID (see below). It’s a 10-character identifier that’s either: The Team ID of the app’s team A unique App ID prefix Note Historically a unique App ID prefix was called a Bundle Seed ID. A unique App ID prefix is a 10-character identifier generated by Apple and allocated to your team, different from your Team ID. For example, Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has been allocated the unique App ID prefix of VYRRC68ZE6. Unique App ID prefixes are effectively deprecated: You can’t create a new App ID prefix. So, unless your team is very old, you don’t have to worry about unique App ID prefixes at all. If a unique App ID prefix is available to your team, it’s possible to create a new App ID with that prefix. But doing so prevents that app from sharing state with other apps from your team. Unique app ID prefixes are not supported on macOS. If your app uses a unique App ID prefix, you can request that it be migrated to use your Team ID by contacting Apple > Developer > Contact Us. If you app has embedded app extensions that also use your unique App ID prefix, include all those App IDs in your migration request. WARNING Before migrating from a unique App ID prefix, read App ID Prefix Change and Keychain Access. App ID An App ID ties your app to its provisioning profile. Specifically: You allocate an App ID on the Developer website. You sign your app with an entitlement that claims your App ID. When you launch the app, the system looks for a profile that authorises that claim. App IDs are critical on iOS. On macOS, App IDs are only necessary when your app claims a restricted entitlement. See TN3125 Inside Code Signing: Provisioning Profiles for more about this. App IDs have the format <Prefix>.<BundleOrWildcard>, where: <Prefix> is the App ID prefix, discussed above. <BundleOrWildcard> is either a bundle ID, for an explicit App ID, or a wildcard, for a wildcard App ID. The wildcard follows bundle ID conventions except that it must end with a star (*). For example: Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.tn3NNNNapp is an explicit App ID for Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.* is a wildcard App ID for Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. VYRRC68ZE6.com.example.tn3NNNNappB is an explicit App ID with the unique App ID prefix of VYRRC68ZE6. Provisioning profiles created for an explicit App ID authorise the claim of just that App ID. Provisioning profiles created for a wildcard App ID authorise the claim of any App IDs whose bundle ID matches the wildcard, where the star (*) matches zero or more arbitrary characters. Wildcard App IDs are helpful for quick tests. Most production apps claim an explicit App ID, because various features rely on that. For example, in-app purchase requires an explicit App ID. Code-signing identifier A code-signing identifier is a string chosen by the code’s signer to uniquely identify their code. IMPORTANT Don’t confuse this with a code-signing identity, which is a digital identity used for code signing. For more about code-signing identities, see TN3161 Inside Code Signing: Certificates. Code-signing identifiers exist on iOS but they don’t do anything useful. On iOS, all third-party code must be bundled, and the system ensures that the code’s code-signing identifier matches its bundle ID. On macOS, code-signing identifiers play an important role in code-signing requirements. For more on that topic, see TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. When signing code, see Creating distribution-signed code for macOS for advice on how to select a code-signing identifier. If your macOS code consumes code-signing identifiers — for example, you’re creating a security product that checks the identity of code — be warned that these identifiers look like bundle IDs but they are not the same as bundle IDs. While bundled code typically uses the bundled ID as the code-signing identifier, macOS doesn’t enforce that convention. And non-bundled code, like a command-line tool or dynamic library, often uses the file name as the code-signing identifier. Moreover, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the code-signing identifier, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING On macOS, don’t assume that a code-signing identifier is a well-formed bundle ID, UTF-8, or even text at all. Don’t assume that a code-signing identifier that starts with com.apple. represents Apple code. A better way to identify code on macOS is with its designated requirement, as explained in TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. App Group ID An app group ID identifies an app group, that is, a mechanism to share state between multiple apps from the same team. For more about app groups, see App Groups Entitlement and App Groups: macOS vs iOS: Working Towards Harmony. App group IDs use two different forms of reverse-DNS identifiers: iOS-style This has the format group.<GroupName>, for example, group.tn3NNNapp.shared. macOS-style This has the format <TeamID>.<GroupName>, for example, Z7P62XVNWC.tn3NNNapp.shared. The first form originated on iOS but is now supported on macOS as well. The second form is only supported on macOS. iOS-style app group IDs must be registered with the Developer website. That ensures that the ID is unique and that the <GroupName> follows bundle ID rules. macOS-style app group IDs are less constrained. When choosing such a macOS-style app group ID, follow bundle ID rules for the group name. If your macOS code consumes app group IDs, be warned that not all macOS-style app group IDs follow bundle ID format. Indeed, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the app group ID, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING Don’t assume that a macOS-style app group ID follows bundle ID rules, is UTF-8, or is even text at all. Don’t assume that a macOS-style app group ID where the group name starts with com.apple. represents Apple in any way. Some developers use app group IDs of the form <TeamID>.group.