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authentication

Builds iOS authentication with AuthenticationServices and LocalAuthentication. Use for Sign in with Apple, passkeys/WebAuthn, credential state or revocation, OAuth/web sessions, Password AutoFill, identity-token server validation, and local biometric reauthentication.

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88%

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SKILL.md
Quality
Evals
Security

Authentication

Implement authentication flows on iOS using AuthenticationServices and LocalAuthentication, including Sign in with Apple, passkeys (WebAuthn), OAuth web sessions, Password AutoFill, and biometric verification. Targets Swift 6.4 / iOS 26+.

Contents

  • Sign in with Apple
  • Passkeys (WebAuthn)
  • OAuth & ASWebAuthenticationSession
  • Password AutoFill
  • Biometric Authentication (LocalAuthentication)
  • Common Mistakes
  • Review Checklist
  • References

Sign in with Apple

Add the Sign in with Apple capability in Xcode.

In SwiftUI, use SignInWithAppleButton:

import SwiftUI
import AuthenticationServices

struct LoginView: View {
    var body: some View {
        SignInWithAppleButton(.signIn) { request in
            request.requestedScopes = [.fullName, .email]
        } onCompletion: { result in
            switch result {
            case .success(let authorization):
                if let appleIDCredential = authorization.credential as? ASAuthorizationAppleIDCredential {
                    let userIdentifier = appleIDCredential.user
                    let identityToken = appleIDCredential.identityToken
                    // Forward identityToken to backend for JWT validation
                }
            case .failure(let error):
                // Handle authorization error
                break
            }
        }
        .signInWithAppleButtonStyle(.black)
        .frame(height: 50)
    }
}

Check credential state on app launch using ASAuthorizationAppleIDProvider().getCredentialState(forUserID:).

Passkeys (WebAuthn)

Authenticate without passwords using hardware-backed credentials synced via iCloud Keychain:

let provider = ASAuthorizationPlatformPublicKeyCredentialProvider(relyingPartyIdentifier: "example.com")
let request = provider.createCredentialAssertionRequest(challenge: serverChallenge)

let controller = ASAuthorizationController(authorizationRequests: [request])
controller.delegate = self
controller.presentationContextProvider = self
controller.performRequests()

Configure Associated Domains with webcredentials:example.com and host /.well-known/apple-app-site-association.

OAuth & ASWebAuthenticationSession

For third-party OAuth providers, use ASWebAuthenticationSession:

let session = ASWebAuthenticationSession(
    url: authURL,
    callbackURLScheme: "myapp"
) { callbackURL, error in
    guard let callbackURL, error == nil else { return }
    // Extract authorization code from callbackURL
}
session.presentationContextProvider = self
session.prefersEphemeralWebBrowserSession = false // true prevents shared cookie login
session.start()

Password AutoFill

Support keychain password entry alongside passkeys via ASAuthorizationPasswordProvider:

let passwordRequest = ASAuthorizationPasswordProvider().createCredentialRequest()
let controller = ASAuthorizationController(authorizationRequests: [passkeyRequest, passwordRequest])

Biometric Authentication (LocalAuthentication)

Verify device owner identity using Face ID / Touch ID:

import LocalAuthentication

func authenticateUser() async throws {
    let context = LAContext()
    var error: NSError?

    guard context.canEvaluatePolicy(.deviceOwnerAuthenticationWithBiometrics, error: &error) else {
        throw AuthError.biometricsUnavailable
    }

    let success = try await context.evaluatePolicy(
        .deviceOwnerAuthenticationWithBiometrics,
        localizedReason: "Unlock your account"
    )
    guard success else { throw AuthError.failed }
}

Common Mistakes

  • Assuming user profile data is returned on every sign-in: Apple ID credentials return full name and email only on the first authorization. Persist them immediately.
  • Client-side token trust: Always validate identityToken signatures against Apple's public keys on your server.
  • Missing webcredentials entitlement for passkeys: Passkeys require webcredentials:domain in Associated Domains.
  • Not retaining ASWebAuthenticationSession: The session must be retained in an instance variable or it deallocates before the callback fires.
  • Using biometrics without checking canEvaluatePolicy: Calling evaluatePolicy without pre-checking triggers immediate runtime exceptions on unsupported hardware.

Review Checklist

  • Sign in with Apple capability added to project
  • User full name and email persisted on first sign-in
  • Identity tokens verified cryptographically on the server
  • Credential state verified via getCredentialState(forUserID:) on launch
  • Associated Domains configured with webcredentials: for passkeys
  • ASWebAuthenticationSession instance retained until completion
  • NSFaceIDUsageDescription included in Info.plist for biometric auth

References

Repository

thienqo/ios-skills

Path

skills/authentication/SKILL.md

Last updated
First committed

Canonical home

dpearson2699/swift-ios-skills
In sync

since May 23, 2026

Also appears in

thiennc-tesoglobal/ios-skills
Modified

on Oct 29, 2026

dpearson2699/swift-ios-skills
In sync

since May 22, 2026

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