iOS Data Protection

iOS Data Protection restricts when the Salesforce Engagement SDK can access files on the device, which can prevent the SDK from running correctly in the foreground or background. This table describes how iOS Data Protection impacts the SDK.

iOS Data Protection Level	SDK Behavior
No protection	SDK works in the foreground and background
Complete until first user authentication	SDK works in the foreground and background after the first unlock
Complete unless open	SDK works in the foreground and background after the first unlock
Complete	SDK works only in the foreground after the device is unlocked

Some iOS Data Protection modes can prevent the SDK from accessing the needed files at certain times. During normal operation, the SDK must have access to files while running in the foreground and in the background. If the SDK can’t access these files due to an iOS Data Protection mode, the operation fails and the SDK logs an error.

By default, the SDK sets the file protection type to NSFileProtectionCompleteUntilFirstUserAuthentication. With this file protection type, files are stored in an encrypted format on disk and can’t be read from or written to until the user unlocks the device for the first time. As of version 8.0.9, the SDK continues to retain the default protection type (NSFileProtectionCompleteUntilFirstUserAuthentication). However, it also provides the capability to override the file protection type within the consuming application. You can choose different file protection types, such as NSFileProtectionComplete and NSFileProtectionCompleteUnlessOpen, based on your specific needs.

NSSQLiteErrorDomain errors can appear in logs if the FileProtectionType is NSFileProtectionComplete and the application goes to the background.

Note

Override FileProtectionType

The following example shows how you can override the file protection type.

1SFMCSdk.setFileProtectionType(fileProtectionType: .completeUntilFirstUserAuthentication)

For an additional example of overriding the file protection type, see the learning application.

Configuration Issues

If you configure iOS data protection such that the file system isn’t accessible during the SDK configuration call, the SDK retries the call for up to 5 seconds. This retry period allows time for a user to unlock the device and make the file system accessible. If the user doesn’t unlock the device within 5 seconds, an error object is returned describing the error, and the configuration call fails, returning false. In this case, the SDK isn’t configured, and no access to SDK methods must be attempted until the configure method returns true. The error object returns the error code configureDatabaseAccessError.

Foreground and Background Operation Issues

Certain features of the SDK require access to the file system as the app transitions to the foreground or background. Foreground operations include retrieving messages from Engagement for inbox messaging, location messaging, and sending analytic information back to Engagement. Background operations include sending analytic information back to Engagement. If any of these features are enabled via configuration, then an appropriate iOS Data Protection mode must be selected for them to work correctly.