I have a requirement to create a VPN app which only works on Cellular. But I'm facing an issue like when wifi is ON, OS is using wifi interface to route the traffic instead of cellular. I tried some ways like
let cellularParams = NWParameters.udp
cellularParams.requiredInterfaceType = .cellular
But this is not working properly as expected. How can I manually bind to cellular interface in iOS?
Networking
RSS for tagExplore 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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Hi,
I would like to confirm whether the matchDomains property in NERelayManager operates strictly at the Application Layer. Specifically, it seems that adding IPv4 addresses or IPv4 CIDR blocks to the matchDomains list does not work, as the relay manager appears unable to match them.
For example, I tried adding the following IPv4 patterns to the matchDomains list:
11.22.33.44
11.22..
11.22.*
However, these IPv4 addresses or patterns are not routed through my Relay server.
Additionally, I have observed that when using only the excludedDomains property, the desired IPv4 traffic is correctly routed to the relay server as expected.
My question is: Can IPv4 addresses or IPv4 CIDR ranges work with matchDomains? If not, is there an alternative approach to enable IPv4 matching while matchDomains is active?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
Tags:
Extensions
Network Extension
Network
System Configuration
I want to create a NAT64/DNS64 test network as shown here, but I cannot figure out how to do it in the latest versions of MacOS. Is this still available and how can I access the "Create NAT64 Network" checkbox?
I have a question regarding /etc/pf.conf.
If I use this rule,
rdr pass on bridge100 inet proto tcp from 192.168.2.104 to any port {80, 443, 8883} -> 127.0.0.1 port 8080
all other traffic on bridge100 will not function properly, even the traffic that is not destined for 192.168.2.104.
Additionally, the hotspot generated through bridge100 will also become unavailable.
Even if I comment out this rule and run sudo pfctl -e -f /etc/pf.conf, the problem still persists. The situation will only return to normal when I restart my Mac.
my macos:15.3.2
my /etc/pf.conf
#
scrub-anchor "com.apple/*"
nat-anchor "com.apple/*"
rdr-anchor "com.apple/*"
rdr pass on bridge100 inet proto tcp from 192.168.2.104 to any port {80, 443, 8883} -> 127.0.0.1 port 8080
dummynet-anchor "com.apple/*"
anchor "com.apple/*"
load anchor "com.apple" from "/etc/pf.anchors/com.apple"
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
This is the log on the publisher side.
Publisher discovered the subscriber, but could not pair.
Follow up is sent with response rejected
In our iOS networking related app for the app store (with network extension using packet tunnel provider), we are supposed to read the list of nameservers for the network. We use res_ninit function.
This function returns only 3 items (but in reality the network has more dns servers. In my case 5. Some ipv4 and some ipv6)
Looking at the header file at iOS 18.2 -> user/include/resolve.h, it shows that the __res_state struct has a maximum limit of 3 for the nsaddr_list array.
It seems that the reason the res_ninit function returns only 3 values is because of this. For our code to work correctly, it needs to know all the dns servers, but we only get partial results.
Is there any other api that can get us all the dns servers ?
Hi,
I observed some unexpected behavior and hope that someone can enlighten me as to what this is about:
mDNSResponder prepends IP / network based default search domains that are checked before any other search domain. E.g. 0.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa. would be used for an interface with an address in the the 192.168.1.0/24 subnet. This is done for any configured non-link-local IP address.
I tried to find any mention of an approach like this in RFCs but couldn't spot anything.
Please note that this is indeed a search domain and different from reverse-DNS lookups.
Example output of tcpdump for ping devtest:
10:02:13.850802 IP (tos 0x0, ttl 64, id 43461, offset 0, flags [none], proto UDP (17), length 92)
192.168.1.2.52319 > 192.168.1.1.53: 54890+ [1au] A? devtest.0.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa. (64)
I was able to identify the code that adds those default IP subnet based search domains but failed to spot any indication as to what this is about: https://github.com/apple-oss-distributions/mDNSResponder/blob/d5029b5/mDNSMacOSX/mDNSMacOSX.c#L4171-L4211
Does anyone here have an ideas as to what this might be about?
For our outdoor power supply company that builds public WiFi networks at camping sites, we want to implement the following features in our app:
Scan surrounding WiFi networks
When detecting specific public WiFi SSIDs, provide users with corresponding passwords
Automatically connect to those WiFi networks
Regarding the NEHotspotHelper API permission application, when I clicked on https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/network-extension, it redirected me to https://developer.apple.com/unauthorized/. I'm not sure where to properly apply for this permission now.
