Prioritize 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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identifierForVendor Changing Unexpectedly in Some Cases (App Store Builds)
We’ve noticed an unexpected behavior in our production iOS app where the UIDevice.current.identifierForVendor value occasionally changes, even though: The app is distributed via the App Store (not TestFlight or Xcode builds) We do not switch provisioning profiles or developer accounts No App Clips, App Thinning, or other advanced features are in use There’s no manual reinstall or device reset in the scenarios observed (as per user feedback) Any insights or confirmations would be much appreciated. Thanks!
1
0
194
Apr ’25
DisableFDEAutoLogin and SFAuthorizationPluginView
Hi, I have a set of plugins which are registered for login. One of them is a custom ui view for the login screen. The scenario: 1.DisableFDEAutoLogin is false. 2.The User logs in to the file vault login screen. 3.The security plugins are activated, and working. 4.We get any kind of an error from the plugins, and therefore the login fails. 5.We get a native login screen, after the denial of authorization. 6.In case that DisableFDEAutoLogin is true, I do get the custom login screen, after the file vault login. My question: Why dont I see the custom login screen, after the auto login fails? Cheers Sivan
5
0
808
Sep ’25
App IPA upgrade loses access to keychaingroup
Hi, Our App relies on a keychain to store certificates and key-value pairs. However, when we upgraded from an older XCode 15.2 (1 year old) app version to a newer version XCode 16.2 (with identical keychain-groups entitlement), we found that the newer ipa cannot see the older keychain group anymore... We tried Testflight builds, but limited to only generating newer versions, we tried using the older App's code, cast as a newer App version, and then upgraded to the newer code (with an even newer app version!). Surprisingly we were able to see the older keychain group. So it seems that there's something different between the packaging/profile of the older (1 year) and newer (current) App versions that seems to cause the new version to not see the old keychainGroup... Any ideas?
1
0
204
Aug ’25
Accessibility permission not granted for sandboxed macOS menu bar app (TestFlight & local builds)
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.
1
0
431
Jan ’26
Understanding deep sleep
Hi Team, We are trying to understand deep sleep behaviour, can you please help us clarifying on the below questions: When will we configure Hibernate 25, is it valid for M series MacBooks? Is Hibernate 25 called deep sleep mode? What are the settings I need to do on Mac, to make my Mac go in to deep sleep? When awakening from deep sleep , what would be macOS system behaviour? If we have custom SFAuthorization plug in at system.login.screensaver, what would be the behaviour with deep sleep?
3
0
791
Sep ’25
SecTrustEvaluateAsyncWithError() and Certificate Transparency
For testing purposes we have code that calls SecTrustEvaluateAsyncWithError() with a trust object containing a hardcoded leaf certificate and the corresponding intermediate certificate required to form a valid chain. Because the leaf certificate has since expired we pass a date in the past via SecTrustSetVerifyDate() at wich the certificate was still valid, but trust evaluation fails: Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-67825 "“<redacted>” certificate is not standards compliant" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=“<redacted>” certificate is not standards compliant, NSUnderlyingError=0x600000c282a0 {Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-67825 "Certificate 0 “<redacted>” has errors: Certificate Transparency validation required for this use;" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Certificate 0 “<redacted>” has errors: Certificate Transparency validation required for this use;}}} I know that App Transport Security enforces Certificate Transparency by default, but is there a way around that here?
4
0
534
Oct ’25
TKTokenSession not used
Hi, I'm working on developing my own CryptoTokenKit (CTK) extension to enable codesign with HSM-backed keys. Here's what I’ve done so far: The container app sets up the tokenConfiguration with TKTokenKeychainCertificate and TKTokenKeychainKey. The extension registers successfully and is visible via pluginkit when launching the container app. The virtual smartcard appears when running security list-smartcards. The certificate, key, and identity are all visible using security export-smartcard -i [card]. However, nothing appears in the Keychain. After adding logging and reviewing output in the Console, I’ve observed the following behavior when running codesign: My TKTokenSession is instantiated correctly, using my custom TKToken implementation — so far, so good. However, none of the following TKTokenSession methods are ever called: func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, beginAuthFor operation: TKTokenOperation, constraint: Any) throws -> TKTokenAuthOperation func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, supports operation: TKTokenOperation, keyObjectID: TKToken.ObjectID, algorithm: TKTokenKeyAlgorithm) -> Bool func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, sign dataToSign: Data, keyObjectID: Any, algorithm: TKTokenKeyAlgorithm) throws -> Data func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, decrypt ciphertext: Data, keyObjectID: Any, algorithm: TKTokenKeyAlgorithm) throws -> Data func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, performKeyExchange otherPartyPublicKeyData: Data, keyObjectID objectID: Any, algorithm: TKTokenKeyAlgorithm, parameters: TKTokenKeyExchangeParameters) throws -> Data The only relevant Console log is: default 11:31:15.453969+0200 PersistentToken [0x154d04850] invalidated because the client process (pid 4899) either cancelled the connection or exited There’s no crash report related to the extension, so my assumption is that ctkd is closing the connection for some unknown reason. Is there any way to debug this further? Thank you for your help.
