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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Enable Safari autofill from my password manager app
Hello, I have a password manager app and would like to help my user's to enable the Safari autofill capability. I've made the password credential extension and that is working great. I just need to help my user's enable the feature. I could point them to Settings->General->AutoFill & Password and instruct them to turn the feature on. However, I've noticed that my competitors are able to present an alert directly from their app to turn the feature on (without going to settings at all). I can't find any documentation on how to do this? Thanks for your help! //Ray
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Apr ’25
Mark the iOS app content not to be backed up when doing unencrypted backup in iTunes
Hi,is there an option to mark the file or folder or item stored in user defaults ... not to be backed up when doing unencrypted backup in iTunes?We are developing iOS app that contains sensitive data. But even if we enable Data Protection for the iOS app it can be backed up on mac unencrypted using iTunes. Is there a way to allow backing up content only if the backup is encrypted?
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1.8k
Oct ’25
iOS 18 Password Autofill - In-App Enablement API
Hey everyone, I'm working on a password manager app for iOS and I'm trying to implement the new iOS 18 feature that lets users enable autofill directly from within the app. I know this exists because I've seen it in action in another app. They've clearly figured it out, but I'm struggling to find any documentation or info about the specific API. Has anyone else had any luck finding this? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
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522
Feb ’25
Fraud System Detection - variables recognition
I am currently working on Fraud System Detection that will be used by one of the financial institutions. Those tools are related to ensuring user security. Our goal is to identify features that can trigger an early warning system for attempted fraud. We have identified three uncertain variables: Whether the user is having a conversation while using our app, Whether the user has specific screen sharing apps on their phone, Whether the user has enabled VPN connection. Here my doubts appear: Can we check the presence of a telephone conversation if we are not a VOIP application? Can we check the presence of installed programs using Universal Link and canOpenUrl(_:) method? Can we read "SCOPED" key from CFNetworkCopySystemProxySettings() dictionary? I will be glad for any advice and help.
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326
Feb ’25
Security Implications of fdesetup authrestart on FileVault-Enabled Macs
I'm looking for confirmation on the security aspects of fdesetup authrestart when used on a FileVault-enabled Mac. As I understand it, this command temporarily stores the decryption key in memory to allow the system to restart without requiring manual entry of the FileVault password. However, I have a few security-related concerns: Storage of the Decryption Key: Where exactly is the key stored during an authenticated restart? Is it protected within the Secure Enclave (for Apple Silicon Macs) or the T2 Security Chip on Intel Macs? Key Lifetime & Wiping: At what point is the decryption key erased from memory? Does it persist in any form after the system has fully rebooted? Protection Against Physical Attacks: If an attacker gains physical access to the machine before the restart completes, is there any possibility that they could extract the decryption key from memory? Cold Boot Attack Resistance: Is there any risk that advanced forensic techniques (such as freezing RAM to retain data) could be used to recover the decryption key after issuing an authenticated restart? Malware Resistance: Could a compromised system (e.g., root access by an attacker) intercept or misuse the decryption key before the restart? I understand that on Apple Silicon and T2-equipped Macs, FileVault keys are tied to hardware-based encryption, making unauthorized access difficult. However, I'd like to confirm whether Authenticated Restart introduces any new risks compared to a standard FileVault-enabled boot process.
