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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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Local network access disabled after macOS restart
My application needs local network access. When it is started for the first time, the user gets a prompt to enable local network access (as expected). The application is then shown as enabled in Privacy & Security / Local Network and local network access is working. If macOS is then shutdown and restarted, local network access is blocked for the application even though it is still shown as enabled in Privacy & Security / Local Network. Local network access can be restored either by toggling permission off and on in Privacy & Security / Local Network or by disabling and enabling Wi-Fi. This behaviour is consistent on Sequoia 15.1. It happens sometimes on 15.0 and 15.0.1 but not every time. Is my application doing something wrong or is this a Sequoia issue? If it is a Sequoia issue, is there some change I can make to my application to work around it?
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3.6k
Jan ’26
Does URLSession support ticket-based TLS session resumption
My company has a server that supports ticket-based TLS session resumption (per RFC 5077). We have done Wireshark captures that show that our iOS client app, which uses URLSession for REST and WebSocket connections to the server, is not sending the TLS "session_ticket" extension in the Client Hello package that necessary to enable ticket-based resumption with the server. Is it expected that URLSession does not support ticket-based TLS session resumption? If "yes", is there any way to tell URLSession to enable ticket-based session resumption? the lower-level API set_protocol_options_set_tls_tickets_enabled() hints that the overall TLS / HTTP stack on IOS does support ticket-based resumption, but I can't see how to use that low-level API with URLSession. I can provide (lots) more technical details if necessary, but hopefully this is enough context to determine whether ticket-based TLS resumption is supported with URLSession. Any tips / clarifications would be greatly appreciated.
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734
Aug ’25
How to avoid my local server flows in Transparent App Proxy
I have written the Transparent App Proxy and can capture the network flow and send it to my local server. I want to avoid any processing on the traffic outgoing from my server and establish a connection with a remote server, but instead of connecting to the remote server, it again gets captured and sent back to my local server. I am not getting any clue on how to ignore these flows originating from my server. Any pointers, API, or mechanisms that will help me?
9
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341
Apr ’25
EAWiFiUnconfiguredAccessoryBrowser "Accessory Setup" UI selects blank/null SSID by default
We've received several reports of a new bug while setting up our products with WAC. The Accessory Setup UI appears with a blank network selected and the message 'This accessory will be set up to join "(null)".' at top. The user can tap "Show Other Networks..." to select another network, but this experience is very confusing. Why does this UI present a choice that is known to be invalid when other valid choices exist? I've captured a screenshot and sysdiagnose from this case. In most cases this problem happens only intermittently, but I can reproduce it consistently by disconnecting my iPhone from any WiFi network (WiFi remains enabled). My suggestion for a better user experience is that this UI should select the default network according to these rules: The network to which iPhone is currently connected. Any network which is in the known/my list for this iPhone Any valid network I believe rule #1 is the existing behavior, but applying rules #2 and #3 as fallbacks would be an improvement. Is there anything I can change in my iOS code or in my accessory's WAC server to improve this experience?
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303
Sep ’25
App Crashes on iOS 26 in Network.framework / boringssl – objc_release & memory corruption
Hello Apple Support Team, We are seeing a production crash on iOS 26 devices that appears to originate from Apple system frameworks rather than application code. 1. Crash Details OS Version: iOS 26.x App built with: Xcode 16 Devices: Multiple models (not device-specific) Exception Type: SIGSEGV SEGV_ACCERR Fault Address: 0x0000000000000100 Crashed Thread: 4 (network background queue) Crash trace summary: Last Exception : 0 libobjc.A.dylib _objc_release_x8 + 8 1 libboringssl.dylib _nw_protocol_boringssl_deallocate_options + 92 2 Network 0x000000019695207c 0x00000001968dc000 + 483452 3 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 4 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 5 Network 0x0000000196951f6c 0x00000001968dc000 + 483180 6 Network 0x0000000196952000 0x00000001968dc000 + 483328 7 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 8 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 9 libswiftCore.dylib void multiPayloadEnumFN<&handleRefCountsDestroy>(swift::TargetMetadata<swift::InProcess> const*, swift::LayoutStringReader1&, unsigned long&, unsigned char*) + 248 10 libswiftCore.dylib swift::swift_cvw_arrayDestroy(swift::OpaqueValue*, unsigned long, unsigned long, swift::TargetMetadata<swift::InProcess> const*) + 1172 11 libswiftCore.dylib _$sSp12deinitialize5countSvSi_tF + 40 12 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 1236 13 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 388 14 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 1044 15 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 16 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 17 Network 0x000000019695f9fc 0x00000001968dc000 + 539132 18 Network 0x000000019695f9bc 0x00000001968dc000 + 539068 19 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 20 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 21 libswiftCore.dylib swift_cvw_destroyImpl(swift::OpaqueValue*, swift::TargetMetadata<swift::InProcess> const*) + 212 22 Network 0x0000000196def5d8 0x00000001968dc000 + 5322200 23 Network 0x0000000196ded130 0x00000001968dc000 + 5312816 24 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 25 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 26 Network 0x000000019695fde0 0x00000001968dc000 + 540128 27 libobjc.A.dylib object_cxxDestructFromClass(objc_object*, objc_class*) + 116 28 libobjc.A.dylib objc_destructInstance_nonnull_realized(objc_object*) + 76 29 libobjc.A.dylib __objc_rootDealloc + 72 30 Network 0x000000019695f99c 0x00000001968dc000 + 539036 31 Network 0x000000019695fae4 0x00000001968dc000 + 539364 32 Network 0x0000000196b078b8 0x00000001968dc000 + 2275512 33 libobjc.A.dylib object_cxxDestructFromClass(objc_object*, objc_class*) + 116 34 libobjc.A.dylib objc_destructInstance_nonnull_realized(objc_object*) + 76 35 libobjc.A.dylib __objc_rootDealloc + 72 36 Network 0x0000000196b07658 0x00000001968dc000 + 2274904 37 Network 0x00000001968e51d4 nw_queue_context_async_if_needed + 92 38 Network 0x0000000197686ea0 0x00000001968dc000 + 14331552 39 libswiftCore.dylib swift::swift_cvw_arrayDestroy(swift::OpaqueValue*, unsigned long, unsigned long, swift::TargetMetadata<swift::InProcess> const*) + 436 40 libswiftCore.dylib _$sSp12deinitialize5countSvSi_tF + 40 41 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 1236 42 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 388 43 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 1044 44 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 45 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 46 Network 0x000000019694a010 0x00000001968dc000 + 450576 47 libobjc.A.dylib object_cxxDestructFromClass(objc_object*, objc_class*) + 116 48 libobjc.A.dylib objc_destructInstance_nonnull_realized(objc_object*) + 76 49 libobjc.A.dylib __objc_rootDealloc + 72 50 Network 0x0000000196a330e0 0x00000001968dc000 + 1405152 51 Network 0x00000001974378e0 0x00000001968dc000 + 11909344 52 Network 0x0000000196a17178 0x00000001968dc000 + 1290616 53 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_call_block_and_release + 32 54 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_client_callout + 16 55 libdispatch.dylib _dispatch_workloop_invoke.cold.4 + 32 56 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_workloop_invoke + 1980 57 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_root_queue_drain_deferred_wlh + 292 58 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_workloop_worker_thread + 692 59 libsystem_pthread.dylib __pthread_wqthread + 292 ------ Exception Type: SIGSEGV SEGV_ACCERR Exception Codes: fault addr: 0x0000000000000100 Crashed Thread: 4 2. Behavior & Context The crash occurs during normal HTTPS networking using standard URLSession (no direct usage of Network.framework nor boringssl APIs). It appears to be triggered during QUIC connection establishment or TLS fallback. The stack trace contains no application code frames — all symbols are from system libraries. The crash strongly indicates double-free, over-release, or dangling pointer inside nw_protocol_boringssl_options deallocation. 3. Questions for Apple Is this a known issue in iOS 26 within Network.framework / boringssl related to nw_protocol_boringssl_deallocate_options? What is the root cause of the over‑release / invalid objc_release in this path? Is there a workaround we can implement from the app side (e.g., disabling QUIC, adjusting TLS settings, or queue configuration)? Do you have a target iOS version or patch where this issue will be fixed? We can provide full crash logs and additional metrics upon request. 4. Additional Information Developed using Swift 5, with a deployment target of iOS 12+. Thank you for your support.
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147
Mar ’26
Is it allowed for a third-party iOS app to query time.apple.com (NTP/SNTP)? Any official usage guidance / rate limits?
I’m developing an iOS idle game (guild management). To detect manual device time changes that would break progression, I need a trusted “current real-world time” reference. I’m considering querying Apple’s NTP host time.apple.com, but I couldn’t find any official guidance about whether third-party apps may use time.apple.com directly (acceptable use, rate limits, whether it’s discouraged, etc.). Apple Developer Support couldn’t provide info and suggested asking on the forums. Questions: 1. Is it permitted for a third-party iOS app to query time.apple.com via NTP/SNTP (Yes/No or conditional)? 2. If permitted, are there any published or recommended constraints (rate limits, caching, prohibited patterns, commercial app considerations)? 3. If not permitted / not recommended, what is the recommended alternative approach (run our own time service, use public NTP pool, or any Apple-recommended mechanism)? 4. If there is any official document / policy covering this, could you point me to it? For context: I do not need sub-second accuracy and I do not intend high-frequency polling. If implemented at all, it would be very low frequency (e.g., first launch + once per 24h) with caching and graceful fallback on failure. My main goal is policy clarity rather than implementation details.
2
0
143
Jan ’26
iOS App udp and local network permission
Recently, my application was having trouble sending udp messages after it was reinstalled. The cause of the problem was initially that I did not grant local network permissions when I reinstalled, I was aware of the problem, so udp worked fine after I granted permissions. However, the next time I repeat the previous operation, I also do not grant local network permissions, and then turn it back on in the Settings, and udp does not work properly (no messages can be sent, the system version and code have not changed). Fortunately, udp worked after rebooting the phone, and more importantly, I was able to repeat the problem many times. So I want to know if the process between when I re-uninstall the app and deny local network permissions, and when I turn it back on in Settings, is that permissions have been granted normally, and not fake, and not required a reboot to reset something for udp to take effect. I'm not sure if it's the system, or if it's a similar situation as described here, hopefully that will help me find out
5
2
1.4k
Jun ’25
Connection drops while using Content Filter & App Proxy Provider
I have a network extension that hosts a NEFilterDataProvider & NETransparentProxyProvider. One of the use case that this caters to is : Proxy some flows (depending on originating app) while Content filter is also filtering flows based on business logic. The issue I am running into happens when FilterDataProvider sees a flow & responds with filterDataVerdict(withFilterInbound: false, peekInboundBytes: 0, filterOutbound: true, peekOutboundBytes:1024 to handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEFilterFlow) [wants to peek more bytes on outbound connection before making a decision] TransparentProxyProvider sees the flow & responds with NO to handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEAppProxyFlow) as it is not interested in in proxying that flow. When this occurs, we see connection being dropped by kernel. I wanted to know if this is expected behavior. Logs when this occurs: 2026-02-06 14:57:09.725854-0600 0x17c918f Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] [Extension com.test.network]: provider rejected new flow TCP headless_shell[{length = 20, bytes = 0xe69023e655b6065e1a2f94fa508807fa43f6ac8a}] remote: 100.72.0.3:443 interface utun9 2026-02-06 14:57:09.725874-0600 0x17ca166 Debug 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] New flow verdict for D89B5B5D-793C-4940-D955-37BE33F18005: drop = NO remediate = NO needRules = NO shouldReport = YES pause = NO urlAppendString = NO filterInbound = NO peekInboundBytes = 0 filterOutbound = YES peekOutboundBytes = 1024 statisticsReportFrequency = low 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726009-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Closing reads (sending SHUT_WR), closed by plugin (flow error: 0) 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726028-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Closing writes, sending SHUT_RD 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726040-0600 0x17ca24a Debug 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Dropping the director 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726047-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Destroying, client tx 0, client rx 0, kernel rx 0, kernel tx 0 I wanted to know how neagent is handling this when for a flow, filterDataProvider wants to look at the traffic while transparentProxy is not interested in handling that flow
3
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127
Feb ’26
App Extension Network Extension - failed to start, signature check failed
Howdy, I've been developing a packet tunnel extension meant to run on iOS and MacOS. For development I'm using xcodegen + xcodebuild to assemble a bunch of swift and rust code together. I'm moving from direct TUN device management on Mac to shipping a Network Extension (appex). With that move I noticed that on some mac laptops NE fails to start completely, whilst on others everything works fine. I'm using CODE_SIGN_STYLE: Automatic, Apple IDs are within the same team, all devices are registered as dev devices. Signing dev certificates, managed by xcode. Some suspicious logs: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] Signature check failed: code failed to satisfy specified code requirement(s) ... (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] Provider is not signed with a Developer ID certificate What could be the issue? Where those inconsistencies across devices might come from?