<GroupName>. There’s nothing special about this format. It’s just a macOS-style app group ID where the first label in the group name just happens to be group Starting in Feb 2025, iOS-style app group IDs are fully supported on macOS. If you’re writing new code that uses app groups, use an iOS-style app group ID. This allows sharing between different product types, for example, between a native macOS app and an iOS app running on the Mac. Managed Capability Request ID Managed capabilities must be assigned to your account by Apple before you can use them. You apply for these using the Capability Requests tab on the Developer website. For more details, see New Capabilities Request Tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles. When you make such a request, the Developer website assigns it a request ID, using the 10-character format. For example, M79GVA97FK is the request ID for an Apple test request. These request IDs are purely administrative; they have no build-time or run-time impact. App Store Connect API Keys The App Store Connect API authenticates requests using API keys. For the details, see Creating API Keys for App Store Connect API. Each API key has an associated issuer and key ID. The issuer is a UUID, for example, c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4. The key ID uses the 10-character format, for example, T9GPZ92M7K. These identifiers have no run-time impact, but they might be relevant when you’re building your app. For example: If your continuous integration (CI) uses the App Store Connect API, it will need an API key and its associated identifiers. If you notarise a Mac product, you might choose to authenticate using an App Store Connect API key and its associated identifiers. For an example of how to do that with notarytool, see TN3147 Migrating to the latest notarization tool. Apple Account An Apple Account is the personal account you use to access Apple services, including the Developer website and App Store Connect. Historically this was an email address, but nowadays you can also use a phone number. For more about Apple Accounts, see the Apple Account website. Your Apple Account was previously know as your Apple ID, which was confusingly similar to the next identifier. Apple ID In App Store Connect, an Apple ID refers to a decimal number that identifies your app. For example, the Apple ID for Apple Configurator is 1037126344. To see this in App Store Connect, navigate to the app record, select App Information on the left, and look for the Apple ID field. It’s a decimal number, usually around 10 digits long. You can also find this embedded in the App Store URL for the app. For example, the Apple Store URL for Apple Configurator is https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-configurator-2/id1037126344, which ends with its Apple ID. Note In some very obscure cases you might see this referred to as an Adam ID. Your app’s Apple ID is not used at runtime, but you may need to know it to accomplish administrative tasks. For example, most managed capability submission forms ask for your app’s Apple ID. Revision History 2026-03-05 Added the Apple Account and Apple ID sections. 2026-02-25 Added the Managed Capability Request ID and App Store Connect API Keys sections. Added UUID to the list of format. 2026-02-17 Corrected a minor formatting problem. 2026-01-06 First posted.
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Screentime API Main App + Shield Questions
I'm building an app that uses the Family Controls / Screen Time APIs (FamilyControls, ManagedSettings). My app has three targets, each with a distinct Bundle ID: Main App Shield Configuration Extension ShieldAction Extension All three have com.apple.developer.family-controls in their entitlements files, and they share an App Group. My question is about the distribution entitlement request form at developer.apple.com/contact/request/family-controls-distribution: does the form need to be submitted once per Bundle ID, or is a single submission for the main app sufficient to then enable Family Controls (Distribution) for the extension Bundle IDs in the developer portal as well? I've seen conflicting reports in other forum threads — some developers say one submission covers all targets, others say separate submissions are needed per Bundle ID. I've already submitted the main app, but now I am wondering whether I should submit one for each Shield extension. Thanks!
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Request for Guidance on Approval Process for Network Extension Entitlement
Dear Apple Developer Support Team, I am writing to inquire about the process for obtaining approval for the following entitlement in my iOS/macOS app: <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider</string> </array> Specifically, I would like guidance on: The steps required to submit a request for this entitlement. Any necessary documentation or justification that needs to be provided to Apple. Typical review timelines and approval criteria. Any restrictions or compliance requirements associated with this entitlement. Our app intends to implement a content filtering functionality to enhance network security and user safety. We want to ensure full compliance with Apple’s policies and guidelines. Could you please provide detailed instructions or point us to the relevant resources to initiate this approval process? Thank you for your assistance.
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process.waitUntilExit never exits in tahoe 26.3
I have this code in my Virutalization application let process = Process() process.executableURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: "/usr/sbin/diskutil") process.arguments = ["image", "create", "blank", "--fs", "none", "--format", "ASIF", "--size", "2GiB", url.path ] try process.run() process.waitUntilExit() if process.terminationStatus == 0 { print("✅ Disk image creation succeeded.") } else { print("❌ Disk image creation failed with exit code \(process.terminationStatus)") } } catch { print("Process failed to launch: \(error.localizedDescription)") return } this code was working fine until Tahoe 26.2. with the update of 26.3 the system freezes at process.waitUntilExit() The code never exits and i get beech balls. This is working fine with intel macs. i am getting the problem in apple silicon m4 mac mini. Any help would be appreciated.
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SecurityAgent taking focus for plugin in macOS 26.1
We have a custom SecurityAgentPlugin that is triggered by multiple authorizationdb entries. Some customers report that the SecurityAgent process takes window focus even though no UI or windows are displayed. Our plugin explicitly ignores the _securityAgent user and does not show any UI for that user. However, in macOS 26.1, it appears that the plugin still causes the SecurityAgent to take focus as soon as it is triggered. Is this a change in macOS 26.1 or a bug? Can we do anything to prevent "focus stealing"?
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Apple Developer Program — Payment Charged But Enrollment Still Pending (5 Days)
I purchased the Apple Developer Program as an individual on March 1, 2026. My card was successfully charged C$119 + C$15 tax. Order number: W158933275. It has now been 4+ days (well past the stated 48-hour processing time) and my account at developer.apple.com/account still shows "Purchase your membership." I have not received any activation email or follow-up. I opened support case 102835143414 but have not received a response yet. Could an Apple team member please look into my account and help activate my membership? This is blocking my app development. Thank you.
