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[Unreal Engine] File missing if packaged with command line
Hello! I am trying to automate iOS builds for my Unreal Engine game using Unreal Automation Tool, but I cannot produce a functionnal build with it, while packaging from XCode works perfectly. I have tracked down the issue to a missing file. I'm using the Firebase SDK that requires a GoogleService-Info.plist file. I have copied this file at the root of my project, as the Firebase documentation suggests. I have not taken any manual action to specify that this file needs to be included in the packaged app. The Firebase code checks the existence of this file using NSString* Path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource: @“GoogleService-Info” ofType: @“plist”]; return Path != nil; If I package my app from XCode using Product -> Archive, this test returns true and the SDK is properly initialized. If I package my app using Unreal Engine's RunUAT.sh BuildCookRun, this test returns false and the SDK fails to initialize (and actually crashes upon trying). I have tried several Unreal Engine tricks to include my file, like setting it as a RuntimeDependecies in my projects Build.cs file. Which enables Unreal Engine code to find it, but not this direct call to NSBundle. I would like to know either how to tell Unreal Engine to include files at the root of the app bundle, or what XCode does to automatically include this file and is there a way to script it? I can provide both versions .xcarchive if needed. Thanks!
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150
Sep ’25
Side loading an app
We have a .ipa file that we need to side load on iPhone via USB connected to a MAC. IPA file will be on MAC. We can't use enterprise license. We have a business use case where we need to side load the app. Any way to do that or can be reach apple support for this? Please help. Note: The iPhones attached will not have the Apple ID logged in. There are companies who are side loading the app for business purpose on the customers phone.
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Jun ’25
Testing and Debugging Code Running in the Background
I regularly bump into folks confused by this issue, so I thought I’d collect my thoughts on the topic into a single (hopefully) coherent post. If you have questions or comments, put them in a new thread here on the forums. Feel free to use whatever subtopic and tags that apply to your situation, but make sure to add the Debugging tag so that I see your thread go by. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Testing and Debugging Code Running in the Background I regularly see questions like this: My background code works just fine in Xcode but fails when I download the app from the App Store. or this: … or fails when I run my app from the Home screen. or this: How do I step through my background code? These suggest a fundamental misunderstanding of how the debugger interacts with iOS’s background execution model. The goal of this post is to explain that misunderstanding so that you can effectively test and debug background code. Note The focus of this post is iOS. The advice here generally applies to any of iOS’s ‘child’ platforms, so iPadOS, tvOS, and so on. However, there will be some platform specific differences, especially on watchOS. This advice here doesn’t apply to macOS. It’s background execution model is completely different than the one used by iOS. Understand the Fundamentals The key point to note here is that the debugger prevents your app from suspending. This has important consequences for iOS’s background execution model. Normally: iOS suspends your app when it’s in the background. Once your app is suspended, it becomes eligible for termination. The most common reason for this is that the system wants to recover memory, but it can happen for various other reasons. For example, the system might terminate a suspended app in order to update it. Under various circumstances your app can continue running after moving to the background. A great example of this is the continued processed task feature, introduced in iOS 26 beta. Alternatively, your app can be resumed or relaunched in the background to perform some task. For example, the region monitor feature of Core Location can resume or relaunch your app in the background when the user enters or leaves a region. If no app needs to be executing, the system can sleep the CPU. None of this happens in the normal way if the debugger is attached to your app, and it’s vital that you take that into account when debugging code that runs in the background. An Example of the Problem For an example of how this can cause problems, imagine an app that uses an URLSession background session. A background session will resume or relaunch your app in the background when specific events happen. This involves two separate code paths: If your app is suspended, the session resumes it in the background. If your app is terminated, it relaunches it in the background. Neither code path behaves normally if the debugger is attached. In the first case, the app never suspends, so the resume case isn’t properly exercised. Rather, your background session acts like it would if your app were in the foreground. Normally this doesn’t cause too many problems, so this isn’t a huge concern. On the other hand, the second case is much more problematic. The debugger prevents your app from suspending, and hence from terminating, and thus you can’t exercise this code path at all. Seek Framework-Specific Advice The above is just an example, and there are likely other things to keep in mind when debugging background code for a specific framework. Consult the documentation for the framework you’re working with to see if it has specific advice. Note For URLSession background sessions, check out Testing Background Session Code. The rest of this post focuses on the general case, offering advice that applies to all frameworks that support background execution. Run Your App Outside of Xcode When debugging background execution, launch your app from the Home screen. For day-to-day development: Run the app from Xcode in the normal way (Product > Run). Stop it. Run it again from the Home screen. Alternatively, install a build from TestFlight. This accurately replicates the App Store install experience. Write Code with Debugging in Mind It’s obvious that, if you run the app without attaching the debugger, you won’t be able to use the debugger to debug it. Rather: Extract the core logic of your code into libraries, and then write extensive unit tests for those libraries. You’ll be able to debug these unit tests with the debugger. Add log points to help debug your integration with the system. Treat your logging as a feature of your product. Carefully consider where to add log points and at what level to log. Check this logging