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565
Feb ’25
ASWebAuthenticationSession + https iOS <17.4
Hi everyone, I am trying to use ASWebAuthenticationSession to authorize user using OAuth2. Service Webcredentials is set. /.well-known/apple-app-site-association file is set. When using API for iOS > 17.4 using new init with callback: .https(...) everything works as expected, however i cannot make .init(url: ,callbackURLScheme: ....) to work. How can i intercept callback using iOS <17.4? Do I really need to use universal links? callbackURL = https://mydomain.com/auth/callback
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456
Apr ’25
How to modify the login right for headless login
Hello -- I am developing an Authentication Plug-in for the purpose of invoking login with no user interaction (headless). There seems to be sufficient documentation and sample code on how to implement a plug-in and mechanism, and debug the same, which is great. What I am trying to understand is exactly how to modify the login right (system.login.console) in order to accomplish my goal. Question 1: I had the idea of installing my mechanism as the first mechanism of the login right, and when invoked to set the username and password into the engine’s context, in the belief that this would negate the system from needing to display the login screen. I didn’t modify or remove any other mechanisms. This did not work, in the sense that the login screen was still shown. Should this work in theory? Question 2: I then tried modifying the login right to remove anything that interacted with the user, leaving only the following: <array> <string>builtin:prelogin</string> <string>builtin:login-begin</string> <string>builtin:forward-login,privileged</string> <string>builtin:auto-login,privileged</string> <string>MyAuthPlugin:customauth,privileged</string> <string>PKINITMechanism:auth,privileged</string> <string>builtin:login-success</string> <string>HomeDirMechanism:login,privileged</string> <string>HomeDirMechanism:status</string> <string>MCXMechanism:login</string> <string>CryptoTokenKit:login</string> </array> The mechanisms I removed were: <string>builtin:policy-banner</string> <string>loginwindow:login</string> <string>builtin:reset-password,privileged</string> <string>loginwindow:FDESupport,privileged</string> <string>builtin:authenticate,privileged</string> <string>loginwindow:success</string> <string>loginwindow:done</string> In place of builtin:authenticate I supplied my own mechanism to verify the user’s password using OD and then set the username and password in the context. This attempt appears to have failed quite badly, as authd reported an error almost immediately (I believe it was related to the AuthEngine failing to init). There’s very little information to go on as to what each of these mechanisms do, and which are required, etc. Am I on the wrong track in attempting this? What would be the correct approach?
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Feb ’25
Keychain Item Invalidation After Interrupted Face ID Reset on iOS 18.3.1
I am working on improving Keychain item storage secured with Face ID using SecAccessControlCreateWithFlags. The implementation uses the .biometryAny flag as shown below: SecAccessControlCreateWithFlags( kCFAllocatorDefault, kSecAttrAccessibleWhenUnlockedThisDeviceOnly, .biometryAny, &amp;error ) While this approach generally works as expected, I encountered a specific edge case during testing. On iOS 18.3.1 with Xcode 15.4, the following sequence causes the Keychain item to become inaccessible: Navigate to Settings &gt; Face ID &amp; Passcode and select Reset Face ID. Before setting up a new Face ID, tap the Back button to exit the setup process. Reopen the Face ID setup and complete the enrollment. Return to the app—previously stored Keychain items protected by .biometryAny are no longer available. This behavior appears to be a change introduced in recent iOS versions. In versions prior to iOS 15, resetting or deleting Face ID entries did not invalidate existing Keychain items protected by .biometryAny. This difference in behavior between iOS versions raises questions about the changes to biometric protection handling. Any suggestions are welcomed that might shine a light on what the best practice to use keychain access control and prevent the data to become unavailable.
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509
Feb ’25
Issues after app transfer
We recently transferred two applications to a different account, both of which utilize Keychain and shared app containers. Before transferring the first application, we anticipated losing access to the Keychain and took proactive measures by backing up data to the app’s private container in the final release prior to the transfer. During the app transfer process, we removed the shared container group ID from the old account and recreated it under the new account. In our testing, Keychain restoration from the local backup was successful, and users experienced no disruptions. However, after releasing the application, we observed that approximately 25% of our users not only lost their Keychain data as expected but also their shared app container data. As we have been unable to reproduce this issue internally, we are seeking your guidance on how to prevent a similar situation when transferring our second application. At this stage, we have not yet released any updates from the new account, and the Keychain data remains backed up in the app’s private container. We would appreciate any insights or recommendations you can provide to ensure a smooth transition for our users and make sure we can keep the data in shared container.
