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Explore the networking protocols and technologies used by the device to connect to Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices, and cellular data services.

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Can't update VPN app when includeAllNetworks is set to true
If the includeAllNetworks flag to true, we cannot update our app via Xcode, TestFlight or the AppStore. In the AppStore and TestFlight cases, it seems that the packet tunnel process is stopped before the new app is downloaded - once the packet tunnel process is stopped, it can’t be started again via Settings/VPN profiles, nor can it be started via the app.
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1
159
Jun ’25
utun interfaces not cleaned up using NetworkExtension
Aloha. Opening and closing VPN tunnels results in as many utun interfaces as the amount of times the tunnel has been opened. These interfaces stay present and seem to be removed only upon system reboot. We are using the NetworkExtension as a SystemExtension on macOS to create the virtual interfaces. Is this the normal behaviour. Has anybody else experienced this? utun0: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1380 inet6 fe80::8038:c353:17cd:c422%utun0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0xf nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD> utun1: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 2000 inet6 fe80::cfb6:1324:d7e9:5d5%utun1 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x10 nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD> utun2: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun3: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun4: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun5: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun6: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun7: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun8: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM>
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12k
Oct ’25
Regarding Dual SIM Usage
I am developing a VoIP application that uses NetworkExtension (Local PUSH function) And VoIP(APNs) PUSH. Since iPhone X, iPhones have supported eSIM, allowing for the simultaneous use of a physical SIM and an eSIM. Consequently, users of our VoIP app have requested the ability to lock the network used by the VoIP app to either the eSIM or the physical SIM. Our VoIP app utilizes the network through the socket API. Is there an API in the iOS SDK to lock the network used via sockets to either the eSIM or the physical SIM? In other words, we would like to be able to retrieve the IP address assigned to the eSIM or the physical SIM in advance, and know which IP address is assigned to which SIM. Are there any such APIs available (that are not "Deprecated")
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320
Jul ’25
Securely transmit UIImage to app running on desktop website
Hello everyone, I'm trying to figure out how to transmit a UIImage (png or tiff) securely to an application running in my desktop browser (Mac or PC). The desktop application and iOS app would potentially be running on the same local network (iOS hotspot or something) or have no internet connection at all. I'm trying to securely send over an image that the running desktop app could ingest. I was thinking something like a local server securely accepting image data from an iPhone. Any suggestions ideas or where to look for more info would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your help.
1
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138
May ’25
Network extension configuration "the wrong type"
On one test machine, our extension wouldn't load, because [NETransparentProxyManager loadAllFromPreferencesWithCompletionHandler] can't find a manager, saying Skipping configuration appname because it is of the wrong type. This is the first time I've seen this behaviour. (The containing app tries to find a configuration, if it can't find it it creates one, then modifies whatever it found or created, then stores it. I don't have the right logging yet for that, so I can't see the error messages. [NSLog instead of os_log_error.])
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178
Oct ’25
Network Interface APIs
For important background information, read Extra-ordinary Networking before reading this. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Network Interface APIs Most developers don’t need to interact directly with network interfaces. If you do, read this post for a summary of the APIs available to you. Before you read this, read Network Interface Concepts. Interface List The standard way to get a list of interfaces and their addresses is getifaddrs. To learn more about this API, see its man page. A network interface has four fundamental attributes: A set of flags — These are packed into a CUnsignedInt. The flags bits are declared in <net/if.h>, starting with IFF_UP. An interface type — See Network Interface Type, below. An interface index — Valid indexes are greater than 0. A BSD interface name. For example, an Ethernet interface might be called en0. The interface name is shared between multiple network interfaces running over a given hardware interface. For example, IPv4 and IPv6 running over that Ethernet interface will both have the name en0. WARNING BSD interface names are not considered API. There’s no guarantee, for example, that an iPhone’s Wi-Fi interface is en0. You can map between the last two using if_indextoname and if_nametoindex. See the if_indextoname man page for details. An interface may also have address information. If present, this always includes the interface address (ifa_addr) and the network mask (ifa_netmask). In addition: Broadcast-capable interfaces (IFF_BROADCAST) have a broadcast address (ifa_broadaddr, which is an alias for ifa_dstaddr). Point-to-point interfaces (IFF_POINTOPOINT) have a destination address (ifa_dstaddr). Calling getifaddrs from Swift is a bit tricky. For an example of this, see QSocket: Interfaces. IP Address List Once you have getifaddrs working, it’s relatively easy to manipulate the results to build a list of just IP addresses, a list of IP addresses for each interface, and so on. QSocket: Interfaces has some Swift snippets that show this. Interface List Updates The interface list can change over time. Hardware interfaces can be added and removed, network interfaces come up and go down, and their addresses can change. It’s best to avoid caching information from getifaddrs. If thats unavoidable, use the kNotifySCNetworkChange Darwin notification to update your cache. For information about registering for Darwin notifications, see the notify man page (in section 3). This notification just tells you that something has changed. It’s up to you to fetch the new interface list and adjust your cache accordingly. You’ll find that this notification is sometimes posted numerous times in rapid succession. To avoid unnecessary thrashing, debounce it. While the Darwin notification API is easy to call from Swift, Swift does not import kNotifySCNetworkChange. To fix that, define that value yourself, calling a C function to get the value: var kNotifySCNetworkChange: UnsafePointer<CChar> { networkChangeNotifyKey() } Here’s what that C function looks like: extern const char * networkChangeNotifyKey(void) { return kNotifySCNetworkChange; } Network Interface Type There are two ways to think about a network interface’s type. Historically there were a wide variety of weird and wonderful types of network interfaces. The following code gets this legacy value for a specific BSD interface name: func legacyTypeForInterfaceNamed(_ name: String) -> UInt8? { var addrList: UnsafeMutablePointer<ifaddrs>? = nil let err = getifaddrs(&addrList) // In theory we could check `errno` here but, honestly, what are gonna // do with that info? guard err >= 0, let first = addrList else { return nil } defer { freeifaddrs(addrList) } return sequence(first: first, next: { $0.pointee.ifa_next }) .compactMap { addr in guard let nameC = addr.pointee.ifa_name, name == String(cString: nameC), let sa = addr.pointee.ifa_addr, sa.pointee.sa_family == AF_LINK, let data = addr.pointee.ifa_data else { return nil } return data.assumingMemoryBound(to: if_data.self).pointee.ifi_type } .first } The values are defined in <net/if_types.h>, starting with IFT_OTHER. However, this value is rarely useful because many interfaces ‘look like’ Ethernet and thus have a type of IFT_ETHER. Network framework has the concept of an interface’s functional type. This is an indication of how the interface fits into the system. There are two ways to get an interface’s functional type: If you’re using Network framework and have an NWInterface value, get the type property. If not, call ioctl with a SIOCGIFFUNCTIONALTYPE request. The return values are defined in <net/if.h>, starting with IFRTYPE_FUNCTIONAL_UNKNOWN. Swift does not import SIOCGIFFUNCTIONALTYPE, so it’s best to write this code in a C: extern uint32_t functionalTypeForInterfaceNamed(const char * name) { int fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0); if (fd < 0) { return IFRTYPE_FUNCTIONAL_UNKNOWN; } struct ifreq ifr = {}; strlcpy(ifr.ifr_name, name, sizeof(ifr.ifr_name)); bool success = ioctl(fd, SIOCGIFFUNCTIONALTYPE, &ifr) >= 0; int junk = close(fd); assert(junk == 0); if ( ! success ) { return IFRTYPE_FUNCTIONAL_UNKNOWN; } return ifr.ifr_ifru.ifru_functional_type; } Finally, TN3158 Resolving Xcode 15 device connection issues documents the SIOCGIFDIRECTLINK flag as a specific way to identify the network interfaces uses by Xcode for device connection traffic. Revision History 2025-12-10 Added info about SIOCGIFDIRECTLINK. 2023-07-19 First posted.
