General:
Forums topic: Privacy & Security
Apple Platform Security support document
Developer > Security
Enabling enhanced security for your app documentation article
Creating enhanced security helper extensions documentation article
Security Audit Thoughts forums post
Cryptography:
Forums tags: Security, Apple CryptoKit
Security framework documentation
Apple CryptoKit framework documentation
Common Crypto man pages — For the full list of pages, run:
% man -k 3cc
For more information about man pages, see Reading UNIX Manual Pages.
On Cryptographic Key Formats forums post
SecItem attributes for keys forums post
CryptoCompatibility sample code
Keychain:
Forums tags: Security
Security > Keychain Items documentation
TN3137 On Mac keychain APIs and implementations
SecItem Fundamentals forums post
SecItem Pitfalls and Best Practices forums post
Investigating hard-to-reproduce keychain problems forums post
App ID Prefix Change and Keychain Access forums post
Smart cards and other secure tokens:
Forums tag: CryptoTokenKit
CryptoTokenKit framework documentation
Mac-specific resources:
Forums tags: Security Foundation, Security Interface
Security Foundation framework documentation
Security Interface framework documentation
BSD Privilege Escalation on macOS
Related:
Networking Resources — This covers high-level network security, including HTTPS and TLS.
Network Extension Resources — This covers low-level network security, including VPN and content filters.
Code Signing Resources
Notarisation Resources
Trusted Execution Resources — This includes Gatekeeper.
App Sandbox Resources
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Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
General
RSS for tagPrioritize user privacy and data security in your app. Discuss best practices for data handling, user consent, and security measures to protect user information.
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General:
Forums topic: Privacy & Security
Privacy Resources
Security Resources
Share and Enjoy
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Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
Hello everyone.
Hope this one finds you well)
I have an issue with integrating a FIDO2 server with ASAuthorizationController.
I have managed to register a user with passkey successfully, however when authenticating, the request for authentication response fails. The server can't validate signature field.
I can see 2 possible causes for the issue: ASAuthorizationPlatformPublicKeyCredentialAssertion.rawAuthenticatorData contains invalid algorithm information (the server tries ES256, which ultimately fails with false response), or I have messed up Base64URL encoding for the signature property (which is unlikely, since all other fields also require Base64URL, and the server consumes them with no issues).
So the question is, what encryption algorithm does ASAuthorizationController use? Maybe someone has other ideas regarding where to look into?
Please help. Thanks)
I've made my first app and encountered an unexpected (potentially existential) issue.
The Manager app is designed to tag 3rd party "plugins" used by a DAW, storing metadata in a local SQLite database, and move them between Active and Inactive folders. This allows management of the plugin collection - the DAW only uses what's in the Active folder.
Permissions are obtained via security-scoped bookmarks on first launch. The app functions as intended: plugin bundles move correctly and the database tracks everything. No information is written to the plugins themselves.
The Problem:
When moving plugins using fs.rename() , the MAS sandbox automatically adds the com.apple.quarantine extended attribute to moved files. When the DAW subsequently rebuilds its plugin cache, it interprets quarantined plugins as "corrupt" or potentially malicious and refuses to load them.
Technical Details:
Moving files with NSFileManager or Node.js fs APIs within sandbox triggers quarantine
Sandboxed apps cannot call xattr -d com.apple.quarantine or use removexattr()
The entitlement com.apple.security.files.user-selected.read-write doesn't grant xattr removal rights
User workaround: run xattr -cr /path/to/plugins in Terminal - not acceptable for professional users
Question:
Is there any MAS-compliant way to move files without triggering quarantine, or to remove the quarantine attribute within the sandbox? The hardened-runtime DMG build works perfectly (no sandbox = no quarantine added).
Any insight appreciated!
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
Is there a setting in Settings for None, Ask, or Always for Declared Age? I cannot find anything in iOS 26.2 Settings app, nothing comes up in a search for "age" in Settings.
I managed to setup a sandbox apple account (after creating a new email address) and I was able to go to Settings->Developer, login to the sandbox account, and try the various settings for age there, so that much is working.
