Prevent App Store Rejection: Add the Apple Privacy Manifest NOW!

[@jfversluis]

Here are all the links! 🔗 Let me know how implementing this went for you in the comments! Apple Privacy Manifest and .NET Blog post: devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/apple-privacy-manifest-support/ .NET for iOS and .NET MAUI Privacy Manifest Support Technical Documentation: github.com/xamarin/xamarin-macios/blob/main/docs/apple-privacy-manifest.md .NET MAUI Privacy Manifest Docs: learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/maui/ios/privacy-manifest Apple Documentation: developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/privacy_manifest_files/describing_data_use_in_privacy_manifests

[@pelinkonaray5027]

Hi Gerald, thanks for video! Isn't this mandatory only when we submit a new application or when we want to update our existing application to the Appstore? We currently have a Xamarin application published in the AppStore. We are redeveloping this application with Maui. However, our Maui application is not yet complete. We plan to update our Maui application instead of our Xamarin application in the AppStore around the end of June. Do I need to update our Xamarin application by adding an Apple Privacy Manifest file now? Or, when my new maui application is completed, is it enough to add Apple Privacy Manifest file to the maui application and send it to the AppStore at the end of June?

[@jfversluis]

I’m not 100% sure I think typically apple doesn’t really pull apps from the store that are there. I would think that you only need to do this when you release something new or do an update indeed.

[@carlosrafa001]

Saved lives with this orientation.

[@RobDaytona]

Thanks Gerald! I really value your content! I am going to bookmark this page for when I need to deploy my maui game to the appstore, mean time I am going to ensure my final releases are done for my existing Xamarin game before May 1st! I hope not to need any furthe updates to it ever again! - all the best, Rob

[@Mr.Zafonacci]

Thank you Gerald, you saved a life again! 🙂

[@muffadalkhopoliwala4428]

Hi Gerald. Thanks for details explanation. I have query about the privacy manifest for AppCenter Nuget packages "Microsoft.AppCenter.Analytics" and "Microsoft.AppCenter.Crashes" used in the app. Will there be updated version of these Nuget packages released to include the privacy manifest or will it be the app responsibility to define the entries for these packages in app privacy manifest file? Awaiting your feedback. Thanks.

[@jfversluis]

For those you’re best bet is to provide the entries yourself. Since App Center is going away I wouldn’t expect much movement there and also I suspect that even if they include a manifest it won’t be picked up automatically

[@muffadalkhopoliwala4428]

Thanks @@jfversluis for confirmation. Can you povide one example of the same for addng DataPrivacy for say PreciseLocation in "PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy" file.

[@PratikGavit-zk9fz]

Audio is not synced with video very Informative and helpful video thanks

[@MartinMcDermot]

THX @GeraldVersluis you save my programing ass :D Without you video, i will be death :)

[@jfversluis]

Haha that's what I'm here for! Thanks!

[@kalixthuska8846]

How do you add reasons and purposes for analytics ?

[@nejox87]

Very nice Videos 🙂 Helped me a lot to start with MAUI. It would be nice if you could make a Video about Xcode Versions. Because I'm running the newest NET 8 build and the iOS Emulators are all on version 15.2. But my Mac has only Xcode 13.2.1 and I can't upgrade because it's a 2013 Model :-(... So I can't start a iOS Emulator and there is not a good guide on how to solve this problem.

[@Brendan2Alexander]

Thank u sir!

[@jfversluis]

You’re most welcome!

[@matejl92]

Important question; will we have to update existing external packages or can it be solved without updating?

[@afsalt249]

What is the property of this file? For Example: BuildAction and Copy to output directory

[@jfversluis]

Copy to output directory is not needed. Build action is bundle resource. See the attached sample source code

[@VishnuvardhanNasina]

Hi, Is it applicable to MDMs also? or just for store submissions?

[@jfversluis]

Good question, I think only App Store, but not 100% sure

[@dakshesh-persource]

What about a third party? Which privacy is needed for which third party? Only this 1 third party is added in a new version of the app, Can you please explain Alamofire for example?

[@jfversluis]

You can see their manifest here: github.com/Alamofire/Alamofire/blob/master/Source/PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy

[@dakshesh-persource]

@@jfversluis OK thanks, but what if some libraries have no privacy file such as AFNetworking?

[@jfversluis]

@dakshesh-persource you’ll have to contact them or find an alternative

[@MunkiiYebee]

What is the recommended approach for getting a built IPA (that we have no intention of releasing) checked to see if our privacy manifest is correct. Does simply iuploading to Test Flight trigger that process? I don't think it does.

[@jfversluis]

Right now the only way I know of is to take it to Test Flight but you will have to release it to external testers (even if that is only you) that is how I have been testing!

[@MunkiiYebee]

@@jfversluis I've watched a video that suggest Xcode has a way of generating a Privacy Report from an Archive. Is there a way of getting a paired Windows dev box to get an Archive to appear in Xcode - Organizer - Archives? I tried taking the Archive created on Windows machine and copying it to Mac but that didn't work.

[@jfversluis]

@MunkiiYebee correct, as far as I know you can’t apply that to projects that are not Xcode

[@tech-man8751]

@jfversluis what about 3rd part SDK like SyncFusion? Where we have to add that in Privacy manifest and how? Please can you share that if you know.

[@VishnuvardhanNasina]

And is it also verified in Test flight submission or only in the app submission?

[@jfversluis]

Also TestFlight if you release to external testers

[@VishnuvardhanNasina]

@@jfversluis Thank you so much for the confirmation.

[@hylosphiri568]

Very informative, thank you!

[@peterd8107]

So what if I use 3rd party SDKs that are no longer supported? They will not add privacy file.

[@jfversluis]

Correct, but you can add the needed entries for those in your own app

[@schulz5patrick]

Great video as always I haven't scanned the entire repository for this idea.. if MAUI *needs* those required APIs, why not just create this XML to begin with via the template? A lot of new users or those who do not watch you or keep up with Apple/MAUI iOS changes will probably have no idea of this and how to fix their release even they are not using any other mentionable uses - also it would be better for third party libraries to add just a sentence to add this or that to your manifest in the readme.

[@schulz5patrick]

I think if its always this minimum to be included, it should be there to begin with. Waiting for your response, before I file a new issue ... :)

[@jfversluis]

No need for an issue, I have a pr open for it already as mentioned in the video. Thanks!

[@schulz5patrick]

​@@jfversluis Well... thank you for correcting me. It seems I missed that

[@enricoroselino7557]

i just got rejected coz not giving the login credentials to reviewer, is there any way to distribute .ipa without appstore in 2024 ?

[@jfversluis]

For Europe alternative app stores are coming! For the rest the easiest option is still to get it in the regular store. But yeah, they want to see everything!

[@Ostebaronen]

Cool. But isn't this missing some information about the nutrition labels Apps and Libraries need to implement going forward?

[@jfversluis]

Sorry that wasn't clear enough in the video, there are 2 parts: the required reasons are the more technical things you need to declare, the other part is indeed the collected data. There are obviously different types of libraries and therefore different ways to go about it. 1. the iOS static libraries, I think those are not even supported to have their own manifest right now even by Apple so they will need to provide the info to the consumer 2. iOS dynamic libraries which can have their own manifest which will automatically be picked up. If this is a binding library for Xamarin/MAUI that should work. We have seen that working. 3. The "pure" .NET libraries which, for Apple, basically do not exist. I'm hoping we can make it easier there to add something that will be able to pick up the manifest automatically, but I wouldn't hold your breath for it. So that basically means, that the best thing you can do right now is to provide the information to your end user and they have to include that in their manifest.