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2.2k
Dec ’25
Simultaneous Use of PacketTunnelProvider and DNSProxyProvider extensions
Hi! I'm working on a solution (iOS 18) that uses Network Extensions PacketTunnelProvider and Content Filter. Currently I'm trying to integrate it with another extension – DNSProxyProvider. My goal is to process dns queries and use resolved ips and names for additional routing inside of the packet tunnel. I'm running into a major issue: whenever both VPN and DNS proxy are active simultaneously, the device completely loses internet connectivity — no traffic goes through, and DNS resolution seems to stop working entirely. I know about the mdm supervision requirement to use DNSProxyProvider and that's covered as I work with a managed device and install a DNS proxy profile, here's how its .mobileconfig file looks like: The DNS proxy itself works fine when working by itself (without VPN being turned on), as I implemented it that it successfully processes DNS packets flows while collecting information about domains etc, and everything works perfectly. Problems begin when using VPN at the same time. I'm aware that tunnel settings include dns related options that can affect this, but I haven't had much luck with tweaking them. Here's how they look right now for reference: let settings: NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings = NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings(tunnelRemoteAddress: "240.0.0.1") // let dnsSettings = NEDNSSettings(servers: "8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4".components(separatedBy: ",")) // dnsSettings.matchDomains = [""] // settings.dnsSettings = dnsSettings settings.proxySettings = nil /* ipv4 settings */ let ipv4Settings = NEIPv4Settings(addresses: ["240.0.0.2"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.0"]) ipv4Settings.includedRoutes = [NEIPv4Route.default()] settings.ipv4Settings = ipv4Settings /* MTU */ settings.mtu = 1500 return settings I've tried excluding some dns related ip routes and dns settings shenanigans but nothing. I haven't found any information that might suggest that using both of these extensions at the same time doesn't work, on the contrary, this page in the official documentation about the expected use of packet tunnel provider the expected use of packet tunnel provider, as it talks about the fact that you should not use it for interception of all of DNS traffic, as the use of DNSPRoxyProvider (or dns settings) are built for that, which in my mind, suggests that there should be no problem with using them both and just splitting the dns traffic handling to the proxy. Will be thankful for any help!
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142
May ’25
iOS 18; Can no longer connect app to camera over Ad Hoc insecure network
We have an old iOS app and an old camera that connects using Wi-Fi either using an access point or Ad Hoc network, e.g., iPhone/iPad connects to the camera's Wi-Fi directly... How it works (old legacy app/system, which cannot be redesigned): Camera is configured to Ad Hoc Wi-Fi network (insecure TCP). iPhone connects to this insecure Wi-Fi. Camera uses Bonjour service to broadcast its IP address. App reads in IP address and begin to send messages to the camera using NSMutableURLRequest, etc. All this works fine for iOS 17. But in iOS 18 step 4 stopped working. App simply doesn't get any responses! We believe we have configured ATS properly (App Store version): In panic we have also tried this in Test Flight version: The latter actually seemed to make a difference when running the app on macOS Apple Silicon. But on iOS it didn't seem to make any difference. Occasionally, I was lucky to get connection on on iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 18. But for the 'many' iPads I have tried I couldn't. I also tried to install CFNetwork profile and look at the logs but I believe I just got timeout on the requests. Questions: Why it iOS 18 different? Bonjour works fine, but NSSURLRequests doesn't Do we configure ATS correctly for this scenario? What should I look for in the Console log when CFNetwork profile is installed? Should I file a TSI? Thanks! :)
7
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263
May ’25
AdHoc IPA: "permission denied" when installing DNS Proxy NetworkExtension (all entitlements and profiles seem correct)
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!
1
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139
Jun ’25
Network Extension Resources
General: Forums subtopic: App & System Services > Networking DevForums tag: Network Extension Network Extension framework documentation Routing your VPN network traffic article Filtering traffic by URL sample code Filtering Network Traffic sample code TN3120 Expected use cases for Network Extension packet tunnel providers technote TN3134 Network Extension provider deployment technote TN3165 Packet Filter is not API technote Network Extension and VPN Glossary forums post Debugging a Network Extension Provider forums post Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension forums post Network Extension Framework Entitlements forums post Network Extension vs ad hoc techniques on macOS forums post Network Extension Provider Packaging forums post NWEndpoint History and Advice forums post Extra-ordinary Networking forums post Wi-Fi management: Understanding NEHotspotConfigurationErrorInternal forums post See also Networking Resources for general networking resources, including information about Wi-Fi. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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3.2k
Mar ’26
Enhancing NEFilterPacketProvider with Process-Level Filtering
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?