When I call AgeRangeService.shared.requestAgeRange(ageGates: 18, in: presenter) I get "The operation couldn’t be completed. (DeclaredAgeRange.AgeRangeService.Error error 0.)"
Is there a way to test this with my regular personal apple unpaid developer account, my work apple developer account with MS SSO, or with the sandbox user?
Should I be using requestAgeRange or isEligibleForAgeFeatures?
We just have a regular app on the store, it doesn't have chat or anything like that, it's used by licensed truck drivers mostly CDL holders who are 99.99% 18+ in age, possibly some exceptions for 16+ farm drivers. And we would like to stay compliant. Other caveats are that only iOS 26.2 and up are supported, and a judge has blocked the Texas law.
Is Apple still supporting the Declared Age Framework or has there been a change?
冷启动后我们读文件,发现:"error_msg":"未能打开文件“FinishTasks.plist”,因为你没有查看它的权限。
是否有这些问题:
「iOS 26 iPhone 16,2 cold launch file access failure」)
核心内容:多名开发者反馈 iPhone 15 Pro(iOS 26.0/26.1)冷启动时读取 Documents 目录下的 plist 文件提示权限拒绝,切后台再切前台恢复,苹果员工回复「建议延迟文件操作至 applicationDidBecomeActive 后」。
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
Hi,
I have an application that uses SecureEnclave keys to protect secrets. By passing an LAContext object to the Secure Enclave operations, authentication state can be preserved across decrypt operations, and you do not need to re-authenticate for doing different operations.
However, for security reasons, I would like to avoid that it is possible to do operations in batch with certain keys generated by the Secure Enclave, by any application. This would avoid malicious binaries to batch-extract all the secrets that are protected by a key from my Secure Enclave, and force to re-authenticate on every operation.
Is there a way to prevent batch operations without re-authenticating for Secure Enclave keys?
thanks,
Remko
Hi Apple Developers,
I'm having a problem with evaluatedPolicyDomainState: on the same device, its value keeps changing and then switching back to the original. My current iOS version is 26.1.
I upgraded my iOS from version 18.6.2 to 26.1.
What could be the potential reasons for this issue?
{
NSError *error;
BOOL success = YES;
char *eds = nil;
int edslen = 0;
LAContext *context = [[LAContext alloc] init];
// test if we can evaluate the policy, this test will tell us if Touch ID is available and enrolled
// success = [context canEvaluatePolicy: LAPolicyDeviceOwnerAuthenticationWithBiometrics error:&error];
if (SystemVersion > 9.3) {
// test if we can evaluate the policy, this test will tell us if Touch ID is available and enrolled
success = [context canEvaluatePolicy: LAPolicyDeviceOwnerAuthentication error:&error];
}
else{
// test if we can evaluate the policy, this test will tell us if Touch ID is available and enrolled
success = [context canEvaluatePolicy: LAPolicyDeviceOwnerAuthenticationWithBiometrics error:&error];
}
if (success)
{
if (@available(iOS 18.0, *)) {
NSData *stateHash = nil;
if ([context respondsToSelector:@selector(domainState)]) {
stateHash = [[context performSelector:@selector(domainState)] performSelector:@selector(stateHash)];
}else{
stateHash = [context evaluatedPolicyDomainState];
}
eds = (char *)stateHash.bytes;
edslen = (int)stateHash.length;
} else {
eds = (char *)[[context evaluatedPolicyDomainState] bytes];
edslen = (int)[[context evaluatedPolicyDomainState] length];
}
CC_SHA256(eds, edslen, uviOut);
*poutlen = CC_SHA256_DIGEST_LENGTH;
}
else
{
*poutlen = 32;
gm_memset(uviOut, 0x01, 32);
}
}
Why is the application not completed?
Your enrollment in the Apple Developer Program could not be completed at this time.
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
Issue: Plain Executables Do Not Appear Under “Screen & System Audio Recording” on macOS 26.1 (Tahoe)
Summary
I am investigating a change in macOS 26.1 (Tahoe) where plain (non-bundled) executables that request screen recording access no longer appear under:
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording
This behavior differs from macOS Sequoia, where these executables did appear in the list and could be managed through the UI. Tahoe still prompts for permission and still allows the executable to capture the screen once permission is granted, but the executable never shows up in the UI list. This breaks user expectations and removes UI-based permission management.