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490
Feb ’25
App auto PopUps stopping a text out and call out
Hello, I have created an app for both iOs and Android where upon speaking two trigger words, the listening app sends a text and then calls to an inputted designated phone contact. The Android version works perfectly. The iOs version also works perfectly but the iOs app emiits a PopUp for each, the text and then the call asking "Do you really want to send the text -or- make the call". Basically, I input the contact info and I spoke the trigger words. So, yes I want to send the text and make the call. So, I have to click the two PopUps then the device sends and calls. Is there a way to suppress the PopUps in any way? The app is designed for emergencies. So, a dely to anser a popup is not at all good. Maybe by telling the device to allow auto calls and texts from my app? Any and all help on this issue will be very welcomed... Thanks :)
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445
Feb ’25
SecKeyCreateRandomKey with EC key type generates broken keypair
Why does the following code generate a public key that can't be parsed by openssl? import Security import CryptoKit func generateKeys() throws -> (privateKey: SecKey, publicKey: SecKey) { let query: [String: Any] = [ kSecAttrKeyType as String: kSecAttrKeyTypeECSECPrimeRandom, kSecAttrKeySizeInBits as String: 256, kSecAttrIsPermanent as String: false ] var error: Unmanaged<CFError>? guard let privateKey = SecKeyCreateRandomKey(query as CFDictionary, &error) else { throw error!.takeRetainedValue() } let publicKey = SecKeyCopyPublicKey(privateKey)! return (privateKey, publicKey) } extension SecKey { func exportBase64EncodedKey() -> String { var error: Unmanaged<CFError>? guard let data = SecKeyCopyExternalRepresentation(self, &error) else { fatalError("Failed to export key: \(error!.takeRetainedValue())") } return (data as Data).base64EncodedString(options: [.lineLength64Characters]) } } func printPublicKey() { let keyPair = try! generateKeys() let encodedPublicKey = keyPair.publicKey.exportBase64EncodedKey() var header = "-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----" var footer = "-----END PUBLIC KEY-----" var pemKey = "\(header)\n\(encodedPublicKey)\n\(footer)\n" print(pemKey) } printPublicKey() when parsing the key I get this: openssl pkey -pubin -in new_public_key.pem -text -noout Could not find private key of Public Key from new_public_key.pem 404278EC01000000:error:1E08010C:DECODER routines:OSSL_DECODER_from_bio:unsupported:crypto/encode_decode/decoder_lib.c:102:No supported data to decode. Replacing kSecAttrKeyTypeECSECPrimeRandom with kSecAttrKeyTypeRSA and a bigger key size (e.g. 2048) gives me a working public key that can be parsed by Openssl. Thanks!
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617
Jan ’25
Passkey Registration Fails with “UnexpectedRPIDHash” on iOS — Domain & Associated Domains Confirmed Correct
I’m implementing Passkey registration on iOS using ASAuthorizationPlatformPublicKeyCredentialProvider. On the server side, I’m using a WebAuthn library that throws the error UnexpectedRPIDHash: Unexpected RP ID hash during verifyRegistrationResponse(). Domain: pebblepath.link (publicly routable, valid SSL certificate, no warnings in Safari) Associated Domains in Xcode**: webcredentials:pebblepath.link AASA file: { "applinks": { "apps": [] }, "webcredentials": { "apps": [ "H33XH8JMV6.com.reactivex.pebblepath" ] } } Xcode Configuration: Team ID: H33XH8JMV6 Bundle ID: com.reactivex.pebblepath Associated Domains: webcredentials:pebblepath.link Logs: iOS clientDataJSON shows "origin": "https://pebblepath.link". Server logs confirm expectedOrigin = "https://pebblepath.link" and expectedRPID = "pebblepath.link". Despite this, the server library still errors out: finishRegistration error: UnexpectedRPIDHash. I’ve verified that: The domain has a valid CA-signed SSL cert (no Safari warnings). The AASA file is reachable at https://pebblepath.link/.well-known/apple-app-site-association. The app’s entitlements match H33XH8JMV6.com.reactivex.pebblepath. I’ve removed old passkeys from Settings → Passwords on the device and retried fresh. I’m testing on a real device with iOS 16+; I am using a Development provisioning profile, but that shouldn’t cause an RP ID mismatch as long as the domain is valid. Every log indicates that the domain and origin match exactly, but the WebAuthn library still throws UnexpectedRPIDHash, implying iOS is embedding a different (or unrecognized) RP ID hash in the credential. Has anyone else encountered this with iOS passkeys and a valid domain/AASA setup? Is there an extra step needed to ensure iOS recognizes the domain for passkey registration? Any guidance or insights would be greatly appreciated!
