Simulator: iPhone 16 pro (iOS 26) Minimum Deployments: iOS 16.0+, not iOS 17. Here is the demo: import SwiftUI import NetworkExtension struct ContentView: View { private var monitor = NWPathMonitor() var body: some View { VStack { Text("Hello, world!") } .task { let _ = URLSession.shared } } }

Question: What is the standard, most reliable way to manage temporary files associated with a URLSessionDownloadTask that has been terminated abnormally due to a network error or other issues? Details Hello, I'm currently developing a feature to download multiple files concurrently on iOS using URLSessionDownloadTask, and I have a question regarding the lifecycle of the temporary files created during this process. As I understand it, URLSessionDownloadTask stores incoming data in a temporary file within the tmp directory, typically with a name like CFNetworkDownload_*.tmp. In my testing, temporary files are managed correctly in the normal scenario. For instance, when I call the cancel() method on an active downloadTask and then release all references to it, the corresponding temporary file is automatically cleaned up from the tmp directory shortly after. However, the problem occurs when a download is interrupted abnormally due to external factors, such as a lost network connection. In this situation, the urlSession(_:task:didCompleteWithError:) delegate method is called, but the associated temporary file is not deleted and remains in the tmp directory. I've observed a particularly interesting behavior related to this. Immediately after the error occurs, if I check my app's storage usage in the iOS Settings app, the data size appears to have decreased momentarily. However, the tmp file has not actually been deleted, and after a short while, the storage usage is recalculated to include the size of this orphaned temporary file. Since my app does not support resuming interrupted downloads, these leftover files become orphaned and unnecessarily consume storage. Therefore, I want to ensure they are all reliably deleted. With this context, I'd like to ask the community: What is the standard, most reliable way to manage temporary files associated with a URLSessionDownloadTask that has been terminated abnormally due to a network error or other issues? I am wondering if there is an official guide or a framework-level API to handle these orphaned files. I would appreciate any advice from those with experience in this area. Thank you.

Hello, I have a question about developing an iOS app for general public. Can such an app use DNS Proxy Provider? The TN3134: Network Extension provider deployment article states that DNS Proxy Provider has the following restriction: "per-app on managed devices". Does this imply that a DNS Proxy Provider that can be used in a regular iOS App Store app? On the other hand, NEDNSProxyProvider only works with NEAppProxyFlow, is it possible to make it NOT per-app?

I need to know the https address of a certain page within my app. This is going to be used as a redirect URL. I don't think it is a good idea to use deep links because it has to be an https address. I don't think Universal Links will work because it is not my website that I will be communicating with.

I’m building a Personal VPN app (non-MDM) that uses a NEPacketTunnelProvider extension for content filtering and blocking. When configuring the VPN locally using NETunnelProviderManager.saveToPreferences, the call fails with: Error Domain=NEConfigurationErrorDomain Code=10 "permission denied" Error Domain=NEVPNErrorDomain Code=5 "permission denied" The system does prompt for VPN permission (“Would Like to Add VPN Configurations”), but the error still occurs after the user allows it. Setup: • Main App ID – com.promisecouple.app • Extension ID – com.promisecouple.app.PromiseVPN • Capabilities – App Group + Personal VPN + Network Extensions • Main app entitlements:   com.apple.developer.networking.vpn.api = allow-vpn   com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension = packet-tunnel-provider • Extension entitlements: same + shared App Group Problem: • If I remove the networkextension entitlement, the app runs locally without the Code 5 error. • But App Store Connect then rejects the build with: Missing Entitlement: The bundle 'Promise.app' is missing entitlement 'com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension'. Question: What is the correct entitlement configuration for a Personal VPN app using NEPacketTunnelProvider (non-MDM)? Is com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension required on the main app or only on the extension? Why does including it cause saveToPreferences → Code 5/10 “permission denied” on device? Environment: Xcode 26.1 (17B55), iOS 17.3+ on physical device (non-MDM) Both provisioning profiles and certificates are valid.

We are developing an iOS application with a key feature designed to enhance user safety: real-time assessment of Wi-Fi network security. The "Safe Wi-Fi" feature aims to inform users about the security level of the Wi-Fi network they are currently connected to. Our goal is to provide this information seamlessly and continuously, even when the user isn't actively using the app. Currently, we've implemented this feature using a NWPathMonitor. The limitation of NWPathMonitor is that it doesn't function when the app is in a kill state. We are looking for guidance on how to achieve persistent Wi-Fi security monitoring in the background or when the app is killed. Is there any API (Public, Special API, etc) or a recommended approach that allows for real-time Wi-Fi connection monitoring (including connection changes and network details) even when the app is not actively running or is in a kill state. Thank you in advance for your help.