To confirm the behavior, I created a small reproduction project with both:
a plain executable, and
an identical executable packaged inside an .app bundle.
Only the bundled version appears in System Settings.
Observed Behaviour
1. Plain Executable (from my reproduction project)
When running a plain executable that captures the screen:
macOS displays the normal screen-recording permission prompt.
Before granting permission: screenshots show only the desktop background.
After granting permission: screenshots capture the full display.
The executable does not appear under “Screen & System Audio Recording”.
Even when permission is granted manually (e.g., dragging the executable into the pane), the executable still does not appear, which prevents the user from modifying or revoking the permission through the UI.
If the executable is launched from inside another app (e.g., VS Code, Terminal), the parent app appears in the list instead, not the executable itself.
2. Bundled App Version (from the reproduction project)
I packaged the same code into a simple .app bundle (ScreenCaptureApp.app).
When running the app:
The same permission prompt appears.
Pre-permission screenshots show the desktop background.
Post-permission screenshots capture the full display.
The app does appear under “Screen & System Audio Recording”.
This bundle uses the same underlying executable — the only difference is packaging.
Hypothesis
macOS 26.1 (Tahoe) appears to require app bundles for an item to be shown in the Screen Recording privacy UI.
Plain executables:
still request and receive permission,
still function correctly after permission is granted,
but do not appear in the System Settings list.
This may be an intentional change, undocumented behavior, or a regression.
Reproduction Project
The reproduction project includes:
screen_capture.go A simple Go program that captures screenshots in a loop.
screen_capture_executable Plain executable built from the Go source.
ScreenCaptureApp.app/ App bundle containing the same executable.
build.sh Builds both the plain executable and the app bundle.
Permission reset and TCC testing scripts.
The project demonstrates the behavior consistently.
Steps to Reproduce
Plain Executable
Build:
./build.sh
Reset screen capture permissions:
sudo tccutil reset ScreenCapture
Run:
./screen_capture_executable
Before granting: screenshots show desktop only.
Grant permission when prompted.
After granting: full screenshots.
Executable does not appear in “Screen & System Audio Recording”.
Bundled App
Build (if not already built):
./build.sh
Reset permissions (optional):
sudo tccutil reset ScreenCapture
Run:
open ScreenCaptureApp.app
Before granting: screenshots show desktop.
After granting: full screenshots.
App bundle appears in the System Settings list.
Additional Check
I also tested launching the plain executable as a child process of another executable, similar to how some software architectures work.
Result:
Permission prompt appears
Permission can be granted
Executable still does not appear in the UI, even though TCC tracks it internally → consistent with the plain-executable behaviour.
This reinforces that only app bundles are listed.
Questions for Apple
Is the removal of plain executables from “Screen & System Audio Recording” an intentional change in macOS Tahoe?
If so, does Apple now require all screen-recording capable binaries to be packaged as .app bundles for the UI to display them?
Is there a supported method for making a plain executable (launched by a parent process) appear in the list?
If this is not intentional, what is the recommended path for reporting this as a regression?
Files
Unfortunately, I have discovered the zip file that contains my reproduction project can't be directly uploaded here.
Here is a Google Drive link instead: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sXsr3Q0g6_UzlOIL54P5wbS7yBkpMJ7A/view?usp=sharing
Thank you for taking the time to review this. Any insight into whether this change is intentional or a regression would be very helpful.
On macOS 26.1 (25B78) I can't give Full Disk Access to sshd-keygen-wrapper. Now my Jenkins jobs do not work because they do not have the permission to execute the necessary scripts. Until macOS 26.1 everything worked fine. I restarted the machine several times and tried to give access from Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Full Disk Access but it just does not work. I tried logging with ssh on the machine and executing a script but again nothing happened.