3
0
152
Apr ’25
Transfer an application between accounts with an existing App Group
Due to business requirements, we need to transfer our app Gem Space for iOS from our current Apple Developer account to a new account. We have a major concern regarding our users and the data associated with the app. The user data is currently stored using an App Group with the identifier, for example: "group.com.app.sharedData" According to some information we’ve found, it might be possible to complete the transfer by removing the App Group from the old account and creating a new one with the same identifier in the new account. However, other sources suggest that App Group containers are owned by the specific team, and data stored in the container may become inaccessible after the app is transferred to a different team. This raises concerns about the possibility of users losing access to their data after updating the app from the new account. Could you please clarify the expected behavior of App Groups in this case? Do we need to perform any kind of data migration, and if so, could you please provide detailed guidance on how to do it safely and without impacting user data access?
2
0
102
Apr ’25
LAContext.evaluatedPolicyDomainState change between major OS versions
The header documentation for the (deprecated) LAContext.evaluatedPolicyDomainState property contains the following: @warning Please note that the value returned by this property can change exceptionally between major OS versions even if the state of biometry has not changed. I noticed that the documentation for the new LAContext.domainState property does not contain a similar warning. I also found this related thread from 2016/17. Is the domainState property not susceptible to changes between major OS versions? Or is this generally not an issue anymore?
1
0
487
Oct ’25
Validating Signature Of XPC Process
Quinn, you've often suggested that to validate the other side of an XPC connection, we should use the audit token. But that's not available from the XPC object, whereas the PID is. So everyone uses the PID. While looking for something completely unrelated, I found this in the SecCode.h file OSStatus SecCodeCreateWithXPCMessage(xpc_object_t message, SecCSFlags flags, SecCodeRef * __nonnull CF_RETURNS_RETAINED target); Would this be the preferred way to do this now? At least from 11.0 and up. Like I said, I was looking for something completely unrelated and found this and don't have the cycles right now to try it. But it looks promising from the description and I wanted to check in with you about it in case you can say yes or no before I get a chance to test it. Thanks
8
0
8.3k
Aug ’25
CryptoKitError
Hi, I am using CryptoKit in my app. I am getting an error sometimes with some users. I log the description to Firebase but I am not sure what is it exactly about.  CryptoKit.CryptoKitError error 2  CryptoKit.CryptoKitError error 3 I receive both of these errors. I also save debug prints to a log file and let users share them with me. Logs are line-by-line encrypted but after getting these errors in the app also decryption of log files doesn't work and it throws these errors too. I couldn't reproduce the same error by myself, and I can't reach the user's logs so I am a little blind about what triggers this. It would be helpful to understand what these errors mean. Thanks
3
0
1.6k
May ’25
Keychain and Local Data Loss After App Transfer Between Developer Accounts
Hello everyone, We recently transferred our iOS app from one Apple Developer account to another, and after the transfer, we encountered a serious issue where all previously stored Keychain data and the local database became inaccessible. As a result, all users are automatically logged out and lose access to their locally stored data (such as chat history) once they update to the new version signed with the new Team ID. We understand that Keychain items are tied to the App ID prefix (Team ID), which changes during an app transfer. However, we’re looking for possible workarounds or best practices to avoid user data loss. Questions: Is there any reliable method to maintain or migrate access to old Keychain data after an app transfer? Would reverting the app back to the original developer account and releasing an update from there (to persist or migrate data) before transferring it again be a viable solution? Has anyone faced a similar issue and found a practical way to handle data persistence during an app transfer? Any guidance, technical suggestions, or shared experiences would be highly appreciated. This issue is causing major impact for our users, so we’re hoping to find a safe and supported approach. Thank you, Mohammed Hassan
1
0
347
Oct ’25
SSL Pinning in iOS Without Bundled Certificates
Hello, We recently implemented SSL pinning in our iOS app (Objective-C) using the common approach of embedding the server certificate (.cer) in the app bundle and comparing it in URLSession:didReceiveChallenge:. This worked fine initially, but when our backend team updated the server certificate (same domain, new cert from CA), the app immediately started failing because the bundled certificate no longer matched. We’d like to avoid shipping and updating our app every time the server’s certificate changes. Instead, we are looking for the Apple-recommended / correct approach to implement SSL pinning without embedding the actual certificate file in the app bundle. Specifically: . Is there a supported way to implement pinning based on the public key hash or SPKI hash (like sha256/... pins) rather than the full certificate? . How can this be safely implemented using NSURLSession / SecTrustEvaluate (iOS 15+ APIs, considering that SecTrustGetCertificateAtIndex is deprecated)? . Are there Apple-endorsed best practices for handling certificate rotation while still maintaining strong pinning? Any guidance or code samples would be greatly appreciated. We want to make sure we are following best practices and not relying on brittle implementations. Thanks in advance!