1
0
110
Jun ’25
NWBrowser with bonjour returning PolicyDenied(-65570)
Hi, Having an issue on one mac using Xcode 16.3 and simulator 18.4. macSO 15.4 We are checking for bonjour: authorizationBrowser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjour(type: "_bonjour._tcp", domain: nil), using: parameters) authorizationBrowser?.stateUpdateHandler = { [weak self] newState in switch newState { ... } } However at the command line we get the error: nw_browser_fail_on_dns_error_locked [B1] nw_browser_dns_service_browse_callback failed: PolicyDenied(-65570) Any idea why this is happening? or what this error means? Thanks Antz
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11
5.8k
Jun ’25
Split tunnel w/o changing route table
I've built a VPN app that is based on wireguard on macOS (I have both AppStore ver. and Developer ID ver). I want to achieve split tunneling function without changing the system route table. Currently, I'm making changes in PacketTunnelProvider: NEPacketTunnelProvider. It has included/excluded routes that function as a split tunnel, just that all changes are immediately reflected on the route table: if I run netstat -rn in terminal, I would see all rules/CIDRs I added, displayed all at once. Since I have a CIDR list of ~800 entries, I'd like to avoid changing the route table directly. I've asked ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, .etc. An idea was to implement an 'interceptor' to intercept all packets in packetFlow(_:readPacketsWithCompletionHandler:), extract the destination IP from each packet, check if it matches your CIDR list, and either reinject it back to the system interface (for local routing) or process it through your tunnel. Well, LLMs could have hallucinations and I've pretty new to macOS programming. I'm asking to make sure I'm on the right track, not going delusional with those LLMs :) So the question is, does the above method sounds feasible? If not, is it possible to achieve split tunneling without changing the route table?
4
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140
Jun ’25
Internet is blocked when `includeAllNetworks` is enabled and `NEHotspotHelper` is registered
Hello, We are facing what we believe is a compatibility issue with two networking APIs. If the Network extension VPN configuration has includeAllNetworks flag enabled and the NEHotspotHelper is registered. The user has internet connection but it is blocked, and there user will get internet back only after restarting the device. VPN Configuration is as below while connecting to VPN, { localizedDescription = WLVPN WireGuard Configuration enabled = YES protocolConfiguration = { serverAddress = <18-char-str> passwordReference = {length = 20, bytes = 0x67656e70ed0d05c06b1b4896bf4fef2031e1a92d} disconnectOnSleep = NO includeAllNetworks = YES excludeLocalNetworks = YES excludeCellularServices = YES excludeAPNs = YES excludeDeviceCommunication = YES enforceRoutes = NO providerBundleIdentifier = com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.network-extension } onDemandEnabled = NO onDemandRules = () } After running the code shown below. Regardless if the VPN is connected or not, the user needs to restart his device to regain internet access. private let neHelperQueue = DispatchQueue(label: "com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.hotspot", attributes: DispatchQueue.Attributes.concurrent) let options: [String: NSObject] = [kNEHotspotHelperOptionDisplayName : "" as NSObject] let status = NEHotspotHelper.register(options: nil, queue: neHelperQueue) { cmd in NSLog("Received command: \(cmd.commandType.rawValue)") } We need to use the includeAllNetworks flag to prevent the novel "Tunnel vision" vulnerability. Can we please have some help getting confirmation if both functionalities are compatible or if there's a way to enable them at the same time?
4
1
665
Mar ’26
Real-time audio application on locked device
I would like to inquire about the feasibility of developing an iOS application with the following requirements: The app must support real-time audio communication based on UDP. It needs to maintain a TCP signaling connection, even when the device is locked. The app will run only on selected devices within a controlled (closed) environment, such as company-managed iPads or iPhones. Could you please clarify the following: Is it technically possible to maintain an active TCP connection when the device is locked? What are the current iOS restrictions or limitations for background execution, particularly related to networking and audio? Are there any recommended APIs or frameworks (such as VoIP, PushKit, or Background Modes) suitable for this type of application?
1
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212
Jun ’25
Bonjour Connectivity Optimization
Hi folks, I'm building an iOS companion app to a local hosted server app (hosted on 0.0.0.0). The MacOS app locally connects to this server hosted, and I took the approach of advertising the server using a Daemon and BonjourwithTXT(for port) and then net service to resolve a local name. Unfortunately if there's not enough time given after the iPhone/iPad is plugged in (usb or ethernet), the app will cycle through attempts and disconnects many times before connecting and I'm trying to find a way to only connect when a viable en interface is available. I've run into a weird thing in which the en interface only becomes seen on the NWMonitor after multiple connection attempts have been made and failed. If I screen for en before connecting it simply never appears. Is there any way to handle this such that my app can intelligently wait for an en connection before trying to connect? Attaching my code although I have tried a few other setups but none has been perfect. func startMonitoringAndBrowse() { DebugLogger.shared.append("Starting Bonjour + Ethernet monitoring") if !browserStarted { let params = NWParameters.tcp params.includePeerToPeer = false params.requiredInterfaceType = .wiredEthernet browser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjourWithTXTRecord(type: "_mytcpapp._tcp", domain: nil), using: params) browser?.stateUpdateHandler = { state in if case .ready = state { DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour browser ready.") } } browser?.browseResultsChangedHandler = { results, _ in self.handleBrowseResults(results) } browser?.start(queue: .main) browserStarted = true } // Start monitoring for wired ethernet monitor = NWPathMonitor() monitor?.pathUpdateHandler = { path in let hasEthernet = path.availableInterfaces.contains { $0.type == .wiredEthernet } let ethernetInUse = path.usesInterfaceType(.wiredEthernet) DebugLogger.shared.append(""" NWPathMonitor: - Status: \(path.status) - Interfaces: \(path.availableInterfaces.map { "\($0.name)[\($0.type)]" }.joined(separator: ", ")) - Wired Ethernet: \(hasEthernet), In Use: \(ethernetInUse) """) self.tryToConnectIfReady() self.stopMonitoring() } monitor?.start(queue: monitorQueue) } // MARK: - Internal Logic private func handleBrowseResults(_ results: Set&lt;NWBrowser.Result&gt;) { guard !self.isResolving, !self.hasResolvedService else { return } for result in results { guard case let .bonjour(txtRecord) = result.metadata, let portString = txtRecord["actual_port"], let actualPort = Int(portString), case let .service(name, type, domain, _) = result.endpoint else { continue } DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour result — port: \(actualPort)") self.resolvedPort = actualPort self.isResolving = true self.resolveWithNetService(name: name, type: type, domain: domain) break } } private func resolveWithNetService(name: String, type: String, domain: String) { let netService = NetService(domain: domain, type: type, name: name) netService.delegate = self netService.includesPeerToPeer = false netService.resolve(withTimeout: 5.0) resolvingNetService = netService DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolving NetService: \(name).\(type)\(domain)") } private func tryToConnectIfReady() { guard hasResolvedService, let host = resolvedHost, let port = resolvedPort else { return } DebugLogger.shared.append("Attempting to connect: \(host):\(port)") discoveredIP = host discoveredPort = port connectionPublisher.send(.connecting(ip: host, port: port)) stopBrowsing() socketManager.connectToServer(ip: host, port: port) hasResolvedService = false } } // MARK: - NetServiceDelegate extension BonjourManager: NetServiceDelegate { func netServiceDidResolveAddress(_ sender: NetService) { guard let hostname = sender.hostName else { DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved service with no hostname") return } DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved NetService hostname: \(hostname)") resolvedHost = hostname isResolving = false hasResolvedService = true tryToConnectIfReady() } func netService(_ sender: NetService, didNotResolve errorDict: [String : NSNumber]) { DebugLogger.shared.append("NetService failed to resolve: \(errorDict)") } }