8
0
319
Nov ’25
ios26 beta5 VPN Profile not installing
I have a custom VPN app that uses NETunnelProviderManager to install a VPN Profile if one is not already installed. On previous iOS versions this would open the VPN Settings and ask for either the PIN, FaceID or TouchID and install the profile. With iOS 26 beta5 it opens the VPN Settings and stops. Is this a bug in iOS 26? Have there been changes to NETunnelProviderManager for iOS 26 that I'm not aware of? FYI we do the samething on macOS 26 beta5 and that works as expected.
8
2
656
Aug ’25
Is it possible to scan for nearby WiFi networks and connect to a device in AP mode on iOS?
In our iOS application, we need to list available WiFi networks so that users can select one for device configuration. Here's the workflow: Initially, the hardware device acts as a WiFi Access Point (AP). The app should scan for nearby WiFi networks to detect the device's AP. The app connects temporarily to this AP and sends the selected WiFi credentials to the device. The device then connects to the selected WiFi network and stops broadcasting its AP. Is this flow achievable on iOS? We understand that Apple restricts access to WiFi scanning APIs — are there any supported methods (e.g., using NEHotspotHelper) or entitlements (such as MFi) that could enable this?
2
2
152
Jun ’25
Archived app failing to get root certificates for SSL websocket connection
I've had a Unreal Engine project that uses libwebsocket to make a websocket connection with SSL to a server. Recently I made a build using Unreal Engine 5.4.4 on MacOS Sequoia 15.5 and XCode 16.4 and for some reason the websocket connection now fails because it can't get the local issuer certificate. It fails to access the root certificate store on my device (Even though, running the project in the Unreal Editor works fine, it's only when making a packaged build with XCode that it breaks) I am not sure why this is suddenly happening now. If I run it in the Unreal editor on my macOS it works fine and connects. But when I make a packaged build which uses XCode to build, it can't get the local issuer certificate. I tried different code signing options, such as sign to run locally or just using sign automatically with a valid team, but I'm not sure if code signing is the cause of this issue or not. This app is only for development and not meant to be published, so that's why I had been using sign to run locally, and that used to work fine but not anymore. Any guidance would be appreciated, also any information on what may have changed that now causes this certificate issue to happen. I know Apple made changes and has made notarizing MacOS apps mandatory, but I'm not sure if that also means a non-notarized app will now no longer have access to the root certificate store of a device, in my research I haven't found anything about that specifically, but I'm wondering if any Apple engineers might know something about this that hasn't been put out publicly.
6
0
171
Nov ’25
IPhone fails to connect with Xcode in presence of multiple WebContentFilters
I am facing an intermittent problem where iPhones are failing to pair/connect with Xcode under Xcode -> Windows -> Devices and Simulators. This happens when more than one web content filters are present, for instance, I have my web content filter (FilterSockets true, FilterGrade Firewall) and there is also Sentinel One web content filter with same configuration. Note: We are not blocking any flow from remoted / remotepairingd / core device service / MDRemoteServiceSupport etc processes. But they do get paused and resumed at times for our internal traffic verification logic. So, we are trying to understand what impact our content filter may be having on this iPhone Pairing?? If we stop either one of the filters the problem goes away. I have tracked the network traffic to the phone, and it seems to be using a ethernet interface (en5/en10) over the USB-C cable. I can see endpoints like this: localEndpoint = fe80::7:afff:fea1:edb8%en5.54442 remoteEndpoint = fe80::7:afff:fea1:ed47%en5.49813 I also see remoted process has the below ports open : sudo lsof -nP -iTCP -iUDP | grep remoted remoted 376 root 4u IPv6 0xce4a89bddba37bce 0t0 TCP [fe80:15::7:afff:fea1:edb8]:57395->[fe80:15::7:afff:fea1:ed47]:58783 (ESTABLISHED) remoted 376 root 6u IPv6 0xf20811f6922613c7 0t0 TCP [fe80:15::7:afff:fea1:edb8]:57396 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 7u IPv6 0x2c393a52251fcc56 0t0 TCP [fe80:15::7:afff:fea1:edb8]:57397 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 8u IPv6 0xcb9c311b0ec1d6a0 0t0 TCP [fd6e:8a96:a57d::2]:57398 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 9u IPv6 0xc582859e0623fe4e 0t0 TCP [fd6e:8a96:a57d::2]:57399 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 10u IPv6 0x2f7d9cee24a44c5b 0t0 TCP [fd6e:8a96:a57d::2]:57400->[fd6e:8a96:a57d::1]:60448 (ESTABLISHED) remoted 376 root 11u IPv6 0xbdb7003643659de 0t0 TCP [fd07:2e7e:2a83::2]:57419 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 12u IPv6 0x569a5b649ff8f957 0t0 TCP [fd07:2e7e:2a83::2]:57420 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 13u IPv6 0xa034657978a7da29 0t0 TCP [fd07:2e7e:2a83::2]:57421->[fd07:2e7e:2a83::1]:61729 (ESTABLISHED) But due to the dynamic nature of port and IPs used we are not able to decide on an effective early bypass NEFilterRule. We don't want to use a very broad bypass criteria like all link local IPs etc. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
1
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26
6h
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)
5
1
240
3w
URLCache behavior for request with different header values
Greetings, I would like to understand this URLCache behavior for two different requests to the same end point but with a different header value. Here is a code with comment explaining the behavior. // Create a request to for a url. let url = URL(string: "https://&lt;my url&gt;?f=json")! var request = URLRequest(url: url) // Set custom header with a value. request.setValue("myvalue", forHTTPHeaderField: "CustomField") // Send request to get the response. let (data, response) = try await URLSession.shared.data(for: request) print("data: \(String(describing: String(data: data, encoding: .utf8)))") print("response: \(response)") // Create second request to the same url but with different value of custom header field. var request2 = URLRequest(url: url) request2.setValue("newvalue", forHTTPHeaderField: "CustomField") // Check the URL cache for second request and it returns the response // of the first request even though the second request has different header value. let cachedResponse = URLCache.shared.cachedResponse(for: request2) print("cachedResponse: \(cachedResponse?.response)") Is this a bug in URLCache that request headers are not matched while returning the response? Is this an expected behavior? If yes, why?
