NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription required for unknown reasons

I attempted to upload my project to iTunes Connect, but was notified that my upload had failed for the following reason:

Missing Info.plist key - This app attempts to access privacy-sensitive data without a usage description. The app's Info.plist must contain an NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription key with a string value explaining to the user how the app uses this data.

A previous upload from a different branch of the project went fine (without any such info.plist key), leading me to believe I've unintentionally introduced some kind of location service call in the current branch. I don't use or want to use Unity's LocationService anywhere in the project, and there are no references to it anywhere in my code or in anything I've included. Additionally, the branch that failed to upload was primarily focused on a UI/data reporting overhaul, and I can't figure out what that could possibly reference to trigger this requirement.

For the time being I've added the key to my info.plist but I'd much prefer that my app didn't erroneously appear to require location data. Is there anything specific that I may have unintentionally done to require this? Or is there anything I can do to identify the cause?

For reference, my project is built in C# with Unity 2017.3.1f1.

 

I'm encountering the same issue

 

This just showed up yesterday afternoon for our project - but I don't believe we made any code or build changes. We have never used location services (though sometimes I need to chase them out of plugins).
Maybe something Apple just started detecting/enforcing wrong?
Unity 5.6.5f1
xcode 9.2
Is there a bug filed? If not I can create one.

 

Confused people on the apple forums too - might be an apple bug?
https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/101367

 

Same problem here, just yesterday we were starting to see this... without any change in our location services.

 

Good to know it's not something I broke then. Sounds like it's unrelated to the branch I switched to.

I haven't filed one yet, please do and link it here.

 

I added FireBase Analytics to my project yesterday and got the same thing, thought it was related. Interesting.

 

FYI - Apple updated their system status with a resolved TestFlight issue, and I'm seeing some people report that it is fixed. I'm going to try another build now.
https://developer.apple.com/system-status/

 

Seems to be fixed now. My binaries are not being rejected anymore.

 

I had the same problem but I tried to upload ipa to iTunesconnect again.
I've received success email from apple. Yeah seems like it's been fixed now.
But my TestFlight couldn't connect to iTunesConnect instead..

 

I also encountered this yesterday. solved it by actually adding those fields to the info.plist - should i remove them? what do you think would be the best option? (in case this was actually resolved from Apple's end)

 

I got it today on the latest ARCore 1.2 and ARKit 1.5 app. It wasn't asking for it before and the code didn't change so much.

 

Same here, it was not there before when we submit our apps, but we got this message yesterday.

What happened?

 

I just starting seeing this yesterday. I submitted two different iOS apps built with Unity for TestFlight. App Store Connect accepted the binaries but sent me an email for each app flagging this problem. The version of Unity I am using is 2018.2.5f1.

 

I encountered the same problem today.
I found requestWhenInUseAuthorization in iPhone_Sensors.mm in iOS build folder.
Maybe, App Store Connect found this call and send issues to us.
Is this safe that I comment out this call?

 

I have the same issue and recently upgraded to 2018.2.5 but I can't confirm that it happened immediately after updating Unity.

 

iPhone_Sensors.mm has
#import <CoreLocation/CoreLocation.h>
but it's been there for builds that did not get the warning so I'm not sure what this new iTunesConnect warning is from

 

I'm running into this too.

 

I just updated a new build to testflight and ran into this issue. I believe Unity automatically adds Core Location library, therefore Apple requires a description as a new rule. I think we should add the description and move on.

 

Same issue here.
Build is good on testflight but we receive the mail from apple as a 'warning' basically telling us to add the string.

Obviously i could add something to the plist file but i have no clue what to add as i am not actively using any location services or api's.

So yeah, if anyone has an idea what plugin or part of code is using that, I'd be interested.

 

I just add the Facebook SDK to my project, and I received this mail for the first time I push my build, so I think facebook SKD may be the issue in my case, I wonder if the facebook analytic is the reason? as I see, it's is enable when I active my facebook application.

 

Same to me although we don't need that permission and don't add any new change. Is there any way to check which line of code request this permission?