10
0
313
May ’25
get Wi-Fi controller info
Hello, I'm trying to get a list of all network devices (device audit for DLP system). CFMutableDictionaryRef matchingDictionary = IOServiceMatching(kIONetworkControllerClass); if (matchingDictionary == nullptr) { std::cerr << "IOServiceMatching() returned empty matching dictionary" << std::endl; return 1; } io_iterator_t iter; if (kern_return_t kr = IOServiceGetMatchingServices(kIOMasterPortDefault, matchingDictionary, &iter); kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { std::cerr << "IOServiceGetMatchingServices() failed" << std::endl; return 1; } io_service_t networkController; while ((networkController = IOIteratorNext(iter)) != IO_OBJECT_NULL) { std::cout << "network device: "; if (CFDataRef cfIOMACAddress = (CFDataRef) IORegistryEntryCreateCFProperty(networkController, CFSTR(kIOMACAddress), kCFAllocatorDefault, kNilOptions); cfIOMACAddress != nullptr) { std::vector<uint8_t> data(CFDataGetLength(cfIOMACAddress)); CFDataGetBytes(cfIOMACAddress, CFRangeMake(0, data.size()), data.data()); std::cout << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short)data[0] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[1] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[2] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[3] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[4] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[5]; CFRelease(cfIOMACAddress); } std::cout << std::endl; IOObjectRelease(networkController); } IOObjectRelease(iter); The Wi-Fi controller shows up in I/O Registry Explorer, but IOServiceGetMatchingServices() does not return any information about it. Any way to retrieve Wi-Fi controller info in daemon code? Thank you in advance!
3
0
177
Jun ’25
Can't find server for API Endpoint that works.
Hi, I am making a AI-Powered app that makes api requests to the openai API. However, for security, I set up a vercel backend that handles the API calls securely, while my frontend makes a call to my vercel-hosted https endpoint. Interestingly, whenever I try to make that call on my device, an iPhone, I get this error: Task <91AE4DE0-2845-4348-89B4-D3DD1CF51B65>.<10> finished with error [-1003] Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1003 "A server with the specified hostname could not be found." UserInfo={_kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=-72000, NSUnderlyingError=0x1435783f0 {Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=-1003 "(null)" UserInfo={_kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=10, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=-72000, _NSURLErrorNWResolutionReportKey=Resolved 0 endpoints in 3ms using unknown from query, _NSURLErrorNWPathKey=satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: pdp_ip0[lte], ipv4, ipv6, dns, expensive, uses cell}}, _NSURLErrorFailingURLSessionTaskErrorKey=LocalDataTask <91AE4DE0-2845-4348-89B4-D3DD1CF51B65>.<10>, _NSURLErrorRelatedURLSessionTaskErrorKey=( "LocalDataTask <91AE4DE0-2845-4348-89B4-D3DD1CF51B65>.<10>" ), NSLocalizedDescription=A server with the specified hostname could not be found., NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=https://[my endpoint], NSErrorFailingURLKey=https://[my endpoint], _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=10} I'm completely stuck because when I directly make https requests to other api's like openai's endpoint, without the proxy, it finds the server completely fine. Running my endpoint on terminal with curl also works as intended, as I see api key usages. But for some reason, on my project, it does not work. I've looked through almost every single post I could find online, but a lot all of the solutions are outdated and unhelpful. I'm willing to schedule a call, meeting, whatever to resolve this issue and get help more in depth as well.
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166
Jun ’25
Network connectivity issue observed on OS 15.4.1
Recently, we have observed that after upgrading to OS 15.4.1, some devices are experiencing network issues. We are using a Network Extension with a transparent app proxy in our product. The user encounters this issue while using our client, but the issue persists even after stopping the client app. This appears to be an OS issue. Below is the sytem logs. In the system logs, it says [C669.1 Hostname#546597df:443 failed transform (unsatisfied (No network route), flow divert agg: 2)] event: transform:children_failed @0.001s In scutil --dns, it says not reachble. DNS configuration resolver #1 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) resolver #2 domain : local options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300000 resolver #3 domain : 254.169.in-addr.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300200 resolver #4 domain : 8.e.f.ip6.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300400 resolver #5 domain : 9.e.f.ip6.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300600 resolver #6 domain : a.e.f.ip6.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300800 resolver #7 domain : b.e.f.ip6.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 301000 We need to restart the system to recover from the issue.
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355
Jun ’25
NEAppPushProvider ios 18.4+ Push Connectivity
Did iOS 18.4 ( and 18.5) with iPhone 14 or 15 introduce new network connectivity or battery optimization policies that would break Local Push Connectivity? (suspend PushProvider in a new way that prevents it from listening and reponding to incoming messages from private network server)? We have a private app using local push connectivity for real time local alerts on a local private network & server. The current application version works on prev devices including iPhone 12, iOS 14-18.1 that we know of. A new(er) installation with iPhone 14s & 15s on iOS 18.4 is having new connectivity problems that seem to occur along with sleep. Previously NEAppPushProvider could listen and reply to incoming messages from server for local notifications, incoming sip invites, and connection health messages. We'll be performing addtional testing to narrow the issue in the meantime, but it would be VERY helpful to have clarification regarding any iOS minor patches since 18.1 that are now breaking existing Local Push Connectivity applications. If so what are the recommendations or remedies. Are known issues with Network Extensions patched in 18.5? Are existing applications expected to redesign their networking solutions for 18.3 & 18.4? Did iOS18 versions later than 18.1 begin requiring new entitlements or exceptions for private apps in app store?