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Ping without CFSockets
All of our uses of CFSockets have started causing crashes in iOS 16. They seem to be deprecated so we are trying to transition over to using the Network framework and NWConnection to try to fix the crashes. One of our uses of them is to ping a device on the local network to make sure it is there and online and provide a heartbeat status in logs as well as put the application into a disabled state if it is not available as it is critical to the functionality of the app. I know it is discouraged to disable any functionality based on the reachability of a resource but this is in an enterprise environment where the reachability of this device is mission critical. I've seen other people ask about the ability to ping with the Network framework and the answers I've found have said that this is not possible and pointed people to the SimplePing sample code but it turns out our existing ping code is already using this technique and it is crashing just like our other CFSocket usages, inside CFSocketInvalidate with the error BUG IN CLIENT OF LIBPLATFORM: Trying to recursively lock an os_unfair_lock. Is there any updated way to perform a ping without using the CFSocket APIs that now seem to be broken/unsupported on iOS 16?
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Purchase your membership.
Hello. Despite making my membership payment (and accidentally twice!), my membership is still not activated even after 62 hours. I contacted their support system but received no response. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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PHAssetCreationRequest merges new Burst Photos into "Recently Deleted" instead of Library
Description I am observing a critical issue when saving burst photos using the Photos Framework. If a burst photo with the same burstIdentifier already exists in the "Recently Deleted" album, any new assets saved via PHAssetCreationRequest are automatically merged into that deleted entry instead of appearing in the main Library or "All Photos." Environment Framework: Photos Framework (iOS) API: [[PHPhotoLibrary sharedPhotoLibrary] performChanges:...] Code Snippet The following logic is used to save the burst assets: [[PHPhotoLibrary sharedPhotoLibrary] performChanges:^{ // 'paths' is a custom object providing the creation request PHAssetCreationRequest *assetCreationRqst = [paths assetCreationRqst]; assetCreationRqst.favorite = [FavorManager.shared isSetDownloadedAssetFavorite:self.curItem]; PHObjectPlaceholder *placeHolder = assetCreationRqst.placeholderForCreatedAsset; localIdentifier = placeHolder.localIdentifier; } completionHandler:^(BOOL success, NSError * _Nullable error) { if (success) { // The handler returns success, but the asset is invisible to the user [weakSelf handleDownloadSuccess:localIdentifier]; } // ... cleanup and completion ... }]; Steps to Reproduce Save a burst photo to the iPhone's built-in Photos app. Manually delete that burst photo so it moves to the "Recently Deleted" album. Execute the code above to save the same burst photo (or a new set containing the same burstIdentifier in its metadata). Check the main Photo Library / "All Photos" view. Observed Result The completionHandler returns success = YES, and a localIdentifier is generated. The photo does not appear in the main Library or "All Photos." The newly saved photo is silently merged into the existing burst set located inside the "Recently Deleted" folder. The user cannot see the new photo unless they manually "Restore" the deleted items from the album. Expected Behavior PHAssetCreationRequest should always result in a visible asset in the user's Library. Even if a matching burstIdentifier exists in "Recently Deleted," the system should treat the new request as a new independent asset or provide an error, rather than hiding it within a deleted collection.
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373
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Xcode 26 failed in the real-device debugging process
Development environment: MacBook pro Apple M1 macOS Tahoe 26.2 (25C56) Xcode 26.x iPhone 6 Plus / iOS 12.4.4 Exception description: After I upgraded to Xcode 26, my iPhone 6 Plus had a system version of 12.4.4. I was unable to perform real-device debugging, whether for existing projects or new ones. The error message from Xcode was as follows: Could not launch “xxx” Domain: IDEDebugSessionErrorDomain Code: 3 Failure Reason: Cannot launch '/private/var/containers/Bundle/Application/A44062C1-32F5-4346-B13C-FC3F39EAF7A1/xxx.app': Unspecified Even though I have already added device support for the iOS 12.4 Has Xcode 26 stopped supporting the debugging of any devices running iOS 12 system?
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Structured Concurrency with Network Framework Sample
I am trying to migrate an app to use Network framework for p2p connection. I came across this great article for migrating to Network framework however this doesnt use the new structured concurrency. This being introduced with iOS 26, there doesnt seem to be any sample code available on how to use the new classes. I am particularly interested in code samples showing how to add TLS with PSK encryption support and handling of switching between Wifi and peer to peer interface with the new structured concurrency supported classes. Are there any good resources I can refer on this other than the WWDC video?
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Removed from App Store Immediately after Distribution
I submitted a software update for one iOS app several days ago. It was approved two days ago. I received a message about distribution that said The status of your app has changed to Ready for Distribution I happened at the iTunes Connect website at that very moment in order to submit a totally new iOS app to the App Store. Its status said 'Removed from App Store.' I thought it was a rare mistake. Unfortunately, it's not. The one that I was submitting was approved some 15 minutes ago. I received the 'Ready for Distribution' message by email. Yet, it's been removed from the store as you see in the screenshot below. As you see in the 2nd screenshot below, it says that it's Ready for Distribution. But it's not? So is this a new norm? And we have to go back the iTunes Connect website to change the app status every time we submit a software title and then get it approved?