I have a binary executable which needs to be given Accessibility Permissions so it can inject keypresses and mouse moves. This was always possible up to macOS 15 - when the first keypress arrived the Accessibility Permissions window would open and allow me to add the executable. However this no longer works in macOS 26: the window still opens, I navigate to the executable file and select it but it doesn't appear in the list. No error message appears.
I'm guessing that this may be due to some tightening of security in Tahoe but I need to figure out what to change with my executable to allow it to work.
We recently upgraded OpenSSL from version 1.1.1 to 3.4.0. After this upgrade, we observed that PKCS#12 files generated using OpenSSL 3.4.0 fail to import into the macOS Keychain with the following error:
Failed to import PKCS#12 data: -25264
(MAC verification failed during PKCS12 import (wrong password?))
This issue is reproducible on macOS 14.8.2. The same PKCS#12 files import successfully on other macOS versions, including 15.x and 26.x.
Additionally, PKCS#12 files that fail to import on macOS 14.8 work correctly when copied and imported on other macOS versions without any errors.
PKCS#12 Creation
The PKCS#12 data is created using the following OpenSSL API:
const char* platformPKCS12SecureKey =
_platformSecureKey.has_value() ? _platformSecureKey.value().c_str() : NULL;
PKCS12* p12 = PKCS12_create(
platformPKCS12SecureKey,
NULL,
keys,
_cert,
NULL,
0, 0, 0, 0, 0
);
if (!p12)
{
throw std::runtime_error("Failed to create PKCS#12 container");
}
PKCS#12 Import
The generated PKCS#12 data is imported into the macOS Keychain using the following code:
NSString *certPassKey = [NSString stringWithUTF8String:getCertPassKey()];
NSDictionary *options = @{
(__bridge id)kSecImportExportPassphrase: certPassKey,
(__bridge id)kSecAttrAccessible:
(__bridge id)kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlockThisDeviceOnly,
(__bridge id)kSecAttrIsExtractable: @YES,
(__bridge id)kSecAttrIsPermanent: @YES,
(__bridge id)kSecAttrAccessGroup: APP_GROUP
};
CFArrayRef items = NULL;
OSStatus status = SecPKCS12Import(
(__bridge CFDataRef)pkcs12Data,
(__bridge CFDictionaryRef)options,
&items
);
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
macOS
Signing Certificates
iCloud Keychain Verification Codes
Passkeys in iCloud Keychain
Hello,
I am developing a macOS menu bar window-management utility (similar in functionality to Magnet / Rectangle) that relies on the Accessibility (AXUIElement) API to move and resize windows and on global hotkeys.
I am facing a consistent issue when App Sandbox is enabled.
Summary:
App Sandbox enabled
Hardened Runtime enabled
Apple Events entitlement enabled
NSAccessibilityDescription present in Info.plist
AXIsProcessTrustedWithOptions is called with prompt enabled
Observed behavior:
When App Sandbox is enabled, the Accessibility permission prompt never appears.
The app cannot be manually added in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
AXIsProcessTrusted always returns false.
As a result, window snapping does not work.
When App Sandbox is disabled:
The Accessibility prompt appears correctly.
The app functions as expected.
This behavior occurs both:
In local builds
In TestFlight builds
My questions:
Is this expected behavior for sandboxed macOS apps that rely on Accessibility APIs?
Are window-management utilities expected to ship without App Sandbox enabled?
Is there any supported entitlement or configuration that allows a sandboxed app to request Accessibility permission?
Thank you for any clarification.
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
During internal testing, we observed the following behavior and would appreciate clarification on whether it is expected and supported in production environments.
When generating an elliptic-curve cryptographic key pair using "kSecAttrTokenIDSecureEnclave", and explicitly specifying a "kSecAttrAccessGroup", we found that cryptographic operations (specifically encryption and decryption) could be successfully performed using this key pair from two distinct applications. Both applications had the Keychain Sharing capability enabled and were signed with the same provisioning profile identity.
Given the documented security properties of Secure Enclave, backed keys, namely that private key material is protected by hardware and access is strictly constrained by design, we would like to confirm whether the ability for multiple applications (sharing the same keychain access group and signing identity) to perform cryptographic operations with the same Secure Enclave–backed key is expected behavior on iOS.