I develop a Network Extension with NEFilterDataProvider and want to understand how to stop or disable it on exit of the base app without deactivating NE from OS and leave ability to start it again without requiring a password from the user. It starts normally, but when I try to disable it: NEFilterManager.sharedManager.enabled = NO; [NEFilterManager.sharedManager saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { // never called }]; the completion handler has never called. But stopFilterWithReason inside the NE code called by the framework where I only replay with required completionHandler();. Then NE process keeps alive. I also tried to call remove, which should disable NE: [NEFilterManager.sharedManager removeFromPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { // never called }]; with same result - I freeze forever on waiting completion handler. So what is the correct way to disable NE without explicit deactivation it by [OSSystemExtensionRequest deactivationRequestForExtension:...]?

I'm working on enabling a content filter in my iOS app using NEFilterManager and NEFilterProviderConfiguration. The setup works perfectly in debug builds when running via Xcode, but fails on TestFlight builds with the following error: **Failed to save filter settings: permission denied ** **Here is my current implementation: ** (void)startContentFilter { NSUserDefaults *userDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults]; [userDefaults synchronize]; [[NEFilterManager sharedManager] loadFromPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{ if (error) { NSLog(@"Failed to load filter: %@", error.localizedDescription); [self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to load content filter: %@", error.localizedDescription]]; return; } NEFilterProviderConfiguration *filterConfig = [[NEFilterProviderConfiguration alloc] init]; filterConfig.filterSockets = YES; filterConfig.filterBrowsers = YES; NEFilterManager *manager = [NEFilterManager sharedManager]; manager.providerConfiguration = filterConfig; manager.enabled = YES; [manager saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{ if (error) { NSLog(@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription); [self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription]]; } else { NSLog(@"Content filter enabled successfully!"); [self showAlertWithTitle:@"Success" message:@"Content filter enabled successfully!"]; } }); }]; }); }]; } **What I've tried: ** Ensured the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension entitlement is set in both the app and system extension. The Network extension target includes content-filter-provider. Tested only on physical devices. App works in development build, but not from TestFlight. **My questions: ** Why does saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler fail with “permission denied” on TestFlight? Are there special entitlements required for using NEFilterManager in production/TestFlight builds? Is MDM (Mobile Device Management) required to deploy apps using content filters? Has anyone successfully implemented NEFilterProviderConfiguration in production, and if so, how?

My application (using a nested framework for networking) was working correctly on iPadOS 18, but failed to perform a UDP broadcast operation after upgrading the device to iPadOS 26. The low-level console logs consistently show a "Permission denied" error. Symptoms & Error Message: When attempting to send a UDP broadcast packet using NWConnection (or a similar low-level socket call within the framework), the connection fails immediately with the following error logged in the console: nw_socket_service_writes_block_invoke [C2:1] sendmsg(fd 6, 124 bytes) [13: Permission denied] (Error code 13 corresponds to EACCES). Verification Steps (What I have checked): Multicast Networking Entitlement is Approved and Applied: The necessary entitlement (com.apple.developer.networking.multicast) was granted by Apple. The Provisioning Profile used for signing the Host App Target has been regenerated and explicitly includes "Multicast Networking" capability (see attached screenshot). I confirmed that Entitlements cannot be added directly to the Framework Target, only the Host App Target, which is the expected behavior. Local Network Privacy is Configured: The Host App's Info.plist contains the NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription key with a clear usage string. Crucially, the Local Network Access alert does not reliably appear when the Broadcast function is first called (despite a full reinstall after OS upgrade). Even when Local Network Access is manually enabled in Settings, the Broadcast still fails with EACCES. Code Implementation: The Broadcast is attempted using NWConnection to the host 255.255.255.255 on a specific port. Request: Since all required entitlements and profiles are correct, and the failure is a low-level EACCES on a newly updated OS version, I suspect this may be a regression bug in the iPadOS 26 security sandbox when validating the Multicast Networking Entitlement against a low-level socket call (like sendmsg). Has anyone else encountered this specific Permission denied error on iPadOS 26 with a valid Multicast Entitlement, and is there a known workaround aside from switching to mDNS/Bonjour?

