[Bug] macOS app crashes on start from app store, but steam runs fine.

[StephenHodgson]

Description

Description

When we build our app for the apple app store for macOS the app crashes immediately on start. But this doesn't happen for our builds made with steam. The only difference is the entitlements.

-------------------------------------
Translated Report (Full Report Below)
-------------------------------------

Process:               AppName [39023]
Path:                  /Applications/MyApp.app/Contents/MacOS/MyApp
Identifier:            com.my.app
Version:               0.17.6 (0)
App Item ID:           6749250726
Code Type:             ARM-64 (Native)
Parent Process:        launchd [1]
User ID:               501

Date/Time:             2025-08-07 13:19:20.2775 -0400
OS Version:            macOS 15.5 (24F74)
Report Version:        12
Anonymous UUID:        


Time Awake Since Boot: 5600000 seconds

System Integrity Protection: enabled

Crashed Thread:        0  Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread

Exception Type:        EXC_CRASH (SIGABRT)
Exception Codes:       0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000

Thread 0 Crashed::  Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
0   libsystem_kernel.dylib        	       0x18f0d5388 __pthread_kill + 8
1   libsystem_pthread.dylib       	       0x18f10e88c pthread_kill + 296
2   libsystem_c.dylib             	       0x18f017c60 abort + 124
3   libsystem_c.dylib             	       0x18f016eec __assert_rtn + 284
4   FirebaseCppApp-13_0_0.bundle  	       0x32b708808 firebase::Semaphore::Semaphore(int) + 336
5   FirebaseCppApp-13_0_0.bundle  	       0x32b70630c firebase::Semaphore::Semaphore(int) + 36
6   FirebaseCppApp-13_0_0.bundle  	       0x32b742338 firebase::App::Create(firebase::AppOptions const&, char const*) + 176
7   FirebaseCppApp-13_0_0.bundle  	       0x32b74227c firebase::App::Create(firebase::AppOptions const&) + 36
8   FirebaseCppApp-13_0_0.bundle  	       0x32b742220 firebase::App::Create() + 60
9   FirebaseCppApp-13_0_0.bundle  	       0x32b7ab458 firebase::AppCreate(firebase::AppOptions const*, char const*) + 104
10  FirebaseCppApp-13_0_0.bundle  	       0x32b7ab370 firebase::AppGetOrCreateInstance(firebase::AppOptions const*, char const*) + 156
11  FirebaseCppApp-13_0_0.bundle  	       0x32b7986c8 firebase_App_CreateInternal__SWIG_0() + 20
12  FirebaseCppApp-13_0_0.bundle  	       0x32b798698 Firebase_App_CSharp_FirebaseApp_CreateInternal__SWIG_0 + 20
13  GameAssembly.dylib            	       0x3005bd068 FirebaseApp_CreateInternal_m63EB3F64189DA8E6C5B2E1C95B11D63EF7F7BC4B + 504
14  GameAssembly.dylib            	       0x3005c042c U3CU3Ec_U3CCreateU3Eb__15_0_mF43BDAE5875C0C407791D7735DC43BB00EB29F32 + 416
15  GameAssembly.dylib            	       0x3005a9f2c FirebaseApp_CreateAndTrack_m3EFC2B1BFE4FF3BE069B04DE63E93A257CD65B3E + 5044
16  GameAssembly.dylib            	       0x3005a82c0 FirebaseApp_Create_mB737A2508FF5A06F35D01D4A8CD4AEF1F8944512 + 796
17  GameAssembly.dylib            	       0x3005a72f8 FirebaseApp_get_DefaultInstance_m2387909BEFA7CA8F51D87B62700EAE8DA6FC13A0 + 604
18  GameAssembly.dylib            	       0x30066f9e8 FirebaseAuth_get_DefaultInstance_m86A4E32D8DCDB80079317B58210090F3D3B1711F + 388

entitlements for app store:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key>
	<true/>
	<key>com.apple.security.network.client</key>
	<true/>
	<key>com.apple.security.network.server</key>
	<true/>
</dict>
</plist>

Reproducing the issue

Unsure.

Firebase Unity SDK Version

11.6.0

Unity editor version

6000.0.41f1

Installation Method

Unity Package Manager

Problematic Firebase Component(s)

Authentication

Other Firebase Component(s) in use

Firestore, Functions, Storage

Additional SDKs you are using

No response

Targeted Platform(s)

Apple Platforms, Desktop, Android

Unity editor platform

Mac, Windows

Scripting Runtime

IL2CPP

Release Distribution Type

Pre-built SDK from https://firebase.google.com/download/unity

Relevant Log Output

If using CocoaPods for Apple platforms, the project's Podfile.lock

N/A

[google-oss-bot]

I couldn't figure out how to label this issue, so I've labeled it for a human to triage. Hang tight.

[niccolo-hare]

Hi @StephenHodgson, thanks for reaching out. I tried setting up Firebase Auth on an empty Unity project, but I didn't encounter any issues when running it on a simulator.

If the issue is leaning more on your app's entitlements, you might be missing some configurations. You can modify these via XCode Capabilities.

Though just to get a better idea about the issue, could you answer the following questions:

1. Are you setting up your own custom entitlements file, or are you using the default one?
2. Did you make any recent changes with your app before the issue appeared?

I would also appreciate it if you could share detailed steps on how you build your macOS app from Unity. Thanks.

[StephenHodgson]

I didn't encounter any issues when running it on a simulator.

Same there the problem only occurs when uploading the app store and launching from test flight.

[StephenHodgson]

If the issue is leaning more on your app's entitlements, you might be missing some configurations. You can modify these via XCode Capabilities.

What capabilities do I need to be setting?

Afaik I set all the capabilities correctly, and the docs don't explicitly state which ones are required.

[StephenHodgson]

Are you setting up your own custom entitlements file, or are you using the default one?

I've tried generating the default one with only the app-sandbox, since it is REQUIRED by apple for app store, as well as generating my own:

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
  <plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
  	<key>com.apple.security.network.client</key>
  	<true/>
  	<key>com.apple.security.network.server</key>
  	<true/>
  	<key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key>
  	<true/>
  </dict>
  </plist>

[StephenHodgson]

Did you make any recent changes with your app before the issue appeared?

I've never published our app to the apple app store, but it has already been released on meta quest, and steam stores.

[StephenHodgson]

I would also appreciate it if you could share detailed steps on how you build your macOS app from Unity. Thanks.

We use GitHub Actions devOps to build and publish using github action steps.

• https://github.com/buildalon/unity-xcode-builder

We installed the firebase packages via UPM via git tag:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "com.google.external-dependency-manager": "1.2.185",
    "com.google.firebase.app": "https://github.com/RageAgainstThePixel/com.google.firebase.app.git#11.6.0",
    "com.google.firebase.auth": "https://github.com/RageAgainstThePixel/com.google.firebase.auth.git#11.6.0",
    "com.google.firebase.firestore": "https://github.com/RageAgainstThePixel/com.google.firebase.firestore.git#11.6.0",
    "com.google.firebase.functions": "https://github.com/RageAgainstThePixel/com.google.firebase.functions.git#11.6.0",
    "com.google.firebase.storage": "https://github.com/RageAgainstThePixel/com.google.firebase.storage.git#11.6.0",
    ...
}

We're currently pegged to Firebase 11.6.0 bc it is the latest version that properly supports Meta Quest.

That being said, I did test the latest version specifically for the apple mac store release but it has the same exact problem.