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562
Jan ’25
Impact of Security Vulnerabilities Caused by Enabling "Generate Debug Symbols"
We are working with an iOS app where we have enabled the “Generate Debug Symbols” setting to true in Xcode. As a result, the .dSYM files are generated and utilized in Firebase Crashlytics for crash reporting. However, we received a note in our Vulnerability Assessment report indicating a potential security concern. The report mentions that the .ipa file could be reverse-engineered due to the presence of debug symbols, and that such symbols should not be included in a released app. We could not find any security-related information about this flag, “Generate Debug Symbols,” in Apple’s documentation. Could you please clarify if enabling the “Generate Debug Symbols” flag in Xcode for a production app creates any security vulnerabilities, such as the one described in the report? The report mentions the following vulnerability: TEST-0219: Testing for Debugging Symbols The concern raised is that debugging symbols, while useful for crash symbolication, may be leveraged to reverse-engineer the app and should not be present in a production release. Your prompt confirmation on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
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536
Mar ’25
Using Device Data for Finger Printing
Our business model is to identify Frauds using our advanced AI/ML model. However, in order to do so we need to collect many device information which seems to be ok according to https://developer.apple.com/app-store/user-privacy-and-data-use/ But it's also prohibited to generate a fingerprint, so I need more clarification here. Does it mean I can only use the data to identify that a user if either fraud or not but I cannot generate a fingerprint to identify the device? If so, I can see many SKD in the market that generates Fingerprints like https://fingerprint.com/blog/local-device-fingerprint-ios/ and https://shield.com/?
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439
Mar ’25
Best Practice for Keychain Storage for a C++ Plugin in a Host App (Maya)?
Hi everyone, I'm developing a C++ plugin (.bundle) for a third-party host application (Autodesk Maya) on macOS, and I'm finalizing the design for our licensing system. The plugin is distributed outside the Mac App Store. My goal is to securely store a license key in the user's Keychain. After some research, my proposed implementation is as follows: On activation, store the license data in the user's login keychain as a Generic Password (kSecClassGenericPassword) using the SecItem APIs. To ensure the plugin can access the item when loaded by Maya, I will use a specific Keychain Access Group (e.g., MY_TEAM_ID.com.mywebsite). The final .bundle will be code-signed with our company's Developer ID certificate. The signature will include an entitlements file (.entitlements) that specifies the matching keychain-access-groups permission. My understanding is that this combination of a unique Keychain Access Group and a properly signed/entitled bundle is the key to getting reliable Keychain access. This should also correctly trigger the one-time user permission prompt on first use. Does this sound like the correct and most robust approach for this scenario? Are there any common pitfalls with a plugin's Keychain access from within a host app that I should be aware of? Thanks for any feedback!
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137
Jun ’25
Unable to add "One Time Codes" support to my app
I'm working on a Password Manager app that integrates with the AutoFill Credential Provider to provide stored passwords and OTPs to the user within Safari and other apps. Password AutoFill works perfectly. I'm unable to get iOS to register that the app supports OTPs though. I've followed the Apple documentation here: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/authenticationservices/providing-one-time-passcodes-to-autofill and added "ProvidesOneTimeCodes" to the AutoFill extension's Info.plist, but iOS just doesn't seem to notice the OTP support. &lt;key&gt;ASCredentialProviderExtensionCapabilities&lt;/key&gt; &lt;dict&gt; &lt;key&gt;ProvidesOneTimeCodes&lt;/key&gt; &lt;true/&gt; &lt;key&gt;ProvidesPasswords&lt;/key&gt; &lt;true/&gt; &lt;/dict&gt; Any help would be greatly appreicated!
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370
Mar ’25