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
Question:
What is the standard, most reliable way to manage temporary files associated with a URLSessionDownloadTask that has been terminated abnormally due to a network error or other issues?
Details
Hello,
I'm currently developing a feature to download multiple files concurrently on iOS using URLSessionDownloadTask, and I have a question regarding the lifecycle of the temporary files created during this process.
As I understand it, URLSessionDownloadTask stores incoming data in a temporary file within the tmp directory, typically with a name like CFNetworkDownload_*.tmp.
In my testing, temporary files are managed correctly in the normal scenario. For instance, when I call the cancel() method on an active downloadTask and then release all references to it, the corresponding temporary file is automatically cleaned up from the tmp directory shortly after.
However, the problem occurs when a download is interrupted abnormally due to external factors, such as a lost network connection. In this situation, the urlSession(_:task:didCompleteWithError:) delegate method is called, but the associated temporary file is not deleted and remains in the tmp directory.
I've observed a particularly interesting behavior related to this. Immediately after the error occurs, if I check my app's storage usage in the iOS Settings app, the data size appears to have decreased momentarily. However, the tmp file has not actually been deleted, and after a short while, the storage usage is recalculated to include the size of this orphaned temporary file.
Since my app does not support resuming interrupted downloads, these leftover files become orphaned and unnecessarily consume storage. Therefore, I want to ensure they are all reliably deleted.
With this context, I'd like to ask the community:
What is the standard, most reliable way to manage temporary files associated with a URLSessionDownloadTask that has been terminated abnormally due to a network error or other issues?
I am wondering if there is an official guide or a framework-level API to handle these orphaned files.
I would appreciate any advice from those with experience in this area. Thank you.
Hi,
I am working on a use case where I want to read the wifi signal strength data in the terms of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) values (or) any other way of representation. when my iPhone is connected to the wifi and Move around the house.
Is this use case possible ? If yes, what are all the entitlements that I have to obtain?
On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that it is recommended that the accessory uses a MIMO (2x2) hardware configuration, does this imply that WiFi 5 and SISO (1X1) will be phased out in the near future?
When will WiFi 6 MIMO (2x2) become mandatory?
On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that Spatial Audio is mandatory. However, for aftermarket in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system due to the number of speakers are less than 6, is it allowed not to support spatial audio for this type of aftermarket IVI system?
We have a Java application built for macOS. On the first launch, the application prompts the user to allow local network access. We've correctly added the NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription key to the Info.plist, and the provided description appears in the system prompt.
After the user grants permission, the application can successfully connect to a local server using its hostname. However, the issue arises after the system is rebooted. When the application is launched again, macOS does not prompt for local network access a second time—which is expected, as the permission was already granted.
Despite this, the application is unable to connect to the local server. It appears the previously granted permission is being ignored after a reboot. A temporary workaround is to manually toggle the Local Network permission off and back on via System Settings > Privacy & Security, which restores connectivity—until the next reboot.
This behavior is highly disruptive, both for us and for a significant number of our users. We can reproduce this on multiple systems...
The issues started from macOS Sequoia 15.0
By opening the application bundle using "Show Package Contents," we can launch the application via "JavaAppLauncher" without any issues. Once started, the application is able to connect to our server over the local network. This seems to bypass the granted permissions? "JavaAppLauncher" is also been used in our Info.plist file
Hi, I am working on a case in our organisation where hundreds if not a thousand wireless network clients are affected by regular, usually 30 sometimes 60 minute sometime they are unnoticeable but often people having meetings notice that a lot.
We excluded wireless network configuration issue since disconnections happens to clients both connected to Cisco and Ubiquiti Access Points.
WLC logs mostly show EAP timeout errors - clients are getting disauthenticated and authenticated back - usually without any action needed - but the meeting is being interrupted.
