How is an iOS app on the App Store able to detect other apps?!?!

Question

Created Jul ’24

Replies 3

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Participants 3

A client asked why we can't detect other apps installed on a device without an MDM profile, we explained this isn't possible due to privacy and security restrictions on iOS. A regular app cannot find other apps that are installed unless part of the same group.

The client then told us to download SpyBuster (on the App Store) which somehow is collecting a list of Bundle IDs or names of all installed apps somehow.

We were skeptical, but sure enough, the app showed us a list of apps we had installed. How is it doing this?!?! No MDM profile associated with the app. No special permissions requested. No access to anything shown in privacy & security in settings.

Is there a special entitlement we're not aware of?

Just seems like they must be using a private API call to get this info but that would of course mean it should be pulled from the App Store. We'd love to have this capability in our apps if it's legit and accepted by App Store review.

Thanks!

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Answer 1

jlilest OP

Jul ’24

They can use the app delegate can open url to find some apps. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/uiapplication/1622952-canopenurl

There are limits on it for privacy reasons.

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Answer 2

Colin_newbie OP

Jul ’24

Thanks for your response! I was pondering that too, especially if they were only finding some apps, but they can seem to find all apps and the app icons as well. Even for rather obscure apps for which there's no way they would have done the research to figure out the URL schemes for and of course many (most?) apps don't define a scheme. Them having the app icon too and instantly (no server download latency) tells me they're getting it on device somehow.

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Answer 3

endecotp OP

Jul ’24

The client then told us to download SpyBuster (on the App Store) which somehow is collecting a list of Bundle IDs or names of all installed apps somehow.

That clearly shouldn't have passed App Review, and perfectly demonstrates how amazingly useless App Review is.

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