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NFCPresentmentIntentAssertion validity behavior
Hello, I would like to discuss the behavior of the expiration of NFCPresentmentIntentAssertion (test in iOS 18.5). In the documentation we have : The intent assertion expires if any of the following occur: The intent assertion object deinitializes Your app goes into the background 15 seconds elapse BUT; in fact ; only the 1st rule is applied. The expiration seems to be random after the usage of CardSession and that's difficult to give to the user a good experience. Has someone faced the same kind of issue; or can give an explanation? Regards, François
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Family Controls Works in Xcode Physical Device, But does not work in Testflight
I have gotten all necessary entitlements for all my extensions,
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Validation error with Network Extension due to square brackets in Product Name
Hello, I am facing a validation error when uploading a macOS app with a Network Extension. The Error: Invalid system extension. The system extension at “[T] TEXT.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/company_name.network-extension.systemextension” resides in an unexpected location. The Problem: Validation fails only when the app's Product Name contains square brackets: [T] TEXT. If I remove the brackets from the Product Name, validation passes. What I've tried: Setting Product Name to TEXT (without brackets) and CFBundleDisplayName to [T] TEXT. Cleaning Derived Data and rebuilding the archive. Verified that the extension is physically located at Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/. It seems the Apple validation tool fails to parse the bundle path correctly when it contains characters like [ or ]. Question: How can I keep the app name with brackets for the user (in System Settings and Menu Bar) while ensuring the Network Extension passes validation? Is there a way to escape these characters or a specific Info.plist configuration to satisfy the validator?"
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125
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Push notifications not delivered over Wi-Fi with includeAllNetworks = true regardless of excludeAPNS setting
We have a VPN app that uses NEPacketTunnelProvider with includeAllNetworks = true. We've encountered an issue where push notifications are not delivered over Wi-Fi while the tunnel is active in a pre-MFA quarantine state (tunnel is up but traffic is blocked on server side), regardless of whether excludeAPNS is set to true or false. Observed behavior Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = true - Notifications not delivered Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = true - Notifications delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered On cellular, the behavior matches our expectations: setting excludeAPNS = true allows APNS traffic to bypass the tunnel and notifications arrive; setting it to false routes APNS through the tunnel and notifications are blocked (as expected for a non-forwarding tunnel). On Wi-Fi, notifications fail to deliver in both cases. Our question Is this expected behavior when includeAllNetworks is enabled on Wi-Fi, or is this a known issue / bug with APNS delivery? Is there something else in the Wi-Fi networking path that includeAllNetworks affects beyond routing, which could prevent APNS from functioning even when the traffic is excluded from the tunnel? Sample Project Below is the minimal code that reproduces this issue. The project has two targets: a main app and a Network Extension. The tunnel provider captures all IPv4 and IPv6 traffic via default routes but does not forward packets — simulating a pre-MFA quarantine state. The main app configures the tunnel with includeAllNetworks = true and provides a UI toggle for excludeAPNS. PacketTunnelProvider.swift (Network Extension target): import NetworkExtension class PacketTunnelProvider: NEPacketTunnelProvider { override func startTunnel(options: [String : NSObject]?, completionHandler: @escaping (Error?) -> Void) { let settings = NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings(tunnelRemoteAddress: "127.0.0.1") let ipv4 = NEIPv4Settings(addresses: ["198.51.100.1"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.0"]) ipv4.includedRoutes = [NEIPv4Route.default()] settings.ipv4Settings = ipv4 let ipv6 = NEIPv6Settings(addresses: ["fd00::1"], networkPrefixLengths: [64]) ipv6.includedRoutes = [NEIPv6Route.default()] settings.ipv6Settings = ipv6 let dns = NEDNSSettings(servers: ["198.51.100.1"]) settings.dnsSettings = dns settings.mtu = 1400 setTunnelNetworkSettings(settings) { error in if let error = error { completionHandler(error) return } self.readPackets() completionHandler(nil) } } private func readPackets() { packetFlow.readPackets { [weak self] packets, protocols in self?.readPackets() } } override func stopTunnel(with reason: NEProviderStopReason, completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func handleAppMessage(_ messageData: Data, completionHandler: ((Data?) -> Void)?) { if let handler = completionHandler { handler(messageData) } } override func sleep(completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func wake() { } } ContentView.swift (Main app target) — trimmed to essentials: import SwiftUI import NetworkExtension struct ContentView: View { @State private var excludeAPNs = false @State private var manager: NETunnelProviderManager? var body: some View { VStack { Toggle("Exclude APNs", isOn: $excludeAPNs) .onChange(of: excludeAPNs) { Task { await saveAndReload() } } Button("Connect") { Task { await toggleVPN() } } } .padding() .task { await loadManager() } } private func loadManager() async { let managers = try? await NETunnelProviderManager.loadAllFromPreferences() if let existing = managers?.first { manager = existing } else { let m = NETunnelProviderManager() let proto = NETunnelProviderProtocol() proto.providerBundleIdentifier = "<your-extension-bundle-id>" proto.serverAddress = "127.0.0.1" proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs m.protocolConfiguration = proto m.localizedDescription = "TestVPN" m.isEnabled = true try? await m.saveToPreferences() try? await m.loadFromPreferences() manager = m } if let proto = manager?.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { excludeAPNs = proto.excludeAPNs } } private func saveAndReload() async { guard let manager else { return } if let proto = manager.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs } manager.isEnabled = true try? await manager.saveToPreferences() try? await manager.loadFromPreferences() } private func toggleVPN() async { guard let manager else { return } if manager.connection.status == .connected { manager.connection.stopVPNTunnel() } else { await saveAndReload() try? manager.connection.startVPNTunnel() } } } Steps to reproduce Build and run the sample project with above code on a physical iOS device. Connect to a Wi-Fi network. Set excludeAPNS = true using the toggle and tap Connect. Send a push notification to the device to a test app with remote notification capability (e.g., via a test push service or the push notification console). Observe that the notification is not delivered. Disconnect. Switch to cellular. Reconnect with the same settings. Send the same push notification — observe that it is delivered. Environment iOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2 Physical device (iPhone 15 Pro)
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Clarification on concurrency guarantees for shared data between App and Widget extensions
Hi, I’m looking for clarification on what concurrency and consistency guarantees Apple provides when multiple targets (main app + Widget extensions) access shared storage. Specifically: 1. UserDefaults (App Group / suiteName:) • If multiple processes (app + multiple widget instances) read and write the same shared UserDefaults, what guarantees are provided? • Is access serialized internally to prevent corruption? • Are read–modify–write operations safe across processes, or can lost updates occur? 2. Core Data (shared SQLite store in App Group container) • Is it officially supported for multiple processes to open and write to the same Core Data SQLite store? • Are there recommended configurations (e.g. WAL mode) for safe multi-process access? • Is Apple’s recommendation to have a single writer process? 3. FileManager (shared container files) • If two processes write to the same file in an App Group container, what guarantees are provided by the system? • Is atomic replaceItemAt the recommended pattern for safe cross-process updates? Additionally: • Do multiple widget instances count as separate processes with respect to these guarantees? • Is there official guidance on best practices for shared persistence between app and widget extensions? I want to ensure I’m following the correct architecture and not relying on undefined behavior. Thanks.