code into your source code repository and ship it — or at least the bulk of it — as part of your final product. This logging will be super helpful when it comes to debugging problems that only show up in the field. My general advice is that you use the system log for these log points. See Your Friend the System Log for lots of advice on that front. One of the great features of the system log is that disabled log points are very cheap. In most cases it’s fine to leave these in your final product. Attach and Detach In some cases it really is helpful to debug with the debugger. One option here is to attach to your running app, debug a specific thing, and then detach from it. Specifically: To attach to a running app, choose Debug > Attach to Process > YourAppName in Xcode. To detach, choose Debug > Detach. Understand Force Quit iOS allows users to remove an app from the multitasking UI. This is commonly known as force quit, but that’s not a particularly accurate term: The multitasking UI doesn’t show apps that are running, it shows apps that have been run by the user. The UI shows recently run apps regardless of whether they’re in the foreground, running in the background, suspended, or terminated. So, removing an app from the UI may not actually quit anything. Removing an app sets a flag that prevents the app from being launched in the background. That flag gets cleared when the user next launches the app manually. Note In some circumstances iOS will not honour this flag. The exact cases where this happens are not documented and have changed over time. Keep these behaviours in mind as you debug your background execution code. For example, imagine you’re trying to test the URLSession background relaunch code path discussed above. If you force quit your app, you’ll never hit this code path because iOS won’t relaunch your app in the background. Rather, add a debug-only button that causes your app to call exit. IMPORTANT This suggestion is for debugging only. Don’t include a Quit button in your final app! This is specifically proscribed by QA1561. Alternatively, if you’re attached to your app with Xcode, simply choose Product > Stop. This is like calling exit; it has no impact on your app’s ability to run in the background. Test With Various Background App Refresh Settings iOS puts users in control of background execution via the options in Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Test how your app performs with the following settings: Background app refresh turned off overall Background app refresh turned on in general but turned off for your app Background app refresh turned on in general and turned on for your app IMPORTANT While these settings are labelled Background App Refresh, they affect subsystems other than background app refresh. Test all of these cases regardless of what specific background execution feature you’re using. Test Realistic User Scenarios In many cases you won’t be able to fully test background execution code at your desk. Rather, install a TestFlight build of your app and then use the device as a normal user would. For example: To test Core Location background execution properly, actual leave your office and move around as a user might. To test background app refresh, use your app regularly during the day and then put your device on charge at night. Testing like this requires two things: Patience Good logging The system log may be sufficient here, but you might need to investigate other logging solutions that are more appropriate for your product. These testing challenges are why it’s critical that you have unit tests to exercise your core logic. It takes a lot of time to run integration tests like this, so you want to focus on integration issues. Before starting your integration tests, make sure that your unit tests have flushed out any bugs in your core logic. Revision History 2025-08-12 Made various editorial changes. 2025-08-11 First posted.
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220
Aug ’25
Trackpad Right-Click (Two-Finger Tap) Support in Linux Guests – macOS Virtualization Framework
Hello, I'm developing a macOS application that uses the Virtualization framework to run Linux virtual machines (specifically Ubuntu and Fedora) on Apple Silicon Macs. I've noticed that while the macOS host properly supports all trackpad gestures, the two-finger tap gesture for right-click does not work within the Linux guest. Only the primary click is recognized. This behavior is consistent across different Linux distributions and desktop environments (GNOME, KDE, etc.). I would like to confirm: Is the macOS Virtualization framework expected to support trackpad gestures such as two-finger tap for right-click within Linux guest VMs? If not currently supported, is there a known workaround to enable right-click functionality for the trackpad in Linux guests? (e.g., configuration changes in the VM, Linux kernel input modules, or framework-level adjustments.) Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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102
May ’25
Are watchdog timeout terminations a crash or not?
If an iOS app gets terminated by watchdog due to, for example, hanging the main thread, is that considered to be a crash or something different. I'm asking because, according to google and AI, Crashlytics can detect and report these,but in my experience it does not. If I deliberately cause a watchdog termination by for example sleeping on the main thread for a long time then these never appear in Crashlytics. I know Apple folks here don't comment on non Apple software, so I'm not asking about Crashlytics, just wondering and interested about watchdog timeout terminations and how they differ from a "regular" crash.
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156
Mar ’25
Family Controls Entitlement NOT applied to App Extensions (and Support Form is broken)
Hello, I am facing a critical issue where the Family Controls (Distribution) entitlement is not being applied to my app extensions, despite the main app ID being approved. Main App ID: com.hayashikento.focuspact (Approved on March 13) Extension ID 1: com.hayashikento.focuspact.ShieldActionExtension (Pending/Not visible) Extension ID 2: com.hayashikento.focuspact.ShieldConfigurationExtension (Pending/Not visible) I have submitted requests multiple times, but the entitlement does not appear in the "Capability Requests" for these extensions in the Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles portal. Furthermore, I am unable to contact Developer Support because the "Contact Us" form on the developer website consistently shows a "Request error" or freezes on the submission page. Since I am completely blocked from TestFlight distribution, could someone from Apple please look into my account (Team ID: UHG4J7F7NH) and manually sync these entitlements? Thank you for your help.