8
2
1.7k
Aug ’25
Internal error, NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain
Hello eveybody,Currently I'm working on an app which connects to a device. During testing I encounter an internal error of NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain. See the log snippet:Domain=NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain Code=8 "internal error." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=internal error.}This error appears randomly. In one day I encountered it three times. The only solution I can think of is catching this error somehow and then telling the user to restart the device.After this error appears, the wifi functionality of iOS in all third party apps seems to be broken. Only restarting helps as far as I know. Also there seems to be nothing we as app developers can do about it. Therefor I wonder if there is some way to prevent this error somehow? The only solution I can think of is catching this error somehow and then telling the user to restart the device.Also since there is not much information about this error on the web, it would be really nice if someone can clarify whats going on with this error.Regards.
16
0
10k
Jan ’26
macOS 26 (Tahoe) lacks Wi‑Fi Aware support — any roadmap or plans?
Hello all, WWDC 2025 introduced Wi‑Fi Aware (NAN) support on iOS 26 for peer-to-peer discovery and direct connections, but I noticed macOS Tahoe doesn’t include it. I couldn’t find any references to Wi‑Fi Aware APIs or framework support in the macOS SDK. Is Apple planning to bring Wi‑Fi Aware to macOS? If so, will this come in a future update to macOS 26 (e.g., 26.x), or is it deferred to macOS 27 or beyond? Thanks for any insights!
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314
Aug ’25
Network issues in macOS 26.4 (25E5218f)
Since updating to macOS 26.4 developerbeta 2 I've been getting full loss of dns resolution. I am not running a VPN or any network extensions that I am aware of. I'm not sure how to report this in the feedback utility as I cannot find an appropriate category for it. Happy to file it if someone can give an appropriate suggestion - the closest I could see was Wi-Fi but that wanted Wi-Fi logs for the issue, which I do not believe to be needed as this is not a Wi-Fi connectivity issue. Running dig example.com +short nslookup example.com ping example.com Gives the following output 104.18.27.120 104.18.26.120 Server: 10.0.1.1 Address: 10.0.1.1#53 \ Non-authoritative answer: Name: example.com Address: 104.18.26.120 Name: example.com Address: 104.18.27.120 \ ping: cannot resolve example.com: Unknown host This shows it's not an issue with my local network and that core networking is working, but something in the mDNSResponder/dns stack of macOS is failing. This causes all apps/browsers that do not implement their own DNS lookups to fail (Chrome still works). Sometimes the issue clears after running the following commands (for a period), sometimes it does not. A restart always resolves the issue temporarily. sudo killall -9 mDNSResponder sudo killall -9 mDNSResponderHelper sudo dscacheutil -flushcache sudo ifconfig en0 down sudo ifconfig en0 up
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1
295
3w
Internet is blocked when `includeAllNetworks` is enabled and `NEHotspotHelper` is registered
Hello, We are facing what we believe is a compatibility issue with two networking APIs. If the Network extension VPN configuration has includeAllNetworks flag enabled and the NEHotspotHelper is registered. The user has internet connection but it is blocked, and there user will get internet back only after restarting the device. VPN Configuration is as below while connecting to VPN, { localizedDescription = WLVPN WireGuard Configuration enabled = YES protocolConfiguration = { serverAddress = <18-char-str> passwordReference = {length = 20, bytes = 0x67656e70ed0d05c06b1b4896bf4fef2031e1a92d} disconnectOnSleep = NO includeAllNetworks = YES excludeLocalNetworks = YES excludeCellularServices = YES excludeAPNs = YES excludeDeviceCommunication = YES enforceRoutes = NO providerBundleIdentifier = com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.network-extension } onDemandEnabled = NO onDemandRules = () } After running the code shown below. Regardless if the VPN is connected or not, the user needs to restart his device to regain internet access. private let neHelperQueue = DispatchQueue(label: "com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.hotspot", attributes: DispatchQueue.Attributes.concurrent) let options: [String: NSObject] = [kNEHotspotHelperOptionDisplayName : "" as NSObject] let status = NEHotspotHelper.register(options: nil, queue: neHelperQueue) { cmd in NSLog("Received command: \(cmd.commandType.rawValue)") } We need to use the includeAllNetworks flag to prevent the novel "Tunnel vision" vulnerability. Can we please have some help getting confirmation if both functionalities are compatible or if there's a way to enable them at the same time?
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1
644
3w
Get UDP/TCP Payload for NWConnections?
Is it somehow possible to get the transport layer (UDP and TCP) payload amounts for TLS or QUIC connections established via the Network framework? (From within the app itself that establishes the connections.) I am currently using the ntstat.h kernel socket calls, but I hope there is a simpler solution. With ntstat, I have not yet been able to observe a specific connection. I have to search for the connection I am looking in all (userspace) connections.
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124
3w
Local network access disabled after macOS restart
My application needs local network access. When it is started for the first time, the user gets a prompt to enable local network access (as expected). The application is then shown as enabled in Privacy & Security / Local Network and local network access is working. If macOS is then shutdown and restarted, local network access is blocked for the application even though it is still shown as enabled in Privacy & Security / Local Network. Local network access can be restored either by toggling permission off and on in Privacy & Security / Local Network or by disabling and enabling Wi-Fi. This behaviour is consistent on Sequoia 15.1. It happens sometimes on 15.0 and 15.0.1 but not every time. Is my application doing something wrong or is this a Sequoia issue? If it is a Sequoia issue, is there some change I can make to my application to work around it?
