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IPv6 App Store Rejection

Our update has been rejected twice today for ipv6 network connectivity issues. Our networking code has not changed between the previous release and this current release.

The app only makes https network requests to api.metooapp.io, which is correctly configured for ipv6 [0] and runs behind route53 on AWS. There are no hard-coded IP addresses in the code.

I am unable to reproduce this issue, even after following the steps to create an ipv6 network at [1] which is the link that was provided in the rejection notice. It looks like I'm not the only one experiencing this issue, either [2].

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Sean Thielen Avatar asked Jun 05 '16 02:06

Sean Thielen


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10 Answers

After quite a bit of stress, I can confirm that the issue was a problem with our backend not being correctly configured for IPv6. Apparently, AWS doesn't support IPv6, nor IPv6-only DNS through Route53. I ended up moving all the internet facing bits of the backend away from AWS for the time being.

I wanted to leave this up because I think there are probably going to be others who find themselves with similar problems as people start submitting updates past the IPv6-only restriction. The best tool I found for testing server/dns readiness has been: http://ready.chair6.net/

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Sean Thielen Avatar answered Sep 30 '22 11:09

Sean Thielen


Please note that Supporting IPv6-only Networks and IPv6 and App Review link can be very helpful in determining what's the problem with apple rejections. In this specific case the articles clearly state that you can setup the DNS64/NAT64 test network but that "This test network is not exactly the same as the network used by App Review", that's why everything can work in the test environment and still have the app rejected.

Moreover:

The App Review network, like the networks deployed by service providers, does support IPv6-to-IPv6 connectivity. Thus, if your server supports IPv6, your app will talk to it directly, without going through the NAT64 translator. This is, in general, a good thing, but it can trip you up if your server claims to support IPv6 but that IPv6 support is broken. For example, if: the DNS name is incorrect the DNS is correct but the server is not listening on IPv6 the server is listening on IPv6 but fails when a request comes in over IPv6

So if your backend server has support for IPv6 the apple test network will use it, and it is what has been wrong in this case.

I add this as a reference and starting point for other users that experience the same problem

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lucianoenrico Avatar answered Sep 28 '22 11:09

lucianoenrico


We ran into this same problem, and it turned out while we had setup an AAAA record for IPv6, since we didn't actually have IPv6 support (we're also using Route53), it borked everything. Removing the AAAA record fixed the issue.

I've filed a radar about the discrepancy between the documentation for testing and the setup App Review is using - we were only able to diagnose it because our CTO was at WWDC and was able to connect to their network, which is not exactly a situation we can reproduce regularly.

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DesignatedNerd Avatar answered Sep 28 '22 11:09

DesignatedNerd


We ran into similar situation. Our app was rejected due to connectivity problems in IPv6 networks. Also our servers are using AWS.

I've performed Test for IPv6 DNS64/NAT64 without any issue on my side, and we decide to submit an appeal to this rejection.

We explained that the test on our side was finished with success and that we are using AWS infrastructure.

After two more days the app was again reviewed and accepted

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MP23 Avatar answered Sep 28 '22 11:09

MP23


we met the same problem。 Our App has been rejected serval times for ipv6 reason . But We have been test in the ipv6 network which configed as APPLE's Offical Document: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/NetworkingInternetWeb/Conceptual/NetworkingOverview/UnderstandingandPreparingfortheIPv6Transition/UnderstandingandPreparingfortheIPv6Transition.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40010220-CH213-SW1

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Ern Zhang Avatar answered Oct 01 '22 11:10

Ern Zhang


Our app is rejected the first time, we setup the local test environment based on apple document and find our curl lib is too old without enable ipv6 by default. So we build latest curl lib and it works. But it's rejected again because same reason. I check a lot information, find someone had same experience, just complaint to Apple reviewer to say your app works well in test environment and ask them to provide an engineer to help if they insist there is some error. Apple review team approved our app in the weekend when they saw our complaints.

As I know there are 2 issues you need check. Do you hard code ip address in your app? Do you setup your AAAA record for your server domain to show it supports ipv6, but your server doesn't listen to ipv6. If yes, just remove that AAAA record in your domain settings from your domain provider site.

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ramon.liu Avatar answered Oct 01 '22 11:10

ramon.liu


Reachability library must support IPv6 network settings. So use this Reachability class.

https://developer.apple.com/library/content/samplecode/Reachability/Introduction/Intro.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/DTS40007324

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BeyazBaron Avatar answered Oct 01 '22 11:10

BeyazBaron


This is 2nd time i have encountered this issue after 6 month. Previously it was in Objective-C project using AFNetworking and i used this solution and it worked on one go. Now same happened with Alamofire. Guys this solution is worked for me 2 times and i found this question is coming first in google so i am posting the answer.

Search in the workspace for AF_INET and change it to AF_INET6 anywhere you found. I think it must be inside the AFNetworking library or Alamofire library if you are using it. Its in the NetworkReachabilityManager class.

I found this answer from the below source.

https://stackoverflow.com/a/38196337/4030971

EDIT: - 24th June -

This helped me so many times but there is a strange solution to this problem also. In our recent project we have applied this solution but still apple rejected the application. Then we made a video which was showing that the app is running fine with connected to a NAT64 network created on a Mac from wifi sharing option. We appealed for review with the video and they approved the application. So if you are done with all your options, try this one too.

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Mahesh Agrawal Avatar answered Sep 29 '22 11:09

Mahesh Agrawal


You can check your API in below website, is your API iPV6 configure or not!

http://ipv6-test.com/validate.php

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Anand Nanavaty Avatar answered Sep 29 '22 11:09

Anand Nanavaty


I've performed Test for IPv6 DNS64/NAT64 without any issue as prescribed by Apple documentation

however, we are unable to reproduce the issue (Crash). We successful install app in our devices without crashes.

  • We took a video of this total testing process (which includes showing connectivity, downloading from testflight, NAT64 network connection , app operations)
  • and appeal for rejection with the video file

Finally, app store APPROVED my app

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Phani Sai Avatar answered Oct 01 '22 11:10

Phani Sai