1
0
483
Aug ’25
Title: Intermittent Keychain Data Loss on App Relaunch in iOS Beta 2
Hi everyone, I'm experiencing an intermittent issue with Keychain data loss on the latest iOS Beta 2. In about 7% of cases, users report that previously saved Keychain items are missing when the app is relaunched — either after a cold start or simply after being killed and reopened. Here are the key observations: The issue occurs sporadically, mostly once per affected user, but in 3 cases it has happened 4 times. No explicit deletion is triggered from the app. No system logs or error messages from Apple indicate any Keychain-related actions. The app attempts to access Keychain items, but they are no longer available. This behavior is inconsistent with previous iOS versions and is not reproducible in development environments. This raises concerns about: Whether this is a bug in the beta or an intentional change in Keychain behavior. Whether this could affect production apps when the final iOS version is released. The lack of any warning or documentation from Apple regarding this behavior. Has anyone else encountered similar issues? Any insights, workarounds, or official clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
2
0
131
Sep ’25
Biometrics prompt + private key access race condition on since iOS 26.1
We are using SecItemCopyMatching from LocalAuthentication to access the private key to sign a challenge in our native iOS app twice in a few seconds from user interactions. This was working as expected up until about a week ago where we started getting reports of it hanging on the biometrics screen (see screenshot below). From our investigation we've found the following: It impacts newer iPhones using iOS 26.1 and later. We have replicated on these devices: iPhone 17 Pro max iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 15 Pro max iPhone 15 Only reproducible if the app tries to access the private key twice in quick succession after granting access to face ID. Looks like a race condition between the biometrics permission prompt and Keychain private key access We were able to make it work by waiting 10 seconds between private key actions, but this is terrible UX. We tried adding adding retries over the span of 10 seconds which fixed it on some devices, but not all. We checked the release notes for iOS 26.1, but there is nothing related to this. Screenshot:
5
0
749
3w
Problem with Private Access Token (PAT)
Since October 3rd, I've stopped receiving responses to the Private Access Tokens challenge. I'm using this link: https://demo-issuer.private-access-tokens.fastly.com/.well-known/token-issuer-directory. I receive tokens from Fastly and return a header to the iOS app, but then I don't receive another authentication request from iOS. The user has automatic verification enabled on their phone. The problem is global and affects all my mobile app users. Has anyone encountered a similar problem and found a solution?