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97
Jun ’25
Can't update VPN app when includeAllNetworks is set to true
If the includeAllNetworks flag to true, we cannot update our app via Xcode, TestFlight or the AppStore. In the AppStore and TestFlight cases, it seems that the packet tunnel process is stopped before the new app is downloaded - once the packet tunnel process is stopped, it can’t be started again via Settings/VPN profiles, nor can it be started via the app.
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4
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1
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159
Activity
Jun ’25
utun interfaces not cleaned up using NetworkExtension
Aloha. Opening and closing VPN tunnels results in as many utun interfaces as the amount of times the tunnel has been opened. These interfaces stay present and seem to be removed only upon system reboot. We are using the NetworkExtension as a SystemExtension on macOS to create the virtual interfaces. Is this the normal behaviour. Has anybody else experienced this? utun0: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1380 inet6 fe80::8038:c353:17cd:c422%utun0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0xf nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD> utun1: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 2000 inet6 fe80::cfb6:1324:d7e9:5d5%utun1 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x10 nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD> utun2: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun3: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun4: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun5: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun6: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun7: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM> utun8: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1300 options=6463<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM>
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17
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12k
Activity
Oct ’25
Regarding Dual SIM Usage
I am developing a VoIP application that uses NetworkExtension (Local PUSH function) And VoIP(APNs) PUSH. Since iPhone X, iPhones have supported eSIM, allowing for the simultaneous use of a physical SIM and an eSIM. Consequently, users of our VoIP app have requested the ability to lock the network used by the VoIP app to either the eSIM or the physical SIM. Our VoIP app utilizes the network through the socket API. Is there an API in the iOS SDK to lock the network used via sockets to either the eSIM or the physical SIM? In other words, we would like to be able to retrieve the IP address assigned to the eSIM or the physical SIM in advance, and know which IP address is assigned to which SIM. Are there any such APIs available (that are not "Deprecated")
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3
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320
Activity
Jul ’25
Securely transmit UIImage to app running on desktop website
Hello everyone, I'm trying to figure out how to transmit a UIImage (png or tiff) securely to an application running in my desktop browser (Mac or PC). The desktop application and iOS app would potentially be running on the same local network (iOS hotspot or something) or have no internet connection at all. I'm trying to securely send over an image that the running desktop app could ingest. I was thinking something like a local server securely accepting image data from an iPhone. Any suggestions ideas or where to look for more info would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your help.
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1
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138
Activity
May ’25
Network extension configuration "the wrong type"
On one test machine, our extension wouldn't load, because [NETransparentProxyManager loadAllFromPreferencesWithCompletionHandler] can't find a manager, saying Skipping configuration appname because it is of the wrong type. This is the first time I've seen this behaviour. (The containing app tries to find a configuration, if it can't find it it creates one, then modifies whatever it found or created, then stores it. I don't have the right logging yet for that, so I can't see the error messages. [NSLog instead of os_log_error.])
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2
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178
Activity
Oct ’25
Network Interface APIs
For important background information, read Extra-ordinary Networking before reading this. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Network Interface APIs Most developers don’t need to interact directly with network interfaces. If you do, read this post for a summary of the APIs available to you. Before you read this, read Network Interface Concepts. Interface List The standard way to get a list of interfaces and their addresses is getifaddrs. To learn more about this API, see its man page. A network interface has four fundamental attributes: A set of flags — These are packed into a CUnsignedInt. The flags bits are declared in <net/if.h>, starting with IFF_UP. An interface type — See Network Interface Type, below. An interface index — Valid indexes are greater than 0. A BSD interface name. For example, an Ethernet interface might be called en0. The interface name is shared between multiple network interfaces running over a given hardware interface. For example, IPv4 and IPv6 running over that Ethernet interface will both have the name en0. WARNING BSD interface names are not considered API. There’s no guarantee, for example, that an iPhone’s Wi-Fi interface is en0. You can map between the last two using if_indextoname and if_nametoindex. See the if_indextoname man page for details. An interface may also have address information. If present, this always includes the interface address (ifa_addr) and the network mask (ifa_netmask). In addition: Broadcast-capable interfaces (IFF_BROADCAST) have a broadcast address (ifa_broadaddr, which is an alias for ifa_dstaddr). Point-to-point interfaces (IFF_POINTOPOINT) have a destination address (ifa_dstaddr). Calling getifaddrs from Swift is a bit tricky. For an example of this, see QSocket: Interfaces. IP Address List Once you have getifaddrs working, it’s relatively easy to manipulate the results to build a list of just IP addresses, a list of IP addresses for each interface, and so on. QSocket: Interfaces has some Swift snippets that show this. Interface List Updates The interface list can change over time. Hardware interfaces can be added and removed, network interfaces come up and go down, and their addresses can change. It’s best to avoid caching information from getifaddrs. If thats unavoidable, use the kNotifySCNetworkChange Darwin notification to update your cache. For information about registering for Darwin notifications, see the notify man page (in section 3). This notification just tells you that something has changed. It’s up to you to fetch the new interface list and adjust your cache accordingly. You’ll find that this notification is sometimes posted numerous times in rapid succession. To avoid unnecessary thrashing, debounce it. While the Darwin notification API is easy to call from Swift, Swift does not import kNotifySCNetworkChange. To fix that, define that value yourself, calling a C function to get the value: var kNotifySCNetworkChange: UnsafePointer<CChar> { networkChangeNotifyKey() } Here’s what that C function looks like: extern const char * networkChangeNotifyKey(void) { return kNotifySCNetworkChange; } Network Interface Type There are two ways to think about a network interface’s type. Historically there were a wide variety of weird and wonderful types of network interfaces. The following code gets this legacy value for a specific BSD interface name: func legacyTypeForInterfaceNamed(_ name: String) -> UInt8? { var addrList: UnsafeMutablePointer<ifaddrs>? = nil let err = getifaddrs(&addrList) // In theory we could check `errno` here but, honestly, what are gonna // do with that info? guard err >= 0, let first = addrList else { return nil } defer { freeifaddrs(addrList) } return sequence(first: first, next: { $0.pointee.ifa_next }) .compactMap { addr in guard let nameC = addr.pointee.ifa_name, name == String(cString: nameC), let sa = addr.pointee.ifa_addr, sa.pointee.sa_family == AF_LINK, let data = addr.pointee.ifa_data else { return nil } return data.assumingMemoryBound(to: if_data.self).pointee.ifi_type } .first } The values are defined in <net/if_types.h>, starting with IFT_OTHER. However, this value is rarely useful because many interfaces ‘look like’ Ethernet and thus have a type of IFT_ETHER. Network framework has the concept of an interface’s functional type. This is an indication of how the interface fits into the system. There are two ways to get an interface’s functional type: If you’re using Network framework and have an NWInterface value, get the type property. If not, call ioctl with a SIOCGIFFUNCTIONALTYPE request. The return values are defined in <net/if.h>, starting with IFRTYPE_FUNCTIONAL_UNKNOWN. Swift does not import SIOCGIFFUNCTIONALTYPE, so it’s best to write this code in a C: extern uint32_t functionalTypeForInterfaceNamed(const char * name) { int fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0); if (fd < 0) { return IFRTYPE_FUNCTIONAL_UNKNOWN; } struct ifreq ifr = {}; strlcpy(ifr.ifr_name, name, sizeof(ifr.ifr_name)); bool success = ioctl(fd, SIOCGIFFUNCTIONALTYPE, &ifr) >= 0; int junk = close(fd); assert(junk == 0); if ( ! success ) { return IFRTYPE_FUNCTIONAL_UNKNOWN; } return ifr.ifr_ifru.ifru_functional_type; } Finally, TN3158 Resolving Xcode 15 device connection issues documents the SIOCGIFDIRECTLINK flag as a specific way to identify the network interfaces uses by Xcode for device connection traffic. Revision History 2025-12-10 Added info about SIOCGIFDIRECTLINK. 2023-07-19 First posted.