What I found in Macbook logs with sudo log show [options] is the main reason of network disconnection:
2025-02-04 14:16:31.219192+0100 0xc01342 Default 0x0 86459 0 wifianalyticsd: [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[DPSQuickRecoveryRecommendationEngine updateTimeSincePreviousTriggerForStudy:msgKey:dictKey:]::913:msgkey:WFAAWDWASDS_symptomsDnsTimeSincePreviousTriggerMinutes dictKey:dps_lastSymptomsDpsTrigger previous_TS:(null) current_TS:Tue Feb 4 14:16:31 2025 difference:0
2025-02-04 14:16:31.219704+0100 0xc01342 Default 0x0 86459 0 wifianalyticsd: [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[DPSQuickRecoveryRecommendationEngine updateScreenState]::198:DPS Fast Reset Recommendation Engine: (screenON & foreGrnd traffic) is DETECTED
2025-02-04 14:16:31.219713+0100 0xc01342 Default 0x0 86459 0 wifianalyticsd: [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[DPSQuickRecoveryRecommendationEngine recommendSymptomsDpsRecovery:symptomsDnsStats:awdlState:currentSymptomsCondition:isLANPingSuccessful:appUsage:averageCCA:]::966:PeerDiagnostics: Data not received from peerDiagnostics
2025-02-04 14:16:31.219714+0100 0xc01342 Default 0x0 86459 0 wifianalyticsd: [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[DPSQuickRecoveryRecommendationEngine checkForPriorityNetwork]::256:Priority Network Check Disabled: NO IsPriorityNetwork: YES
2025-02-04 14:16:31.219732+0100 0xc01342 Default 0x0 86459 0 wifianalyticsd: [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[DPSQuickRecoveryRecommendationEngine isResetAllowedForKey:forPrefSelector:]::330:key:symptomsDps_lastScreenOnRecoveryWD previousWD_TS:(null) currentWD_TS:Tue Feb 4 14:16:31 2025 recommendation:YES
2025-02-04 14:16:31.219735+0100 0xc01342 Default 0x0 86459 0 wifianalyticsd: [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[DPSQuickRecoveryRecommendationEngine updateSymptomsDPSRecoveryWDStatsForKey:]::210:Added key: symptomsDps_numRecommendedScreenOnRecoveryWD value:1 dict:(null)
2025-02-04 14:16:31.219737+0100 0xc01342 Default 0x0 86459 0 wifianalyticsd: [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[DPSQuickRecoveryRecommendationEngine recommendSymptomsDpsRecovery:symptomsDnsStats:awdlState:currentSymptomsCondition:isLANPingSuccessful:appUsage:averageCCA:]::1023:PeerDiagnostics: Recommendation for DNS Symptoms Recovery: Reassoc
Do you guys have any idea where can I see that DNS symptoms?
I can also see some reading like:
2025-02-04 14:16:31.219169+0100 0xc01342 Default 0x0 86459 0 wifianalyticsd: [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[WAEngine gatherConsecutiveDatapathReadings:forProcessToken:andReply:]_block_invoke::4235:DNS Symptoms pre-decision check:: Associated:YES Primary:YES isCaptive:NO isValidDnsConfig:YES
2025-02-04 14:16:31.219169+0100 0xc01342 Default 0x0 86459 0 wifianalyticsd: [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[WAEngine gatherConsecutiveDatapathReadings:forProcessToken:andReply:]_block_invoke::4238:SDNS: WiFi Not Primary - setting suppressedReason kSymptomsDnsWiFiInterfaceNotPrimary
WiFi Not Primary - how if this is my only interface? - I removed all other
Killing and disabling wifianalyticsd does not help - the process is being spawned by launchd on airportd request:
2025-02-04 08:54:11.903825+0100 0xb85274 Default 0x0 627 0 airportd: (WiFiAnalytics) [com.apple.wifi.analytics:Default] -[WAClient _establishDaemonConnection]_block_invoke::1057:XPC: establishing connection to daemon with token ending in: <private>...
