Hey everyone, I’m confused about something that just happened with my app submission. Even though it got accepted, Apple sent me this weird message about missing API declarations. They’re talking about stuff like NSPrivacyAccessedAPICategoryFileTimestamp and NSPrivacyAccessedAPICategorySystemBootTime.
The message says I don’t need to do anything right now, but starting May next year, I’ll have to add these to something called a privacy manifest. Has anyone else seen this? What exactly is a privacy manifest, and how do I create one?
I’m pretty new to iOS development, so any help would be great. Thanks!
I’ve encountered this issue recently with one of my apps too. The privacy manifest is Apple’s new way of tracking what APIs your app uses that might access user data. It’s part of their ongoing push for more transparency around privacy.
From what I’ve gathered, you’ll need to create a file called PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy in your app’s bundle. In this file, you’ll list out all the APIs your app uses that could potentially access sensitive user information.
For the APIs you mentioned, it sounds like your app might be accessing file timestamps or system boot time. These aren’t major privacy concerns, but Apple wants them declared anyway.
Don’t stress too much about it now, but it’s good to start preparing. I’d recommend auditing your code to see what APIs you’re using and start drafting your privacy manifest. There are some good resources on Apple’s developer site that explain the process in more detail.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
I’ve dealt with this recently too. It’s part of Apple’s new privacy initiatives. Essentially, they want developers to be more transparent about which APIs their apps use that could access user data.
For now, you don’t need to take any action. However, come May next year, you’ll need to create a privacy manifest file (PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy) in your app bundle. This file will declare all the APIs your app uses that might access sensitive information.
The APIs mentioned in your message (NSPrivacyAccessedAPICategoryFileTimestamp and NSPrivacyAccessedAPICategorySystemBootTime) suggest your app might be accessing file timestamps or system boot time. These aren’t major privacy concerns, but Apple wants them declared nonetheless.
I’d recommend starting to audit your code to identify which APIs you’re using that might need to be included in the manifest. Apple’s developer documentation has more details on how to create and structure this file.
It’s a bit of extra work, but it’s in line with Apple’s focus on user privacy. Good luck with your app!
hey man, i got that message too. it’s about some new privacy thing apple’s rolling out. don’t sweat it for now, but next year we gotta make this ‘privacy manifest’ file. it’s like a list of APIs we use that might touch user data.
google ‘PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy’ for more info. good luck!