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2.2k
Activity
Dec ’25
Simultaneous Use of PacketTunnelProvider and DNSProxyProvider extensions
Hi! I'm working on a solution (iOS 18) that uses Network Extensions PacketTunnelProvider and Content Filter. Currently I'm trying to integrate it with another extension – DNSProxyProvider. My goal is to process dns queries and use resolved ips and names for additional routing inside of the packet tunnel. I'm running into a major issue: whenever both VPN and DNS proxy are active simultaneously, the device completely loses internet connectivity — no traffic goes through, and DNS resolution seems to stop working entirely. I know about the mdm supervision requirement to use DNSProxyProvider and that's covered as I work with a managed device and install a DNS proxy profile, here's how its .mobileconfig file looks like: The DNS proxy itself works fine when working by itself (without VPN being turned on), as I implemented it that it successfully processes DNS packets flows while collecting information about domains etc, and everything works perfectly. Problems begin when using VPN at the same time. I'm aware that tunnel settings include dns related options that can affect this, but I haven't had much luck with tweaking them. Here's how they look right now for reference: let settings: NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings = NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings(tunnelRemoteAddress: "240.0.0.1") // let dnsSettings = NEDNSSettings(servers: "8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4".components(separatedBy: ",")) // dnsSettings.matchDomains = [""] // settings.dnsSettings = dnsSettings settings.proxySettings = nil /* ipv4 settings */ let ipv4Settings = NEIPv4Settings(addresses: ["240.0.0.2"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.0"]) ipv4Settings.includedRoutes = [NEIPv4Route.default()] settings.ipv4Settings = ipv4Settings /* MTU */ settings.mtu = 1500 return settings I've tried excluding some dns related ip routes and dns settings shenanigans but nothing. I haven't found any information that might suggest that using both of these extensions at the same time doesn't work, on the contrary, this page in the official documentation about the expected use of packet tunnel provider the expected use of packet tunnel provider, as it talks about the fact that you should not use it for interception of all of DNS traffic, as the use of DNSPRoxyProvider (or dns settings) are built for that, which in my mind, suggests that there should be no problem with using them both and just splitting the dns traffic handling to the proxy. Will be thankful for any help!
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3
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142
Activity
May ’25
iOS 18; Can no longer connect app to camera over Ad Hoc insecure network
We have an old iOS app and an old camera that connects using Wi-Fi either using an access point or Ad Hoc network, e.g., iPhone/iPad connects to the camera's Wi-Fi directly... How it works (old legacy app/system, which cannot be redesigned): Camera is configured to Ad Hoc Wi-Fi network (insecure TCP). iPhone connects to this insecure Wi-Fi. Camera uses Bonjour service to broadcast its IP address. App reads in IP address and begin to send messages to the camera using NSMutableURLRequest, etc. All this works fine for iOS 17. But in iOS 18 step 4 stopped working. App simply doesn't get any responses! We believe we have configured ATS properly (App Store version): In panic we have also tried this in Test Flight version: The latter actually seemed to make a difference when running the app on macOS Apple Silicon. But on iOS it didn't seem to make any difference. Occasionally, I was lucky to get connection on on iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 18. But for the 'many' iPads I have tried I couldn't. I also tried to install CFNetwork profile and look at the logs but I believe I just got timeout on the requests. Questions: Why it iOS 18 different? Bonjour works fine, but NSSURLRequests doesn't Do we configure ATS correctly for this scenario? What should I look for in the Console log when CFNetwork profile is installed? Should I file a TSI? Thanks! :)
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7
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263
Activity
May ’25
AdHoc IPA: "permission denied" when installing DNS Proxy NetworkExtension (all entitlements and profiles seem correct)
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!
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1
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139
Activity
Jun ’25
Network Extension Resources
General: Forums subtopic: App & System Services > Networking DevForums tag: Network Extension Network Extension framework documentation Routing your VPN network traffic article Filtering traffic by URL sample code Filtering Network Traffic sample code TN3120 Expected use cases for Network Extension packet tunnel providers technote TN3134 Network Extension provider deployment technote TN3165 Packet Filter is not API technote Network Extension and VPN Glossary forums post Debugging a Network Extension Provider forums post Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension forums post Network Extension Framework Entitlements forums post Network Extension vs ad hoc techniques on macOS forums post Network Extension Provider Packaging forums post NWEndpoint History and Advice forums post Extra-ordinary Networking forums post Wi-Fi management: Understanding NEHotspotConfigurationErrorInternal forums post See also Networking Resources for general networking resources, including information about Wi-Fi. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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3.2k
Activity
Mar ’26
Enhancing NEFilterPacketProvider with Process-Level Filtering
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?
