Prioritize user privacy and data security in your app. Discuss best practices for data handling, user consent, and security measures to protect user information.

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General: Forums topic: Privacy & Security Apple Platform Security support document Developer > Security Enabling enhanced security for your app documentation article Creating enhanced security helper extensions documentation article Security Audit Thoughts forums post Cryptography: Forums tags: Security, Apple CryptoKit Security framework documentation Apple CryptoKit framework documentation Common Crypto man pages — For the full list of pages, run: % man -k 3cc For more information about man pages, see Reading UNIX Manual Pages. On Cryptographic Key Formats forums post SecItem attributes for keys forums post CryptoCompatibility sample code Keychain: Forums tags: Security Security > Keychain Items documentation TN3137 On Mac keychain APIs and implementations SecItem Fundamentals forums post SecItem Pitfalls and Best Practices forums post Investigating hard-to-reproduce keychain problems forums post App ID Prefix Change and Keychain Access forums post Smart cards and other secure tokens: Forums tag: CryptoTokenKit CryptoTokenKit framework documentation Mac-specific resources: Forums tags: Security Foundation, Security Interface Security Foundation framework documentation Security Interface framework documentation BSD Privilege Escalation on macOS Related: Networking Resources — This covers high-level network security, including HTTPS and TLS. Network Extension Resources — This covers low-level network security, including VPN and content filters. Code Signing Resources Notarisation Resources Trusted Execution Resources — This includes Gatekeeper. App Sandbox Resources Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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3.5k
Nov ’25
Privacy & Security Resources
General: Forums topic: Privacy & Security Privacy Resources Security Resources Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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312
Jul ’25
Sign in with Apple Sync Issues Across Teams
We have 2 developers: Developer A created a Bundle ID and configured Sign in with Apple, but didn't create a corresponding App. This Bundle ID is only used for login on our official website. Developer B created a Bundle ID, configured Sign in with Apple, and has a corresponding App. The issue we're encountering is that because these two Bundle IDs are under different teams, when using the same Apple ID to log into these two applications, different accounts are generated. (We've tested that when creating Service IDs under the same team, logging in with Bundle IDs under the same team generates the same account.) Since Developer A's Bundle ID doesn't have a created app, it cannot be transferred to Developer B. Therefore, we'd like to know if there's any way to make the accounts generated from logging in with the same Apple ID be identical across these two teams?
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381
Feb ’25
Can I still use the private email address if I disable Sign in with Apple?
We currently have an app that uses Sign in with Apple (SIWA), and we are planning to discontinue the SIWA feature. Specifically, we intend to disable SIWA from the app's Capabilities in the Apple Developer Center. My question is, if we disable SIWA, can we continue to use the private email addresses of users who registered using SIWA? Or will disabling SIWA also invalidate the users' private email addresses? We are considering asking users to change to a different, valid email address in our app. However, if the private email addresses are invalidated, we will not be able to disable SIWA until all users have completed the email address change. If anyone has knowledge about these behaviors, please let us know.
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220
Mar ’25
Screen Time API / Device Activity
Hello I am wondering how and if it even is possible to grab the amount of times a user has opened a specific app. Of course these apps will be selected for tracking by the user through the FamilyControls API, but is it possible to then list those selected apps and their amount of openings? I know Screen Time API is very strict with giving developers control of this information outside of just displaying a view so I don't know if this is possible. I saw that DeviceActivityData.ApplicationActivity has a value called "numberOfPickups" but I'm not sure how to access that value and display it in my app. Thank you
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665
Dec ’24
iOS Biometric Authentication Implementation when biometric is added
Current Setup: Using Secure Enclave with userPresence access control Foreground keychain accessibility: whenPasscodeSetThisDeviceOnly Security Requirement: Our security group wants us to invalidate biometrics and require a username/password if a biometric item is added (potentially by a hostile 3rd party) Need to upgrade from userPresence to biometricCurrentSet to ensure re-authentication when biometric credentials change. Issue: After implementing biometricCurrentSet, authentication cancels after two failed biometric attempts instead of falling back to passcode. Current Detection Method: User completes initial biometric authentication Biometric changes occur (undetectable by app) App attempts Secure Enclave access Access denial triggers re-authentication requirement Cannot revoke refresh token after access is denied Security Concern: Current implementation allows new biometric enrollments to access existing authenticated sessions without re-verification. Question: What's the recommended approach to: Implement biometricCurrentSet while maintaining passcode fallback Properly handle refresh token invalidation when biometric credentials change Looking for guidance on best practices for implementing these security requirements while maintaining good UX.