16
0
2.1k
Dec ’25
identifierForVendor Changing Unexpectedly in Some Cases (App Store Builds)
We’ve noticed an unexpected behavior in our production iOS app where the UIDevice.current.identifierForVendor value occasionally changes, even though: The app is distributed via the App Store (not TestFlight or Xcode builds) We do not switch provisioning profiles or developer accounts No App Clips, App Thinning, or other advanced features are in use There’s no manual reinstall or device reset in the scenarios observed (as per user feedback) Any insights or confirmations would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
194
Activity
Apr ’25
DisableFDEAutoLogin and SFAuthorizationPluginView
Hi, I have a set of plugins which are registered for login. One of them is a custom ui view for the login screen. The scenario: 1.DisableFDEAutoLogin is false. 2.The User logs in to the file vault login screen. 3.The security plugins are activated, and working. 4.We get any kind of an error from the plugins, and therefore the login fails. 5.We get a native login screen, after the denial of authorization. 6.In case that DisableFDEAutoLogin is true, I do get the custom login screen, after the file vault login. My question: Why dont I see the custom login screen, after the auto login fails? Cheers Sivan
Replies
5
Boosts
0
Views
808
Activity
Sep ’25
Security bug in macOS authorization plugin
Hi, A user logs in to the file vault, and DisableFDEAutoLogin is false. The file vault login succeeds, but the login to the selected user fails. The user gets the login screen again. If the user puts an invalid password to try and login again, the loginwindow:FDESupport plugin will change the user's password to the invalid one.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
217
Activity
Sep ’25
App IPA upgrade loses access to keychaingroup
Hi, Our App relies on a keychain to store certificates and key-value pairs. However, when we upgraded from an older XCode 15.2 (1 year old) app version to a newer version XCode 16.2 (with identical keychain-groups entitlement), we found that the newer ipa cannot see the older keychain group anymore... We tried Testflight builds, but limited to only generating newer versions, we tried using the older App's code, cast as a newer App version, and then upgraded to the newer code (with an even newer app version!). Surprisingly we were able to see the older keychain group. So it seems that there's something different between the packaging/profile of the older (1 year) and newer (current) App versions that seems to cause the new version to not see the old keychainGroup... Any ideas?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
204
Activity
Aug ’25
Accessibility permission not granted for sandboxed macOS menu bar app (TestFlight & local builds)
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.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
431
Activity
Jan ’26
Understanding deep sleep
Hi Team, We are trying to understand deep sleep behaviour, can you please help us clarifying on the below questions: When will we configure Hibernate 25, is it valid for M series MacBooks? Is Hibernate 25 called deep sleep mode? What are the settings I need to do on Mac, to make my Mac go in to deep sleep? When awakening from deep sleep , what would be macOS system behaviour? If we have custom SFAuthorization plug in at system.login.screensaver, what would be the behaviour with deep sleep?
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
791
Activity
Sep ’25
App Keychain will sync secitem from old device to new device
In my app, I use SecItem to store some data in the Keychain. I’d like to know — when a user sets up a new iPhone and transfers data from the old device, will those Keychain items be migrated or synced to the new device?
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
156
Activity
Jun ’25
SecTrustEvaluateAsyncWithError() and Certificate Transparency
For testing purposes we have code that calls SecTrustEvaluateAsyncWithError() with a trust object containing a hardcoded leaf certificate and the corresponding intermediate certificate required to form a valid chain. Because the leaf certificate has since expired we pass a date in the past via SecTrustSetVerifyDate() at wich the certificate was still valid, but trust evaluation fails: Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-67825 "“<redacted>” certificate is not standards compliant" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=“<redacted>” certificate is not standards compliant, NSUnderlyingError=0x600000c282a0 {Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-67825 "Certificate 0 “<redacted>” has errors: Certificate Transparency validation required for this use;" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Certificate 0 “<redacted>” has errors: Certificate Transparency validation required for this use;}}} I know that App Transport Security enforces Certificate Transparency by default, but is there a way around that here?
Replies
4
Boosts
0
Views
534
Activity
Oct ’25
SFAuthorizationPluginView::update() doesn't trigger MacOS to call view()
Has anybody else experienced something similar? This is on the login screen. I call update() and it doesn't call me back with view() 2025-08-21 17:04:38.669 Db SecurityAgentHelper-arm64[1134:2df1] [***:LoginView] calling update() Then silence...