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1d
Apple Support for Xcode error
Hello, We tried calling Apple support who suggested they cannot help and work thru emails and discussion forums to resolve the technical issue we are facing to post our first App in App Store. I have given admin level credential to my son (minor) allowing him to incorporate his Xcode to App Store with his credentials. Apparently, he keeps getting error he does not have enough credentials to do so and we are unable to proceed further. I acknowledge I am not a developer & Apple support team was unable to help, I wonder if there is specific support channel I need to follow to resolve the issue. His App is going to help is Robotics team in upcoming event and we appreciate if someone can kindly point me to right direction to resolve the matter at earliest.
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Nov ’25
Persistent Sandbox Denials When Building with Capacitor and CocoaPods in Xcode
I am a solo developer building a cross-platform voice assistant app using Capacitor (with HTML, JS) and Xcode for the iOS version. The app is called "Echo Eyes," and it already functions well as a Progressive Web App (PWA). However, the iOS build has been completely blocked due to persistent sandbox permission errors from macOS during the CocoaPods framework embedding phase. This issue has caused severe disruption to my project and personal well-being, and I am writing to formally request assistance in identifying a clear solution. I am not a beginner and have followed all known best practices, forums, and Apple guidance without success. What I’ve Built So Far: Fully working PWA version of the app (voice input, HTML/JS interface) Capacitor initialized with ID: com.echo.eyes.voice Capacitor iOS platform added with CocoaPods App runs fine until Xcode reaches: [CP] Embed Pods Frameworks The Exact Problem: Sandbox: bash(12319) deny(1) file-read-data /Users/Shared/projects/Echo_Mobile/ios/App/Pods/Target Support Files/Pods-App/Pods-App-frameworks.sh Command PhaseScriptExecution failed with a nonzero exit code Clarification: This is not an HTML/JS issue. The failure occurs in Xcode long before web assets are embedded into the bundle. The shell script /Pods-App-frameworks.sh cannot be read due to macOS sandbox restrictions. Everything I’ve Tried: Gave Xcode and Terminal Full Disk Access Ran: sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine on the entire Pods directory Added /bin/bash and /bin/sh to Full Disk Access (after confirming the exact shell via $SHELL) Attempted to disable Gatekeeper via Terminal: sudo spctl --master-disable (confirmed not effective without GUI toggle) Tried relocating project to /Users/Shared/projects/ Cleaned build folder, removed derived data, reinstalled pods Debugged shell usage with: echo "▶️ Embedding under shell: $SHELL" in the [CP] Embed Pods Frameworks script Attempted to grant shell access to Documents Folder, Desktop, and more via Files & Folders Current State: Despite following all known and recommended steps, Xcode continues to return the same sandbox error. The shell script that embeds the CocoaPod frameworks is denied permission to read its own contents by macOS. What I Am Asking For: Is this a known issue in current versions of macOS or Xcode regarding sandbox denial for shell execution inside Pods? Is there a recommended method to grant /bin/bash or /bin/sh permission to read and run these scripts under Xcode without compromising system security? Is moving the project outside /Users (e.g. to /Projects) the only real workaround? Are there official Apple workarounds or entitlements available for developers encountering this? Personal Note: This issue has caused significant emotional and physical distress. I’m building this app as a personal healing tool and companion. I’ve poured months of work into this and done everything I can to follow Apple’s development guidelines. I’m not asking for hand-holding — only a clear, respectful response confirming whether this is expected behavior and what can be done to resolve it. Thank you for your time and understanding.
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Jun ’25
Unable to Add Font to Asset Catalog as a Font Set (Appearing as "Data")
Hi Support Team, I am new here. I am unable to add my fonts to the asset catalog there is no option to add new font set when I click the plus sign. When I drag my files in they show up as data. I have a Contents.json in the font folder called BeVietnamProFont.font. Is there something I am doing wrong? Thanks SO much! { "info": { "version": 1, "author": "xcode" }, "properties": {}, "fonts": [ { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Black.ttf", "weight": "black", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-BlackItalic.ttf", "weight": "black", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Bold.ttf", "weight": "bold", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-BoldItalic.ttf", "weight": "bold", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ExtraBold.ttf", "weight": "heavy", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ExtraBoldItalic.ttf", "weight": "heavy", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ExtraLight.ttf", "weight": "ultralight", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ExtraLightItalic.ttf", "weight": "ultralight", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Light.ttf", "weight": "light", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-LightItalic.ttf", "weight": "light", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Regular.ttf", "weight": "regular", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Italic.ttf", "weight": "regular", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Medium.ttf", "weight": "medium", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-MediumItalic.ttf", "weight": "medium", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-SemiBold.ttf", "weight": "semibold", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-SemiBoldItalic.ttf", "weight": "semibold", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Thin.ttf", "weight": "thin", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ThinItalic.ttf", "weight": "thin", "style": "italic" } ] } ![]("https://developer.apple.com/forums/content/attachment/56835f04-d1c1-468f-808b-9a786562d367" "title=Screenshot 2025-07-13 at 1.05.05 PM.png ;width=539;height=630")
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250
Jul ’25
Installer JS warning when try to read the version from /var/db/receipts folder