I have a question. I work for a mobile operator, and when you insert the SIM, the default APN is automatically configured. However, afterward, using the internal Device Manager platform, we send the corresponding APN of an MVNO to that MSISDN. However, the iPhone device (any model, recent iOS versions) receives the notification of the APN change, but it doesn't reflect the change in the APN settings menu. Do you know how we could make the iPhone device reflect the APN change?

Is it possible to capture or inspect UDP traffic using iOS content filter APIs (e.g., NEFilterDataProvider)? If not, what are the current technical or policy limitations that prevent UDP inspection via these frameworks? Any insights or suggestions on these topics would be highly appreciated.

when i set the flag false to the usesClassicLoadingMode, then the application is getting crashed Ex: let config = URLSessionConfiguration.default if #available(iOS 18.4, *) { config.usesClassicLoadingMode = false } Crash log : *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: '-[__NSCFBoolean objectForKeyedSubscript:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1f655c390' *** First throw call stack: (0x188ae52ec 0x185f69a7c 0x188b4f67c 0x1889fcb84 0x1889fc4f0 0x191393bc8 0x1889ec8a0 0x1889ec6e4 0x191393ad0 0x191344dac 0x191344b58 0x107cfa064 0x107ce36d0 0x191343fcc 0x1891b3b18 0x1892dae58 0x189235c60 0x18921e270 0x18921d77c 0x18921a8ac 0x107ce0584 0x107cfa064 0x107ce891c 0x107ce95d8 0x107ceabcc 0x107cf5894 0x107cf4eb0 0x212f51660 0x212f4e9f8) terminating due to uncaught exception of type NSException

Hello Apple Developer Team / Community, I’m developing an iOS app that needs to read a VPN configuration profile that’s pushed via Intune MDM using the NEVPNManager / NETunnelProviderManager APIs — specifically the loadAllFromPreferences() method. I understand that certain entitlements and capabilities are required when working with the Network Extension / VPN frameworks. I came across the entitlement key com.apple.developer.vpn.managed (also referred to as the “Managed VPN” entitlement) and would like some clarification: Is this entitlement mandatory for my use case — that is, reading a VPN profile that has been pushed via MDM? Or are there alternative entitlements or capabilities that would suffice? If it is required, what is the exact process to request and enable this entitlement for my app? Could you please outline the necessary steps (e.g., updates in the Apple Developer portal → App ID → Capabilities → Provisioning Profiles, etc.)? Context: The app targets iOS and iPadOS. Currently, the app creates and saves the VPN profile itself using NETunnelProviderManager and saveToPreferences(), which works perfectly. However, we now want to deliver the same VPN configuration via MDM, so that users don’t have to manually install the profile or enter their device passcode during installation. The goal is for the app to be able to read (not necessarily modify) the MDM-pushed VPN profile through NETunnelProviderManager.loadAllFromPreferences(). Thank you in advance for any guidance — especially a clear “yes, you need it” or “no, you can do without it” answer, along with any step-by-step instructions to request the entitlement (if it’s required).

We are developing a custom vpn client using Packet Tunnel Provider extension. Our VPN use Client Certificate authentication. Certificates need to be delivered to device using MDM. We plan to deliver certificates and other settings using configuration profiles with com.apple.vpn.managed and com.apple.security.pkcs12 payloads. There are some things we do not understand: What entitlements do we need? Do we need additional entitlements except com.apple.developer.networkingextension and com.apple.managed.vpn.shared? What is the process to get com.apple.managed.vpn.shared entitlement? Is ADP (not ADEP) enough for such application?

We are developing an app that includes functionality to install an eSIM. While the eSIM installation process works fine, we're unable to get the ICCID from the installed eSIM card. When querying the associatedIccid from the CTCellularPlanProperties, it returns nil. Can you advise how we can get the ICCID from an eSIM that was installed via our app?

We have an iOS companion app that talks to our IoT device over the device’s own Wi‑Fi network (often with no internet). The app performs bi-directional, safety-critical duties over that link. We use an NEAppPushProvider extension so the handset can keep exchanging data while the UI is backgrounded. During testing we noticed that if the user backgrounds the app (still connected to the device’s Wi‑Fi) and opens Safari, the extension’s stop is invoked with NEProviderStopReason.unrecoverableNetworkChange / noNetworkAvailable, and iOS tears the extension down. Until the system restarts the extension (e.g. the user foregrounds our app again), the app cannot send/receive its safety-critical data. Questions: Is there a supported way to stop a safety-critical NEAppPushProvider from being terminated in this “background app → open Safari” scenario when the device remains on the same Wi‑Fi network (possibly without internet)? If not, is NEAppPushProvider the correct extension type for an always-on local-network use case like this, or is there another API we should be using? For safety-critical applications, can Apple grant entitlements/exemptions so the system does not terminate the extension when the user switches apps but stays on the local Wi‑Fi? Any guidance on the expected lifecycle or alternative patterns for safety-critical local connectivity would be greatly appreciated.