Specifically, we are seeking confirmation on:
Whether this behavior is intentional and supported in production.
Whether the Secure Enclave enforces access control primarily at the application-identifier (App ID) level rather than the individual app bundle level in this scenario.
Whether there are any documented limitations or guarantees regarding cross-application usage of Secure Enclave keys when keychain sharing is configured.
Any guidance or references to official documentation clarifying this behavior would be greatly appreciated.
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
I now had the second user with 26.2. complaining about a hang in my app. The hang occurs when the first AppleScript for Mail is run. Here is the relevant section from the process analysis in Activity Monitor:
+ 2443 OSACompile (in OpenScripting) + 52 [0x1b32b30f4]
+ 2443 SecurityPolicyTestDescriptor (in OpenScripting) + 152 [0x1b32a2284]
+ 2443 _SecurityPolicyTest(char const*, void const*, unsigned long) (in OpenScripting) + 332 [0x1b32a2118]
+ 2443 InterpreterSecurity_ScanBuffer (in libInterpreterSecurity.dylib) + 112 [0x28c149304]
+ 2443 -[InterpreterSecurity scanData:withSourceURL:] (in libInterpreterSecurity.dylib) + 164 [0x28c148db4]
+ 2443 -[XProtectScan beginAnalysisWithFeedback:] (in XprotectFramework) + 544 [0x1d35a1e58]
+ 2443 -[XPMalwareEvaluation initWithData:assessmentClass:] (in XprotectFramework) + 92 [0x1d359ada4]
+ 2443 -[XPMalwareEvaluation initWithRuleString:withExtraRules:withURL:withData:withAssessmentClass:feedback:] (in XprotectFramework) + 36 [0x1d359b2a8]
My app is correctly signed and notarised. The first user had to completely uninstall/reinstall the app and the everything worked again.
Why does this happen? How can the problem be fixed?
I'm trying to export and re-import a P-256 private key that was originally generated via SecKeyCreateRandomKey(), but I keep running into roadblocks. The key is simply exported via SecItemExport() with format formatWrappedPKCS8, and I did set a password just to be sure.
Do note that I must use the file-based keychain, as the data protection keychain requires a restricted entitlement and I'm not going to pay a yearly fee just to securely store some private keys for a personal project. The 7-day limit for unsigned/self-signed binaries isn't feasible either.
Here's pretty much everything I could think of trying:
Simply using SecItemImport() does import the key, but I cannot set kSecAttrLabel and more importantly: kSecAttrApplicationTag. There just isn't any way to pass these attributes upfront, so it's always imported as Imported Private Key with an empty comment. Keys don't support many attributes to begin with and I need something that's unique to my program but shared across all the relevant key entries, otherwise it's impossible to query for only my program's keys. kSecAttrLabel is already used for something else and is always unique, which really only leaves kSecAttrApplicationTag. I've already accepted that this can be changed via Keychain Access, as this attribute should end up as the entry's comment. At least, that's how it works with SecKeyCreateRandomKey() and SecItemCopyMatching(). I'm trying to get that same behaviour for imports.
Running SecItemUpdate() afterwards to set these 2 attributes doesn't work either, as now the kSecAttrApplicationTag is suddenly used for the entry's label instead of the comment. Even setting kSecAttrComment (just to be certain) doesn't change the comment. I think kSecAttrApplicationTag might be a creation-time attribute only, and since SecItemImport() already created a SecKey I will never be able to set this. It likely falls back to updating the label because it needs to target something that is still mutable?
Using SecItemImport() with a nil keychain (i.e. create a transient key), then persisting that with SecItemAdd() via kSecValueRef does allow me to set the 2 attributes, but now the ACL is lost. Or more precise: the ACL does seem to exist as any OS prompts do show the label I originally set for the ACL, but in Keychain Access it shows as Allow all applications to access this item. I'm looking to enable Confirm before allowing access and add my own program to the Always allow access by these applications list. Private keys outright being open to all programs is of course not acceptable, and I can indeed access them from other programs without any prompts.