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RealityKit animation with bindTarget: .opacity doesn't work
I want to fade objects in and out, and while setting an entity's OpacityComponent works, animating it doesn't seem to do anything. In the following code the second sphere should fade out, but it keeps its initial opacity. On the other hand, the animation that changes its transform works. What am I doing wrong? class ViewController: NSViewController { override func loadView() { let arView = ARView(frame: NSScreen.main!.frame) let anchor = AnchorEntity(.world(transform: matrix_identity_float4x4)) arView.scene.addAnchor(anchor) let sphere = ModelEntity(mesh: .generateSphere(radius: 0.5)) anchor.addChild(sphere) sphere.components.set(OpacityComponent(opacity: 0.1)) let sphere2 = ModelEntity(mesh: .generateSphere(radius: 0.5)) sphere2.position = .init(x: 0.2, y: 0, z: 0) anchor.addChild(sphere2) sphere2.components.set(OpacityComponent(opacity: 0.1)) sphere.playAnimation(try! AnimationResource.makeActionAnimation(for: FromToByAction(to: 0, timing: .linear), duration: 1, bindTarget: .opacity)) sphere.playAnimation(try! AnimationResource.makeActionAnimation(for: FromToByAction(to: Transform(translation: SIMD3(x: 0.1, y: 0, z: 0)), timing: .linear), duration: 1, bindTarget: .transform)) view = arView } }
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Highlight or select entity in RealityKit
I'm in the process of converting my SceneKit game to RealityKit. In SceneKit I used to be able to mark nodes as selected by setting SCNMaterial.emission with a custom color. I can do the same with PhysicallyBasedMaterial.emissiveColor, but I'd like to keep my entitities unaffected by the scene lights by using UnlitMaterial. In SceneKit I can set a category mask to indicate what light should affect what node, but there doesn't seem to be such a thing in RealityKit. So at the moment it seems like I have to choose between being able to mark an entity as selected, or having entities unaffected by lighting, but not both. Is there some effect or component I can use to mark entities as selected by applying some coloring regardless of the material used?
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Code Signing Identifiers Explained
Code signing uses various different identifier types, and I’ve seen a lot of folks confused as to which is which. This post is my attempt to clear up that confusion. If you have questions or comments, put them in a new thread, using the same topic area and tags as this post. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Code Signing Identifiers Explained An identifier is a short string that uniquely identifies a resource. Apple’s code-signing infrastructure uses identifiers for various different resource types. These identifiers typically use one of a small selection of formats, so it’s not always clear what type of identifier you’re looking at. This post lists the common identifiers used by code signing, shows the expected format, and gives references to further reading. Unless otherwise noted, any information about iOS applies to iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Formats The code-signing identifiers discussed here a number of different formats: 10-character This is composed of 10 ASCII characters. For example, Team IDs use this format, as illustrated by the Team ID of one of Apple’s test teams: Z7P62XVNWC. Reverse-DNS This is composed of labels separated by a dot. For example, bundle IDs use this format, as illustrated by the bundle ID of the test app associated with this post: com.example.tn3NNNapp. UUID This is a standard universally unique identifier. For example, the App Store Connect API key associated with this post has a issuer UUID of c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4. Email or phone See the Apple Account section below for more on this. Decimal number This is a simple decimal number. For example, the Apple ID for Apple Configurator is 1037126344. The Domain Name System has strict rules about domain names, in terms of overall length, label length, text encoding, and case sensitivity. The reverse-DNS identifiers used by code signing may or may not have similar limits. When in doubt, consult the documentation for the specific identifier type. Reverse-DNS names are just a convenient way to format a string. You don’t have to control the corresponding DNS name. You can, for example, use com.<SomeCompany>.my-app as your bundle ID regardless of whether you control the <SomeCompany>.com domain name. To securely associate your app with a domain, use associated domains. For more on that, see Supporting associated domains. IMPORTANT Don’t use com.apple. in your reverse-DNS identifiers. That can yield unexpected results. Identifiers The following table summarises the identifiers covered below: Name | Format | Example | Notes ---- | ------ | ------- | ----- Team ID | 10-character | `Z7P62XVNWC` | Identifies a developer team User ID | 10-character | `UT376R4K29` | Identifies a developer Team Member ID | 10-character | `EW7W773AA7` | Identifies a developer in a team Bundle ID | reverse-DNS | `com.example.tn3NNNapp` | Identifies an app App ID prefix | 10-character | `Z7P62XVNWC` | Part of an App ID | | `VYRRC68ZE6` | App ID | mixed | `Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.tn3NNNNapp` | Connects an app and its provisioning profile | | `VYRRC68ZE6.com.example.tn3NNNNappB` | Code-signing identifier | reverse-DNS | `com.example.tn3NNNapp` | Identifies code to macOS | | `tn3NNNtool` | App group ID | reverse DNS | `group.tn3NNNapp.shared` | Identifies an app group | reverse DNS | `Z7P62XVNWC.tn3NNNapp.shared` | Identifies an macOS-style app group Managed capability request ID | 10-character | `M79GVA97FK` | Identifies a request for a managed capability App Store Connect API key ID | 10-character | `T9GPZ92M7K` | Identifies a key used for App Store Connect API authentication App Store Connect API issuer | UUID | `c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4` | Identifies a key issuer in the App Store Connect API Apple Account | email or phone | `user@example.com` | Identifies a user to the Developer website and App Store Connect Apple ID | decimal number | 1037126344 | Identifies an app in App Store Connect As you can see, there’s no clear way to distinguish a Team ID, User ID, Team Member ID, and an App ID prefix. You have to determine that based on the context. In contrast, you choose your own bundle ID and app group ID values, so choose values that make it easier to keep things straight. Team ID When you set up a team on the Developer website, it generates a unique Team ID for that team. This uses the 10-character format. For example, Z7P62XVNWC is the Team ID for an Apple test team. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a team, or a user within a team, it sets the Subject Name > Organisational Unit field to the Team ID. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a team, as opposed to a user in that team, it embeds the Team ID in the Subject > Common Name field. For example, a Developer ID Application certificate for the Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has the name Developer ID Application: <TeamName> (Z7P62XVNWC). User ID When you first sign in to the Developer website, it generates a unique User ID for your Apple Account. This User ID uses the 10-character format. For example, UT376R4K29 is the User ID for an Apple test user. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a user, it sets the Subject Name > User ID field to that user’s User ID. It uses the same value for that user in all teams. Team Member ID When you join a team on the Developer website, it generates a unique Team Member ID to track your association with that team. This uses the 10-character format. For example, EW7W773AA7 is the Team Member ID for User ID UT376R4K29 in Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. When the Developer website issues a certificate to a user on a team, it embeds the Team Member ID in the Subject > Common Name field. For example, an Apple Development certificate for User ID UT376R4K29 on Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has the name Apple Development: <UserName> (EW7W773AA7). IMPORTANT This naming system is a common source of confusion. Developers see this ID and wonder why it doesn’t match their Team ID. The advantage of this naming scheme is that each certificate gets a unique name even if the team has multiple members with the same name. The John Smiths of this world appreciate this very much. Bundle ID A bundle ID is a reverse-DNS identifier that identifies a single app throughout Apple’s ecosystem. For example, the test app associated with this post has a bundle ID of com.example.tn3NNNapp. If two apps have the same bundle ID, they are considered to be the same app. Bundle IDs have strict limits on their format. For the details, see CFBundleIdentifier. If your macOS code consumes bundle IDs — for example, you’re creating a security product that checks the identity of code — be warned that not all bundle IDs conform to the documented format. And non-bundled code, like a command-line tool or dynamic library, typically doesn’t have a bundle ID. Moreover, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the bundle ID, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING On macOS, don’t assume that a bundle ID follows the documented format, is UTF-8, or is even text at all. Do not assume that a bundle ID that starts with com.apple. represents Apple code. A better way to identify code on macOS is with its designated requirement, as explained in TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. On iOS this isn’t a problem because the Developer website checks the bundle ID format when you register your App ID. App ID prefix An App ID prefix forms part of an App ID (see below). It’s a 10-character identifier that’s either: The Team ID of the app’s team A unique App ID prefix Note Historically a unique App ID prefix was called a Bundle Seed ID. A unique App ID prefix is a 10-character identifier generated by Apple and allocated to your team, different from your Team ID. For example, Team ID Z7P62XVNWC has been allocated the unique App ID prefix of VYRRC68ZE6. Unique App ID prefixes are effectively deprecated: You can’t create a new App ID prefix. So, unless your team is very old, you don’t have to worry about unique App ID prefixes at all. If a unique App ID prefix is available to your team, it’s possible to create a new App ID with that prefix. But doing so prevents that app from sharing state with other apps from your team. Unique app ID prefixes are not supported on macOS. If your app uses a unique App ID prefix, you can request that it be migrated to use your Team ID by contacting Apple > Developer > Contact Us. If you app has embedded app extensions that also use your unique App ID prefix, include all those App IDs in your migration request. WARNING Before migrating from a unique App ID prefix, read App ID Prefix Change and Keychain Access. App ID An App ID ties your app to its provisioning profile. Specifically: You allocate an App ID on the Developer website. You sign your app with an entitlement that claims your App ID. When you launch the app, the system looks for a profile that authorises that claim. App IDs are critical on iOS. On macOS, App IDs are only necessary when your app claims a restricted entitlement. See TN3125 Inside Code Signing: Provisioning Profiles for more about this. App IDs have the format <Prefix>.<BundleOrWildcard>, where: <Prefix> is the App ID prefix, discussed above. <BundleOrWildcard> is either a bundle ID, for an explicit App ID, or a wildcard, for a wildcard App ID. The wildcard follows bundle ID conventions except that it must end with a star (*). For example: Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.tn3NNNNapp is an explicit App ID for Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. Z7P62XVNWC.com.example.