Hi all! I’m having trouble distributing an iOS app with a DNS Proxy NetworkExtension via AdHoc. The app and extension work perfectly with development profiles, but when I export and install the AdHoc IPA, I get a “permission denied” error when trying to install/enable the DNS Proxy extension. What I’ve done: Both the app and the DNS Proxy extension have their own App IDs in the Apple Developer portal. Both App IDs have the same App Group enabled: group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2. The extension App ID has the NetworkExtension capability with dns-proxy enabled. I created two AdHoc provisioning profiles (one for the app, one for the extension), both including the same devices and the correct entitlements. I assigned the correct AdHoc profiles to each target in Xcode and exported the IPA via Organizer. I install the IPA on a registered device using Apple Configurator. Entitlements (extracted from the signed binaries on device): App: <key>application-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key><array> <string>packet-tunnel-provider</string> <string>dns-proxy</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246</string> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key><array> <string>group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string> </array> <key>get-task-allow</key><false/> DNSProxy Extension: <key>application-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2.DNSProxy</string> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key><array> <string>dns-proxy</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246</string> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key><array> <string>group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string> </array> <key>get-task-allow</key><false/> Error message (from my app’s logs): Error instalando DNS Proxy: permission denied Usuario: Roberto AppGroup: group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2 AppGroupPath: /private/var/mobile/Containers/Shared/AppGroup/D8AD2DED-AD96-4915-9B7A-648C9504679B Entitlements: BundleId: com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2 Debug info: Error Domain=NEDNSProxyErrorDomain Code=1 "permission denied" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=permission denied} Other details: The device is included in both AdHoc profiles. The App Group is present and identical in both entitlements. The extension’s bundle identifier matches the App ID in the portal. The extension is signed with the correct AdHoc profile. I have tried rebooting the device and reinstalling the IPA. The error only occurs with AdHoc; development builds work fine. Questions: Is there anything else I should check regarding AdHoc provisioning for NetworkExtension DNS Proxy? Are there any known issues with AdHoc and NetworkExtension on recent iOS versions? Is there a way to get more detailed diagnostics from the system about why the permission is denied? Could this be a bug in iOS, or am I missing a subtle configuration step? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I would like to understand the behaviour of Network framework when I have established a connection between 2 iOS devices which are connected through LAN and the same Wifi. Assumptions: Enabled includePeerToPeer. Devices are discovered and connected through Bonjour: When the connection establishes for the first time, does it automatically decide which interface to pick? I see some posts which point to Happy Eyeball algorithm but that seem to point more towards ipv4 vs ipv6 rather than Wifi vs LAN vs P2P. In the middle of a connection, if the established connection has issues, does the Network framework automatically switch to the best available interface? If not, I would assume the app will have to handle the switching in betterPathUpdateHandler callback? I’m curious what needs to be done here. Do I just create a new connection and hope that it picks the actual better path? The NWInterface.InterfaceType doesnt have a type for peer to peer wifi. Does that mean that when the interface actually switches to peer to peer, the InterfaceType will be other? It would be great if there is a workflow or example of how this needs to be handled with multiple available Interfaces.

Our application currently uses NEFilterPacketProvider to filter network traffic based on Layer 4 rules (5-tuple: source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port, and protocol) on a packet-by-packet basis. We now want to extend this filtering to also consider the associated process—for example, allowing traffic from a specific source IP to a destination IP and port only if it's associated with a specific local process. That is, we’d like to make filtering decisions not just based on the 5-tuple, but also on the identity of the process either sending or receiving the traffic. We’ve looked into NEFilterSocketProvider, which does expose Layer 7 information such as process identifiers. However, it doesn’t seem to be tightly synchronized with the packet flow handled by NEFilterPacketProvider. As a result, there’s a risk that we might only get process information after the TCP handshake is complete, or before the socket is fully bound—at which point some of the 5-tuple fields (such as the local port) may still be unavailable. What we need is a way to correlate the 5-tuple with the relevant process name (either sender or receiver) at the time the first packet—e.g., a SYN packet—is about to be sent or received. Is there a recommended way to achieve this kind of early, process-aware filtering using NetworkExtension APIs?

I have few API's written with URLSession. Will they work in Carrier-constrained network / satellite mode ?