Hi, I am using Installer JS in Distrtibution file which is created using productbuild command. I am trying to read the installed version of app from the plist file present in the /var/db/receipts folder. It gives the following warning. If I enable the flag , notarization will fail. FJS: Package Authoring Error: access to path "/var/db/receipts/com.xxx.xxx.plist" requires Following is the function I have used to read the installed version. system.files.plistAtPath() I have also tried the following function to read the version from .app file. system.files.bundleAtPath Both the functions give the warning. Is there are a way to avoid this warning or a better way to read the installed version? Regards Prema Kumar
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Dec ’25
macOS .chm viewer
For the Linux version of my application which is written in C++ using Qt, I display the CHM format help files with this code: QString helpFile{ QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/Help/" + tr("DeepSkyStacker Help.chm","IDS_HELPFILE") }; QString program{ "kchmviewer" }; QStringList arguments{ "-token", "com.github.deepskystacker", helpFile }; helpProcess->startDetached(program, arguments); (helpProcess is a pointer to a QProcess object) The -token com.github.deepskystackerpart of that ensures that only a single instance of the viewer is used for any code that uses that invocation. Are there any chm file viewers for macOS that are capable of that sort of trick? The ones I've found on the App Store give minimal information and appear to be very simple minded tools that are not not intended for integration into an application as above. I know that MacPorts offers ports of kchmviewer but I'd prefer not to use either that or HomeBrew ... David
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Jun ’25
AppleWatchのデベロッパモードをONにする方法
開発アプリで通知確認を行うため、UDIDをプロビジョニングプロファイルに追加する必要があります。 iPhoneのUDIDは取得することができたのですが、AppleWatchのUDIDを取得する方法が分かりません。 Xcodeと接続してUDIDを取得しようとしましたが、iPhoneのみ認識がされAppleWatchが認識されていません。 AppleWatchもデベロッパモードをONしなければならないとAppleから返答をもらったが、その方法がわからないのでどなたかご教授お願い致します。
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258
Oct ’25
Is there a way for two users to make development builds on separate accounts for one app?
Tech stack: React Native + Expo. We are using two solo developer accounts (not a business or team account). Context: Friend and I set out to make an app together. Friend created app and set it up on Apple. We worked on it together. He controlled devops (builds and submission). Friend no longer can commit to development. Wants to transfer to me. I create apple developer account. After app transfer, my phone (deviceid) underwent a 14 day soft ban preventing builds. That has since been lifted. There seems to be something in place preventing me from making dev builds on the original dev bundleid. It says it's still owned by him despite the app transfer. Bottom line: what needs to happen so 1 can make dev builds? nice to have: is there a way for us to both make dev builds under the same bundleid?
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133
Dec ’25
Why does my zsh prompt permanently change?
Hey, I am using the terminal a lot. Since I updated to Sonoma (so, really a long time ago). My prompt or more precise the hostname always changes between three states. Sometimes it is username@Macbook-Pro-of-XXX, sometimes username@MacbookPro and sometimes it's username@xxxxxxxx-yyyy-zzzz-aaaa-bbbbbbbbbbbb. The latter is probably my UUID. Does anyone have a clue why this randomly changes?
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134
Mar ’25
Xcode Code coverage shows zero; even after 245 successful tests
I have a project inside the project structure. I have around 300 unit tests in the project. I see that for some of the subprojects, the coverage numbers show up correctly, but for other subprojects and the main project, the coverage number shows zero, even though the tests are running successfully. The log I get is: Aggregation tool emitted warnings: warning: /Users/ABC/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/projectABC-hfzmkbdgpiswoxfvvnvhrafaiqyb/Build/ProfileData/A8EEC1FB-1699-4C29-A88C-D3DDA226DBC0/0A416494-A393-4319-AA47-502D72084C9C-43351.profraw: raw profile version mismatch: Profile uses raw profile format version = 8; expected version = 10 PLEASE update this tool to the version in the raw profile, or regenerate the raw profile with the expected version. I only have one Xcode (26.0.1) on my machine. I tried cleaning the derived data, the cleaning project, and rerunning the tests, but it hasn't helped. Please help me get the coverage number back. Thank you.
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123
Oct ’25
CoreHaptics.AssetPickerDrawer throws exceptions and draws incorrectly when fieldInfo or assetType is null
There is a bug in Unity Plugins: Corehaptics.AssetPickerDrawer throws exceptions and draws incorrectly when fieldInfo or assetType is null (FB17305973). I fixed it and created a pull request: https://github.com/apple/unityplugins/pull/47 It has been months and this bug is really annoying.
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138
Jun ’25
[Unreal Engine] File missing if packaged with command line
Hello! I am trying to automate iOS builds for my Unreal Engine game using Unreal Automation Tool, but I cannot produce a functionnal build with it, while packaging from XCode works perfectly. I have tracked down the issue to a missing file. I'm using the Firebase SDK that requires a GoogleService-Info.plist file. I have copied this file at the root of my project, as the Firebase documentation suggests. I have not taken any manual action to specify that this file needs to be included in the packaged app. The Firebase code checks the existence of this file using NSString* Path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource: @“GoogleService-Info” ofType: @“plist”]; return Path != nil; If I package my app from XCode using Product -> Archive, this test returns true and the SDK is properly initialized. If I package my app using Unreal Engine's RunUAT.sh BuildCookRun, this test returns false and the SDK fails to initialize (and actually crashes upon trying). I have tried several Unreal Engine tricks to include my file, like setting it as a RuntimeDependecies in my projects Build.cs file. Which enables Unreal Engine code to find it, but not this direct call to NSBundle. I would like to know either how to tell Unreal Engine to include files at the root of the app bundle, or what XCode does to automatically include this file and is there a way to script it? I can provide both versions .xcarchive if needed. Thanks!