2025-02-04 08:54:11.907779+0100 0xb8504a Default 0x0 627 0 airportd: (IO80211) [com.apple.WiFiManager:] Info: <airport[627]> -[dpsManager submitDpsSymptom:isCriticalApp:]_block_invoke:
2025-02-04 08:54:11.907943+0100 0xb8504a Default 0x0 627 0 airportd: (IO80211) -[dpsManager submitDpsSymptom:isCriticalApp:]_block_invoke: Error preparing DPSNotification for submission: Error Domain=com.apple.wifi.analytics.errordomain Code=9014 "WAErrorCodeDaemonContactTimeout" UserInfo={NSLocalizedFailureReason=WAErrorCodeDaemonContactTimeout}, or null WAMessageAWD
2025-02-04 08:54:11.908055+0100 0xb8504a Default 0x0 627 0 airportd: (IO80211) [com.apple.WiFiManager:] <airport[627]> -[dpsManager submitDpsSymptom:isCriticalApp:]_block_invoke: Error preparing DPSNotification for submission: Error Domain=com.apple.wifi.analytics.errordomain Code=9014 "WAErrorCodeDaemonContactTimeout" UserInfo={NSLocalizedFailureReason=WAErrorCodeDaemonContactTimeout}, or null WAMessageAWD
2025-02-04 08:54:11.910453+0100 0xb85274 Default 0x0 627 0 airportd: (libxpc.dylib) [com.apple.xpc:connection] [0x80fe64640] activating connection: mach=true listener=false peer=false name=com.apple.wifianalyticsd
2025-02-04 08:54:11.911105+0100 0xb85382 Default 0x0 1 0 launchd: [system/com.apple.wifianalyticsd:] internal event: WILL_SPAWN, code = 0
2025-02-04 08:54:11.911229+0100 0xb85382 Default 0x0 1 0 launchd: [system/com.apple.wifianalyticsd:] service state: spawn scheduled
2025-02-04 08:54:11.911233+0100 0xb85382 Default 0x0 1 0 launchd: [system/com.apple.wifianalyticsd:] service state: spawning
2025-02-04 08:54:11.911384+0100 0xb85382 Default 0x0 1 0 launchd: [system/com.apple.wifianalyticsd:] launching: ipc (mach)
2025-02-04 08:54:11.920272+0100 0xb85382 Default 0x0 1 0 launchd: [system/com.apple.wifianalyticsd [86459]:] xpcproxy spawned with pid 86459
Do you guys have any idea what is the cause of this behaviour?
Or how to disable wifianalyticsd process for good?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
At WWDC 25, Dr. Swetank mentioned, “DeviceDiscoveryUI is for making connections between apps and from an app to another device. It supports pairing with both Apple and third-party devices.” I find the pairing process in DeviceDiscoveryUI via Wi-Fi Aware intriguing. I have two questions:
Can we pair devices via Bluetooth first and then establish a Wi-Fi Aware connection?
If I use DeviceDiscoveryUI, how should I write an Android program to correspond with it and achieve iPhone-Android pairing?
The app is an official Apple app: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/wifiaware/building-peer-to-peer-apps.
For our outdoor power supply company that builds public WiFi networks at camping sites, we want to implement the following features in our app:
Scan surrounding WiFi networks
When detecting specific public WiFi SSIDs, provide users with corresponding passwords
Automatically connect to those WiFi networks
Regarding the NEHotspotHelper API permission application, when I clicked on https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/network-extension, it redirected me to https://developer.apple.com/unauthorized/. I'm not sure where to properly apply for this permission now.
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
On iOS 18.3, I noted that partition "HTTPCookiePropertyKey: StoragePartition" is not observed to be set for cookies returned from the wkwebview cookie store.
Now on 18.4 beta 4 we are now seeing those same cookies are populated with a partition property. Is there documentation for this change? Is it intended to be suddenly populated in 18.4?
Now that partition property is set, HTTPCookieStorage.shared.cookies(for: serverUri) doesn't seem to return the expected cookies correctly. For context, we are using the cookies extracted from wkwebview, setting them in HTTPCookieStorage.shared and using URLSession to make network calls outside the webivew. Works fine once I forcefully set partition on the cookie to nil.
More details on what the cookie looks like here:
https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/feedback/16906526
Hopefully this is on your radar?
Hello,
I have been implementing NEAppPushProvider class to establish my own protocol to directly communicate with our provider server without the need to rely on APNs for background push notifications.
I am at a stage where I am able to establish a tcp communicator and receive messages back and forth but I noticed that when I disconnect from the WIFI I've set up by setting a given SSID, I am not getting hit on the Stop method. Below is briefly how I load and save preferences.