* is a wildcard App ID for Team ID Z7P62XVNWC. VYRRC68ZE6.com.example.tn3NNNNappB is an explicit App ID with the unique App ID prefix of VYRRC68ZE6. Provisioning profiles created for an explicit App ID authorise the claim of just that App ID. Provisioning profiles created for a wildcard App ID authorise the claim of any App IDs whose bundle ID matches the wildcard, where the star (*) matches zero or more arbitrary characters. Wildcard App IDs are helpful for quick tests. Most production apps claim an explicit App ID, because various features rely on that. For example, in-app purchase requires an explicit App ID. Code-signing identifier A code-signing identifier is a string chosen by the code’s signer to uniquely identify their code. IMPORTANT Don’t confuse this with a code-signing identity, which is a digital identity used for code signing. For more about code-signing identities, see TN3161 Inside Code Signing: Certificates. Code-signing identifiers exist on iOS but they don’t do anything useful. On iOS, all third-party code must be bundled, and the system ensures that the code’s code-signing identifier matches its bundle ID. On macOS, code-signing identifiers play an important role in code-signing requirements. For more on that topic, see TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. When signing code, see Creating distribution-signed code for macOS for advice on how to select a code-signing identifier. If your macOS code consumes code-signing identifiers — for example, you’re creating a security product that checks the identity of code — be warned that these identifiers look like bundle IDs but they are not the same as bundle IDs. While bundled code typically uses the bundled ID as the code-signing identifier, macOS doesn’t enforce that convention. And non-bundled code, like a command-line tool or dynamic library, often uses the file name as the code-signing identifier. Moreover, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the code-signing identifier, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING On macOS, don’t assume that a code-signing identifier is a well-formed bundle ID, UTF-8, or even text at all. Don’t assume that a code-signing identifier that starts with com.apple. represents Apple code. A better way to identify code on macOS is with its designated requirement, as explained in TN3127 Inside Code Signing: Requirements. App Group ID An app group ID identifies an app group, that is, a mechanism to share state between multiple apps from the same team. For more about app groups, see App Groups Entitlement and App Groups: macOS vs iOS: Working Towards Harmony. App group IDs use two different forms of reverse-DNS identifiers: iOS-style This has the format group.<GroupName>, for example, group.tn3NNNapp.shared. macOS-style This has the format <TeamID>.<GroupName>, for example, Z7P62XVNWC.tn3NNNapp.shared. The first form originated on iOS but is now supported on macOS as well. The second form is only supported on macOS. iOS-style app group IDs must be registered with the Developer website. That ensures that the ID is unique and that the <GroupName> follows bundle ID rules. macOS-style app group IDs are less constrained. When choosing such a macOS-style app group ID, follow bundle ID rules for the group name. If your macOS code consumes app group IDs, be warned that not all macOS-style app group IDs follow bundle ID format. Indeed, malicious code might use arbitrary bytes as the app group ID, bytes that don’t parse as either ASCII or UTF-8. WARNING Don’t assume that a macOS-style app group ID follows bundle ID rules, is UTF-8, or is even text at all. Don’t assume that a macOS-style app group ID where the group name starts with com.apple. represents Apple in any way. Some developers use app group IDs of the form <TeamID>.group.<GroupName>. There’s nothing special about this format. It’s just a macOS-style app group ID where the first label in the group name just happens to be group Starting in Feb 2025, iOS-style app group IDs are fully supported on macOS. If you’re writing new code that uses app groups, use an iOS-style app group ID. This allows sharing between different product types, for example, between a native macOS app and an iOS app running on the Mac. Managed Capability Request ID Managed capabilities must be assigned to your account by Apple before you can use them. You apply for these using the Capability Requests tab on the Developer website. For more details, see New Capabilities Request Tab in Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles. When you make such a request, the Developer website assigns it a request ID, using the 10-character format. For example, M79GVA97FK is the request ID for an Apple test request. These request IDs are purely administrative; they have no build-time or run-time impact. App Store Connect API Keys The App Store Connect API authenticates requests using API keys. For the details, see Creating API Keys for App Store Connect API. Each API key has an associated issuer and key ID. The issuer is a UUID, for example, c055ca8c-e5a8-4836-b61d-aa5794eeb3f4. The key ID uses the 10-character format, for example, T9GPZ92M7K. These identifiers have no run-time impact, but they might be relevant when you’re building your app. For example: If your continuous integration (CI) uses the App Store Connect API, it will need an API key and its associated identifiers. If you notarise a Mac product, you might choose to authenticate using an App Store Connect API key and its associated identifiers. For an example of how to do that with notarytool, see TN3147 Migrating to the latest notarization tool. Apple Account An Apple Account is the personal account you use to access Apple services, including the Developer website and App Store Connect. Historically this was an email address, but nowadays you can also use a phone number. For more about Apple Accounts, see the Apple Account website. Your Apple Account was previously know as your Apple ID, which was confusingly similar to the next identifier. Apple ID In App Store Connect, an Apple ID refers to a decimal number that identifies your app. For example, the Apple ID for Apple Configurator is 1037126344. To see this in App Store Connect, navigate to the app record, select App Information on the left, and look for the Apple ID field. It’s a decimal number, usually around 10 digits long. You can also find this embedded in the App Store URL for the app. For example, the Apple Store URL for Apple Configurator is https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-configurator-2/id1037126344, which ends with its Apple ID. Note In some very obscure cases you might see this referred to as an Adam ID. Your app’s Apple ID is not used at runtime, but you may need to know it to accomplish administrative tasks. For example, most managed capability submission forms ask for your app’s Apple ID. Revision History 2026-03-05 Added the Apple Account and Apple ID sections. 2026-02-25 Added the Managed Capability Request ID and App Store Connect API Keys sections. Added UUID to the list of format. 2026-02-17 Corrected a minor formatting problem. 2026-01-06 First posted.