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150
Activity
Sep ’25
URL Scheme For Apple Developer App
In our App we have a need to open Apple Developer App from our iOS App to guide user to Developer App. But looks like there is no confirmed URL Scheme provided. Can you help on this.
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2
Boosts
0
Views
180
Activity
Oct ’25
Side loading an app
We have a .ipa file that we need to side load on iPhone via USB connected to a MAC. IPA file will be on MAC. We can't use enterprise license. We have a business use case where we need to side load the app. Any way to do that or can be reach apple support for this? Please help. Note: The iPhones attached will not have the Apple ID logged in. There are companies who are side loading the app for business purpose on the customers phone.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
88
Activity
Jun ’25
Testing and Debugging Code Running in the Background
I regularly bump into folks confused by this issue, so I thought I’d collect my thoughts on the topic into a single (hopefully) coherent post. If you have questions or comments, put them in a new thread here on the forums. Feel free to use whatever subtopic and tags that apply to your situation, but make sure to add the Debugging tag so that I see your thread go by. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Testing and Debugging Code Running in the Background I regularly see questions like this: My background code works just fine in Xcode but fails when I download the app from the App Store. or this: … or fails when I run my app from the Home screen. or this: How do I step through my background code? These suggest a fundamental misunderstanding of how the debugger interacts with iOS’s background execution model. The goal of this post is to explain that misunderstanding so that you can effectively test and debug background code. Note The focus of this post is iOS. The advice here generally applies to any of iOS’s ‘child’ platforms, so iPadOS, tvOS, and so on. However, there will be some platform specific differences, especially on watchOS. This advice here doesn’t apply to macOS. It’s background execution model is completely different than the one used by iOS. Understand the Fundamentals The key point to note here is that the debugger prevents your app from suspending. This has important consequences for iOS’s background execution model. Normally: iOS suspends your app when it’s in the background. Once your app is suspended, it becomes eligible for termination. The most common reason for this is that the system wants to recover memory, but it can happen for various other reasons. For example, the system might terminate a suspended app in order to update it. Under various circumstances your app can continue running after moving to the background. A great example of this is the continued processed task feature, introduced in iOS 26 beta. Alternatively, your app can be resumed or relaunched in the background to perform some task. For example, the region monitor feature of Core Location can resume or relaunch your app in the background when the user enters or leaves a region. If no app needs to be executing, the system can sleep the CPU. None of this happens in the normal way if the debugger is attached to your app, and it’s vital that you take that into account when debugging code that runs in the background. An Example of the Problem For an example of how this can cause problems, imagine an app that uses an URLSession background session. A background session will resume or relaunch your app in the background when specific events happen. This involves two separate code paths: If your app is suspended, the session resumes it in the background. If your app is terminated, it relaunches it in the background. Neither code path behaves normally if the debugger is attached. In the first case, the app never suspends, so the resume case isn’t properly exercised. Rather, your background session acts like it would if your app were in the foreground. Normally this doesn’t cause too many problems, so this isn’t a huge concern. On the other hand, the second case is much more problematic. The debugger prevents your app from suspending, and hence from terminating, and thus you can’t exercise this code path at all. Seek Framework-Specific Advice The above is just an example, and there are likely other things to keep in mind when debugging background code for a specific framework. Consult the documentation for the framework you’re working with to see if it has specific advice. Note For URLSession background sessions, check out Testing Background Session Code. The rest of this post focuses on the general case, offering advice that applies to all frameworks that support background execution. Run Your App Outside of Xcode When debugging background execution, launch your app from the Home screen. For day-to-day development: Run the app from Xcode in the normal way (Product > Run). Stop it. Run it again from the Home screen. Alternatively, install a build from TestFlight. This accurately replicates the App Store install experience. Write Code with Debugging in Mind It’s obvious that, if you run the app without attaching the debugger, you won’t be able to use the debugger to debug it. Rather: Extract the core logic of your code into libraries, and then write extensive unit tests for those libraries. You’ll be able to debug these unit tests with the debugger. Add log points to help debug your integration with the system. Treat your logging as a feature of your product. Carefully consider where to add log points and at what level to log. Check this logging code into your source code repository and ship it — or at least the bulk of it — as part of your final product. This logging will be super helpful when it comes to debugging problems that only show up in the field. My general advice is that you use the system log for these log points. See Your Friend the System Log for lots of advice on that front. One of the great features of the system log is that disabled log points are very cheap. In most cases it’s fine to leave these in your final product. Attach and Detach In some cases it really is helpful to debug with the debugger. One option here is to attach to your running app, debug a specific thing, and then detach from it. Specifically: To attach to a running app, choose Debug > Attach to Process > YourAppName in Xcode. To detach, choose Debug > Detach. Understand Force Quit