Replies
27
Boosts
2
Views
3.6k
Activity
Jan ’26
Does URLSession support ticket-based TLS session resumption
My company has a server that supports ticket-based TLS session resumption (per RFC 5077). We have done Wireshark captures that show that our iOS client app, which uses URLSession for REST and WebSocket connections to the server, is not sending the TLS "session_ticket" extension in the Client Hello package that necessary to enable ticket-based resumption with the server. Is it expected that URLSession does not support ticket-based TLS session resumption? If "yes", is there any way to tell URLSession to enable ticket-based session resumption? the lower-level API set_protocol_options_set_tls_tickets_enabled() hints that the overall TLS / HTTP stack on IOS does support ticket-based resumption, but I can't see how to use that low-level API with URLSession. I can provide (lots) more technical details if necessary, but hopefully this is enough context to determine whether ticket-based TLS resumption is supported with URLSession. Any tips / clarifications would be greatly appreciated.
Replies
6
Boosts
2
Views
734
Activity
Aug ’25
How to avoid my local server flows in Transparent App Proxy
I have written the Transparent App Proxy and can capture the network flow and send it to my local server. I want to avoid any processing on the traffic outgoing from my server and establish a connection with a remote server, but instead of connecting to the remote server, it again gets captured and sent back to my local server. I am not getting any clue on how to ignore these flows originating from my server. Any pointers, API, or mechanisms that will help me?
Replies
9
Boosts
2
Views
341
Activity
Apr ’25
EAWiFiUnconfiguredAccessoryBrowser "Accessory Setup" UI selects blank/null SSID by default
We've received several reports of a new bug while setting up our products with WAC. The Accessory Setup UI appears with a blank network selected and the message 'This accessory will be set up to join "(null)".' at top. The user can tap "Show Other Networks..." to select another network, but this experience is very confusing. Why does this UI present a choice that is known to be invalid when other valid choices exist? I've captured a screenshot and sysdiagnose from this case. In most cases this problem happens only intermittently, but I can reproduce it consistently by disconnecting my iPhone from any WiFi network (WiFi remains enabled). My suggestion for a better user experience is that this UI should select the default network according to these rules: The network to which iPhone is currently connected. Any network which is in the known/my list for this iPhone Any valid network I believe rule #1 is the existing behavior, but applying rules #2 and #3 as fallbacks would be an improvement. Is there anything I can change in my iOS code or in my accessory's WAC server to improve this experience?
Replies
4
Boosts
0
Views
303
Activity
Sep ’25
App Crashes on iOS 26 in Network.framework / boringssl – objc_release & memory corruption
Hello Apple Support Team, We are seeing a production crash on iOS 26 devices that appears to originate from Apple system frameworks rather than application code. 1. Crash Details OS Version: iOS 26.x App built with: Xcode 16 Devices: Multiple models (not device-specific) Exception Type: SIGSEGV SEGV_ACCERR Fault Address: 0x0000000000000100 Crashed Thread: 4 (network background queue) Crash trace summary: Last Exception : 0 libobjc.A.dylib _objc_release_x8 + 8 1 libboringssl.dylib _nw_protocol_boringssl_deallocate_options + 92 2 Network 0x000000019695207c 0x00000001968dc000 + 483452 3 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 4 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 5 Network 0x0000000196951f6c 0x00000001968dc000 + 483180 6 Network 0x0000000196952000 0x00000001968dc000 + 483328 7 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 8 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 9 libswiftCore.dylib void multiPayloadEnumFN<&handleRefCountsDestroy>(swift::TargetMetadata<swift::InProcess> const*, swift::LayoutStringReader1&, unsigned long&, unsigned char*) + 248 10 libswiftCore.dylib swift::swift_cvw_arrayDestroy(swift::OpaqueValue*, unsigned long, unsigned long, swift::TargetMetadata<swift::InProcess> const*) + 1172 11 libswiftCore.dylib _$sSp12deinitialize5countSvSi_tF + 40 12 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 1236 13 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 388 14 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 1044 15 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 16 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 17 Network 0x000000019695f9fc 0x00000001968dc000 + 539132 18 Network 0x000000019695f9bc 0x00000001968dc000 + 539068 19 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 20 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 21 libswiftCore.dylib swift_cvw_destroyImpl(swift::OpaqueValue*, swift::TargetMetadata<swift::InProcess> const*) + 212 22 Network 0x0000000196def5d8 0x00000001968dc000 + 5322200 23 Network 0x0000000196ded130 0x00000001968dc000 + 5312816 24 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 25 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 26 Network 0x000000019695fde0 0x00000001968dc000 + 540128 27 libobjc.A.dylib object_cxxDestructFromClass(objc_object*, objc_class*) + 116 28 libobjc.A.dylib objc_destructInstance_nonnull_realized(objc_object*) + 76 29 libobjc.A.dylib __objc_rootDealloc + 72 30 Network 0x000000019695f99c 0x00000001968dc000 + 539036 31 Network 0x000000019695fae4 0x00000001968dc000 + 539364 32 Network 0x0000000196b078b8 0x00000001968dc000 + 2275512 33 libobjc.A.dylib object_cxxDestructFromClass(objc_object*, objc_class*) + 116 34 libobjc.A.dylib objc_destructInstance_nonnull_realized(objc_object*) + 76 35 libobjc.A.dylib __objc_rootDealloc + 72 36 Network 0x0000000196b07658 0x00000001968dc000 + 2274904 37 Network 0x00000001968e51d4 nw_queue_context_async_if_needed + 92 38 Network 0x0000000197686ea0 0x00000001968dc000 + 14331552 39 libswiftCore.dylib swift::swift_cvw_arrayDestroy(swift::OpaqueValue*, unsigned long, unsigned long, swift::TargetMetadata<swift::InProcess> const*) + 436 40 libswiftCore.dylib _$sSp12deinitialize5countSvSi_tF + 40 41 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 1236 42 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 388 43 CollectionsInternal ___swift_instantiateGenericMetadata + 1044 44 libswiftCore.dylib __swift_release_dealloc + 56 45 libswiftCore.dylib bool swift::RefCounts<swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1> >::doDecrementSlow<(swift::PerformDeinit)1>(swift::RefCountBitsT<(swift::RefCountInlinedness)1>, unsigned int) + 152 46 Network 0x000000019694a010 0x00000001968dc000 + 450576 47 libobjc.A.dylib object_cxxDestructFromClass(objc_object*, objc_class*) + 116 48 libobjc.A.dylib objc_destructInstance_nonnull_realized(objc_object*) + 76 49 libobjc.A.dylib __objc_rootDealloc + 72 50 Network 0x0000000196a330e0 0x00000001968dc000 + 1405152 51 Network 0x00000001974378e0 0x00000001968dc000 + 11909344 52 Network 0x0000000196a17178 0x00000001968dc000 + 1290616 53 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_call_block_and_release + 32 54 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_client_callout + 16 55 libdispatch.dylib _dispatch_workloop_invoke.cold.4 + 32 56 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_workloop_invoke + 1980 57 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_root_queue_drain_deferred_wlh + 292 58 libdispatch.dylib __dispatch_workloop_worker_thread + 692 59 libsystem_pthread.dylib __pthread_wqthread + 292 ------ Exception Type: SIGSEGV SEGV_ACCERR Exception Codes: fault addr: 0x0000000000000100 Crashed Thread: 4 2. Behavior & Context The crash occurs during normal HTTPS networking using standard URLSession (no direct usage of Network.framework nor boringssl APIs). It appears to be triggered during QUIC connection establishment or TLS fallback. The stack trace contains no application code frames — all symbols are from system libraries. The crash strongly indicates double-free, over-release, or dangling pointer inside nw_protocol_boringssl_options deallocation. 