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
491
Activity
Aug ’25
TKTokenSession not used
Hi, I'm working on developing my own CryptoTokenKit (CTK) extension to enable codesign with HSM-backed keys. Here's what I’ve done so far: The container app sets up the tokenConfiguration with TKTokenKeychainCertificate and TKTokenKeychainKey. The extension registers successfully and is visible via pluginkit when launching the container app. The virtual smartcard appears when running security list-smartcards. The certificate, key, and identity are all visible using security export-smartcard -i [card]. However, nothing appears in the Keychain. After adding logging and reviewing output in the Console, I’ve observed the following behavior when running codesign: My TKTokenSession is instantiated correctly, using my custom TKToken implementation — so far, so good. However, none of the following TKTokenSession methods are ever called: func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, beginAuthFor operation: TKTokenOperation, constraint: Any) throws -> TKTokenAuthOperation func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, supports operation: TKTokenOperation, keyObjectID: TKToken.ObjectID, algorithm: TKTokenKeyAlgorithm) -> Bool func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, sign dataToSign: Data, keyObjectID: Any, algorithm: TKTokenKeyAlgorithm) throws -> Data func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, decrypt ciphertext: Data, keyObjectID: Any, algorithm: TKTokenKeyAlgorithm) throws -> Data func tokenSession(_ session: TKTokenSession, performKeyExchange otherPartyPublicKeyData: Data, keyObjectID objectID: Any, algorithm: TKTokenKeyAlgorithm, parameters: TKTokenKeyExchangeParameters) throws -> Data The only relevant Console log is: default 11:31:15.453969+0200 PersistentToken [0x154d04850] invalidated because the client process (pid 4899) either cancelled the connection or exited There’s no crash report related to the extension, so my assumption is that ctkd is closing the connection for some unknown reason. Is there any way to debug this further? Thank you for your help.
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
152
Activity
Apr ’25
Transfer an application between accounts with an existing App Group
Due to business requirements, we need to transfer our app Gem Space for iOS from our current Apple Developer account to a new account. We have a major concern regarding our users and the data associated with the app. The user data is currently stored using an App Group with the identifier, for example: "group.com.app.sharedData" According to some information we’ve found, it might be possible to complete the transfer by removing the App Group from the old account and creating a new one with the same identifier in the new account. However, other sources suggest that App Group containers are owned by the specific team, and data stored in the container may become inaccessible after the app is transferred to a different team. This raises concerns about the possibility of users losing access to their data after updating the app from the new account. Could you please clarify the expected behavior of App Groups in this case? Do we need to perform any kind of data migration, and if so, could you please provide detailed guidance on how to do it safely and without impacting user data access?
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
102
Activity
Apr ’25
LAContext.evaluatedPolicyDomainState change between major OS versions
The header documentation for the (deprecated) LAContext.evaluatedPolicyDomainState property contains the following: @warning Please note that the value returned by this property can change exceptionally between major OS versions even if the state of biometry has not changed. I noticed that the documentation for the new LAContext.domainState property does not contain a similar warning. I also found this related thread from 2016/17. Is the domainState property not susceptible to changes between major OS versions? Or is this generally not an issue anymore?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
487
Activity
Oct ’25
Airdrop logging on iOS
Is there any way for an iOS app to get a log of all Airdrop transfers originating in all apps on the iOS device e.g. from the last week?
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
168
Activity
Jan ’26
Validating Signature Of XPC Process
Quinn, you've often suggested that to validate the other side of an XPC connection, we should use the audit token. But that's not available from the XPC object, whereas the PID is. So everyone uses the PID. While looking for something completely unrelated, I found this in the SecCode.h file OSStatus SecCodeCreateWithXPCMessage(xpc_object_t message, SecCSFlags flags, SecCodeRef * __nonnull CF_RETURNS_RETAINED target); Would this be the preferred way to do this now? At least from 11.0 and up. Like I said, I was looking for something completely unrelated and found this and don't have the cycles right now to try it. But it looks promising from the description and I wanted to check in with you about it in case you can say yes or no before I get a chance to test it. Thanks
Replies
8
Boosts
0
Views
8.3k
Activity
Aug ’25
CryptoKitError
Hi, I am using CryptoKit in my app. I am getting an error sometimes with some users. I log the description to Firebase but I am not sure what is it exactly about.  CryptoKit.CryptoKitError error 2  CryptoKit.CryptoKitError error 3 I receive both of these errors. I also save debug prints to a log file and let users share them with me. Logs are line-by-line encrypted but after getting these errors in the app also decryption of log files doesn't work and it throws these errors too. I couldn't reproduce the same error by myself, and I can't reach the user's logs so I am a little blind about what triggers this. It would be helpful to understand what these errors mean. Thanks