iOS allows users to remove an app from the multitasking UI. This is commonly known as force quit, but that’s not a particularly accurate term: The multitasking UI doesn’t show apps that are running, it shows apps that have been run by the user. The UI shows recently run apps regardless of whether they’re in the foreground, running in the background, suspended, or terminated. So, removing an app from the UI may not actually quit anything. Removing an app sets a flag that prevents the app from being launched in the background. That flag gets cleared when the user next launches the app manually. Note In some circumstances iOS will not honour this flag. The exact cases where this happens are not documented and have changed over time. Keep these behaviours in mind as you debug your background execution code. For example, imagine you’re trying to test the URLSession background relaunch code path discussed above. If you force quit your app, you’ll never hit this code path because iOS won’t relaunch your app in the background. Rather, add a debug-only button that causes your app to call exit. IMPORTANT This suggestion is for debugging only. Don’t include a Quit button in your final app! This is specifically proscribed by QA1561. Alternatively, if you’re attached to your app with Xcode, simply choose Product > Stop. This is like calling exit; it has no impact on your app’s ability to run in the background. Test With Various Background App Refresh Settings iOS puts users in control of background execution via the options in Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Test how your app performs with the following settings: Background app refresh turned off overall Background app refresh turned on in general but turned off for your app Background app refresh turned on in general and turned on for your app IMPORTANT While these settings are labelled Background App Refresh, they affect subsystems other than background app refresh. Test all of these cases regardless of what specific background execution feature you’re using. Test Realistic User Scenarios In many cases you won’t be able to fully test background execution code at your desk. Rather, install a TestFlight build of your app and then use the device as a normal user would. For example: To test Core Location background execution properly, actual leave your office and move around as a user might. To test background app refresh, use your app regularly during the day and then put your device on charge at night. Testing like this requires two things: Patience Good logging The system log may be sufficient here, but you might need to investigate other logging solutions that are more appropriate for your product. These testing challenges are why it’s critical that you have unit tests to exercise your core logic. It takes a lot of time to run integration tests like this, so you want to focus on integration issues. Before starting your integration tests, make sure that your unit tests have flushed out any bugs in your core logic. Revision History 2025-08-12 Made various editorial changes. 2025-08-11 First posted.
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220
Activity
Aug ’25
Trackpad Right-Click (Two-Finger Tap) Support in Linux Guests – macOS Virtualization Framework
Hello, I'm developing a macOS application that uses the Virtualization framework to run Linux virtual machines (specifically Ubuntu and Fedora) on Apple Silicon Macs. I've noticed that while the macOS host properly supports all trackpad gestures, the two-finger tap gesture for right-click does not work within the Linux guest. Only the primary click is recognized. This behavior is consistent across different Linux distributions and desktop environments (GNOME, KDE, etc.). I would like to confirm: Is the macOS Virtualization framework expected to support trackpad gestures such as two-finger tap for right-click within Linux guest VMs? If not currently supported, is there a known workaround to enable right-click functionality for the trackpad in Linux guests? (e.g., configuration changes in the VM, Linux kernel input modules, or framework-level adjustments.) Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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2
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102
Activity
May ’25
Are watchdog timeout terminations a crash or not?
If an iOS app gets terminated by watchdog due to, for example, hanging the main thread, is that considered to be a crash or something different. I'm asking because, according to google and AI, Crashlytics can detect and report these,but in my experience it does not. If I deliberately cause a watchdog termination by for example sleeping on the main thread for a long time then these never appear in Crashlytics. I know Apple folks here don't comment on non Apple software, so I'm not asking about Crashlytics, just wondering and interested about watchdog timeout terminations and how they differ from a "regular" crash.
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156
Activity
Mar ’25
Family Controls Entitlement NOT applied to App Extensions (and Support Form is broken)
Hello, I am facing a critical issue where the Family Controls (Distribution) entitlement is not being applied to my app extensions, despite the main app ID being approved. Main App ID: com.hayashikento.focuspact (Approved on March 13) Extension ID 1: com.hayashikento.focuspact.ShieldActionExtension (Pending/Not visible) Extension ID 2: com.hayashikento.focuspact.ShieldConfigurationExtension (Pending/Not visible) I have submitted requests multiple times, but the entitlement does not appear in the "Capability Requests" for these extensions in the Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles portal. Furthermore, I am unable to contact Developer Support because the "Contact Us" form on the developer website consistently shows a "Request error" or freezes on the submission page. Since I am completely blocked from TestFlight distribution, could someone from Apple please look into my account (Team ID: UHG4J7F7NH) and manually sync these entitlements? Thank you for your help.
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42
Activity
1d
“bash requesting screen access” popup in Mac OS 15
How can I allow the popup I am encountering while I run my UI tests with video recording in the Github actions. Since these tests are running on VMs, it's not possible to manually click Allow. Also the remote robot cannot interact with OS-level dialogs.