3. Questions for Apple Is this a known issue in iOS 26 within Network.framework / boringssl related to nw_protocol_boringssl_deallocate_options? What is the root cause of the over‑release / invalid objc_release in this path? Is there a workaround we can implement from the app side (e.g., disabling QUIC, adjusting TLS settings, or queue configuration)? Do you have a target iOS version or patch where this issue will be fixed? We can provide full crash logs and additional metrics upon request. 4. Additional Information Developed using Swift 5, with a deployment target of iOS 12+. Thank you for your support.
Replies
1
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2
Views
147
Activity
Mar ’26
Is it allowed for a third-party iOS app to query time.apple.com (NTP/SNTP)? Any official usage guidance / rate limits?
I’m developing an iOS idle game (guild management). To detect manual device time changes that would break progression, I need a trusted “current real-world time” reference. I’m considering querying Apple’s NTP host time.apple.com, but I couldn’t find any official guidance about whether third-party apps may use time.apple.com directly (acceptable use, rate limits, whether it’s discouraged, etc.). Apple Developer Support couldn’t provide info and suggested asking on the forums. Questions: 1. Is it permitted for a third-party iOS app to query time.apple.com via NTP/SNTP (Yes/No or conditional)? 2. If permitted, are there any published or recommended constraints (rate limits, caching, prohibited patterns, commercial app considerations)? 3. If not permitted / not recommended, what is the recommended alternative approach (run our own time service, use public NTP pool, or any Apple-recommended mechanism)? 4. If there is any official document / policy covering this, could you point me to it? For context: I do not need sub-second accuracy and I do not intend high-frequency polling. If implemented at all, it would be very low frequency (e.g., first launch + once per 24h) with caching and graceful fallback on failure. My main goal is policy clarity rather than implementation details.
Replies
2
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0
Views
143
Activity
Jan ’26
iOS App udp and local network permission
Recently, my application was having trouble sending udp messages after it was reinstalled. The cause of the problem was initially that I did not grant local network permissions when I reinstalled, I was aware of the problem, so udp worked fine after I granted permissions. However, the next time I repeat the previous operation, I also do not grant local network permissions, and then turn it back on in the Settings, and udp does not work properly (no messages can be sent, the system version and code have not changed). Fortunately, udp worked after rebooting the phone, and more importantly, I was able to repeat the problem many times. So I want to know if the process between when I re-uninstall the app and deny local network permissions, and when I turn it back on in Settings, is that permissions have been granted normally, and not fake, and not required a reboot to reset something for udp to take effect. I'm not sure if it's the system, or if it's a similar situation as described here, hopefully that will help me find out
Replies
5
Boosts
2
Views
1.4k
Activity
Jun ’25
Connection drops while using Content Filter & App Proxy Provider
I have a network extension that hosts a NEFilterDataProvider & NETransparentProxyProvider. One of the use case that this caters to is : Proxy some flows (depending on originating app) while Content filter is also filtering flows based on business logic. The issue I am running into happens when FilterDataProvider sees a flow & responds with filterDataVerdict(withFilterInbound: false, peekInboundBytes: 0, filterOutbound: true, peekOutboundBytes:1024 to handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEFilterFlow) [wants to peek more bytes on outbound connection before making a decision] TransparentProxyProvider sees the flow & responds with NO to handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEAppProxyFlow) as it is not interested in in proxying that flow. When this occurs, we see connection being dropped by kernel. I wanted to know if this is expected behavior. Logs when this occurs: 2026-02-06 14:57:09.725854-0600 0x17c918f Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] [Extension com.test.network]: provider rejected new flow TCP headless_shell[{length = 20, bytes = 0xe69023e655b6065e1a2f94fa508807fa43f6ac8a}] remote: 100.72.0.3:443 interface utun9 2026-02-06 14:57:09.725874-0600 0x17ca166 Debug 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] New flow verdict for D89B5B5D-793C-4940-D955-37BE33F18005: drop = NO remediate = NO needRules = NO shouldReport = YES pause = NO urlAppendString = NO filterInbound = NO peekInboundBytes = 0 filterOutbound = YES peekOutboundBytes = 1024 statisticsReportFrequency = low 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726009-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Closing reads (sending SHUT_WR), closed by plugin (flow error: 0) 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726028-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Closing writes, sending SHUT_RD 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726040-0600 0x17ca24a Debug 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Dropping the director 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726047-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Destroying, client tx 0, client rx 0, kernel rx 0, kernel tx 0 I wanted to know how neagent is handling this when for a flow, filterDataProvider wants to look at the traffic while transparentProxy is not interested in handling that flow
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
127
Activity
Feb ’26
App Extension Network Extension - failed to start, signature check failed
Howdy, I've been developing a packet tunnel extension meant to run on iOS and MacOS. For development I'm using xcodegen + xcodebuild to assemble a bunch of swift and rust code together. I'm moving from direct TUN device management on Mac to shipping a Network Extension (appex). With that move I noticed that on some mac laptops NE fails to start completely, whilst on others everything works fine. I'm using CODE_SIGN_STYLE: Automatic, Apple IDs are within the same team, all devices are registered as dev devices. Signing dev certificates, managed by xcode. Some suspicious logs: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] Signature check failed: code failed to satisfy specified code requirement(s) ... (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] Provider is not signed with a Developer ID certificate What could be the issue? Where those inconsistencies across devices might come from?