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422
Feb ’25
Is Using EAS Update (OTA) Compliant with Apple App Store Policies for a Health App?
Hi everyone, I’m developing a health-related mobile app and considering using EAS Update to deliver over-the-air (OTA) updates for JavaScript code and assets. Before implementing this, I want to ensure that this approach complies with Apple App Store policies, especially given the sensitivity of health-related apps. Here are my concerns: Does using EAS Update (OTA) align with Apple’s guidelines regarding app updates and dynamic behavior changes? Are there specific rules or restrictions for health apps using OTA updates that I should be cautious of? Could this approach be flagged as violating Apple’s policies on app integrity, especially those requiring updates to go through the App Store review process? I’d greatly appreciate any insights, advice, or references to Apple’s official documentation regarding OTA updates for apps distributed through the App Store. Thanks in advance for your help!
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473
Dec ’24
Security of userID in Apple passkeys — how exposed is it?
I’m considering storing some sensitive information in the userID field of a passkey, as described in the createCredentialRegistrationRequest method.(link to method). I'm aware of the largeBlob extension introduced in iOS 17+, but it doesn't meet my needs since I want to create a cross-platform passkey that can be used across various devices — and currently, not many devices support the largeBlob extension. According to W3C documentation, the userID field is not considered private information and can be displayed to the user without requiring a verification process. Based on my understanding, it's also not encrypted, which means it might be accessible with physical access to the device. So here are my questions: How do Apple devices (especially iPhones) handle the userID field in their authenticators? Is it possible to access the userID without user verification, as permitted by the W3C specification? Are there any alternative methods to access the userID value stored in a passkey on Apple devices?
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123
Apr ’25
Sign in with Apple Keychain savedEmail Stored Incorrectly
Using personal physical iPhone for simulations. Can't get Keychain to read or store AppleID name/email. I want to avoid hard reseting physical phone. Logs confirm Keychain is working, but userIdentifier and savedEmail are not being stored correctly. 🔄 Initializing UserManager... ✅ Saved testKeychain to Keychain: Test Value ✅ Retrieved testKeychain from Keychain: Test Value 🔍 Keychain Test - Retrieved Value: Test Value ⚠️ Keychain Retrieve Warning: No stored value found for userIdentifier ⚠️ Keychain Retrieve Warning: No stored value found for savedEmail 🔍 Debug - Retrieved from Keychain: userIdentifier=nil, savedEmail=nil ⚠️ No stored userIdentifier in Keychain. User needs to sign in. 📦 Converting User to CKRecord: Unknown, No Email ✅ User saved locally: Unknown, No Email ✅ User saved to CloudKit: Unknown, No Email Below UserManager.swift if someone can help troubleshoot. Or step by step tutorial to configure a project and build a User Login & User Account creation for Apple Only app. import Foundation import CloudKit import AuthenticationServices import SwiftData @MainActor class UserManager: ObservableObject { @Published var user: User? @Published var isLoggedIn = false @Published var errorMessage: String? private let database = CKContainer.default().publicCloudDatabase init() { print("🔄 Initializing UserManager...") // 🔍 Keychain Debug Test let testKey = "testKeychain" KeychainHelper.shared.save("Test Value", forKey: testKey) let retrievedValue = KeychainHelper.shared.retrieve(forKey: testKey) print("🔍 Keychain Test - Retrieved Value: \(retrievedValue ?? "nil")") fetchUser() // Continue normal initialization } // ✅ Sign in & Save User func handleSignIn(_ authResults: ASAuthorization) { guard let appleIDCredential = authResults.credential as? ASAuthorizationAppleIDCredential else { errorMessage = "Error retrieving Apple credentials" print("❌ ASAuthorization Error: Invalid credentials received") return } let userIdentifier = appleIDCredential.user let fullName = appleIDCredential.fullName?.givenName ?? retrieveSavedName() var email = appleIDCredential.email ?? retrieveSavedEmail() print("🔍 Apple Sign-In Data: userIdentifier=\(userIdentifier), fullName=\(fullName), email=\(email)") // 🔄 If Apple doesn't return an email, check if it exists in Keychain if appleIDCredential.email == nil { print("⚠️ Apple Sign-In didn't return an email. Retrieving saved email from Keychain.") } // ✅ Store userIdentifier & email in Keychain KeychainHelper.shared.save(userIdentifier, forKey: "userIdentifier") KeychainHelper.shared.save(email, forKey: "savedEmail") let newUser = User(fullName: fullName, email: email, userIdentifier: userIdentifier) saveUserToCloudKit(newUser) } func saveUserToCloudKit(_ user: User) { let record = user.toRecord() Task { do { try await database.save(record) DispatchQueue.main.async { self.user = user self.isLoggedIn = true self.saveUserLocally(user) print("✅ User saved to CloudKit: \(user.fullName), \(user.email)") } } catch { DispatchQueue.main.async { self.errorMessage = "Error saving user: \(error.localizedDescription)" print("❌ CloudKit Save Error: \(error.localizedDescription)") } } } } // ✅ Fetch User from CloudKit func fetchUser() { let userIdentifier = KeychainHelper.shared.retrieve(forKey: "userIdentifier") let savedEmail = KeychainHelper.shared.retrieve(forKey: "savedEmail") print("🔍 Debug - Retrieved from Keychain: userIdentifier=\(userIdentifier ?? "nil"), savedEmail=\(savedEmail ?? "nil")") guard let userIdentifier = userIdentifier else { print("⚠️ No stored userIdentifier in Keychain. User needs to sign in.") return } let predicate = NSPredicate(format: "userIdentifier == %@", userIdentifier) let query = CKQuery(recordType: "User", predicate: predicate) Task { [weak self] in guard let self = self else { return } do { let results = try await self.database.records(matching: query, resultsLimit: 1).matchResults if let (_, result) = results.first { switch result { case .success(let record): DispatchQueue.main.async { let fetchedUser = User(record: record) self.user = User( fullName: fetchedUser.fullName, email: savedEmail ?? fetchedUser.email, userIdentifier: userIdentifier ) self.isLoggedIn = true self.saveUserLocally(self.user!) print("✅ User loaded from CloudKit: \(fetchedUser.fullName), \(fetchedUser.email)") } case .failure(let error): DispatchQueue.main.async { print("❌ Error fetching user from CloudKit: \(error.localizedDescription)") } } } } catch { DispatchQueue.main.async { print("❌ CloudKit fetch error: \(error.localizedDescription)") } } } } // ✅ Save User Locally private func saveUserLocally(_ user: User) { if let encoded = try? JSONEncoder().encode(user) { UserDefaults.standard.set(encoded, forKey: "savedUser") UserDefaults.standard.set(user.fullName, forKey: "savedFullName") UserDefaults.standard.set(user.email, forKey: "savedEmail") print("✅ User saved locally: \(user.fullName), \(user.email)") } else { print("❌ Local Save Error: Failed to encode user data") } } // ✅ Retrieve Previously Saved Name private func retrieveSavedName() -> String { return UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: "savedFullName") ?? "Unknown" } // ✅ Retrieve Previously Saved Email private func retrieveSavedEmail() -> String { return KeychainHelper.shared.retrieve(forKey: "savedEmail") ?? UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: "savedEmail") ?? "No Email" } // ✅ Sign Out func signOut() { isLoggedIn = false user = nil UserDefaults.standard.removeObject(forKey: "savedUser") print("🚪 Signed Out") } }
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280
Mar ’25
App Attest Issue in Production - Attestation Object Size Increased
Hi Apple Team and Community, We encountered a sudden and widespread failure related to the App Attest service on Friday, July 25, starting at around 9:22 AM UTC. After an extended investigation, our network engineers noted that the size of the attestation objects received from the attestKey call grew in size notably starting at that time. As a result, our firewall began blocking the requests from our app made to our servers with the Base64-encoded attestation objects in the payload, as these requests began triggering our firewall's max request length rule. Could Apple engineers please confirm whether there was any change rolled out by Apple at or around that time that would cause the attestation object size to increase? Can anyone else confirm seeing this? Any insights from Apple or others would be appreciated to ensure continued stability. Thanks!