Changing the ACL via SecKeychainItemSetAccess() after SecItemAdd() doesn't seem to do anything. It apparently succeeds but nothing changes. I also reopened Keychain Access to make sure it's not a UI "caching" issue.
Creating a transient key first, then getting the raw key via SecKeyCopyExternalRepresentation() and passing that to SecItemAdd() via kSecValueData results in The specified attribute does not exist. This error only disappears if I remove almost all of the attributes. I can pass only kSecValueData, kSecClass and kSecAttrApplicationTag, but then I get The specified item already exists in the keychain errors. I found a doc that explains what determines uniqueness, so here are the rest of the attributes I'm using for SecItemAdd():
kSecClass: not mentioned as part of the primary key but still required, otherwise you'll get One or more parameters passed to a function were not valid.
kSecAttrLabel: needed for my use case and not part of the primary key either, but as I said this results in The specified attribute does not exist.
kSecAttrApplicationLabel: The specified attribute does not exist. As I understand it this should be the SHA1 hash of the public key, passed as Data. Just omitting it would certainly be an option if the other attributes actually worked, but right now I'm passing it to try and construct a truly unique primary key.
kSecAttrApplicationTag: The specified item already exists in the keychain.
kSecAttrKeySizeInBits: The specified attribute does not exist.
kSecAttrEffectiveKeySize: The specified attribute does not exist.
kSecAttrKeyClass: The specified attribute does not exist.
kSecAttrKeyType: The specified attribute does not exist.
It looks like only kSecAttrApplicationTag is accepted, but still ignored for the primary key. Even entering something that is guaranteed to be unique still results in The specified item already exists in the keychain, so I think might actually be targeting literally any key. I decided to create a completely new keychain and import it there (which does succeed), but the key is completely broken. There's no Kind and Usage at the top of Keychain Access and the table view just below it shows symmetric key instead of private. The kSecAttrApplicationTag I'm passing is still being used as the label instead of the comment and there's no ACL. I can't even delete this key because Keychain Access complains that A missing value was detected. It seems like the key doesn't really contain anything unique for its primary key, so it will always match any existing key.
Using SecKeyCreateWithData() and then using that key as the kSecValueRef for SecItemAdd() results in A required entitlement isn't present. I also have to add kSecUseDataProtectionKeychain: false to SecItemAdd() (even though that should already be the default) but then I get The specified item is no longer valid. It may have been deleted from the keychain. This occurs even if I decrypt the PKCS8 manually instead of via SecItemImport(), so it's at least not like it's detecting the transient key somehow. No combination of kSecAttrIsPermanent, kSecUseDataProtectionKeychain and kSecUseKeychain on either SecKeyCreateWithData() or SecItemAdd() changes anything.
I also tried PKCS12 despite that it always expects an "identity" (key + cert), while I only have (and need) a private key. Exporting as formatPKCS12 and importing it with itemTypeAggregate (or itemTypeUnknown) does import the key, and now it's only missing the kSecAttrApplicationTag as the original label is automatically included in the PKCS12. The outItems parameter contains an empty list though, which sort of makes sense because I'm not importing a full "identity". I can at least target the key by kSecAttrLabel for SecItemUpdate(), but any attempt to update the comment once again changes the label so it's not really any better than before.
SecPKCS12Import() doesn't even import anything at all, even though it does return errSecSuccess while also passing kSecImportExportKeychain explicitly.
Is there literally no way?
Hi,
I am in need of your help with publishing my game.
I got the following explanation for the negative review of my app/game.
Issue Description
One or more purpose strings in the app do not sufficiently explain the use of protected resources. Purpose strings must clearly and completely describe the app's use of data and, in most cases, provide an example of how the data will be used.
Next Steps
Update the local network information purpose string to explain how the app will use the requested information and provide a specific example of how the data will be used. See the attached screenshot.
Resources
Purpose strings must clearly describe how an app uses the ability, data, or resource. The following are hypothetical examples of unclear purpose strings that would not pass review:
"App would like to access your Contacts"
"App needs microphone access"
See examples of helpful, informative purpose strings.
The problem is that they say my app asks to allow my app to find devices on local networks. And that this needs more explanation in the purpose strings.