Replies
8
Boosts
0
Views
319
Activity
Nov ’25
ios26 beta5 VPN Profile not installing
I have a custom VPN app that uses NETunnelProviderManager to install a VPN Profile if one is not already installed. On previous iOS versions this would open the VPN Settings and ask for either the PIN, FaceID or TouchID and install the profile. With iOS 26 beta5 it opens the VPN Settings and stops. Is this a bug in iOS 26? Have there been changes to NETunnelProviderManager for iOS 26 that I'm not aware of? FYI we do the samething on macOS 26 beta5 and that works as expected.
Replies
8
Boosts
2
Views
656
Activity
Aug ’25
Is it possible to scan for nearby WiFi networks and connect to a device in AP mode on iOS?
In our iOS application, we need to list available WiFi networks so that users can select one for device configuration. Here's the workflow: Initially, the hardware device acts as a WiFi Access Point (AP). The app should scan for nearby WiFi networks to detect the device's AP. The app connects temporarily to this AP and sends the selected WiFi credentials to the device. The device then connects to the selected WiFi network and stops broadcasting its AP. Is this flow achievable on iOS? We understand that Apple restricts access to WiFi scanning APIs — are there any supported methods (e.g., using NEHotspotHelper) or entitlements (such as MFi) that could enable this?
Replies
2
Boosts
2
Views
152
Activity
Jun ’25
Archived app failing to get root certificates for SSL websocket connection
I've had a Unreal Engine project that uses libwebsocket to make a websocket connection with SSL to a server. Recently I made a build using Unreal Engine 5.4.4 on MacOS Sequoia 15.5 and XCode 16.4 and for some reason the websocket connection now fails because it can't get the local issuer certificate. It fails to access the root certificate store on my device (Even though, running the project in the Unreal Editor works fine, it's only when making a packaged build with XCode that it breaks) I am not sure why this is suddenly happening now. If I run it in the Unreal editor on my macOS it works fine and connects. But when I make a packaged build which uses XCode to build, it can't get the local issuer certificate. I tried different code signing options, such as sign to run locally or just using sign automatically with a valid team, but I'm not sure if code signing is the cause of this issue or not. This app is only for development and not meant to be published, so that's why I had been using sign to run locally, and that used to work fine but not anymore. Any guidance would be appreciated, also any information on what may have changed that now causes this certificate issue to happen. I know Apple made changes and has made notarizing MacOS apps mandatory, but I'm not sure if that also means a non-notarized app will now no longer have access to the root certificate store of a device, in my research I haven't found anything about that specifically, but I'm wondering if any Apple engineers might know something about this that hasn't been put out publicly.
Replies
6
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0
Views
171
Activity
Nov ’25
IPhone fails to connect with Xcode in presence of multiple WebContentFilters
I am facing an intermittent problem where iPhones are failing to pair/connect with Xcode under Xcode -> Windows -> Devices and Simulators. This happens when more than one web content filters are present, for instance, I have my web content filter (FilterSockets true, FilterGrade Firewall) and there is also Sentinel One web content filter with same configuration. Note: We are not blocking any flow from remoted / remotepairingd / core device service / MDRemoteServiceSupport etc processes. But they do get paused and resumed at times for our internal traffic verification logic. So, we are trying to understand what impact our content filter may be having on this iPhone Pairing?? If we stop either one of the filters the problem goes away. I have tracked the network traffic to the phone, and it seems to be using a ethernet interface (en5/en10) over the USB-C cable. I can see endpoints like this: localEndpoint = fe80::7:afff:fea1:edb8%en5.54442 remoteEndpoint = fe80::7:afff:fea1:ed47%en5.49813 I also see remoted process has the below ports open : sudo lsof -nP -iTCP -iUDP | grep remoted remoted 376 root 4u IPv6 0xce4a89bddba37bce 0t0 TCP [fe80:15::7:afff:fea1:edb8]:57395->[fe80:15::7:afff:fea1:ed47]:58783 (ESTABLISHED) remoted 376 root 6u IPv6 0xf20811f6922613c7 0t0 TCP [fe80:15::7:afff:fea1:edb8]:57396 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 7u IPv6 0x2c393a52251fcc56 0t0 TCP [fe80:15::7:afff:fea1:edb8]:57397 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 8u IPv6 0xcb9c311b0ec1d6a0 0t0 TCP [fd6e:8a96:a57d::2]:57398 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 9u IPv6 0xc582859e0623fe4e 0t0 TCP [fd6e:8a96:a57d::2]:57399 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 10u IPv6 0x2f7d9cee24a44c5b 0t0 TCP [fd6e:8a96:a57d::2]:57400->[fd6e:8a96:a57d::1]:60448 (ESTABLISHED) remoted 376 root 11u IPv6 0xbdb7003643659de 0t0 TCP [fd07:2e7e:2a83::2]:57419 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 12u IPv6 0x569a5b649ff8f957 0t0 TCP [fd07:2e7e:2a83::2]:57420 (LISTEN) remoted 376 root 13u IPv6 0xa034657978a7da29 0t0 TCP [fd07:2e7e:2a83::2]:57421->[fd07:2e7e:2a83::1]:61729 (ESTABLISHED) But due to the dynamic nature of port and IPs used we are not able to decide on an effective early bypass NEFilterRule. We don't want to use a very broad bypass criteria like all link local IPs etc. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Replies
1
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2
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26
Activity
6h
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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URLCache behavior for request with different header values
Greetings, I would like to understand this URLCache behavior for two different requests to the same end point but with a different header value. Here is a code with comment explaining the behavior. // Create a request to for a url. let url = URL(string: "https://&lt;my url&gt;?f=json")! var request = URLRequest(url: url) // Set custom header with a value. request.setValue("myvalue", forHTTPHeaderField: "CustomField") // Send request to get the response. let (data, response) = try await URLSession.shared.data(for: request) print("data: \(String(describing: String(data: data, encoding: .utf8)))") print("response: \(response)") // Create second request to the same url but with different value of custom header field. var request2 = URLRequest(url: url) request2.setValue("newvalue", forHTTPHeaderField: "CustomField") // Check the URL cache for second request and it returns the response // of the first request even though the second request has different header value. let cachedResponse = URLCache.shared.cachedResponse(for: request2) print("cachedResponse: \(cachedResponse?.response)") Is this a bug in URLCache that request headers are not matched while returning the response? Is this an expected behavior? If yes, why?