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193
Jul ’25
Help w/ Access Itunes
I’ve come to discover over the course of three weeks of trying to gain access to my original iTunes account that because of the old security protocols I cannot get access to my music. Apple has said there is no way to access that data without being able to send a reset to the old deleted email attached to that data. That said Cox deleted all of my emails when they migrated over to yahoo so I cannot send an email to reset password to gain access and Apple does not have a protocol in place even though it’s very clear. The current account is linked to the old account. Any of your developers out there have an idea on how I can get past this because the birthdate and the username are not matching up to what they should be. Appreciate your brain muscle guys. It’s a lifetime of music.
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236
Dec ’24
App Attest development server (data-development.appattest.apple.com) returns 403 for CBOR attestation request
Hi, I’m currently implementing App Attest attestation validation on the development server. However, I’m receiving a 403 Forbidden response when I POST a CBOR-encoded payload to the following endpoint: curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/cbor" --data-binary @payload.cbor 'https://data-development.appattest.apple.com' Here’s how I’m generating the CBOR payload in Java: Map<String, Object> payload = new HashMap<>(); payload.put("attestation", attestationBytes); // byte[] from DCAppAttestService payload.put("clientDataHash", clientDataHash); // SHA-256 hash of the challenge (byte[]) payload.put("keyId", keyIdBytes); // Base64-decoded keyId (byte[]) payload.put("appId", TEAM_ID + "." + BUNDLE_ID); // e.g., "ABCDE12345.com.example.app" ObjectMapper cborMapper = new ObjectMapper(new CBORFactory()); byte[] cborBody = cborMapper.writeValueAsBytes(payload); I’m unsure whether the endpoint is rejecting the payload format or if the endpoint itself is incorrect for this stage. I’d appreciate clarification on the following: 1. Is https://data-development.appattest.apple.com the correct endpoint for key attestation in a development environment? 2. Should this endpoint accept CBOR-encoded payloads, or is it only for JSON-based assertion validation? 3. Is there a current official Apple documentation that lists: • the correct URLs for key attestation and assertion validation (production and development), • or any server-side example code (e.g., Java, Python) for handling attestation/validation on the backend? So far, I couldn’t find an official document that explicitly describes the expected HTTP endpoints for these operations. If there’s a newer guide or updated API reference, I’d appreciate a link. Thanks in advance for your help.
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142
May ’25
.pkg installation failing with "Not authorized to send Apple events to Finder" error in preinstall phase
I have a macOS package (.pkg) that checks for installed Java versions on the machine during the preinstall phase using a preinstall script. If the required Java version is not found, the script displays a message using osascript as shown below. /usr/bin/osascript -e 'tell application "Finder"' -e 'activate' -e 'display dialog "Java Development Kit (JDK) 11 is required" buttons{"OK"} with title "Myprod Warning"' -e 'end tell' So far, no issues have been observed with the installation of my package on all versions of macOS. However, on macOS 15.2, the installation is failing with a "Not authorized to send Apple events to Finder" error. Could someone please help me understand what might be causing this issue and how to resolve it?
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271
Feb ’25
My first launch and... My Apple Developer Account suddenly disappeared
Hi! I've just opened Xcode and found that I can't build my app anymore. The error was about signing. Basically, there's no team in my account. Also, I've found that all my certificates have been revoked! I created my dev account a month ago and released only one macOS app. It's SecFolder (it's not self-promotion!!!). App not even in the App Store. I planned to self-distribute it. I'm in a little shock right now since I've just launched and had my first users. And of course, my app is now gone from their Macs, screaming "malware" popup in their faces now :( Since my app is all about paranoia security, this is basically a death sentence for my project... Could someone with experience in the Apple dev ecosystem help me understand what might have gone wrong? Why might Apple think that my app is malware or something? P.S. My app is about Advanced File Access Control for macOS. It gives user complete control over which applications can access specified by user files and folders
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394
Dec ’24
Apple SignIn not working for an account that was deleted.
I was testing an app with AppleSignIn with a Firebase backend and wanted to test account deletion functionality. I was unaware of needing to revoke the token with Apple before proceeding with account deletion. Now, when I try to create a new account with the same appleId email, the token passed to Firebase is invalid and the login fails. As such, I am blocked from testing my app with authenticated Apple users, so I'm trying to understand what the workaround is. Thanks in advance!