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Screentime API Main App + Shield Questions
I'm building an app that uses the Family Controls / Screen Time APIs (FamilyControls, ManagedSettings). My app has three targets, each with a distinct Bundle ID: Main App Shield Configuration Extension ShieldAction Extension All three have com.apple.developer.family-controls in their entitlements files, and they share an App Group. My question is about the distribution entitlement request form at developer.apple.com/contact/request/family-controls-distribution: does the form need to be submitted once per Bundle ID, or is a single submission for the main app sufficient to then enable Family Controls (Distribution) for the extension Bundle IDs in the developer portal as well? I've seen conflicting reports in other forum threads — some developers say one submission covers all targets, others say separate submissions are needed per Bundle ID. I've already submitted the main app, but now I am wondering whether I should submit one for each Shield extension. Thanks!
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Request for Guidance on Approval Process for Network Extension Entitlement
Dear Apple Developer Support Team, I am writing to inquire about the process for obtaining approval for the following entitlement in my iOS/macOS app: <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider</string> </array> Specifically, I would like guidance on: The steps required to submit a request for this entitlement. Any necessary documentation or justification that needs to be provided to Apple. Typical review timelines and approval criteria. Any restrictions or compliance requirements associated with this entitlement. Our app intends to implement a content filtering functionality to enhance network security and user safety. We want to ensure full compliance with Apple’s policies and guidelines. Could you please provide detailed instructions or point us to the relevant resources to initiate this approval process? Thank you for your assistance.
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process.waitUntilExit never exits in tahoe 26.3
I have this code in my Virutalization application let process = Process() process.executableURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: "/usr/sbin/diskutil") process.arguments = ["image", "create", "blank", "--fs", "none", "--format", "ASIF", "--size", "2GiB", url.path ] try process.run() process.waitUntilExit() if process.terminationStatus == 0 { print("✅ Disk image creation succeeded.") } else { print("❌ Disk image creation failed with exit code \(process.terminationStatus)") } } catch { print("Process failed to launch: \(error.localizedDescription)") return } this code was working fine until Tahoe 26.2. with the update of 26.3 the system freezes at process.waitUntilExit() The code never exits and i get beech balls. This is working fine with intel macs. i am getting the problem in apple silicon m4 mac mini. Any help would be appreciated.
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NSMENUITEMTITLEABOUT, NSMENUITEMTITLE in menu bar when running iOS app on Mac
I have an iOS app that runs on Mac, in iPad mode. In the menubar, some subitems are improperly labelled, featuring NSMENUITEMTITLEABOUT or NSMENUITEMHIDE or NSMENUITEMTITLE instead. Looks like it cannot find the name of the app. I have tried to set display name to no avail. Or is it a localisation issue ? How to correct this ?
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SecurityAgent taking focus for plugin in macOS 26.1
We have a custom SecurityAgentPlugin that is triggered by multiple authorizationdb entries. Some customers report that the SecurityAgent process takes window focus even though no UI or windows are displayed. Our plugin explicitly ignores the _securityAgent user and does not show any UI for that user. However, in macOS 26.1, it appears that the plugin still causes the SecurityAgent to take focus as soon as it is triggered. Is this a change in macOS 26.1 or a bug? Can we do anything to prevent "focus stealing"?
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Apple Developer Program — Payment Charged But Enrollment Still Pending (5 Days)
I purchased the Apple Developer Program as an individual on March 1, 2026. My card was successfully charged C$119 + C$15 tax. Order number: W158933275. It has now been 4+ days (well past the stated 48-hour processing time) and my account at developer.apple.com/account still shows "Purchase your membership." I have not received any activation email or follow-up. I opened support case 102835143414 but have not received a response yet. Could an Apple team member please look into my account and help activate my membership? This is blocking my app development. Thank you.
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Ping without CFSockets
All of our uses of CFSockets have started causing crashes in iOS 16. They seem to be deprecated so we are trying to transition over to using the Network framework and NWConnection to try to fix the crashes. One of our uses of them is to ping a device on the local network to make sure it is there and online and provide a heartbeat status in logs as well as put the application into a disabled state if it is not available as it is critical to the functionality of the app. I know it is discouraged to disable any functionality based on the reachability of a resource but this is in an enterprise environment where the reachability of this device is mission critical. I've seen other people ask about the ability to ping with the Network framework and the answers I've found have said that this is not possible and pointed people to the SimplePing sample code but it turns out our existing ping code is already using this technique and it is crashing just like our other CFSocket usages, inside CFSocketInvalidate with the error BUG IN CLIENT OF LIBPLATFORM: Trying to recursively lock an os_unfair_lock. Is there any updated way to perform a ping without using the CFSocket APIs that now seem to be broken/unsupported on iOS 16?
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