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273
Activity
Nov ’25
Apple Support for Xcode error
Hello, We tried calling Apple support who suggested they cannot help and work thru emails and discussion forums to resolve the technical issue we are facing to post our first App in App Store. I have given admin level credential to my son (minor) allowing him to incorporate his Xcode to App Store with his credentials. Apparently, he keeps getting error he does not have enough credentials to do so and we are unable to proceed further. I acknowledge I am not a developer & Apple support team was unable to help, I wonder if there is specific support channel I need to follow to resolve the issue. His App is going to help is Robotics team in upcoming event and we appreciate if someone can kindly point me to right direction to resolve the matter at earliest.
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61
Activity
Nov ’25
Uploading your App logo without Xcode
I want to upload my App logo. I am using Expo and I am not sure how to get my logo up? Please help.
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75
Activity
Oct ’25
Persistent Sandbox Denials When Building with Capacitor and CocoaPods in Xcode
I am a solo developer building a cross-platform voice assistant app using Capacitor (with HTML, JS) and Xcode for the iOS version. The app is called "Echo Eyes," and it already functions well as a Progressive Web App (PWA). However, the iOS build has been completely blocked due to persistent sandbox permission errors from macOS during the CocoaPods framework embedding phase. This issue has caused severe disruption to my project and personal well-being, and I am writing to formally request assistance in identifying a clear solution. I am not a beginner and have followed all known best practices, forums, and Apple guidance without success. What I’ve Built So Far: Fully working PWA version of the app (voice input, HTML/JS interface) Capacitor initialized with ID: com.echo.eyes.voice Capacitor iOS platform added with CocoaPods App runs fine until Xcode reaches: [CP] Embed Pods Frameworks The Exact Problem: Sandbox: bash(12319) deny(1) file-read-data /Users/Shared/projects/Echo_Mobile/ios/App/Pods/Target Support Files/Pods-App/Pods-App-frameworks.sh Command PhaseScriptExecution failed with a nonzero exit code Clarification: This is not an HTML/JS issue. The failure occurs in Xcode long before web assets are embedded into the bundle. The shell script /Pods-App-frameworks.sh cannot be read due to macOS sandbox restrictions. Everything I’ve Tried: Gave Xcode and Terminal Full Disk Access Ran: sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine on the entire Pods directory Added /bin/bash and /bin/sh to Full Disk Access (after confirming the exact shell via $SHELL) Attempted to disable Gatekeeper via Terminal: sudo spctl --master-disable (confirmed not effective without GUI toggle) Tried relocating project to /Users/Shared/projects/ Cleaned build folder, removed derived data, reinstalled pods Debugged shell usage with: echo "▶️ Embedding under shell: $SHELL" in the [CP] Embed Pods Frameworks script Attempted to grant shell access to Documents Folder, Desktop, and more via Files & Folders Current State: Despite following all known and recommended steps, Xcode continues to return the same sandbox error. The shell script that embeds the CocoaPod frameworks is denied permission to read its own contents by macOS. What I Am Asking For: Is this a known issue in current versions of macOS or Xcode regarding sandbox denial for shell execution inside Pods? Is there a recommended method to grant /bin/bash or /bin/sh permission to read and run these scripts under Xcode without compromising system security? Is moving the project outside /Users (e.g. to /Projects) the only real workaround? Are there official Apple workarounds or entitlements available for developers encountering this? Personal Note: This issue has caused significant emotional and physical distress. I’m building this app as a personal healing tool and companion. I’ve poured months of work into this and done everything I can to follow Apple’s development guidelines. I’m not asking for hand-holding — only a clear, respectful response confirming whether this is expected behavior and what can be done to resolve it. Thank you for your time and understanding.
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185
Activity
Jun ’25
Unable to Add Font to Asset Catalog as a Font Set (Appearing as "Data")
Hi Support Team, I am new here. I am unable to add my fonts to the asset catalog there is no option to add new font set when I click the plus sign. When I drag my files in they show up as data. I have a Contents.json in the font folder called BeVietnamProFont.font. Is there something I am doing wrong? Thanks SO much! { "info": { "version": 1, "author": "xcode" }, "properties": {}, "fonts": [ { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Black.ttf", "weight": "black", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-BlackItalic.ttf", "weight": "black", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Bold.ttf", "weight": "bold", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-BoldItalic.ttf", "weight": "bold", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ExtraBold.ttf", "weight": "heavy", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ExtraBoldItalic.ttf", "weight": "heavy", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ExtraLight.ttf", "weight": "ultralight", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ExtraLightItalic.ttf", "weight": "ultralight", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Light.ttf", "weight": "light", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-LightItalic.ttf", "weight": "light", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Regular.ttf", "weight": "regular", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Italic.ttf", "weight": "regular", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Medium.ttf", "weight": "medium", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-MediumItalic.ttf", "weight": "medium", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-SemiBold.ttf", "weight": "semibold", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-SemiBoldItalic.ttf", "weight": "semibold", "style": "italic" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-Thin.ttf", "weight": "thin", "style": "normal" }, { "filename": "BeVietnamPro-ThinItalic.ttf", "weight": "thin", "style": "italic" } ] } ![]("https://developer.apple.com/forums/content/attachment/56835f04-d1c1-468f-808b-9a786562d367" "title=Screenshot 2025-07-13 at 1.05.05 PM.png ;width=539;height=630")