NEAppPushManager appPushManager = new NEAppPushManager();
appPushManager.LoadFromPreferences((error) =>
{
if (error != null)
{
Console.WriteLine($"Error loading NEAppPushManager preferences: {error.LocalizedDescription}");
return;
}
if (!enable)
{
Console.WriteLine("Disabling Local Push Provider...");
appPushManager.Enabled = false;
// ✅ Immediately update UserDefaults before saving preferences
userDefaults.SetBool(false, Constants.IsLocalPushEnabled);
userDefaults.Synchronize();
appPushManager.SaveToPreferences((saveError) =>
{
if (saveError != null)
{
Console.WriteLine($"Error disabling Local Push: {saveError.LocalizedDescription}");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("Local Push successfully disabled.");
}
});
return;
}
// ✅ Now we can safely enable Local Push
Console.WriteLine($"Enabling Local Push for SSID: {_currentSSID}");
appPushManager.MatchSsids = new string[] { _currentSSID };
appPushManager.LocalizedDescription = "LocalPushProvider";
appPushManager.ProviderBundleIdentifier = Constants.LocalPushExtensionBundleId;
appPushManager.Enabled = true;
appPushManager.SaveToPreferences((saveError) =>
{
if (saveError != null)
{
Console.WriteLine($"Error saving Local Push settings: {saveError.LocalizedDescription}");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("✅ Local Push successfully registered.");
userDefaults.SetBool(true, Constants.IsLocalPushEnabled);
userDefaults.Synchronize();
}
});
});
I've read through documentation and was expecting the Stop method to be hit when I turn off Wifi. Am I missing anything? Please let me know if I should provide more info. Currently I just have a console writeline method inside the Stop method to see if it actually gets hit.
I'm building an app that helps manage my own wifi access points. Now, all my wifis emit SSIDs starting with the same prefix. Is it possible for me to list down all the SSIDs near me that start with that prefix, so that determine which of my wifis are near me? (Swift)
Can NEHotspotHelper or NEHotspotConfigurationManager help in this regard?
Is There a Reliable Way to Check Local Network Permission Status in 2025?
I've read many similar requests, but I'm posting this in 2025 to ask:
Is there any official or reliable method to check the current Local Network permission status on iOS 18.x?
We need this to guide or navigate users to the appropriate Settings page when permission is denied.
Background
Our app is an IoT companion app, and Local Network access is core to our product's functionality. Without this permission, our app cannot communicate with the IoT hardware. Sadly, Apple doesn't provide any official API to check the current status of this permission.
This limitation has caused confusion for many users, and we frequently receive bug reports simply because users have accidentally denied the permission and the app can no longer function as expected.
Our App High Level Flow:
1. Trigger Permission
We attempt to trigger the Local Network permission using Bonjour discovery and browsing methods. (see the implementation)
Since there's no direct API to request this permission, we understand that iOS will automatically prompt the user when the app makes its first actual attempt to communicate with a local network device.
However, in our case, this creates a problem:
The permission prompt appears only at the time of the first real connection attempt (e.g., when sending an HTTP request to the IoT device).
This results in a poor user experience, as the request begins before the permission is granted.
The first request fails silently in the background while the permission popup appears unexpectedly.
We cannot wait for the user's response to proceed, which leads to unreliable behavior and confusing flows.
To avoid this issue, we trigger the Local Network permission proactively using Bonjour-based discovery methods. This ensures that the system permission prompt appears before any critical communication with the IoT device occurs.
We’ve tried alternative approaches like sending dummy requests, but they were not reliable or consistent across devices or iOS versions. (see the support ticket)
2. Wi-Fi Connection:
Once permission is granted, we allow the user to connect to the IoT device’s local Wi-Fi.
3. IoT Device Configuration:
After connecting, we send an HTTP request to a known static IP (e.g., 192.168.4.1) on the IoT network to configure the hardware.
I assume this pattern is common among all Wi-Fi-based IoT devices and apps.
Problem:
Even though we present clear app-level instructions when the system prompt appears, some users accidentally deny the Local Network permission. In those cases, there’s no API to check if the permission was denied, so:
We can’t display a helpful message.
We can’t guide the user to Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network to re-enable it.
The app fails silently or behaves unpredictably.
Developer Needs:
As app developers, we want to handle negative cases gracefully by:
Detecting if the Local Network permission was denied
Showing a relevant message or a prompt to go to Settings
Preventing silent failures and improving UX
So the question is:
What is the current, official, or recommended way to determine whether Local Network permission is granted or denied in iOS 18.x (as of 2025)?
This permission is critical for a huge category of apps especially IoT and local communication-based products. We hope Apple will offer a better developer experience around this soon.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share updated guidance.
Hi, I have a problem with my Mac crashing sims 4. can you let me know if this is a Mac problem or a sims 4 problem ?
Link to Mac Info : https://prnt.sc/NYG0jn8_u0dB
Link to crash report : https://prnt.sc/UImzDIsqdVYn