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1
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110
Activity
Jun ’25
NWBrowser with bonjour returning PolicyDenied(-65570)
Hi, Having an issue on one mac using Xcode 16.3 and simulator 18.4. macSO 15.4 We are checking for bonjour: authorizationBrowser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjour(type: "_bonjour._tcp", domain: nil), using: parameters) authorizationBrowser?.stateUpdateHandler = { [weak self] newState in switch newState { ... } } However at the command line we get the error: nw_browser_fail_on_dns_error_locked [B1] nw_browser_dns_service_browse_callback failed: PolicyDenied(-65570) Any idea why this is happening? or what this error means? Thanks Antz
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21
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11
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5.8k
Activity
Jun ’25
Split tunnel w/o changing route table
I've built a VPN app that is based on wireguard on macOS (I have both AppStore ver. and Developer ID ver). I want to achieve split tunneling function without changing the system route table. Currently, I'm making changes in PacketTunnelProvider: NEPacketTunnelProvider. It has included/excluded routes that function as a split tunnel, just that all changes are immediately reflected on the route table: if I run netstat -rn in terminal, I would see all rules/CIDRs I added, displayed all at once. Since I have a CIDR list of ~800 entries, I'd like to avoid changing the route table directly. I've asked ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, .etc. An idea was to implement an 'interceptor' to intercept all packets in packetFlow(_:readPacketsWithCompletionHandler:), extract the destination IP from each packet, check if it matches your CIDR list, and either reinject it back to the system interface (for local routing) or process it through your tunnel. Well, LLMs could have hallucinations and I've pretty new to macOS programming. I'm asking to make sure I'm on the right track, not going delusional with those LLMs :) So the question is, does the above method sounds feasible? If not, is it possible to achieve split tunneling without changing the route table?
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4
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140
Activity
Jun ’25
Internet is blocked when `includeAllNetworks` is enabled and `NEHotspotHelper` is registered
Hello, We are facing what we believe is a compatibility issue with two networking APIs. If the Network extension VPN configuration has includeAllNetworks flag enabled and the NEHotspotHelper is registered. The user has internet connection but it is blocked, and there user will get internet back only after restarting the device. VPN Configuration is as below while connecting to VPN, { localizedDescription = WLVPN WireGuard Configuration enabled = YES protocolConfiguration = { serverAddress = <18-char-str> passwordReference = {length = 20, bytes = 0x67656e70ed0d05c06b1b4896bf4fef2031e1a92d} disconnectOnSleep = NO includeAllNetworks = YES excludeLocalNetworks = YES excludeCellularServices = YES excludeAPNs = YES excludeDeviceCommunication = YES enforceRoutes = NO providerBundleIdentifier = com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.network-extension } onDemandEnabled = NO onDemandRules = () } After running the code shown below. Regardless if the VPN is connected or not, the user needs to restart his device to regain internet access. private let neHelperQueue = DispatchQueue(label: "com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.hotspot", attributes: DispatchQueue.Attributes.concurrent) let options: [String: NSObject] = [kNEHotspotHelperOptionDisplayName : "" as NSObject] let status = NEHotspotHelper.register(options: nil, queue: neHelperQueue) { cmd in NSLog("Received command: \(cmd.commandType.rawValue)") } We need to use the includeAllNetworks flag to prevent the novel "Tunnel vision" vulnerability. Can we please have some help getting confirmation if both functionalities are compatible or if there's a way to enable them at the same time?
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4
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665
Activity
Mar ’26
Real-time audio application on locked device
I would like to inquire about the feasibility of developing an iOS application with the following requirements: The app must support real-time audio communication based on UDP. It needs to maintain a TCP signaling connection, even when the device is locked. The app will run only on selected devices within a controlled (closed) environment, such as company-managed iPads or iPhones. Could you please clarify the following: Is it technically possible to maintain an active TCP connection when the device is locked? What are the current iOS restrictions or limitations for background execution, particularly related to networking and audio? Are there any recommended APIs or frameworks (such as VoIP, PushKit, or Background Modes) suitable for this type of application?
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212
Activity
Jun ’25
Bonjour Connectivity Optimization
Hi folks, I'm building an iOS companion app to a local hosted server app (hosted on 0.0.0.0). The MacOS app locally connects to this server hosted, and I took the approach of advertising the server using a Daemon and BonjourwithTXT(for port) and then net service to resolve a local name. Unfortunately if there's not enough time given after the iPhone/iPad is plugged in (usb or ethernet), the app will cycle through attempts and disconnects many times before connecting and I'm trying to find a way to only connect when a viable en interface is available. I've run into a weird thing in which the en interface only becomes seen on the NWMonitor after multiple connection attempts have been made and failed. If I screen for en before connecting it simply never appears. Is there any way to handle this such that my app can intelligently wait for an en connection before trying to connect? Attaching my code although I have tried a few other setups but none has been perfect. func startMonitoringAndBrowse() { DebugLogger.shared.append("Starting Bonjour + Ethernet monitoring") if !browserStarted { let params = NWParameters.tcp params.includePeerToPeer = false params.requiredInterfaceType = .wiredEthernet browser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjourWithTXTRecord(type: "_mytcpapp._tcp", domain: nil), using: params) browser?.stateUpdateHandler = { state in if case .ready = state { DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour browser ready.") } } browser?.browseResultsChangedHandler = { results, _ in self.handleBrowseResults(results) } browser?.start(queue: .main) browserStarted = true } // Start monitoring for wired ethernet monitor = NWPathMonitor() monitor?.pathUpdateHandler = { path in let hasEthernet = path.availableInterfaces.contains { $0.type == .wiredEthernet } let ethernetInUse = path.usesInterfaceType(.wiredEthernet) DebugLogger.shared.append(""" NWPathMonitor: - Status: \(path.status) - Interfaces: \(path.availableInterfaces.map { "\($0.name)[\($0.type)]" }.joined(separator: ", ")) - Wired Ethernet: \(hasEthernet), In Use: \(ethernetInUse) """) self.tryToConnectIfReady() self.stopMonitoring() } monitor?.start(queue: monitorQueue) } // MARK: - Internal Logic private func handleBrowseResults(_ results: Set&lt;NWBrowser.Result&gt;) { guard !self.isResolving, !self.hasResolvedService else { return } for result in results { guard case let .bonjour(txtRecord) = result.metadata, let portString = txtRecord["actual_port"], let actualPort = Int(portString), case let .service(name, type, domain, _) = result.endpoint else { continue } DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour result — port: \(actualPort)") self.resolvedPort = actualPort self.isResolving = true self.resolveWithNetService(name: name, type: type, domain: domain) break } } private func resolveWithNetService(name: String, type: String, domain: String) { let netService = NetService(domain: domain, type: type, name: name) netService.delegate = self netService.includesPeerToPeer = false netService.resolve(withTimeout: 5.0) resolvingNetService = netService DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolving NetService: \(name).\(type)\(domain)") } private func tryToConnectIfReady() { guard hasResolvedService, let host = resolvedHost, let port = resolvedPort else { return } DebugLogger.shared.append("Attempting to connect: \(host):\(port)") discoveredIP = host discoveredPort = port connectionPublisher.send(.connecting(ip: host, port: port)) stopBrowsing() socketManager.connectToServer(ip: host, port: port) hasResolvedService = false } } // MARK: - NetServiceDelegate extension BonjourManager: NetServiceDelegate { func netServiceDidResolveAddress(_ sender: NetService) { guard let hostname = sender.hostName else { DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved service with no hostname") return } DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved NetService hostname: \(hostname)") resolvedHost = hostname isResolving = false hasResolvedService = true tryToConnectIfReady() } func netService(_ sender: NetService, didNotResolve errorDict: [String : NSNumber]) { DebugLogger.shared.append("NetService failed to resolve: \(errorDict)") } }