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
1.6k
Activity
May ’25
Keychain and Local Data Loss After App Transfer Between Developer Accounts
Hello everyone, We recently transferred our iOS app from one Apple Developer account to another, and after the transfer, we encountered a serious issue where all previously stored Keychain data and the local database became inaccessible. As a result, all users are automatically logged out and lose access to their locally stored data (such as chat history) once they update to the new version signed with the new Team ID. We understand that Keychain items are tied to the App ID prefix (Team ID), which changes during an app transfer. However, we’re looking for possible workarounds or best practices to avoid user data loss. Questions: Is there any reliable method to maintain or migrate access to old Keychain data after an app transfer? Would reverting the app back to the original developer account and releasing an update from there (to persist or migrate data) before transferring it again be a viable solution? Has anyone faced a similar issue and found a practical way to handle data persistence during an app transfer? Any guidance, technical suggestions, or shared experiences would be highly appreciated. This issue is causing major impact for our users, so we’re hoping to find a safe and supported approach. Thank you, Mohammed Hassan
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
347
Activity
Oct ’25
SSL Pinning in iOS Without Bundled Certificates
Hello, We recently implemented SSL pinning in our iOS app (Objective-C) using the common approach of embedding the server certificate (.cer) in the app bundle and comparing it in URLSession:didReceiveChallenge:. This worked fine initially, but when our backend team updated the server certificate (same domain, new cert from CA), the app immediately started failing because the bundled certificate no longer matched. We’d like to avoid shipping and updating our app every time the server’s certificate changes. Instead, we are looking for the Apple-recommended / correct approach to implement SSL pinning without embedding the actual certificate file in the app bundle. Specifically: . Is there a supported way to implement pinning based on the public key hash or SPKI hash (like sha256/... pins) rather than the full certificate? . How can this be safely implemented using NSURLSession / SecTrustEvaluate (iOS 15+ APIs, considering that SecTrustGetCertificateAtIndex is deprecated)? . Are there Apple-endorsed best practices for handling certificate rotation while still maintaining strong pinning? Any guidance or code samples would be greatly appreciated. We want to make sure we are following best practices and not relying on brittle implementations. Thanks in advance!
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
483
Activity
Aug ’25
Title: Intermittent Keychain Data Loss on App Relaunch in iOS Beta 2
Hi everyone, I'm experiencing an intermittent issue with Keychain data loss on the latest iOS Beta 2. In about 7% of cases, users report that previously saved Keychain items are missing when the app is relaunched — either after a cold start or simply after being killed and reopened. Here are the key observations: The issue occurs sporadically, mostly once per affected user, but in 3 cases it has happened 4 times. No explicit deletion is triggered from the app. No system logs or error messages from Apple indicate any Keychain-related actions. The app attempts to access Keychain items, but they are no longer available. This behavior is inconsistent with previous iOS versions and is not reproducible in development environments. This raises concerns about: Whether this is a bug in the beta or an intentional change in Keychain behavior. Whether this could affect production apps when the final iOS version is released. The lack of any warning or documentation from Apple regarding this behavior. Has anyone else encountered similar issues? Any insights, workarounds, or official clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
131
Activity
Sep ’25
Biometrics prompt + private key access race condition on since iOS 26.1
We are using SecItemCopyMatching from LocalAuthentication to access the private key to sign a challenge in our native iOS app twice in a few seconds from user interactions. This was working as expected up until about a week ago where we started getting reports of it hanging on the biometrics screen (see screenshot below). From our investigation we've found the following: It impacts newer iPhones using iOS 26.1 and later. We have replicated on these devices: iPhone 17 Pro max iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 15 Pro max iPhone 15 Only reproducible if the app tries to access the private key twice in quick succession after granting access to face ID. Looks like a race condition between the biometrics permission prompt and Keychain private key access We were able to make it work by waiting 10 seconds between private key actions, but this is terrible UX. We tried adding adding retries over the span of 10 seconds which fixed it on some devices, but not all. We checked the release notes for iOS 26.1, but there is nothing related to this. Screenshot:
Replies
5
Boosts
0
Views
749
Activity
3w
Problem with Private Access Token (PAT)
Since October 3rd, I've stopped receiving responses to the Private Access Tokens challenge. I'm using this link: https://demo-issuer.private-access-tokens.fastly.com/.well-known/token-issuer-directory. I receive tokens from Fastly and return a header to the iOS app, but then I don't receive another authentication request from iOS. The user has automatic verification enabled on their phone. The problem is global and affects all my mobile app users. Has anyone encountered a similar problem and found a solution?
Replies
16
Boosts
0
Views
2.1k
Activity
Dec ’25