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Aug ’25
Internal error, NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain
Hello eveybody,Currently I'm working on an app which connects to a device. During testing I encounter an internal error of NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain. See the log snippet:Domain=NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain Code=8 "internal error." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=internal error.}This error appears randomly. In one day I encountered it three times. The only solution I can think of is catching this error somehow and then telling the user to restart the device.After this error appears, the wifi functionality of iOS in all third party apps seems to be broken. Only restarting helps as far as I know. Also there seems to be nothing we as app developers can do about it. Therefor I wonder if there is some way to prevent this error somehow? The only solution I can think of is catching this error somehow and then telling the user to restart the device.Also since there is not much information about this error on the web, it would be really nice if someone can clarify whats going on with this error.Regards.
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Jan ’26
macOS 26 (Tahoe) lacks Wi‑Fi Aware support — any roadmap or plans?
Hello all, WWDC 2025 introduced Wi‑Fi Aware (NAN) support on iOS 26 for peer-to-peer discovery and direct connections, but I noticed macOS Tahoe doesn’t include it. I couldn’t find any references to Wi‑Fi Aware APIs or framework support in the macOS SDK. Is Apple planning to bring Wi‑Fi Aware to macOS? If so, will this come in a future update to macOS 26 (e.g., 26.x), or is it deferred to macOS 27 or beyond? Thanks for any insights!
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Aug ’25
Network issues in macOS 26.4 (25E5218f)
Since updating to macOS 26.4 developerbeta 2 I've been getting full loss of dns resolution. I am not running a VPN or any network extensions that I am aware of. I'm not sure how to report this in the feedback utility as I cannot find an appropriate category for it. Happy to file it if someone can give an appropriate suggestion - the closest I could see was Wi-Fi but that wanted Wi-Fi logs for the issue, which I do not believe to be needed as this is not a Wi-Fi connectivity issue. Running dig example.com +short nslookup example.com ping example.com Gives the following output 104.18.27.120 104.18.26.120 Server: 10.0.1.1 Address: 10.0.1.1#53 \ Non-authoritative answer: Name: example.com Address: 104.18.26.120 Name: example.com Address: 104.18.27.120 \ ping: cannot resolve example.com: Unknown host This shows it's not an issue with my local network and that core networking is working, but something in the mDNSResponder/dns stack of macOS is failing. This causes all apps/browsers that do not implement their own DNS lookups to fail (Chrome still works). Sometimes the issue clears after running the following commands (for a period), sometimes it does not. A restart always resolves the issue temporarily. sudo killall -9 mDNSResponder sudo killall -9 mDNSResponderHelper sudo dscacheutil -flushcache sudo ifconfig en0 down sudo ifconfig en0 up
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Internet is blocked when `includeAllNetworks` is enabled and `NEHotspotHelper` is registered
Hello, We are facing what we believe is a compatibility issue with two networking APIs. If the Network extension VPN configuration has includeAllNetworks flag enabled and the NEHotspotHelper is registered. The user has internet connection but it is blocked, and there user will get internet back only after restarting the device. VPN Configuration is as below while connecting to VPN, { localizedDescription = WLVPN WireGuard Configuration enabled = YES protocolConfiguration = { serverAddress = <18-char-str> passwordReference = {length = 20, bytes = 0x67656e70ed0d05c06b1b4896bf4fef2031e1a92d} disconnectOnSleep = NO includeAllNetworks = YES excludeLocalNetworks = YES excludeCellularServices = YES excludeAPNs = YES excludeDeviceCommunication = YES enforceRoutes = NO providerBundleIdentifier = com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.network-extension } onDemandEnabled = NO onDemandRules = () } After running the code shown below. Regardless if the VPN is connected or not, the user needs to restart his device to regain internet access. private let neHelperQueue = DispatchQueue(label: "com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.hotspot", attributes: DispatchQueue.Attributes.concurrent) let options: [String: NSObject] = [kNEHotspotHelperOptionDisplayName : "" as NSObject] let status = NEHotspotHelper.register(options: nil, queue: neHelperQueue) { cmd in NSLog("Received command: \(cmd.commandType.rawValue)") } We need to use the includeAllNetworks flag to prevent the novel "Tunnel vision" vulnerability. Can we please have some help getting confirmation if both functionalities are compatible or if there's a way to enable them at the same time?
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Get UDP/TCP Payload for NWConnections?
Is it somehow possible to get the transport layer (UDP and TCP) payload amounts for TLS or QUIC connections established via the Network framework? (From within the app itself that establishes the connections.) I am currently using the ntstat.h kernel socket calls, but I hope there is a simpler solution. With ntstat, I have not yet been able to observe a specific connection. I have to search for the connection I am looking in all (userspace) connections.
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