Totally valid to ask, but the problem is my app doesn't need local access to devices, and there shouldn't be code that asks this?? FYI the game is build with Unity.
Would love some help on how to turn this off so that my app can get published.
I’d like to submit a feature request regarding the availability of Foundation Models in MessageFilter extensions.
Background
MessageFilter extensions play a critical role in protecting users from spam, phishing, and unwanted messages. With the introduction of Foundation Models and Apple Intelligence, Apple has provided powerful on-device natural language understanding capabilities that are highly aligned with the goals of MessageFilter.
However, Foundation Models are currently unavailable in MessageFilter extensions.
Why Foundation Models Are a Great Fit for MessageFilter
Message filtering is fundamentally a natural language classification problem. Foundation Models would significantly improve:
Detection of phishing and scam messages
Classification of promotional vs transactional content
Understanding intent, tone, and semantic context beyond keyword matching
Adaptation to evolving scam patterns without server-side processing
All of this can be done fully on-device, preserving user privacy and aligning with Apple’s privacy-first design principles.
Current Limitations
Today, MessageFilter extensions are limited to relatively simple heuristics or lightweight models. This often results in:
Higher false positives
Lower recall for sophisticated scam messages
Increased development complexity to compensate for limited NLP capabilities
Request
Could Apple consider one of the following:
Allowing Foundation Models to be used directly within MessageFilter extensions
Providing a constrained or optimized Foundation Model API specifically designed for MessageFilter
Enabling a supported mechanism for MessageFilter extensions to delegate inference to the containing app using Foundation Models
Even limited access (e.g. short text only, strict execution limits) would be extremely valuable.
Closing
Foundation Models have the potential to significantly raise the quality and effectiveness of message filtering on Apple platforms while maintaining strong privacy guarantees. Supporting them in MessageFilter extensions would be a major improvement for both developers and users.
Thank you for your consideration and for continuing to invest in on-device intelligence.
When I delete an image from my camera roll, my iPhone adds another previously deleted image to my camera roll. This previously deleted image or video is from up to 3 years ago, and isn't in my recently deleted. Therefore, these added images should technically not exist. I am using an iPhone 12 running iOS 26 public beta, but apparently this issue is happening on iOS 18 too. I feel worried that an image/video that I deleted for privacy reasons may appear back in my camera roll. I'll add that I am paying for iCloud+ storage, and I still have 15GB of local storage left on my device.
Hi everyone,
I’m encountering an unexpected Keychain behavior in a production environment and would like to confirm whether this is expected or if I’m missing something.
In my app, I store a deviceId in the Keychain based on the classic KeychainItemWrapper implementation. I extended it by explicitly setting:
kSecAttrAccessible = kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlock
My understanding is that kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlock should allow Keychain access while the app is running in the background, as long as the device has been unlocked at least once after reboot.
However, after the app went live, I observed that when the app performs background execution (e.g., triggered by background tasks / silent push), Keychain read attempts intermittently fail with:
errSecInteractionNotAllowed (-25308)
This seems inconsistent with the documented behavior of kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlock.
Additional context:
The issue never occurs in foreground.
The issue does not appear on development devices.
User devices are not freshly rebooted when this happens.
The Keychain item is created successfully; only background reads fail.
Setting the accessibility to kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlockThisDeviceOnly produces the same result.
Questions:
Under what circumstances can kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlock still cause a -25308 error?
Is there any known restriction when accessing Keychain while the app is running in background execution contexts?
Could certain system states (Low Power Mode, Background App Refresh conditions, device lock state, etc.) cause Keychain reads to be blocked unexpectedly?
Any insights or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
In our mobile we are using UUID as a device identifier . With this ID we using certain function like Primary device and secondary devices .
Primary device has more control to the app other than secondary device .
In our case user is getting new iPhone and the apps related data are moved to new device from old device from clone option.
While moving the keychain data is also moved , which is causing the new device also has same UUID and the customer are using both the devices in some cases ,
So both devices are considered as primary in our app .
Is there any way to identify the device is cloned ,
Needed suggestion
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General