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383
Jan ’25
Fraud System Detection - variables recognition
I am currently working on Fraud System Detection that will be used by one of the financial institutions. Those tools are related to ensuring user security. Our goal is to identify features that can trigger an early warning system for attempted fraud. We have identified three uncertain variables: Whether the user is having a conversation while using our app, Whether the user has specific screen sharing apps on their phone, Whether the user has enabled VPN connection. Here my doubts appear: Can we check the presence of a telephone conversation if we are not a VOIP application? Can we check the presence of installed programs using Universal Link and canOpenUrl(_:) method? Can we read "SCOPED" key from CFNetworkCopySystemProxySettings() dictionary? I will be glad for any advice and help.
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325
Feb ’25
iOS 26.2: Deleted images and video reappear in camera roll
When I delete an image from my camera roll, my iPhone adds another previously deleted image to my camera roll. This previously deleted image or video is from up to 3 years ago, and isn't in my recently deleted. Therefore, these added images should technically not exist. I am using an iPhone 12 running iOS 26 public beta, but apparently this issue is happening on iOS 18 too. I feel worried that an image/video that I deleted for privacy reasons may appear back in my camera roll. I'll add that I am paying for iCloud+ storage, and I still have 15GB of local storage left on my device.
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20
7h
App Closes After Apple Sign-In on Vision Pro When Launched Directly
I am experiencing an issue with Apple Sign-In on Vision Pro. When I build and run the app from Xcode, everything works fine—after signing in, the app returns to the foreground as expected. However, when I launch the app directly on Vision Pro (not from Xcode), after completing the sign-in process, the app does not reopen from the background automatically. Instead, it closes, and I have to manually tap the app icon to reopen it. Has anyone else encountered this issue? Is there a way to ensure the app properly resumes after sign-in without requiring manual intervention?
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501
Feb ’25
Ajuda com identificação de usuário Apple nome email e Firebase
E aí pessoal, tudo certo? Estou desenvolvendo um app com React Native no front-end e Node.js no back-end, usando o Firebase como banco de dados (e possivelmente para autenticação também, dependendo da solução). Preciso implementar o "Sign in with Apple" e estou com algumas dúvidas em como integrar tudo isso. A ideia é: o usuário clica no botão "Entrar com a Apple" no app (React Native), o backend (Node.js) processa a autenticação com a Apple e, em seguida, armazena as informações necessárias (nome, email, etc.) no Firebase. Se alguém já trabalhou com essa combinação (React Native, Node.js, Firebase e Sign in with Apple) e puder compartilhar alguma experiência, dicas, exemplos de código ou até mesmo um boilerplate, seria de grande ajuda!
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396
Jan ’25
Persistent Privacy Notification Issue with Screen & Audio Access on macOS 15+
Hello Apple Developer Community, We have been experiencing a persistent notification issue in our application, Flowace, after updating to macOS 15 and above. The issue is affecting our customers but does not occur on our internal test machines. Issue Description When users share their screen using Flowace, they receive a repetitive system notification stating: "Flowace has accessed your screen and system audio XX times in the past 30 days. You can manage this in settings." This pop-up appears approximately every minute, even though screen sharing and audio access work correctly. This behavior was not present in macOS 15.1.1 or earlier versions and appears to be related to recent privacy enhancements in macOS. Impact on Users The frequent pop-ups disrupt workflows, making it difficult for users to focus while using screen-sharing features. No issues are detected in Privacy & Security Settings, where Flowace has the necessary permissions. The issue is not reproducible on our internal test machines, making troubleshooting difficult. Our application is enterprise level and works all the time, so technically this pop only comes after a period of not using the app. Request for Assistance We would like to understand: Has anyone else encountered a similar issue in macOS 15+? Is there official Apple documentation explaining this new privacy behavior? Are there any interim fixes to suppress or manage these notifications? What are Apple's prospects regarding this feature in upcoming macOS updates? A demonstration of the issue can be seen in the following video: https://youtu.be/njA6mam_Bgw Any insights, workarounds, or recommendations would be highly appreciated! Thank you in advance for your help. Best, Anuj Patil Flowace Team
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77
Apr ’25