 

I'm also having this issue - noticed it after upgrading to Unity 2018.2.4 from 2018.1.5. As we need to submit soon - and don't have a good reason to have this permission, it's a fairly big issue for us.

 

I'm running into this too.

 

Well... since yesterday it's not an only warning anymore and Apple is rejecting binaries because of this.

 

@PauliusP I received this just after I sent the Binary, and the Binary was rejected.

The message says Spring 2019, but the Binary is declined and I cannot submit for approval.

 

Do you mean that it is already fixed in 2018.2.12f1? I couldn't find a note in the changelog....

 

Is there a way out-of-the-box to apply the scripts in a postprocessor script?

 

@Hosnkobf Notice that your rejection message is referring to NSCalendarsUsageDescription. This is not the same as NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription that this thread is about.

This might be a new check added by Apple.

It might also require another fix from Unity.

Or it might be something specific to your project? Are you using the calendar (it seems unlikely!)

 

Good point... not for me but for @wagenheimer

 

Good point - sorry for mixing you two up!

 

So i updated to Unity 2018.2.14 yesterday. (I was using 2018.2.2 before)
After the update my xcode builds are now failing with:

Code (JavaScript):

1. Undefined symbols for architecture arm64
2. Symbol: _OBJC_CLASS_$_CLLocationManager
3. Referenced from: objc-class-ref in iPhone_Sensors.o
4. ld: symbol(s) not found for architecture arm64

Could anyone tell me if this is connected to that patch and how i can solve that problem?
Side-note: I am doing automated command line builds which means that i can not just go into the xcode project and change settings before the xcode builds starts.
If i need to change settings, i'd need to find a way to do that for every build automatically from command line.

 

sorry for being noob, just started iOS development. can you please explain how can I patch Xcode project manually? what to do with those diffs files, any help will be appreciated.

 

do you want to patch it manually or via the API?
For manual patching - just open the generated Xcode project and modify whatever you need.

 

Where do we need to add those .txt files in xcode?

 

I am getting this warning from Apple, as others have stated. Does anyone know if using Input.location will cause this warning?

 

Hi, Thank you for your answer. But I have a question. My team project using unity version 5.6.3p2. So I follow your instruction that patched maully mm files using your diff files. And I tried to remove CoreLocation framework using RemoveFrameWorkFromProject. But it is not work. I checked xcode project path. Could you tell what am I miss? here is code.

Code (CSharp):

1.  
2.     [PostProcessBuild(102)]
3.     public static void OnPostProcess(BuildTarget in_buildTarget, string in_buildPath)
4.     {
5. var proj_path = PBXProject.GetPBXProjectPath(in_buildPath);
6.         var proj = new PBXProject();
7.         proj.ReadFromFile(proj_path);
8.  
9.         var target_name = PBXProject.GetUnityTargetName();
10.         var target_guid = proj.TargetGuidByName(target_name);
11.  
12.         proj.RemoveFrameworkFromProject(target_guid, "CoreLocation");
13. }

 

Looks like you forgot to write your proj file at the end of your script:

Code (CSharp):

1. proj.WriteToFile(projPath);

 

We are getting this as well, under Unity 2017.4.25f1. Did the fix accidentally get moved out?

 

Code (CSharp):

1. //The extension of the filename must be ".framework".
2. proj.RemoveFrameworkFromProject(target_guid, "CoreLocation.framework");
3. proj.WriteToFile(proj_path);

 

I just got it in 2018.3 - I thought it has the patch?

 

just got it in with unity 2019.1.11f1 ... an almost similar build (just removed useless prefabs from a scene) got accepted by apple 2 days ago

 

was using 2018.3.4 didnt get the rejection now using 2018.4.5 and reciving emails

 

Got a notification about this from Apple this morning on our newly submitted iOS build, using Unity 2019.2.17f1.

UPDATE: However, they completed processing the build for selection to submit for Review so I guess it was just a warning and we can proceed.

 

Currently I'm using 2018.4.12 but I still have ITMS-90683: Missing Purpose String in Info.plist file should contain a NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription key with a user-facing purpose string. Is that engine bug again?

 

Unity 2019.2.16f1 and the same ITMS-90683 error any tips ?