I am developing project which use the following permissions in Info.plist: NSCameraUsageDescription,
NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription, NSMicrophoneUsageDescription, NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription, NSCalendarsUsageDescription. App can browse photos library or take a picture. After the deployment process for submission on App Store I get the info:
The app's Info.plist file should contain a NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription key with a user-facing purpose string explaining clearly and completely why your app needs the data.
The app's Info.plist file should contain a NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription key with a user-facing purpose string explaining clearly and completely why your app needs the data.
In my app I don't use or ask user for location permission. Moreover I use the NuGet packages: Xamarin.Essentials, Forms, Plugin.Permissions. How can I workaround this issue with location permissions to avoid placing this ?
There is nothing that you can do to workaround the problem aside from removing plugins.
And there are no reasons to do something like that as the end-user won't see any difference unless you ask for the location in the app's code. Info.plist is not visible to the end user in any way including through the app listing.
Please guide me with the below mentioned points, as i am not clear about the issue.
Next Steps
To help us proceed with the review of your app, please provide
detailed information to the following questions. The more information
you can provide upfront, the sooner we can complete your review.
1.) How is background location feature being used while app is running
in the background of iOS device?
2.) Does the application use geofencing or significant change for
location services?
My app is driver app, location is used to update customer about driver location and find the rides from the customer within an area. Please guide me for further action,
Update:
Already added this key in plist
If your app doesn't need to fetch location in background, use NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription otherwise use NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription
Add proper description of why your app asks for users location to info.plist for key NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription
Add the following line in your Info.plist file (right click -> Open as -> Source Code)
<key>NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription</key>
<string>Your explanation</string>
Refer: Information Property List Key Reference
EDIT:
It seems to be no issues. Just answer their questions properly & clearly. And the user should understand why the app needs their location
I've submitted my app for review to the App Store Connect. Although the app is still under review, I've received an email to inform me that I have to fix an error. Here is the content of the message:
Dear Developer,
We identified one or more issues with a recent delivery for your app
XXXXX. Your delivery was successful, but you may wish to correct the
following issues in your next delivery:
"Missing Purpose String in Info.plist File. Your app's code
references one or more APIs that access sensitive user data. The
app's Info.plist file should contain a
NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription key with a user-facing purpose
string explaining clearly and completely why your app needs the data.
Starting spring 2019, all apps submitted to the App Store that access
user data will be required to include a purpose string.If you're
using external libraries or SDKs, they may reference APIs that
require a purpose string. While your app might not use these APIs, a
purpose string is still required. You can contact the developer of
the library or SDK and request they release a version of their code
that doesn't contain the APIs.
After you’ve corrected the issues, you can use Xcode or Application
Loader to upload a new binary to iTunes Connect.
Best regards,
The App Store Team
My app is fully built with Expo and I don't know how to access and modify the Info.plist.
Any idea?
EDIT April 2019 : You now have to add these two keys, as spring 2019 has begun. Note that NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription is now deprecated (since iOS 11) and has been replaced with NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription and NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription. If you want to support lower than iOS 11, you'll have to use the three values.
To sum up you have to:
Add NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription AND NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription for iOS 11 and more
And add NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription if you want to support iOS 10 and less
And finally, you can add NSLocationUsageDescription if you wan to support iOS 8 and less.
You can submit your app even if you got this message !
I’ve just faced the same issue yesterday, even if the app isn’t using the location functionality. It may be related to some framework included in the project that have this optional feature.
I can confirm that my app has been approved even without the NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription and NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription key in info.plist
Indeed, as Apple stated in the mail :
Starting spring 2019, all apps submitted to the App Store
that access user data will be required to include a purpose
string.
So the only thing to do is to add this key (right now is better, so that you won’t forget) in you project so that it will be included in your next update.
Just add two new entries in your info.plist, with NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription and NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription as keys and a short description of why you use them as the value (even if you don’t really use them...).
If you're using Expo, you can add solve by adding infoPlist to app.json like so:
"expo": {
"ios": {
"bundleIdentifier": "com.app.myapp",
"infoPlist": {
"NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription": "Some message to appease Apple.",
},
},
}
Expo Docs
I have some apps in the store and I tried to distribute a version for QA and the same thing happened in two different Apps.
I think this is a new criteria to accept the builds uploads to Appstore connect.
The solution is simple, add the following lines in the .plist file.
<key>NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription</key>
<string>custom message</string>
<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>custom message</string>
PS: In my case have not using any feature of location, but I added these lines in order to comply with Appstore connect guidelines. Btw after receive that email, I could test the app even when they said that build it had some issues.
I hope this work for you guys.
It's a new requirement from apple, even if you do not use location. If you want to add the permissions in Xcode, look for "Privacy - Location Usage Description" and "Privacy - Location When In Use Usage Description" and type a custom string for each of them.
For more simplifying you can add these lines in your info.plist. These error are coming because Starting spring 2019, all apps submitted to the App Store that access user data will be required to include a purpose string.
Open info.plist as source code.