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250
Activity
Jul ’25
Installer JS warning when try to read the version from /var/db/receipts folder
Hi, I am using Installer JS in Distrtibution file which is created using productbuild command. I am trying to read the installed version of app from the plist file present in the /var/db/receipts folder. It gives the following warning. If I enable the flag , notarization will fail. FJS: Package Authoring Error: access to path "/var/db/receipts/com.xxx.xxx.plist" requires Following is the function I have used to read the installed version. system.files.plistAtPath() I have also tried the following function to read the version from .app file. system.files.bundleAtPath Both the functions give the warning. Is there are a way to avoid this warning or a better way to read the installed version? Regards Prema Kumar
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117
Activity
Dec ’25
macOS .chm viewer
For the Linux version of my application which is written in C++ using Qt, I display the CHM format help files with this code: QString helpFile{ QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/Help/" + tr("DeepSkyStacker Help.chm","IDS_HELPFILE") }; QString program{ "kchmviewer" }; QStringList arguments{ "-token", "com.github.deepskystacker", helpFile }; helpProcess->startDetached(program, arguments); (helpProcess is a pointer to a QProcess object) The -token com.github.deepskystackerpart of that ensures that only a single instance of the viewer is used for any code that uses that invocation. Are there any chm file viewers for macOS that are capable of that sort of trick? The ones I've found on the App Store give minimal information and appear to be very simple minded tools that are not not intended for integration into an application as above. I know that MacPorts offers ports of kchmviewer but I'd prefer not to use either that or HomeBrew ... David
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147
Activity
Jun ’25
AppleWatchのデベロッパモードをONにする方法
開発アプリで通知確認を行うため、UDIDをプロビジョニングプロファイルに追加する必要があります。 iPhoneのUDIDは取得することができたのですが、AppleWatchのUDIDを取得する方法が分かりません。 Xcodeと接続してUDIDを取得しようとしましたが、iPhoneのみ認識がされAppleWatchが認識されていません。 AppleWatchもデベロッパモードをONしなければならないとAppleから返答をもらったが、その方法がわからないのでどなたかご教授お願い致します。
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258
Activity
Oct ’25
Is there a way for two users to make development builds on separate accounts for one app?
Tech stack: React Native + Expo. We are using two solo developer accounts (not a business or team account). Context: Friend and I set out to make an app together. Friend created app and set it up on Apple. We worked on it together. He controlled devops (builds and submission). Friend no longer can commit to development. Wants to transfer to me. I create apple developer account. After app transfer, my phone (deviceid) underwent a 14 day soft ban preventing builds. That has since been lifted. There seems to be something in place preventing me from making dev builds on the original dev bundleid. It says it's still owned by him despite the app transfer. Bottom line: what needs to happen so 1 can make dev builds? nice to have: is there a way for us to both make dev builds under the same bundleid?
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133
Activity
Dec ’25
Why does my zsh prompt permanently change?
Hey, I am using the terminal a lot. Since I updated to Sonoma (so, really a long time ago). My prompt or more precise the hostname always changes between three states. Sometimes it is username@Macbook-Pro-of-XXX, sometimes username@MacbookPro and sometimes it's username@xxxxxxxx-yyyy-zzzz-aaaa-bbbbbbbbbbbb. The latter is probably my UUID. Does anyone have a clue why this randomly changes?
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134
Activity
Mar ’25
Xcode Code coverage shows zero; even after 245 successful tests
I have a project inside the project structure. I have around 300 unit tests in the project. I see that for some of the subprojects, the coverage numbers show up correctly, but for other subprojects and the main project, the coverage number shows zero, even though the tests are running successfully. The log I get is: Aggregation tool emitted warnings: warning: /Users/ABC/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/projectABC-hfzmkbdgpiswoxfvvnvhrafaiqyb/Build/ProfileData/A8EEC1FB-1699-4C29-A88C-D3DDA226DBC0/0A416494-A393-4319-AA47-502D72084C9C-43351.profraw: raw profile version mismatch: Profile uses raw profile format version = 8; expected version = 10 PLEASE update this tool to the version in the raw profile, or regenerate the raw profile with the expected version. I only have one Xcode (26.0.1) on my machine. I tried cleaning the derived data, the cleaning project, and rerunning the tests, but it hasn't helped. Please help me get the coverage number back. Thank you.
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123
Activity
Oct ’25
CoreHaptics.AssetPickerDrawer throws exceptions and draws incorrectly when fieldInfo or assetType is null
There is a bug in Unity Plugins: Corehaptics.AssetPickerDrawer throws exceptions and draws incorrectly when fieldInfo or assetType is null (FB17305973). I fixed it and created a pull request: https://github.com/apple/unityplugins/pull/47 It has been months and this bug is really annoying.
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138
Activity
Jun ’25
There is an issue with Korean consonants and vowels being separated in the simulator.
In Simulator Korean character system has not working well. I want to type "", however, if I type the same thing on the simulator's virtual keyboard (Korean), it comes out as ''. I think this is caused by IME system in ios simulator bug. I think this has been happening since IOS 17.
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157
Activity
Jun ’25