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10
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313
Activity
May ’25
get Wi-Fi controller info
Hello, I'm trying to get a list of all network devices (device audit for DLP system). CFMutableDictionaryRef matchingDictionary = IOServiceMatching(kIONetworkControllerClass); if (matchingDictionary == nullptr) { std::cerr << "IOServiceMatching() returned empty matching dictionary" << std::endl; return 1; } io_iterator_t iter; if (kern_return_t kr = IOServiceGetMatchingServices(kIOMasterPortDefault, matchingDictionary, &iter); kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { std::cerr << "IOServiceGetMatchingServices() failed" << std::endl; return 1; } io_service_t networkController; while ((networkController = IOIteratorNext(iter)) != IO_OBJECT_NULL) { std::cout << "network device: "; if (CFDataRef cfIOMACAddress = (CFDataRef) IORegistryEntryCreateCFProperty(networkController, CFSTR(kIOMACAddress), kCFAllocatorDefault, kNilOptions); cfIOMACAddress != nullptr) { std::vector<uint8_t> data(CFDataGetLength(cfIOMACAddress)); CFDataGetBytes(cfIOMACAddress, CFRangeMake(0, data.size()), data.data()); std::cout << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short)data[0] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[1] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[2] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[3] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[4] << ":" << std::hex << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << (short) data[5]; CFRelease(cfIOMACAddress); } std::cout << std::endl; IOObjectRelease(networkController); } IOObjectRelease(iter); The Wi-Fi controller shows up in I/O Registry Explorer, but IOServiceGetMatchingServices() does not return any information about it. Any way to retrieve Wi-Fi controller info in daemon code? Thank you in advance!
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3
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177
Activity
Jun ’25
Can't find server for API Endpoint that works.
Hi, I am making a AI-Powered app that makes api requests to the openai API. However, for security, I set up a vercel backend that handles the API calls securely, while my frontend makes a call to my vercel-hosted https endpoint. Interestingly, whenever I try to make that call on my device, an iPhone, I get this error: Task <91AE4DE0-2845-4348-89B4-D3DD1CF51B65>.<10> finished with error [-1003] Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1003 "A server with the specified hostname could not be found." UserInfo={_kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=-72000, NSUnderlyingError=0x1435783f0 {Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=-1003 "(null)" UserInfo={_kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=10, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=-72000, _NSURLErrorNWResolutionReportKey=Resolved 0 endpoints in 3ms using unknown from query, _NSURLErrorNWPathKey=satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: pdp_ip0[lte], ipv4, ipv6, dns, expensive, uses cell}}, _NSURLErrorFailingURLSessionTaskErrorKey=LocalDataTask <91AE4DE0-2845-4348-89B4-D3DD1CF51B65>.<10>, _NSURLErrorRelatedURLSessionTaskErrorKey=( "LocalDataTask <91AE4DE0-2845-4348-89B4-D3DD1CF51B65>.<10>" ), NSLocalizedDescription=A server with the specified hostname could not be found., NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=https://[my endpoint], NSErrorFailingURLKey=https://[my endpoint], _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=10} I'm completely stuck because when I directly make https requests to other api's like openai's endpoint, without the proxy, it finds the server completely fine. Running my endpoint on terminal with curl also works as intended, as I see api key usages. But for some reason, on my project, it does not work. I've looked through almost every single post I could find online, but a lot all of the solutions are outdated and unhelpful. I'm willing to schedule a call, meeting, whatever to resolve this issue and get help more in depth as well.
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1
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166
Activity
Jun ’25
Network connectivity issue observed on OS 15.4.1
Recently, we have observed that after upgrading to OS 15.4.1, some devices are experiencing network issues. We are using a Network Extension with a transparent app proxy in our product. The user encounters this issue while using our client, but the issue persists even after stopping the client app. This appears to be an OS issue. Below is the sytem logs. In the system logs, it says [C669.1 Hostname#546597df:443 failed transform (unsatisfied (No network route), flow divert agg: 2)] event: transform:children_failed @0.001s In scutil --dns, it says not reachble. DNS configuration resolver #1 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) resolver #2 domain : local options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300000 resolver #3 domain : 254.169.in-addr.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300200 resolver #4 domain : 8.e.f.ip6.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300400 resolver #5 domain : 9.e.f.ip6.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300600 resolver #6 domain : a.e.f.ip6.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 300800 resolver #7 domain : b.e.f.ip6.arpa options : mdns timeout : 5 flags : reach : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable) order : 301000 We need to restart the system to recover from the issue.
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10
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355
Activity
Jun ’25
NEAppPushProvider ios 18.4+ Push Connectivity
Did iOS 18.4 ( and 18.5) with iPhone 14 or 15 introduce new network connectivity or battery optimization policies that would break Local Push Connectivity? (suspend PushProvider in a new way that prevents it from listening and reponding to incoming messages from private network server)? We have a private app using local push connectivity for real time local alerts on a local private network & server. The current application version works on prev devices including iPhone 12, iOS 14-18.1 that we know of. A new(er) installation with iPhone 14s & 15s on iOS 18.4 is having new connectivity problems that seem to occur along with sleep. Previously NEAppPushProvider could listen and reply to incoming messages from server for local notifications, incoming sip invites, and connection health messages. We'll be performing addtional testing to narrow the issue in the meantime, but it would be VERY helpful to have clarification regarding any iOS minor patches since 18.1 that are now breaking existing Local Push Connectivity applications. If so what are the recommendations or remedies. Are known issues with Network Extensions patched in 18.5? Are existing applications expected to redesign their networking solutions for 18.3 & 18.4? Did iOS18 versions later than 18.1 begin requiring new entitlements or exceptions for private apps in app store?
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2
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97
Activity
Jun ’25