Add these following lines in your plist
<key>NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>$(PRODUCT_NAME) needs Location access for "some reason"!</string>
<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>$(PRODUCT_NAME) needs Location access for "some reason"!</string>
<key>NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription</key>
<string>$(PRODUCT_NAME) needs Location access for "some reason"!</string>
##Use this key in info.plist file
NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription
Your location is required for xyz benefits for you NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription
Your location is required for xyz benefits for you
"Missing Purpose String in Info.plist File. Your app's code references one or more APIs that access sensitive user data. The app's Info.plist file should contain a NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription key with a user-facing purpose string explaining clearly and completely why your app needs the data. Starting spring 2019, all apps submitted to the App Store that access user data will be required to include a purpose string.If you're using external libraries or SDKs, they may reference APIs that require a purpose string. While your app might not use these APIs, a purpose string is still required. You can contact the developer of the library or SDK and request they release a version of their code that doesn't contain the APIs.
Open Info.plist as source code.
Add these following lines in your plist
<key>NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>$(PRODUCT_NAME) needs Location access for "some reason"!</string>
<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>$(PRODUCT_NAME) needs Location access for "some reason"!</string>
<key>NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription</key>
<string>$(PRODUCT_NAME) needs Location access for "some reason"!</string>
We did receive the same email and we aren't using the CoreLocation at all. After a quick search, we found that Parse SDK could use CoreLocation. In Apple's email, they clearly say:
If you're using external libraries or SDKs, they may reference APIs that require a purpose string.
That mean the minute your code or any other Library or SDKs can use CoreLocation, even if you don't use it, you need to provide privacy description for "When In Use" and "Always Use".
It is also something new from Apple and for now it's only a warning but it will be required starting in Spring 2019 for new submissions.
There are the following cases:
NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription (iOS>11)
NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription (iOS>11)
NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription (iOS<=10)
NSLocationUsageDescription (seems very old, iOS8?)
Apple states at:
Add the NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription key and the NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription key to your Info.plist file.
and:
If your app supports iOS 10 and earlier, add the NSLocationAlwaysUsage
NSLocationUsageDescription seems dead, the only ref in ADC site is:
https://developer.apple.com/ibeacon/Getting-Started-with-iBeacon.pdf
So to be sure, use first 3.
This issue is occurring because you haven't included
<NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription>
for your app. I faced the same issue when I tried to submit my app on the AppStore. After the app was processed, I got the same mail. I just added the description and now its resolved.
Hope this helps.
These answers all tell you how to comply with the App Store rules to avoid the warning but the true fix would be for Expo to allow you to disable their SDKs requirement for Location Services unless you actually use them - I'm not sure if this is possible.
Please review the email you received from **App Store Connect **
Identify The Missing Key
Instructions
Open info.plist file.
Add and search for the missing key from the options provided (e.g. Contacts = Privacy - Contacts Usage Description)
Add Usage Description:
$(PRODUCT_NAME) needs Contacts access to "Provide The Reason Here".
Example:
same issue in Feb 19, got an email with a bunch of permissions I am not using, I assume they are from plugins. Apple says in March 19 it is a requirement so I am adding these in info.plst and uploading again.
It is very silly indeed.
I had
<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription </key>
instead of
<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
be sure to remove trailing whitespace
I also face the same issue but after 27 hours, I received the email about approved even I did nothing. So wait for approximately 24 hours instead of doing all this process again.
With Xcode 11 copy the key NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription and add this to Info -> Custom iOS Target Properties -> Click + in the bottom left of this tab and as a value insert some kind of description like This app requires location access to function properly..
My app also got that， and I do nothing about it but it can run well ,next time I think should add such key in plist,just do some description
A short answer to the above problem -
NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription must be updated with the following description in Info.plist file
{Your App Name} requires access to the location to suggest dengue
outbreak zones.
In our case, we were using NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription in our app, but not NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription.
Reading from the comments here (thanks matt-oakes), it looks like NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription is being used by one of the dependency frameworks we use.
Running our app it doesn't show the actual NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription permission modal, so it looks to just handle this in the background.
So in summary, adding NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription to the Info.plist fixed the warning email, and did not change any behaviour in the app 👍🏻
This is the first time I have uploaded an app to iTunes Connect via Xcode. Is there a time delay for it to show up in the build? I can't see it listed in iTunes Connect Activity tab either.
I have read some people have had issues because the Information Property List didn't have enough information. The app requires permissions for Location, Camera and Photo library usage. They are listed in the plist file but there is no value set for any of them - is that the problem?
Once you uploaded an app via Xcode.It transmits the archive to Apple, where the build is examined to determine whether it conforms to Apple guidelines.
In my case probably it tooks more time at first build.Rest of other version builds are moved quickly.
Check your registered mail in iTunes.Once app review was done you will be notified whether success or failure.
You can able to see in window which present when clicking select build in itunes.There you can see something like build processing once you uploaded your build.
If description is missed for Cocoa keys then probably app will be reject by iTunes connect. It will notify somthing like missing usage descriptions.
Important :
For eg
In .plist when using Cocoa keys something like Privacy - Camera Usage
Description.Then specifies the reason for your app to access the
device’s camera.
You must add description of Cocoa keys.This description will be shown when accessing specific native API's.
Since iOS 10 has changed its privacy police i.e. we need put privacy description in the plist file.
There is a question, are we needed to re-submit our app again after iOS 10 offically published?
As the plist need to be changed or apps would be crashed.
Anyone has any idea or info to help me fingure this?
What I found in my investigation is if we build the app from Xcode7 we don't have issue in the new privacy settings, For example if I am trying to access Camera or Photo Library it will not crash.
But if I build the app using Xcode8 it crashes saying the "Privacy description to access Camera / Photo Library is missing".
So its clear that we don't need to re-submit the app only for this privacy update.While submitting the next version (probably you need to use new Xcode8) makesure you added this privavcy policy update.